238 Nort Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

ett’s Division, which occupied the right of the column of at-
tack. Between 1 and 2 o’clock in the afternoon our guns
opened upon the enemy’s batteries and elicited a prompt and
spirited reply. This artillery duel was continued for the
space of about two hours without intermission, and the roar
of the guns and bursting of shell were frightful to hear and
dreadful to contemplate. A slackening of the enemy’s fire
was taken advantage of to advance the column of attack. In
obedience to orders the line moved gallantly and steadily for-
ward under fire of our guns until it reached a point beyond
which it was unsafe to fire over our heads. Steadily the ad-
vance was.made, and as steadily and coolly met with a mur-
derous fire from the enemy’s cannon, charged with grape,
shrapnel and canister. Still the line advanced, and at every
step our comrades fell on every side, killed or wounded.
Still we advanced under the incessant discharge of the can-
non, assisted by the infantry’s rifles, and had almost attained:
suecess, when by the overpowering force and almost impreg-
nable position of the enemy, our lines were foreed back, and
then the slaughter was terrific. We fell back to the point
' from which the attack was made, rallying all whom it was
possible to reach, and reforming our shattered lines.

In this fatal charge our losses were very heavy. The
gallant Marshall, pierced through the body while leading
his brigade to the attack, fell from his horse, dead, within
a very short distance of the enemy’s lines. In his death
our cause sustained a very great loss. Of his rank the Con-
federate Army had few equals and no superiors. His
regiment was greatly attached to him; his uniform courtesy,
coupled with great firmness and rigid discipline in
camp, as well as on the march, had won the entire confidence
of his men, and all mourned him as a_ brother lost.
Lieutenant-Colonel Parks was shot through both thighs, and
fell into the hands of the enemy, and our brave
and dashing Major Richardson sealed, with his life, his de-
yotion to the cause he loved so well, and for the advance
ment of whose success he had striven so zealously. He was
instantly killed by a rifle ball while leading the left wing of

Firry-Seconp REGIMENT’. 239

his regiment. Of the line officers, but few escaped wounds or
capture.

The regiment was commanded on the 4th by Captain Na-
thaniel A. Foster, of Company F, the Junior Captain en-
gaged in the fight. The Adjutant of the regiment reported
the losses in the engagements of the first and third days as
33 killed on the field, 114 wounded and 169 missing. Of
this latter, nearly all of whom fell into the enemy’s hands, it
is fair to presume many were wounded.

We held our lines during the night of the 3d and the day
of the 4th, strengthening them with temporary works, and
expecting an attack by the Federal army. As no advance was
made by the enemy, General Lee began to retire in the diree-
tion of the Potomac on the night of the 4th. In consequence
of the death of our field officers on the 3d, Captain B. F. Lit-
tle, of Company F, was commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel,
and Captain Eric Erson, of Company H, was commissioned
Major, thé officers of Companies E and H were each promoted
one grade, as were also the officers of Companies I and K, in
consequence of the death of Captains McCain and Blackburn.
On account of the bad roads and caution observed on retiring,
we did not reach Hagerstown, Md., until the 10th. Finding
the waters of the Potomac so much swollen from recent heavy
rains as to make fording impracticable, and General Lee’s
pontoon bridge partially destroyed, we halted at this place.
On the morning of the 11th our regiment went into line of
battle about three miles from the town, expecting General
Meade would attack us as soon as he had come up. We held
this line until the night of the 13th, with occasional skirmish-
ing between the picket lines. During this halt the pontoon
bridge had been repaired so as to be available, and was thrown
across the Potomac at Falling Waters. The rain had been
falling nearly every day since we began to, fall back from

Gettysburg, and consequently the roads were in a horrible
condition. During the 13th wagon trains were put in mo-
tion to cross the river, and at night the troops from our por-
tion of the line were withdrawn and marched for the pontoon
bridge, but the roads were so cut up by the heavy wagon

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