468 Norra Caroxtina Troops, 1861-65.

fantry as we came in range of their guns. This squadron
having been forced back to a place on the military road near
where there had once been a saw mill and where our dis-
mounted men were making a stand, General Roberts rode up
and occupied a position on the right, while Captain Bell, the
regimental commander, stopped on the left of the officer in
charge.

About this time the enemy having reached a house in range
of our position, fired upon us a terrible volley of rifle shot
with great effect, emptying a number of saddles. Captain
L. A. Johnson’s company suffered severely. Here Captain
Bell was fearfully wounded in the face and taken to the rear.
As we were slowly retiring from this point of attack there
came a message from Captain J. B. Cherry, the next officer in
command, to send him a horse to bear him from the field.
This gallant young officer, who seemed to know no fear and
who had an hour before to the writer, expressed a presenti-
ment that this would be his last fight, had received a fatal
shot. From the field he was taken to Petersburg where he
expired just as the enemy were entering the town.

Closely following the fight to which reference has just
been made, on a line only a short distance removed, there ap-
peared in an open field in our front a heavy line of infantry
skirmishers advancing at a steady march. General Roberts
recognizing the importance of checking this advance and
holding the ground until expected reinforcements could ar-
rive, placing a mounted squadron of the Fifty-ninth (Fourth
Cavalry) behind a slight hill, covered by small pines which
concealed us from the view of the enemy, directed the officer
in command that so soon as the skirmishers crossed a ditch
in our front to charge them. A moment or two of waiting and
the ditch is crossed. In another moment the mounted squad-
ron, General Roberts in the lead, with drawn sabres and a
fierce yell charge down upon them, and they being surprised
and disconcerted by this sudden and unexpected attack, at
once began to throw down their arms and surrender, but
soon observing the smallness of our number and being encour~
aged by their own men on either side of them, who had not
felt the force of this surprising shock, hurriedly picked up

Firry-NintH REGIMENT. 469

their guns and fired on us at close range, forcing us to take
shelter again behind the hill. In this charge the writer’s
horse was shot under him, leaving him on foot with the en-
emy together with others of this command who had been
killed or wounded, but making his escape he soon made his
way back behind the pines, where the squadron had reformed,
and was ready for the second charge, which was executed with
unsurpassed gallantry, and being supported by a detachment
of infantry coming up at this time dislodged the skirmishers,
driving them back on the main line.

On 30 and 31 March, our regiment was contiually in the
immediate front of Sheridan’s cavalry and had a number of
sharp encounters with the enemy at Boisseau’s and other
points along the line of the White Oak road.

FIVE FORKS.

On the morning of 1 April, Sheridan, who had been held
in check up to this time, having been heavily reinforced by
the arrival of Warren’s Corps, made a general advance. Our
regiment now reduced to a handful of effective men, was dis-
mounted and placed in the road near Five Forks, behind a
barricade of rails and brush, with an open field in front,

-where soon appeared a large force of the enemy’s cavalry,

which in a broad column charged down upon our position
which was gallantly held until the mounted troops in large
numbers had leaped their horses over the rail piles and gotten
in the rear of us. Fortunately for us on the opposite side of
the road was a well timbered wood which offered protection
to our men who had been run over and ordered to surrender,
and most of them made their way back to their horses with
comparatively small loss, the opposing cavalry having be-
come too greatly demoralized and anxious for their own
safety to care for prisoners. The gallantry displayed here by
Lieutenant E. B. Holden, of Company B, is worthy of high
commendation. The cavalry fighting on this day along
other parts of our line was terrific and bloody, and at
nightfall we fell back from the line of the White Oak road
and Five Forks, and went into camp to be constantly awak-
ened from our slumbers by the deafening roar of cannon