294 NortH Carottna Troops, 1861-65.

always was, he had ordered that not a shot be fired until he
gave the command. The advancing column was now so near,
that the features of the men’s faces could be distinguished.
Every one of the men in the rifle pits had his musket in posi-
tion and his finger on the trigger, and at the word “fire” the
sound of Major Belo’s command, seemed to expand into one
grand roll of musketry; for there had been the fire of five
hundred muskets as if by one man. Not one had snapped
fire and there was not a single belated shot. The shower of
leaden hail was too much for human courage. The assault-
ing regiments fell back in confusion, with some loss. But
they were quickly rallied by their officers,-and returned to
the attack. This time the fire by Major Belo’s command
was reserved until they had advanced several yards further
than before, when again a deadly fire swept them back with
greater loss.

Again and yet again they attempted to storm the picket
force, but were repulsed each time, until finally abandoning
their purpose, they retired from the field. The old smooth
bore muskets in the hands of 500 brave North Carolina pa-
triots had done their work. About this time Lieutenant-
Colonel Smith came down to Major Belo with Colonel Con-
nally’s compliments to inquire if he needed other reinforce-
ments. Major Belo returning his compliments to Colonel
Connally, replied that he thought the battle was over. The
Fifty-fifth Regiment had been but a short while in Davis’

- Brigade, and it was their first engagement since then, and
the cordial words of commendation of the gallant behavior of
the regiment expressed by the Mississippians was very grati-
fying to us. Thenceforward they were as jealous of and as
quick to defend the honor of our regiment as we were our-
selves. Some years after the war, Major Belo met an officer
of one of the regiments engaged in this attack, and he in-
formed Major Belo that the term of enlistment of the men
of those two regiments was to expire the next day and they
were to be mustered out of service, and that it was at their

own request they were ordered to make the attack, but that
it proved a very sad experience to them.

Firty-Firra REGImMeEnt. 295

Shortly after this, Longstreet returned with his command
to the Army of Northern Virginia, our brigade accommpany-
ing him. When the Fifty-fifth Regiment left the cars at
Hamilton’s crossing, near Fredericksburg, to take its place in
its brigade in Heth’s Division, A. P. Hill’s Corps, of the
Army of Northern Virginia, it was both in respect to its disci-
pline and its appearance one of the finest regiments in the
army. Colonel Connally was a fine tactician, and was with-
out a superior as a disciplinarian. He was admirable on
the field in his handling of his regiment. The time which
had been spent in Eastern North Carolina had allowed the
opportunity for the drilling of the regiment, and it had been
faithfully attended to. The regimental band, composed of
seventeen pieces, led by Professor Charles E. Jackey, edu-
cated at Heidelberg, was a very fine one. The men of the
regiment were well clad, and the ranks of each company were
full. It was well officered, and all had full confidence in its
field officers, and no volunteer regiment, in the opinion of
the writer, ever had three better field officers. They were all
young men—erect and soldierly in their bearing, proud of
their regiment and enthusiastic in their patriotism. Colonel
Connally was about 26 years of age. Daring in spirit—with
confidence in himself and his regiment and the pride of his
troops. Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, the eldest, not yet 30
years of age, was from Granville county. He was an ac-
complished gentleman and had been a member of the “Gran-
ville Grays,” Company D, Twelfth North Carolina Regi-
ment. He was of commanding presence, and a prudent
and efficient officer. Major A. H. Belo was a fine specimen
of young Southern manhood, had seen service before as Cap-
tain of Company D, Twenty-first North Carolina Regiment,
and was about the same age as Colonel Connally. Intrepid,
but always cool and ever alert.

Changes had taken place in the company officers since the
organization, and the following were the officers of the com-

panies at that time:

Company A—Captain, Albert E. Upchurch; Lieutenants,
B. F. Briggs, T. J. Hadley, T. R. Bass.