6 NortH Caroutna Troops, 1861-’65.

fight was continued till late in the afternoon and the enemy
driven back, the brigade being handled with consummate skill
by the brave General Daniel. Seminary Ridge was gained
and occupied—the right of the Forty-third resting on the
railroad cut. The fight was terrific and the loss heavy on
both sides. On Thursday morning, 2 July, the regiments
were assigned to various positions upon the line. The Forty-
third supported a battery, during the artillery duel which
continued nearly the whole day, at a point on the Ridge just
north of the Seminary building, and the shot and shell from
the guns of the enemy on Cemetery Heights caused serious
loss. It was during this cannonade that General Lee and
staff passed to the front along the road near by, and the troops
saluted him by raising their hats in silence, and were encour-
aged by his presence. From this point a movement was
commenced at night in line of battle, in the direction of the
enemy’s works, the skirmishers firing upon the Confederates
and retreating, but inflicting no loss. The moon was shin-
ing brightly, and it seemed that a night attack upon Cemetery
Heights was contemplated ; but when the brigade crossed the
valley in front, orders were given to march by the left flank
near the southern and eastern limits of the town, and about
daybreak on Friday, 3 July, it reported to Major-General
Johnson, who commanded the Division of Ewell’s Corps on
the extreme left of the Confederate line. Daniel’s Brigade,
with other troops, had been ordered to reinforce Johnson’s
position on Culp’s Hill. It marched nearly all night, and
formed a line of battle near Benner’s House, crossed Rock
Creek, and, through the undergrowth, among large boulders
and up the heavily timbered hill, the attack upon the enemy
was made, the line of works (formed by felled trees) taken,
but the charge upon the main line was repulsed. Colonel
Kenan, of the Forty-third, was wounded in leading this
charge, and taken from the field (captured on the retreat and
imprisoned until the close of the war), and the command de-
volved on Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis.

The forces under Johnson held their positions until night,
when they were withdrawn—the Forty-third occupying its
first position on Seminary Ridge until the army moved to

Forty-Tuirp ReEGiMent, 7

Hagerstown. On the retreat it was assigned the rear posi-
tion, and in consequence was repeatedly engaged with the
Union advance. After remaining at Hagerstown a few days
the Confederates crossed the swollen Potomac (carrying their
guns and their ammunition on their heads, the water being
up to their armpits), and fell back to the village of Darks-
ville. Later, they were in front of the Federal army, on the
south bank of the Rapidan river, guarding the fords, and en-
gaged the enemy at Mine Run when an advance towards
Richmond was made. After the retreat of the Federals to
the north of the Rapidan, and active operations having com-
paratively ceased, winter quarters were built, but they were
not long occupied by this regiment, for it was detached for
duty with General Hoke’s Brigade in the winter campaign in
1863-64 in Eastern North Carolina, Major-General Pickett
being in command of all the forces.

In this campaign Hoke’s Brigade consisted of the Sixth,
Twenty-first, Fifty-fourth and Fifty-seventh North Carolina
Regiments and the First North Carolina Battalion, and at-
tached to it were the Forty-third North Carolina and Twen-
ty-first Georgia. In approaching New Bern this regiment
arrived at Bachelor’s creek, about seven miles from the city,
and made a night attack upon the enemy’s works, but, diseov-
ering that the flooring of a bridge across the creek, about
seventy-five feet long, had been removed Lieutenant-Colonel
Lewis informed General Hoke that if he would send him
plank from the pontoon train he would renew the attack as
soon as practicable. Hoke complied, and the attack was
made at daylight the next day—one of the companies laying
the plank, under fire, and the others crossing over, also under
fire, driving the enemy and causing a retreat to New Bern.

There were also some Union troops at Clark’s brickyard,
on the Atlantic & North Carolina Railroad, nine miles above
the city, and information was received that a train of cars had
been sent from New Bern to bring them in. The regiment
was ordered to capture this train, without wrecking it, if
possible, and accordingly a three-mile march at quick and
double-quick time was made to intercept it. When the regi-
ment got within about twenty or thirty yards of the track