686 Nortu Carouina Troops, 1861-’65.

ers, 12,000 stand of arms, 70 pieces of artillery, and many
stores. Captain Nicholas E. Armstrong, Company A, and
Lieutenant Smith, Company K, were severely wounded.

Hill’s Division remained to parole the prisoners and send
off the captured goods, and on 17 September, moved to
Sharpsburg, leaving Thomas’ Brigade at Harper’s F erry.
At Sharpsburg occurred one of the greatest battles of the
civil war. General Hill arrived in time to save the day, but
Pender’s Brigade on the right of the division was not actively
engaged, being under fire at long range of musketry.

The division recrossed the Potomac into Virginia on the
night of 18th with the rest of the army, and on the 20th, at
Shepherdstown, were ordered to drive some brigades of the
enemy across the river. The enemy massed in front
of Pender’s Brigade and endeavored to turn his left. Gen-
eral Pender became hotly engaged and informing Archer of
his danger he (Archer) marched by the left flank, and form-
ing on Pender’s left, a simultaneous, daring charge was made
and the enemy driven pell mell into the river. Then com-
menced the most terrible slaughter the war witnessed. The
broad surface of the Potomac was blue with the floating
bodies of the slain. But few escaped to tell the tale. By
their own account they lost 3,000 men killed and drowned
from one brigade alone.

General Pender in his report says: “Captain Ashford,
commanding the Thirty-eighth North Carolina at Manassas
Junction and at Manassas, when he was wounded, has entitled
himself to notice as well as promotion by his uniform bravery
and good conduct. Lieutenants A. J. Brown and J. M. Rob-
inson, also of the same regiment, have attracted my attention
more than once, as also Adjutant D. M. McIntyre.” Lieuten-
ant-Colonel Armfield, having returned to the regiment the
day before the battle, was in command and was severely
wounded.

On 13 December, the army met Burnside’s army organized
in three Grand Divisions at Fredericksburg, Va. At this
time General Hill occupied the front line of the right of our
army formed of two regiments of Fields’ Brigade and the
brigades of Archer, Lane and Pender, the latter being on the

TuHIrRTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT. 687

extreme left. “The enemy made several attempts to
advance, but were repulsed.” (General A. P. Hill’s report).
From the nature of the ground and the entire absence of
all protection against artillery, Pender’s Brigade re-
ceived the greatest part of the terrible fire. General Pen-
der was himself wounded. During the temporary absence
of General Pender, the command of the brigade de
volved upon Colonel Scales, of the Thirteenth. General Pen-
der, though wounded, resumed the command of his brigade
as soon as his wound was dressed.

After the withdrawal of the enemy the regiment, with Pen-
der’s Brigade, went into winter quarters at Camp Gregg, be-
low Fredericksburg, and did picket duty near Moss Oreck
church. On 27 December Colonel William J. Hoke rejoined
the regiment. Lieutenant-Colonel Armfield, while at home
on furlough, on account of a wound received at Shepards-
town, was elected solicitor, and resigned his position in the
army. Captain John Ashford was elected to fill the vacancy.
The following is a copy of General Hill’s order:

Heapquarters Ligut Diviston,
Camp Brancu, Sept. 24, 1862.
Soldiers of the Light Division:

You have done well and I am pleased with you. You
have fought in every battle from Mechanicsville to Shepards-
town and no man can say that the Light Division was ever
broken. You held the left at Manassas against overwhelm-
ing numbers, and saved the army. You saved the day at
Sharpsburg, and at Shepherdstown you were selected to face a
storm of round shot, shell and grape, such as I never before
Baw. T am proud to say to you that your services are appre-
ciated by our general, and that you have a reputation in this

army which it should be the object of every officer and pri-
vate to sustain.

As P. Hires.
Major General.

The regiment remained in camp until 28 April, 1863,
when the command marched in the direction of Fredericks-