422 NortH CaroLinaA Troops, 1861-’65.

valley as far as Cedar Creek. On the night of the 18th the
Fifty-seventh Regiment formed a part of the force which
crossed the mountains and fording the Shenandoah river, at-
tacked General Sheridan’s forces in the rear. Seldom in the
annals of war has there been witnessed such vicissitudes of
fortune as befell these armies that day. By 8 o’clock the
Confederate forces had captured the entire camp equipage
of that army, twenty-four pieces of artillery and a large
number of prisoners, but by 9 o’clock that night the tide had
so completely changed that the Confederate forces were again
in full retreat up the Valley. It has been many times re-
corded that General Robert D. Johnston’s Brigade of North
Carolinians was the largest body of Confederate troops that
retired from its position on that field of battle in good or-
der. Beside this noble brigade stood the Fifty-seventh Reg-
iment, which was next in line, and this regiment came off
with Johnston’s Brigade in like good order and with great
steadiness. This closed the fighting in the Valley and the
Fifty-seventh Regiment with the rest of the brigade, was
sent to Petersburg and stationed on our extreme right at
Hatcher’s Run. Here it participated in what is known as
the “Fight at Hatcher’s Run,” and there it saw much hard
service, the ground being covered with snow and ice. After
— it was sent to a position immediately in front of Peters-
urg.

COLONEL JONES TAKES COMMAND,

At this point before Petersburg, in the month of Febru-
ary, 1865, the writer, having been exchanged, took command
of the Fifty-seventh Regiment as Colonel. He found the
regiment in command of Captain Philip Carpenter, of Lin-
coln county, Captain Beard being absent on some detached
service. The brigade was under command of General Gas-
ton Lewis, who had been temporarily assigned to the com-
mand of it. On 25 March, about 3 o’clock in the morning,
the writer was summoned to General Walker’s headquar-
ters—or to General Lewis’. There he found General
Walker, General Robert D. Johnston, General Matt. W. Ran-
som and, he thinks, General Gordon also. He was informed

Firry-SEvVENTH REGIMENT. 423

that it was contemplated to make an attack upon the enemy’s
line before daylight and the writer was informed that he
would command the force directed against Fort Steadman, a
part of the enemy’s line; and was directed to indicate two
regiments which he would choose to make the attack at this
point. He chose his own regiment, the Fifty-seventh, and
the gallant Sixth, one that had never flinched on any of the
many battlefields in which it had borne a part from First
Manassas down to that eventful morning. It was then com-
manded by Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel McDowell Tate.

THE OBSTRUCTION REMOVED.

In front of Fort Steadman there was a chevauax de frise of
rails sharpened, stuck deep into the ground and pointing out-
ward. These had been bound together by a strong wire. To
cut down this obstruction in front of the advancing line vol-
unteers were called for from the two regiments and were
quickly in readiness. At the writer’s request, Lieutenant-
Colonel Samuel McDowell Tate designated an officer of the
Sixth Regiment to command this apparently forlorn hope.
He chose for this service Lieutenant W. W. Flemming, of the
Sixth, a beardless boy not more than 19 years old. It was
desperate work, and he knew it, but he was marvelously cool

and at parting the writer said to him:

“Tf you do this work this morning, and we both survive,
your rank will unquestionably be considerably advanced.”

He replied:

“T do not say that I do not regard this, but I assure you if
these men follow me, we will cut that abatis in your front.”

Then in the dead silence of the night he moved out with
his detachment armed with axes and they spread themselves
along the front of Fort Steadman, and the two regiments
moved out and lay down just behind this party. In the
meantime the obstructions in front of the Confederate line
had been stealthily removed. General Walker, who com-
manded the division had notified us that the signal for the
assault would be the firing of a pistol immediately in our
rear. There was a wait in perfect silence for perhaps 20