FIFTY-THIKD REGIMENT.

By COLONEL JAMES T. MOREHEAD,

The duty assigned to me to write a sketch—not a history—
of the Fifty-third North Carolina Infantry, I undertook to
discharge, with pleasure, but I did not realize until I began
how great the difficulty would be, with no records and the
conflicting recollections of surviving comrades as to events
and persons. It may be and no doubt it is true, that I have

not been accurate as to the personnel of the officers of the
regiment, as to the dates of commissions, death and w

and if any injustice by omission or commission is don

sure my living comrades and friends of such as have crcssod
over the river, that no one regrets more than I the lack of re-
liable data to rectify any mistakes,

The limited length of this sketch of course, forbids my en-
tering into the details of casualties among over one thousand
men who at different dates composed the rank and file.

The characteristics of this regiment were common to
North Carolina troops. Obedience to and reverence for law
and authority, for which the State has been so long known, in
my opinion, constitute the basis of soldierly qualities for
which her soldiers will be famous in history.

This regiment was like other North Carolina regiments ;
it was never known to shirk a duty ; never refused to advance
when ordered ; never known to retire without command. In
June, after its organization, it was ordered to Richmond and
during the seven days contest it was on duty on the so::th

side of the James. The greater part of its first year of ser-
vice was spent in Eastern North Carolina and it received its

FIFTY-THIRD REGIMENT. : first baptism of, tire as a regiment at We sais: capstan “ in

isekd, Coloma 8, J. F. Eller, Captain, oo Lee Gen. D. H. Hill’s winter campaign of 1862 an . A few

2 James J, Iredell, Major. $. James Webb Burwell, Private, Co. B. ) days after the battle of Chancellorsville it became a part of
(Killed at Spottsylvania.) the Army of Worthomn Virginia, and as a part of Daniel’s
Brigade, was attached to the Second Corps, with which it

 

 

 

 

 

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