476 Norta Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

Second Lieutenant J. B. Hyatt to Second, and the election of
J. M. Cole to the Junior Second Lieutenaney.

By the promotion and transfer of First Lieutenant Rob-
erts, of Ray’s company, Second Lieutenant Reynolds ad-
vanced to First, Junior Second Lieutenant West to Second,
and Robert White was elected to the vacancy of Junior Sec-
ond Lieutenant.

The organization of the regiment was further perfected by
lettering and giving place in line to the companies. Hardy’s
company was given first position on the right and lettered A;
Duckett’s company second position on the right and lettered
B; Reynolds’ company third position on the right and let-
tered C; Fletcher’s company fourth position on the right and
lettered D; Candler’s company right centre and lettered E,
and made the color company; Ray’s company left centre and
lettered F; Ward’s company second from centre on left and
lettered G; Hufi’s company third from center on left and
lettered H ; Robert’s company second from left wing and let-
tered 1; West’s company extreme left wing and lettered K.*

Towards the last of September, or about the first of Octo-
ber, 1862, the regiment was ordered to Murfreesboro, Tenn.,
and on reaching there encamped to the left of the railroad and
very near the city. Here the men were engaged in drilling
and guard duties of one sort and another until late in De
cember. For a time the regiment was assigned to Reynold’s
Brigade, then to Preston’s and to John ©. Breckinridge’s
Division. In the latter it continued until after the battle of
Chickamauga.

MURFREESBORO.

In the last days of December the regiment broke camp at
Murfreesboro and was advanced to meet the Federals under
Rosecrans, coming out from Nashville, and meet them it did,
on Stone river, a few miles west from Murfreesboro. On

*This was a departure from military regulations which placed the com-
panies in the following order from right to left A, F, D. I, C, H. E, K,
G. B, the object being that when the regiment was divided into 5 divis-
ions, they would be commanded by the 5 senior captains. Besides in
this way, A was on the right, B on the left and C in the centre.—Ep.

 

SIXTIETH REGIMENT. 477

Wednesday, 31 December, 1862, the battle was well on, and
the Sixtieth, eager for the fray, having tired of long inactiv-
ity, was ordered across the river at a ford on the Nashville
pike, the men crossing by wading and jumping from rock to
rock, something of a ledge extending quite a distance into the
water. On reaching the west side of the river the troops were
immediately under fire, and yet they kept alignment and
moved forward with the martial tread of veterans, notwith-
standing the discouragements met with on every hand, for
even while in the ford they were met by the litter corps, carry-
ing to the rear the wounded, the blood running almost in
streams from some of the litters. This, and the groans of the
poor maimed men, and worse still the woeful tales of the de-
moralized retreating soldiers who had been engaged and re-
pulsed just before this advance, were not calculated to steady
the nerves of men under fire for the first time. Some were
indiscreet enough to exclaim that it was “useless to go any
further, for all hell couldn’t dislodge the blue coats” from
their strongly fortified position. The line, however, moved
forward until it encountered obstacles which covered the en-
tire front, these obstacles being the Cowan house, a large
brick building, with stables, other out-buildings, gardens,

lots, ete., all enclosed by cedar picket fences.
The regiment was necessarily thrown into considerable

confusion and some of the companies fell back, while others
pressed forward under the most terrific fire of musketry and
artillery in their front and a most annoying enfilading mus-
ketry fire from a cedar grove to the front and left. The ad-
vancing companies got around the obstructions mentioned
one way and another. Company F, commanded by Captain
Ray, struck the obstacles at the garden and finding two or
three pickets removed and a pathway through the garden,
he threw his men in single file and, with three of the color
guards belonging to Company E, J. L. Morgan, from Hom-
iny ereek, bearing the flag, marched through the garden and
emerged into a cotten field to find themselves alone and under
the most galling fire.

The men were ordered “down,” the only command known
in tactics appropriate to the occasion. Here they hugged the

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