572 NortH Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

ford road and Warrenton turnpike, on which, near Amis-
ville, the enemy had accumulated a large force of cavalry.
On the 25th the march was continued and the line of the
Rappahannock resumed.” Vol. 44, pp. 699-707.

NORTH CAROLINA CAVALRY BRIGADE FORMED.

4 August, at his own request, General Robertson was re-
lieved from duty with the Fifty-ninth and Sixty-third Regi-
ments. Vol. 45, p. 1075. On 9 Sept., 1863, under Special
Orders, No. 226, Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia,
there was a reorganization of the cavalry, the Sixty-third
North Carolina becoming a part of General L. S. Baker’s Bri-
gade, Hampton’s Division and Stuart’s Corps of Cavalry.
This was the First division of the corps. The brigade con-
sisted of the Ninth, Nineteenth, Fifty-ninth and Sixty-
third North Carolina Regiments, the Sixty-third commanded
by Lieutenant-Colonel S. B. Evans. Vol. 49, p. 707.

In consequence of a wound General Baker was soon as-
signed to special duty and about 1 October this brigade be-
came General James B. Gordon’s North Carolina Cavalry
Brigade. Vol. 48, p. 820. The Confederate army at this
time was south of the Rapidan and our cavalry was picket-
ing the Rapidan and Robertson rivers.

JACK’S SHOP.

On 21 September, 1863, General Buford started on a great
reconnoitering expedition to cross the Rapidan, via Madison
Court House, with a heavy force of cavalry and artillery.
They reached Madison Court House about sundown that day
and attacked the picket force there, which fell back to Jack’s
Shop, on the Madison and Orange turnpike about six miles
south of Madison. General Stuart with the North Caro-
lina Cavalry Brigade and other cavalry was at Jack’s Shop
early next morning, 22 September, to beat back the recon-
noissance.

General Buford moved his first division down the pike to
our front. Kilpatrick went by Wolftown to our left and an-
other column marched towards Barnett’s Ford to our right.
We did not then see or know of these forces on our flanks, but

Srixty-Tarrp REGIMENT. 573

we did ere long. The battle opened by a splendid mounted
charge of the Ninth and Sixty-third North Carolina after the
advance guard had located the enemy north of Jack’s Shop.
They drove everything before them back and on to the dis-
mounted men of the enemy, where they were met by a galling
fire from behind fences, trees cut across the pike and other
protection. Both regiments dismounted to “fight on foot.”
Under this fire, right in the presence of the enemy and in
splendid style, they formed their line of skirmishers and
charging drove them back on their great line of advancing
forces, which could be seen and was terrible to behold. We then
fell back slowly before them to our main line of dismounted
men, Buford not forcing us as he could and would have done
with his great hosts had he not been waiting Kilpatrick’s
move. And here we fought one of the very fiercest fights of
the war. Buford got his signal from Kilpatrick that he was
full in our rear on the pike, and then he opened furiously
on our lines with small arms and artillery. Stuart knew
quickly that he was surrounded. He knew, too, the mettle
of the men with him. There was no attempt at concealment
from the men in the ranks. He trusted them and took them
openly into his council. He was always greatest in a desper-
ate emergency, as all great men always are. One of his own
staff rode along the lines and told the men that we were sur-
rounded and, said he, “Boys it’s a fight to captivity, death or
victory.” A man in the Sixty-third answered him, “We'll
go out of here if there isn’t but one of us left.” And a great
cheer greeted the words, which told what the Sixty-third
would do. When he knew exactly where Kilpatrick was, Bu-
ford came on our front with all his power of rattling rifles
and roaring artillery. We were pressed back by sheer brute
force and deadly fire, General Devin’s column on our right
and Kilpatrick on the left and rear, and as we fell back and
got into the open there, on a small hill, was a wondrous sight,
probably never seen before nor since. There stood McGreg-
or’s Battery, Stuart, on horseback, commanding in person and
pointing here and there with his great right arm, and under
these orders the six guns of that glorious battery were firing
fast and furiously in three direction at once; two on Buford,