500 Norra Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

About 1 September, 1863, the troops there were carried by
rail to Cave Spring, near Rome, Ga. Then began the march-
ing towards Chattanooga, and the 19 September found this
regiment on the field of Chicamauga. It took position late ¥
night, and next day experienced its most severe battle, an
that which was the most decided victory of any in which the
Army of Tennessee ever took part. The loss in the Sixtieth
was very great both in officers and men, among the former
Lieutenant-Colonel J. M. Ray was wounded so severely as to
force him to leave the field and for the rest of the day the
command devolved upon Captain J. T. Weaver, the ranking
of the company officers. The following names were ersdiae
upon the roll of honor for gallantry in this battle: Secon:
Lieutenant James H. Cole, Company G; Private H. Lowber,
Company A; Private John Hinton, Company B; Private
Marcellus S. Matthews, Company D; Private Henry Haman,
Company H; Sergeant F. P. Randle, Company I. sae

The regiment’s next experience was severe skirmishing
around the fortifications of Chattanooga, followed by the dis-
astrous battle of Missionary Ridge, from which it retreated to
Dalton, and went into quarters for the rest of the winter of
1863-64. :

The campaign of the next summer began early with an en-
gagement some few miles west of Dalton and continued,
almost uninterruptedly, a succession of hard fights almost
every day, and of wearisome marches by night, until Atlanta
was reached, about the end of July. During this Ra
the Sixtieth performed its full part, and mourned the deat
of many of its good men. At Atlanta the army was pall
by President Davis, and shortly thereafter, much to the grie
of his soldiers, the beloved General Joseph E. Johnston was
relieved of the command, and his place filled by the appoint-
ment of General John B. Hood. This officer was distin-
guished for his bravery,. but had not the affection of the army
to the degree in which General Johnston enjoyed it,

Under General Hood the army (the Sixtieth being still
commanded by Weaver, then Lieutenant-Colonel) marched
through Georgia, Alabama, erossed the Tennessee river at

 

 

SrxtretH REGIMENT. 501

Florence, and penetrated Tennessee. This was done almost
without opposition. The enemy not being met to any serious
degree until the arrival at Columbia, on the Duck river.
Here some resistance was made, but not to amount to very
much. On 15 and 16 December, 1864, was the dreadful bat-
tle of Franklin. The battle which there occurred, while ap-
parently a Southern victory, was at such terrible cost of life

as to completely cripple the army, and to put a stop to further
prosecution of the intended invasion of Tennessee. The ad-

vance was, however, pushed, till a sight was obtained of the
capitol building, but no effort was made to enter Nashville,

There being a Federal force at Murfreesboro, then in rear
of the Confederates, a part of the army were detached to meet
it, and to destroy the railroad between the two cities ; the Six-
tieth was included in this detachment; the labor and suffering
involved in tearing up the rails and crossties from the frozen
ground, without proper tools or appliances, was very great.
Arriving near Murfreesboro, the Confederates being then un-
der command of General F orrest, the Federal Garrison
brought on an engagement which, with other disastrous re-
sults, caused the greatest calamity that had ever befallen the
Sixtieth, in the death of its gallant Lieutenant-Colonel,
James Thomas Weaver.

From the nature of these sketches, notices of individuals
must be restrained to those who formed a part of the very
life of each regiment. Realizing the necessity of this re-

striction, and readily obeying it, I do not hesitate to record
the name of

JAMES THOMAS WEAVER,

as not only the one who was indeed the very life of his regi-
ment, but who was as gallant a soldier, as true a man, as de
voted a citizen, as was ever produced in North Carolina,

which is equivalent to saying that he had no superior in the
world, in these qualities.

From Murfreesboro the fearful retreat began, re-crossing
the northern portions of the States of Alabama and Georgia,
and the Sixtieth was found again facing Sherman at Branch-
ville, S. C., hoping to restrain his march of destruction from