16 NortH CARkoLtina Troops, 1861-’65.

25th by the Division Corps of sharpshooters, who, with un-
loaded muskets, surprised and captured the enemy’s pickets
and entered their main lines. The Forty-third Regiment,
with the other troops of the division immediately following,
occupied the enemy’s works for some distance on either side
of Hare’s Hill, and stubbornly held them, against great odds,
for about five hours. During most of this time the enemy
poured a deadly fire into the Confederates from several bat-
teries on elevated positions, and, having massed large bodies
of infantry at this point, forced the withdrawal of the Con-
federates with considerable loss in killed, wounded and pris-
oners. After this fruitless effort to dislodge the enemy the
Forty-third resumed its position in the trenches and remained
until Saturday, 1 April. About 11 o’clock on the night of
this date the enemy opened a furious cannonading all along
the line. Under cover of this firing they attacked the Con-
federates in heavy force at several points, effecting an en-
trance beyond the limits of the division on the right. At
daylight on Sunday morning, the 2d, they made a breach in
the line held by a brigade to the left center of the division,
and occupied the Confederate works for some distance on
either side of Fort Mahone, which stood on an elevation
about fifty yards in front of the main line. The division,
massing in this direction, attacked the enemy at close quar-
ters, driving them from traverse to traverse, sometimes in a
hand-to-hand fight, till the lost works were retaken up to a
point opposite Fort Mahone, which was still occupied by the
enemy. Its commanding position making its recapture of
importance in the further movements of the Confederates,
two details of about twelve men each, in charge of a Ser-
geant—one from the Forty-third (now commanded by Cap-
tain Cobb, Captain Whitaker having been mortally wounded
just previously), and the other from the Forty-fifth Regi-
ment of the brigade—were ordered, about noon, to enter the
fort by the covered way (a large ditch) leading from the
main line into the fort. This was promptly done, and the
enemy occupying the fort—more than one hundred in num-
ber—perhaps in ignorance of the small force of Confederates,
and surprised at the boldness of the movement, surrendered

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Forty-THirpD REGIMENT. 17

and were sent to the rear as prisoners. From this position
the little squad of about. twenty-five men poured a deadly
fire into the left flank and rear of the enemy occupying the
Confederate line beyond Fort Mahone, while the main body
of the division pressed them in front till they were dislodged
and retreated to their own lines, thus giving up the entire
works taken from the division early in the morning. In this
affair Sergeant B. F. Hall commanded the squad from the
Forty-third. A brigade of Zouaves, however, promptly
moved forward, meeting the retreating force, and recaptured
both the Confederate line and Fort Mahone, leaving Rodes’
Division still in possession of that portion of the line retaken
from the enemy in the early part of the day, and which was
held until after dark, when the lines in front of Richmond
and Petersburg were abandoned. The army then commenced
its retreat. Marching day and night, with only short inter-
vals of rest, Amelia Court House was reached about 4
April, where the well-nigh exhausted troops were permitted

_ to rest several hours. The march was resumed that night,

and, being closely pursued by the enemy, General Grimes
(then Major-General commanding the division to which the
Forty-third belonged) was assigned to the position of rear
guard, Colonel D. G. Cowand, of the Thirty-second, being
in command of Daniel’s Brigade. The enemy’s cavalry, em-
boldened by success, frequently rode recklessly into the Con-
federate lines, making it necessary to deploy alternately as a
line of battle across the road one brigade after another, while
the others continued the march. This running fight culmi-
nated in a general engagement on the afternoon of the 6th
at Sailor’s creek, near Farmville, Va., where the Confeder-
ates, overwhelmed by superior numbers, retreated beyond
the long bridge at Farmville.

On the morning of the 7th, beyond Farmville, the division
charged the enemy and recaptured a battery of artillery
which had previously fallen into their hands. Continuing
the march from this point, there was no further fighting on
this or the following day, the Union army having taken par-

2