504 NortH Carorina Troops, 1861-’65. command, appealed to his immediate superiors “to tell our countrymen how we did our duty.” Our Great Captain, the spotless Lee, emphasized this ap- preciation of our services on the last day at Appomattox. As Jox’s Brigade swept by him to the charge, with steady step and unbroken line, he voluntarily exclaimed: “God bless old North Carolina.” This is glory enough for any body of troops. ADDENDA. The Thirtieth North Carolina was not actively engaged in the battle of Fredericksburg 138 December, 1862. D. H. Hill’s Division was guarding the Rappahannock near Port Royal, some twenty-five miles below Fredericksburg. It was moved by a forced march on the night of the 12th, so as be in position when the battle was joined. After occupying respectively, the third, second and first lines, without an op- portunity of drawing trigger, the brigade petitioned General Jackson to be allowed to remain one day longer on the first line. The request was granted, but Burnside had been so_ terribly beaten on the 13th that he recrossed the river at night. Our brigade furnished 100 sharpshooters which did fine work in the battle of the 13th. The brigade was ably commanded by that gallant soldier, Colonel Bryan Grimes, of the Fourth North Carolina, later one of the distinguished, and justly so, Major Generals of the Army of Northern Vir- ginia. The Thirtieth was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Kell, an officer of gallantry and force, whose previous wounds caused this to be his last service during the war. LETTER FROM CAPTAIN D. C. ALLEN. Much has been written about what command fired the last gun at Appomattox. : In a recent letter Captain D. C. Allen, who was Senior Captain commanding the Thirtieth North Carolina Troops for the last few months of the war, and who is as gallant a man as ever drew a blade, and who is entitled to the fullest THIRTIETH REGIMENT. 505 credit for any statement he may make, writes: “I have seen several pieces in the papers about the last guns fired at the surrender. “I remember that at Raleigh during the session of the Leg- islature right after the war, Governor Vance delivered his lec- ture ‘All About It,’ and stated that Grimes’ Division fired the last gun. General Grimes was present, also General Cox. I was seated between them. General Cox contended that it was his Brigade that had the honor, and asked me to decide the matter, and go with him and tell Vance to correct it. I told Cox that it was our old Regiment and Company D from Wake that fired the last guns. and also explained the same to Vance. His reply was that it made no difference, as we all belonged to Grimes’ Division. General Cox wrote a long article in a Northern paper claiming the honor for his brigade, sent me a copy and said it looked too.small to give the credit to a regiment or a company, though the fact re- mains that under Cox’s order to take my regiment and sup- port a battery then firing, General Cox took the rest of the brigade from the field of action while I remained and fired on the enemy advancing in my front; they halted and lay down, and immediately another line advanced on my flank, when I changed front and fired another round, the enemy halting and laying down flat. “Neither line returned my fire. Then I received orders to join my command. I think the Federals were informed of the surrender, or they would have wiped us from the earth. “TI heard the late D. K. MacRae in his lecture during the time he was gathering facts for President Davis’ book, give our command the credit of the last fire.” D was from Wake and Granville. Always ready, always willing to do any duty, and they always did it well. Francis M. Parker. EnFIELp, N. C., 9 April, 1901.