94 Norra Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

returned to the command of the brigade, and Colonel Fari-
bault to the command of the Forty-seventh.

THE WILDERNESS.

On 5 May, 1864, Grant moved out on Mine Run and the
Forty-seventh Regiment deployed as skirmishers in the van
of Lee’s army, opens the battle, beginning with that of the
Wilderness and continuing (with little intermission in the
winter) till 9 April, 1865.

We first struck the enemy’s cavalry, dismounted, and grad-
ually pushed them back over five miles, during which we now
and then lost a man, till the middle of the evening, when we
came up to Cooke’s Brigade just engaging the enemy’s in-
fantry in the tangled brush, the battle of the Wilderness. The
Forty-seventh went in and mingled with Cooke’s men in the
fight, and so severe was the rifle fire and the opposing armies
so near each other that neither advanced on the other. The
night was spent in this position, and lines were not put in or-
der; our men having been ordered to rest, as Longstreet’s
Corps was to relieve Hill’s during the night. Longstreet did
not arrive, and at dawn the enemy having ascertained our dis-
ordered condition, promptly advanced. Our men began
to retreat sullenly, and fighting back at first, but as the
day grew on our confusion increased until about 10 o’clock,
when we met the welcome Longstreet. This splendid Corps
came into line of battle by the order of “By the right of com-
panies into line,” and without any halt continued their ad-
vance in the face of the, ’till now, victorious Federals. It
was a terrific battle in which the Confederates pushed the
Federals over the same ground they had taken in the morn-
ing, mingling vast numbers of dead Federals among the Con-
federates slain a few hours before. The Forty-seventh lost
no prisoners in this battle, but heavily in killed and wounded.

On the 10th the Forty-seventh was prominent in the battle
of Wait’s Shop, when General Early pressed Hancock back
across the river after an engagement of several hours, wherein
the Confederates advanced steadily, the Federals retreating
without much resistance. This was a battle in which the
powder used far exceeded a commensurate loss of men on

Forty-SEVENTH REGIMENT. 95

either side. The loss of the Forty-seventh was, perhaps,
twenty. But the object of the Confederates was effected.
Hancock left the important place at which he tried to break
through our lines.

On the 12th at Spottsylvania the Forty-seventh was but
slightly engaged. It supported our artillery which did great
havoe near the bloody angle.

The succeeding fifteen days the regiment was more or
less engaged, some of it at least being under daily fire, under
which we seemed to grow stronger.

BETHESDA CHURCH.

On 1 June Kirkland’s and Cooke’s Brigades were desper-
ately charged behind breastworks. The Forty-seventh was in
splendid fighting trim on this occasion, and as the enemy
started across an open field the order was given us not to fire
until a certain cannon fired, and company commanders were
to order the fire by file. The Federal officers threw them-
selves in front of their men and most gallantly led them, but
when the cannon sounded the signal, our deadly fire opened
on them within fifty yards and it was so steady and accurate,
for our men were perfectly cool, that before the companies
had fired a round, the enemy was completely broken and
routed, a large number of them killed and wounded. Our loss
was almost nothing as the enemy, depending on giving us the
bayonet, withheld their fire, until they were repulsed. The
sharpshooters of the two brigades, having previously been or- —
dered, rushed after and harrassed their rear for two miles.
This was the battle of Bethesda Church, and amid the tre-
mendous events occurring, was the occasion of a dispatch
from General Lee to the Secretary of War complimenting the
two brigades.

While the sharpshooters were pursuing, the main body of
the two brigades was ordered off towards Cold Harbor and
participated in another battle at that place the same even-
ing. In this last fight in which the Confederates charged
the enemy out of their good breastworks, General Kirkland
was again wounded and did not return to this command.
General William MacRae succeeded to the command of our