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710 Norra CaroLina Troops, 1861-’65.

called upon to aid the cavalry, under General Wheeler, to
check the enemy. A few volleys usually were sufficient, and
the leisurely march would be resumed.

The Confederates brought out of Kentucky enormous quan-
tities of supplies, great herds of cattle, long wagon trains of
flour, meal and bacon; besides, the teams and cavalry horses
were renewed.

In fact, the army was in these respects in better condition
when it returned to Tennessee than when the campaign be-
gan. It has been urged that General Bragg’s anxiety to
avoid the risks of an engagement and the retreat from Frank-
fort, were due to the information he and the authorities at
Richmond had received, that the Federals had organized and
just developed the plan of assailing the Confederate center
from the lines of the Mississippi, the Tennessee and the
Cumberland rivers. This information was correct, and the
change of base, by both armies, transferred the scenes of war
to Vicksburg and middle Tennessee. Upon return to East
Tennessee the Thirty-ninth encamped at Lenoir’s Station, on
the E. T. & G. Railroad, about forty miles west of Knoxville,
where the men for several weeks enjoyed a much needed
rest.

MURFREESBORO.

There being apparently no active service expected before
spring, many furloughs were granted, as it was only a short
distance to the homes of many of the men. In November the
regiment was transferred to Reynolds’ Brigade. But it soon
developed that there was to be a winter campaign. General
Rosecrans, who had superseded General Buell, was advane-
ing from Nashville, and Bragg confronted him at Murfrees-
boro, where, on the last days of 1862 and the first of 1863,
the battle of Murfreesboro—known to the Federals as the
battle of Stone river—was fought. While the Confederates
repulsed the Federals and technically won the fight, as they
kept the field for a few days, the practical substantial victory
was with the Federals, as General Bragg in a few days, fell
back slowly to Tullahoma, at the western base of the Cum-
berland Mountains.

Turrty-NintoH REGIMENT. 711

e

The Thirty-ninth Regiment arrived on the field about the
time the engagement began. It seems to have been the only
regiment of Reynolds’ Brigade present, and was hastened for-
ward in response to Brage’s urgent demands for reinforce-
ments. Apparently it was thrown into the fight as an inde
pendent command; at any rate, it became hotly engaged at
once. Very soon Colonel Coleman was disabled by a serious
wound in the leg, and carried from the field, and the com-
mand devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Davidson. He too,
was almost immediately wounded, the ball shattering his
right arm, the use of which he never recovered. For some
reason, the explanation of which cannot now be given, the
command of the regiment devolved upon Captain Bell, Com-
pany A. As no official report of the regiment in this en-
gagement was ever made, or if made has been lost, it is dif-
ficult to locate precisely its operations. General Patton An-
derson (Walthall’s Brigade) in his report says that “about
noon on 31 December, the Thirty-ninth North Carolina Regi-
ment, having become detached from its command, and all of
its field officers having been killed or wounded, then under
command of Captain Bell,” reported to him and was assigned
a place in his brigade, and participated “most creditably in
the subsequent fighting.” It is greatly to be regretted that a
fuller account of the conduct of the regiment in this battle
cannot now be furnished. Enough is known, however, to
satisfy us that the regiment sustained its high reputation.
On that part of the field the Confederates were not only sue-
cessful in repulsing all advances of the enemy, but, assuming
the offensive, drove them for several miles. The heavy loss
in staff and field shows the serious work done by the Thirty-
ninth.

In January the regiment was transferred to Manigault’s
Brigade, but a few days thereafter was, at the request of Colo-
nel R. B. Vance (who was promoted from the Coloneley
of the Twenty-ninth after the battle of Murfreesboro), it
became a part of his brigade. General Vance, however, was
soon prostrated by a most serious illness which incapacitated
him for service until the next summer, and he was thus de
nied the pleasure of leading a brigade in which there were