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298 Norra Caro.ina Troops, 1861-65.

of us, the brigade swung around by the right wheel and
formed on the railroad cut. About one-half of the Fifty-
fifth Regiment being on the left extended beyond the cut on
the embankment. In front of us there were then the Ninety-
fifth and Eighty-fourth New York (known as the Fourteenth
Brooklyn) Regiments, who had been supporting Hall’s bat-
tery, and were the other two regiments of Cutler’s Brigade, and
the Sixth Wisconsin, of the Iron Brigade, which had been held
in reserve, when the other regiments of that brigade were put
in to meet Archer’s advance. Just then the order was re-
ceived to retire through the road-cut, and that the Fifty-fifth
North Carolina cover the retreat of the brigade. The Fed-
eral Regiments in front of us threw themselves into line of
battle by a well executed movement nothwithstanding the
heavy fire we were pouring into them, and as soon as their
line of battle was formed, seeing a disposition on our part to
retire, charged. They were held in check, as well as could
be done, by the Fifty-fifth Regiment covering the retreat of
the brigade; a part of the regiment was in the road-cut and
at a great disadvantage. One of the Federal officers on the
embankment, seeing Major Belo in the cut, threw his sword
at him, saying: “Kill that officer, and that will end it.” The
sword missed Major Belo, but struck a man behind him.
Major Belo directed one of the men to shoot the officer and
this was done. This somewhat checked their charge, and we
fell back to another position. The loss of the regiment was
very great in killed and wounded, and a large number were
captured in the road-cut. From that time until 3 o’clock in
the afternoon we were not engaged. About that time Early
came in with fresh troops from the left. We formed in line
with them on their right and were hotly engaged in the bat-
tles of that afternoon, driving the enemy before us and cap-
turing a number of prisoners. At sundown we were in the
edge of Gettysburg, and the regiment was placed behind the
railroad embankment just in front of the Seminary. In the
afternoon Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, while the regiment was
waiting in reserve, walked towards the right to reconnoitre
and was mortally wounded and died that night. Major Belo
was also severely wounded in the leg just as the battle closed