Norra Carotina Troops, 1861-65.

The regiment was ordered to Wilmington and Fort
Johnson at Smithville, on the Cape Fear river, where it re-
mained about a month in General French’s command, and
thence to Virginia. Daniel’s Brigade, composed of _the
Thirty-second, Forty-third, Forty-fifth, Fiftieth and Fifty-
third Regiments, was placed in the command of Major yor
eral Holmes, and on the last of the seven days’ operations
around Richmond was ordered to occupy the road near the
James river, where it was subjected to a fierce shelling from
the gunboats on the right and the batteries on Malvern Hill
in front, but was not in the regular engagement, was after-
wards ordered to Drewry’s Bluff, and constituted part of
the forces under Major-General G. W. Smith for the protec-
tion of Richmond and vicinity during the advance of ne
army under General Lee into Maryland in September, 1862 5
and about the same time a demonstration was made against
Suffolk, Va., by troops under General French (this ie
ment being a portion of them), probably for the purpose 0
preventing the Federals from sending reinforcements from
that territory to oppose the movement of the Confederates in
Maryland. They returned in about ten days, and the regi-
-ment resumed its position at Drewry’s Bluff, where it was
engaged in drilling and putting up breastworks under the
direction of Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis, who, being a civil
engineer by profession, was ordered by the brigade se
mander to supervise their construction. Shortly after a
ters were prepared for the winter, the brigade was ordere |
to Goldsboro, in December, 1862, to reinforce the Confeder-

ates in opposing the advance of the Union troops from New
Bern under General Foster ; but on the day before its arrival
they succeeded in burning the railroad bridge over the Neuse
river, and, after a sharp engagement with the Confederates
on the south side of the river, retreated to their base of oper-
ations at New Bern. The bridge was immediately rebuilt
on trestles by a detail of men from the brigade, Lieutenant-
Colonel Lewis superintending the work.

During the spring of 1863 it was stationed at Kinston and

detachments sent out to prevent the approach of the enemy
into the interior. Major-General D. H. Hill having assumed.

eee
° ee pene a pe TRL PLE TS
Wicd

cement nt arp es me enipe SRE

v

array at cor MEEPS IE EERE N HSE SAT PE

—

ia a

Forty-Tuirp REGIMENT. 5

command of the department, directed demonstrations to be
made in aid of military operations at other points and to com-
pel the enemy to abandon their outposts. In the affair at
Deep Gully, a small creek, upon the eastern bank of which
the enemy were entrenched, the Forty-third was ordered to
attack, and after a few rounds the enemy abandoned the works
and retreated. The brigade was then ordered to Washing-
ton, N. C., and was there subjected to the artillery fire of
the Union forces occupying that place, but, with the excep-
tion of some skirmishing, no engagement was brought on. It
then returned to its former quarters at Kinston, and, later on,
went to Fredericksburg, Va., and was assigned to Rodes’
Division of the Second Corps (Ewell’s), the Thirty-second,

_ Forty-third, Forty-fifth and Fifty-third Regiments and the

Second North Carolina Battalion then constituting the brig-
ade—the Fiftieth Regiment having been assigned to another
brigade. The Army of Northern Virginia was there reviewed
by General Lee and ordered to commence the memorable
Pennsylvania campaign in June, 1863.

ON THE MARCH.

Upon arriving at Brandy Station the brigade was placed
in line of battle to meet any attempted advance of Union in-
fantry to support its cavalry, but was not engaged—the main
fighting in that terrific battle (9 June) being between the
cavalry of the opposing armies. At Berryville the enemy
were driven by the cavalry, supported by this brigade, and
camp equipage, etc., captured. It then marched by way of
Martinsburg, Williamsport, Hagerstown and Chambersburg
to Carlisle, Pa., and occupied the barracks at that place, from
which it was ordered to Gettysburg.

IN THE THREE DAYS FIGHT.

Upon arriving at Gettysburg, on Wednesday, 1 July, 1863,
about 1 o’clock p. m., a line of battle was formed near For-
ney’s house, northwest of the town and to the left of Pender’s
Division of Hill’s Corps, which had repulsed the enemy in
the forenoon, and the troops advanced to the attack. The