326 NortH CaRoLina Troops, 1861-’65.

= aison accordingly withdrew it, and keeping up a runnin
re, saved the greater portion of his command befor th ’
ee got possession of the railroad. ee
ns —< ea rushed in between Graham’s reconnoiter-
fon fa ae — pee ps but by a cireuitous route
» he joine e rear companies as
ba Daina aves to an ue from eh swamp be
flank e column. e defence was h igor-
ously maintained for some time, Li mel: Lae
ae ee > 1eutenant-Colonel Luke
a 6: = Se Pais ea it will be all right to-mor-
a and rear of our new line of battle
a he e advancing brigade that we have fought
aan rags na le on the east side of the swamp, while
and its rear are commanded by the other brig-
< . after gaining the crossing that was occupied by our
remlhe rma: when the battle opened, is rushing in from
point on the west to join the line coming over the rail-

road embankment from th
* Y i
Se cn i south, and thus completing the

aon eer, is — over, and we must save as many
aes ee through the swamp in our rear north of the
= : pred? into the dense tall growth of reeds, we
il gaos y demands to surrender. The alternative seemed

apture or to receive a volley of musketry at close quar-

prs — hee rsh of the reeds was complete at a short dis-
scr : 29 : vantage of this and playing men as pawns,
pte - the smaller number between himself and the
ree pie Y into their hands. Without waiting to see
plea trees fay Sprain he faced about and set the column
principe another direction. The enemy realized only
Po is baton the prize that was within their grasp at
2 Stl es men were thus rescued with the assistance
ns ok ve Cc arles M. Payne, of Company K, since an
Pe sbyterian Doctor of Divinity, recently deceased.
Adjutant Hale, who had acted with coolness and gallantry

t > Ww.
hroughout the whole engagement, was near this point of the
rear guard and brought out a good number.

= — was any officer of the regiment who failed to meas-
1p to his duty in either of the two battles at this outpost,

Frrry-SixtH REGIMENT. 327

we never discovered it. A court of inquiry acquitted the
Colonel commanding. Of this result none of his comrades
had entertained the least doubt.

Major E. J. Hale has recently written me: “T notice that
Professor D. H. Hill, in ‘Confederate Military History,’
Vol. IV, page 155, says that the Fifty-sixth and Twenty-fifth
Regiments were surprised at Gum Swamp 22 May, 1863.
This is not true of the Fifty-sixth, whatever may be true of
any others. We had been engaged for some hours at inter-
vals with the enemy in our front, which we had completely
protected and defended by repulsing his three several attacks.
No part of the line defended by or belonging to the Fifty-
sixth was punctured.

“After the third repulse of the enemy an order was given .
to withdraw the regiment to the Kinston side of Gum Swamp,
as the enemy had crossed it some miles south of us. I was
shot while directing this movement, but paid no attention to
the matter until next day. Shortly after we had gotten most
of the men across the country road, I remember that you and
I were chatting beside the railroad about the want of orders.
We saw the Twenty-fifth in line a few hundred yards to the
rear (west). Word was started to them that with a change of
front to the south, we would join them in attacking this new
force of the enemy which was then coming up from that direc-
tion. But suddenly the Twenty-fifth was marched away to-
wards Kinston. Our support being thus withdrawn, we then
had nothing to do but to save as many as possible from cap-
ture.”

Captain W. G. Graves now writes: “T have never felt any
scruples about this fight, as no blame could be placed upon the
men or regimental officers.”

General R. Ransom, just returned from sick leave, barely
escaped capture as he was coming to the outpost and had only
passed to the front of the reserve, when he was met by a vol-
ley from the enemy at that instant emerging from the swamp
to attack the rear of the redoubt and of our right flank. Two

regiments of the enemy had gained this position, led by a
native guide in a circuitous, all night march of fourteen
miles in single file through a marsh that they found well nigh