362 NortH CaroLina Troops, 1861-’65.

a supply of ammunition. Some of these guns were orna-
mented on the stocks with carvings of fish, animals, snakes,
turtles, etc. They were highly prized and carried by the
men to the close of the war. They were carved by the Min-
nesota Indians, from whom they were here captured.

ALL DAY WITH SPADE AND RIFLE.

18 June. The brigade was withdrawn towards Peters-
burg by the Baxter road, and after crossing a streamlet, east
and in sight of Blanford cemetery, was assigned a position
on the crest of the first rising ground, the right resting on the
Jerusalem Plank Road. Major John W. Graham covered the
movement with a line of skirmishers, composed largely of
Company I under its gallant Captain, retiring them in the
early dawn, after repulsing an attack by an opposing line of
skirmishers. Soon a new line was laid out by the engineer,
and with the insufficient tools brought out of the battle of
last night, as gathered on the field, the men prepared to re-
ceive an assault. The Captain of Company D insisted that
his company should be placed further to the front at the
brow of the hill so as to command its eastern face.

Assent is about to be given by the engineer in charge, Colo-
onel D. B. Harris, when the enemy are seen constructing a
battery out to the left which threatened a partial enfilade of
this salient. This objection he met by a proposition to con-
struct traverses against this cross fire, being confident that
the enemy could never reach the top of that hill if his men
could sight them from the time they began the ascent. The
location of a section of artillery (from Pegram’s Virginia
Battery), already in position immediately to the left of this
spot, (to the right ofa ravine crossing the line,) doubtless
decided the engineer to adhere to his first plan. Momen-
tous consequences and one of the bloodiest battles of the
war are to follow this decision. The work proceeded as
rapidly as could be with men so long on a constant strain,
and now three consecutive nights without sleep, and faring
almost as roughly as to rations. Lieutenant-Colonel G. G.
Luke, disabled by a severe carbuncle, which is aggravated by
this exposure, reluctantly seeks relief at the hands of the sur-

Frrry-SixtH REGIMENT. 863

geon in the rear, and Major Graham is left in command, or
ing his attention specially to the left wing, while the right
separated from his by the ravine and the artillery just -—
tioned, is under Captain Frank N. Roberts, of Company Bb.
This is the third day of the three for which our grand com-
mander, the invincible Lee, has sent us word that we must
hold Petersburg for him at all hazards. The question .
tial courage would seem to have been already oats
now comes that of physical endurance. The men work with a
will, cracking jokes with their wonted cheerfulness. wed
while the legions of Grant are not idle, as we can see en
massing in our front, and their artillery has again grees ,
playing upon us. But for the turn affairs took last night, t *
new line would have been ready by daylight for the — 8
reception. As it is, we must meet them again while it is ers
inhabitable, as nearly every man came off the lige e
this morning with an extra gun, while spades and pic
the exception; and considerable time has been seer ope in
gathering in implements as best we could from the —
The contour of the ground enables the enemy to form t oo
lines of battle unmolested some 300 yards in our front behin
the intervening ridges, while from their redoubts, as fast as
completed, they give us a raking fire in different directions.
Elliott’s South Carolina Brigade is now immediately on our
right, with the left resting on a section of Wright’s V irginia
Battery in the Jerusalem road. They are the first to cng
the compliments of the enemy to-day, and get ecsneri
sistance from the right wing of the Fifty-sixth North Car
olina, as our line following the lay of the ground epee
him to the northeast, and thus commands a portion of Elliott’s
ont across the road, as his faces east.
- Soon after midday over the ridges just deseribed the Pe
emy to the south of the road is seen advancing in splen -
array five columns deep and with perfect alignments. Un
they come over half the distance, with few shots wasted on
them. Now the battle opens in earnest, and they rae
dash for Elliott’s lines. But in vain. They reel before the
well-directed fire of the men who were trying to make every
shot tell. The ranks waver, break and rally again, only to