148 Nort Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

was deprived of his leg. Others may have escaped my recol-
lection. I have intended them no slight. I would that I
could do justice, full but simple justice, not alone to
its officers, but its brave, patriotic, faithful rank and file, so
many of whom gave up their lives or carried through
life mutilated limbs and bodies. In the midst of exact-
ing duties, I could not refuse to contribute the best I could
to perpetuate some memorial of the Forty-ninth Regiment.
In the thirty-odd years since the surrender many, perhaps
most, of those who survived the casualties of war, have faced
the grim Sergeant and answered the rollcall beyond. With all
such, may their portion be God’s blessing of everlasting peace.
With those who yet remain, may He bless them with pros-
perity, usefulness and honorable repose when age has sapped
their energies and wasting strength has unfitted them for fur-
ther toil. My heart fills with sadness and distress when T
think of those who poured out their blood as a sacrifice which
perchance, the world will say was useless. But, nay, the
lesson of courage, fidelity and heroism they left cannot be
useless to mankind; the scroll of honor upon which their
names are written high cannot, and shall not, be effaced or
tarnished by their descendants and their kindred. And what
a noble band they were—Ramseur, McAfee, Flemming, Dur-
ham, Harris, Davis, Chambers, the Phifers, Adams, Lytle,
Krider, Grier, Horan, Thomas, Alex. Barrett, Summers,
Crawford, Ardrey, Barnett, Dixon, B. F. Dixon, Torrance,
Linebarger, Rankin, Connor and Sherrill. As was said of a

group of noble young Englishmen, it may be truly said of
them:

“Blending their souls’ sublimest needs
With tasks of every day;
They went about their greatest deeds
Like noble boys at play.”

How their bright young faces come back over the vista of
all these long years! How splendid and great they were in
their modest, patient, earnest love of country! How strong
they were in their young manhood, and pure they were in

Forty-Ninto REGIMENT. 149

their faith, and constant they were to their principles! How
they bore suffering and hardship; and how their lives were
ready at the call of duty! What magnificent courage; what
unsullied patriotism! Suffering they bore, duty they per-
formed, and death they faced and met; all this for the defense
of the dear old home land; all this for the glory and honor of
North Carolina. As they were faithful unto thee, guard
thou their names and fame, grand old mother of us all. If
thy sons in the coming time shall learn the lesson of heroism
their lives inspired and their deeds declared, then not one
drop of blood was shed in vain. If they emulate them, and
lift yet higher the banner of the old land’s honor, credit and
worth, then the agony of defeat is healed to those who sur-
vive.

To the memory of those who fell, and those, who have since
passed away, this imperfect tribute is offered. To the veter-
ans of the Forty-ninth, who are still among the living, an old
comrade salutes you.

Tuomas R. RounHac.

SHEFFIELD, ALA.,
9 April, 1901.