758 Nortu Carotina Troops, 1861-65.

chee rivers, which effectually protected his flanks from any
movements that we could make to flank him. We skirmished
with his advanced picket every day, but would have to fall
back as soon as his main army would push forward its flanks
in order to surround us. At the junction of the Charleston
railroad about ten miles from Savannah, the skirmish be-
came a general engagement, which lasted for some time, with
some loss on both sides. On the 8th, we fell back inside of
a line of works, about five miles above Savannah, which ex-
tended from the Savannah to the Ogeechee river, which we
strengthened by filling up culverts, flooding the water in our
front, also running telegraph wire, fastening it to stumps and
trees, besides palisades and cheveaux de frise in front of the
regiment to prevent an assault on our works. In this posi-
tion we kept up a fire from our artillery and sharpshooters
from the entrenchments every day, and picketing at night.
This was continued until the 20th about 12 o’clock at night,
at which time our supplies having been exhausted, we evacu-
ated the works and falling back to the city crossed the river
on a pontoon bridge, and made a halt at Hardeeville, S. C.
Our picket that night formed the rear guard, who policed the
city, burned the government warehouse, said to contain five
hundred bales of cotton, and crossed the river about 4 o’clock
a. m., then cut the pontoon bridge adrift and joined our com-
mand at Hardeeville, where we remained until the 25th
(Christmas) when the regiment was ordered to Pocotaligo,
S. C. We moved off at early dawn, and marched all day in
a cold, drenching rain, bivouacking that night at Graham-
ville. The march was resumed the next morning about 5
o’clock and we marched all day through swamps and mud.
The enemy was shelling the Coosahatchie bridge, so we
erossed the Tullafuiney bridge, and arrived at Pocotaligo
about dark. About midnight we took the cars for Charles-
ton, where we arrived the next day, and were held as rein-
forcements, in case the enemy who had withdrawn from the
first attack on Fort Fisher, should attack that city. Among
the various forts and batteries at Charleston, was the White
Point battery at the junction of the Ashley and Cooper rivers
on which were mounted two large Blakely guns which car-

FortigeTH REGIMENT. 759

ried six hundred pound rifle shot. These guns were brought in
at Wilmington on a blockade runner, the “Sumpter,” and
shipped to Charleston by railroad. After remaining atCharles-
ton for a few days, we learned that the enemy had returned to
Fortress Monroe. On the 30th we were ordered to Wilming-
ton, N.C., where we arrived about 100’clock p. m., 1 January,
1865, and crossed the ferry in a snow storm and bivouacked
at Camp Lamb. The next day we were transported by
steamer down the Cape Fear river, the five companies of the
Thirty-sixth Regiment to Fort Fisher and the Fortieth to
Fort Holmes.

Permit me to say, right here, that I realized during that
Southern campaign what I always believed, that the great
popular heart was not then, and never had been, in the war.
It was a revolution of the politicians, not the people; and
was fought at first by the natural enthusiasm of young men,
and kept going by the bitterness of feeling produced by the
cruelties and brutalities of the enemy.

During the Southern campaign, the companies of the
Fortieth Regiment that remained at their respective com-
mands, performed their duties as usual.

At the first attack on Fort Fisher, and during the bom-
bardment, 24 and 25 December, 1864, Companies E and K,
of this regiment, reinforced that command, after which the
enemy’s land force re-embarked, and withdrew, leaving Fort
Fisher slightly injured.

Lieutenant-Colonel George Tait resigned his commission
on 11 January, 1865, to take a commission as Colonel of the
Sixty-ninth North Carolina Regiment. Colonel Tait was
a good disciplinarian; he remained detached from the
Fortieth Regiment after it had formed, to train, drill and
discipline the officers and men of the Thirty-sixth Regiment
and afterwards drilled and disciplined the Fortieth Regi-
ment. Colonel Tansell, the Inspector-General, pronounced
the Fortieth the best drilled regiment of Confederate soldiers
that he had ever seen. Colonel Tait was a good and brave of-
ficer, and in his rank had no superior in the service.

On 13 January, we were ordered to reinforce Fort Fisher,
(the second attack). Companies D, E, G, K, of the Fortieth