SUNT

 

SESSLER ATES PRES EI SE ste

668 NortH CARroLina Troops, 1861-65.

flag of the Fifty-first Pennsylvania Regiment and several
prisoners. Private J. H. Wheeler, a brave soldier of Com-
pany EH, Eighteenth Regiment, is entitled to the credit of
capturing the battery flag. The charge of the Thirty-seventh
North Carolina Regiment upon a battery of six guns, was
one of the grandest sights I ever saw.”

The loss of the regiment in this engagement was 4 officers
killed, 3 wounded; 18 men killed, 30 men wounded ; 2 officers
missing, 38 men missing. Officers killed: Captain H. C.
Grady, Company D; Lieutenant E. A. Carter, Company A;
Lieutenant C. T. Haigh, Company B; Lieutenant B. A.
Johnston, Company ©. Officers wounded: Ensign R. M.
Stanley, Captain D. L. Hudson, Company G; E. H. Russell,
Company I. Officers missing: Colonel Wm. M. Barber,
Lieutenant J. D. Brown, Company C. From the 12th to the
20th the regiment lost 6 men wounded, one man killed; Cap-
tain W. T. Nicholson was badly wounded in the shoulder by
a piece of shell on the 14th. On the afternoon of the 21st
we moved to the right, beyond our works, and formed line of
battle, charged the enemy’s breastworks and captured
them. The regiment had one officer wounded and two men,
officer wounded Lieutenant O. A. Wiggins, Company E.
The following order was read to the brigade on the 13th:>

Heapavarters Army NorTHERN VIRGINIA,
On BarrLerie.p.

Major-General C. M. Wilcox, Commanding Division:

Genera: General Lee directs me to acknowledge the re-
ceipt of the flags captured by Lane’s Brigade in its gallant
charge of yesterday, and to say that they will be forwarded to
the honorable Secretary of War, with the accompanying note
and the names of the brave captors.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
C. S. VenaBLeE,

A. D. C.

From Spottsylvania the regiment marched with the brig-
ade to Jericho Ford, where it fought the battle of that name,
losing one man killed, two officers and nineteen men wounded,

THIRTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT. 669

two men missing. Officers wounded: Lieutenant J. B. Som-
erville, Company B; Lieutenant J. M. Grimsley, Com-
pany K.

From 27 May to 1 June the regiment was continually
marching and skirmishing, losing seven or eight men. Officer
wounded: Lieutenant A. F. Yandle, of Company I, on 3
June. As all official records of losses sustained after 3 June
were destroyed, no further attempt will be made to give
minute descriptions of the movements of the regiment, but
simply state it sustained its good name to the end. At Friz-
zell’s Mill, Deep Bottom and on the Weldon road, it fought
bravely and was in the grand charge made by the three vet-
eran North Carolina brigades 25 August on Hancock’s en-
trenched position at Reams’ Station. The Thirty-seventh
always contended that it was one of the first regiments that
earried the entrenchments. The next real engagement was
at Jones’ Farm, where we lost our beloved Colonel, Wm. M.
Barber, who fell while talking to the writer of this sketch,
just before our lines advanced. We advanced and drove the
enemy over a mile back when night put an end to the battle.
It was a bloody affair, but little mention has ever been made
of it as few troops were engaged ; it took place on 30 Septem-
ber, 1864. The next day, 1 October, the brigade advanced
with Major Wooten’s Corps of sharpshooters in front. Major
Wooten managed in some way to slip past and capture about
300 prisoners, we took possession of the enemy’s breastworks
and held them all day, but were subjected to an annoying
skirmish fire; the Thirty-seventh had several men killed by
them. During the action on 30 September the regiment
behaved most beautifully, not once halting until ordered to
do so at night. About the middle of November the regiment,
with the brigade, built little shanties in rear of the works near
the Jones House to make themselves as comfortable as possi-
ble through the winter, a strong picket line being kept in front
day and night. On 8 December the regiment marched with
the brigade, to Jarrett’s Station to meet a demonstration of
the enemy in that direction, but returned without a battle.
This march was one of the most trying the regiment ever ex-
perienced. It snowed and rained and sleeted the whole time,