684 NortH CARoLina Troops, 1861-’65.

one of Jackson’s brigades, I crossed the field to attack the
batteries. My men advanced well, receiving grape from the
batteries; but support being waited for in vain, and seeing
columns on my left and right manceuvering to flank me, I
withdrew and marched back to the railroad cut, a little to the
right of the position previously held by General Gregg. Gen-
eral Archer very kindly came forward and relieved me until
I could march to the rear and rest my men. I was ordered
to the right to support some one of General Jackson’s brig-
ades. I marched across the railroad embankment, moving
obliquely to the left until I had reached the large field again
in which the enemy were found. Finding nothing to do un-
less it was to attack an overwhelming force of the enemy, sup-
ported very strongly by artillery, I withdrew after receiving
heavy fire of grape and shell. Getting back to the railroad
cut about the point I had reached the evening before, I re
ceived orders to march, in conjunction with other troops, par-
ticularly those of General Archer, Colonels Thomas and Tal-
iaferro. . We all advanced together, taking the enemy, as it
were, in echelon. We advanced steadily, driving the enemy
from the field through the woods. While advancing through
the woods we were exposed to a very heavy enfilade fire from
the right. We continued our advance until after dark, when
we came in contact with a body of the enemy. Each fired a
volley. They ran and we rested for the night. Thus ended
the Manassas fight with me. The brigade, with the excep-
tion of a few skulkers, behaved with great gallantry on both
these days. They could not have behaved better. I cannot
particularize at this distant day, but I well recollect that Cap-
tain John Ashford, commanding the Thirty-eighth, behaved
with great coolness and bravery. I had the misfortune to
lose him on account of a wound in the leg.”

Six separate and distinct attacks were made against Hill’s
Division and each time repulsed. General Jackson said!
“The three brigades of Archer, Pender and Thomas held to
gether and drove everything before them, capturing the bat-
teries and many prisoners, resting that night on Bull Run,
and the ground thus won was occupied that night. These
brigades had penetrated so far within the enemy’s lines that

Tuirty-ErGHTtH REGIMENT. 685

Captain Ashe, Assistant Adjutant General to General Pen-
der, was taken prisoner that night returning from my head-
quarters to his own brigade.”

The regiment received considerable loss. Lieutenant Wes.
A. Stephenson, Company G, Thirty-eighth North Carolina,
a brave soldier, was killed, and Lieutenant Duncan Black was
wounded. For distinguished gallantry displayed in the cel-
ebrated charge, Sergeant R. M. Sharpe, Company G, was pro-
moted to Second Junior Lieutenant. After the wounding of
Captain Ashford, Captain M. McR. McLaughlin was in
command of the regiment. Early next morning, 1 Septem-
ber, the army marched forward and came in contact with the
enemy late in the evening at Ox Hill. The regiment was en-
gaged in this fight, which raged with great fury, but the en-
emy retired from the field. On 4 September the army biv-
ouacked near the Big Spring, between Leesburg and the Poto-
mac, and on the next day the division crossed into Mary-
land, near Leesburg, but on the 11th re-crossed into Virginia
at Williamsport. On the next day General White, with
3,000 men, retreated from the town and fell back upon Har-
per’s Ferry. The enemy occupied a ridge of hills, known
as Bolivar Heights, extending from the Potomac to the Shen-
andoah. McLaw’s Division occupied Maryland Heights
across the Potomac, Walker’s Division Loudon Heights on
the right bank of the Shenandoah, and to complete the invest-
ment, General Hill’s division was ordered to move along
the left bank of the Shenandoah to turn the left flank of the
enemy and enter Harper’s Ferry. The Thirty-eighth was
in the left of the division. Pender, Archer and Brocken-
borough were directed to gain the crest of the hill, General
Pender being entrusted with the execution of this command.
Colonel Brewster was in charge of the brigade, which ad-
vanced to within about sixty yards of the breastworks on the
west point of Bolivar Heights, but the troops were withdrawn.
Next morning the brigades of Pender and Thomas marched
to within 150 yards of the works, while the artillery played
upon the enemy. When the artillery ceased, Pender began
to advance, but the artillery opened again, and the enemy
showed the white flag, and surrendered about 11,000 prison-