538 Norra Carona Troops, 1861-65.
promotion.” He certainly took big chances for the locality
and got no more of the promotion than he deserved. He re-
mained with us about two weeks when he, too, was wounded.
A saying arose among the men that no one could lead us long
without being hurt. After a short interval Lieutenant-Colo-
nel Barringer, of the Ninth, was promoted Brigadier and put
in charge of us. He was a very different man from Gordon
or Young. Brave enough, but of a prudent, methodical, cau-
tious temperament. At Hanover Town, at Todd’s tavern,
we fought with many casualties. Not a day passed without
some hostile firing, no two nights did we sleep on the same
ground. When the two armies finally settled into the lines
around Petersburg, Kautz and Wilson were sent on the raid
to destroy the railroads to Richmond. We were sent in pur-
suit.

BLACKS AND WHITES.

At “Blacks and Whites” a serious contest took place. The
Sixty-third was that day marching in rear of the brigade.
An orderly came back to hurry it up. Advancing at the trot
we came to a clump of woods in which rapid firing was going
on. The regiment was ordered to dismount and go in. Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Evans turned over to Captain Galloway the
command of the dismounted men, who then went forward. We
soon came to the line of the Ninth and Nineteenth Regiments.
Furious firing was going on, but as the men were behind trees,
no damage was done. After a few minutes Captain Gallo-
way called for volunteers to go to the front. Only one man
offered, James Hand, of Company D. Advancing to the
edge of the woods they came to a deep railroad eut, on the
opposite side of which, in thick woods, the enemy were. As
the dirt road crossed the railroad at right angles and with a
deep cut they could not be attacked in front or right flank,
The left flank, however, could be attacked by going up the
railroad. The Captain and Hand retired, each receiving @
bullet in the hat brim as they retired. Hunting Lieutenant-
Colonel Cowles, of the Ninth, the ranking officer in the fight
and a gallant soldier at all times and in all places, Galloway
explained the situation. Cowles at once directed that a

 

Sixty-Tuirp REGIMENT. 539

squad of men be sent to cross the railroad and advance on
the Federal left flank. No sooner did these men begin to
cross the railroad than the enemy fired one or two big volleys
and retired. Had the expedient been adopted sooner much
valuable time and some ammunition might have been saved.
Our greatest loss in this engagement was Colonel Andrews,
of the Nineteenth. He was wounded and died under the
surgeon’s knife. The enemy made no further stand till
Roanoke bridge. Here they had already been stopped by
some boys and old men and furloughed soldiers. They
delayed us by a long range cannonade until they could get
away, which they did, leaving only a few broken down
horses and unserviceable guns behind them. Our force had
been much decreased, ‘chiefly by breaking down. It was
decided to pursue with a few choice men and horses and let
the others, a very large majority, proceed leisurely to
camp. We met no further opposition. Hampton had made
his dispositions so well that finding all avenues of escape in
a body effectually blocked, the raiders decided to break up
and try to escape singly or in squads. In the general break
up which followed Sergeant Ratcliff, of the Sixty-third,
had the good luck to capture a Federal Colonel with a mag-
nificent gray horse superbly caparisoned. By the Parti-
san Ranger act this horse and trappings became at once
the absolute property of Sergeant Ratcliff. Unfortunately
for him the horse attracted the attention of General Bar-
ringer. Partly by persuasion, partly by authority Ratcliff
was induced to exchange with the General. Ratcliff got a
serviceable black chunk of a horse. The General got a
charger fit for Charles O’Malley in his best days. By a curi-
ous coincidence when General Barringer was captured in
April, 1865, this Yankee Colonel was in the crowd which
captured him. His first words were, “T’ll be damned, if yon-
der ain’t my horse.” Hence we infer that Yankee Colonels
do not have the benefits of Sunday School training, or soon
forget it.
NORTH OF THE JAMES.

After this raid the cavalry had a few weeks comparative