576 Nortu Caroiina Troops, 1861-65.

the dense columns of Federal cavalry moving along the rail-
road towards Brandy. They had perceived our purpose to
get in their rear and were in full retreat, and across the plain
to our right, towards Stevensburg, could be seen the smoke
and heard the boom of Fitz Lee’s guns after Buford’s column,
the fire of which reached our line over the columns moving
between us and General Lee, who could not distinguish us
from the enemy. The two columns from Robertson and Rap-
idan rivers were both now making for Fleetwood Heights, on
Brandy Plains. The Ninth North Carolina was sent to cap-
ture what seemed to be a detached body on our right. The
Ninth, as always, did its work well and captured or killed
sixty of them, but found itself in front of Custer’s Brigade.
Colonel Massie, of the Twelfth Virginia, charged down on
General Davies’ Brigade, then retreating just in Ouster’s rear
and the Fifty-ninth and Sixty-third were moved up to Mas-
sie’s support. And here occurred a bad break in the glorious
record, past and future, of the Sixty-third. At this moment
the Fifty-ninth and Sixty-third in column of fours, were in
a partly sunken road intently watching Colonel Massie’s
charge and waiting orders from Stuart and Gordon, both
then and there in person. The Sixty-third’s attention was
all to the front on Massie. Close to their immediate right
there was an elevation of some length through an open field,
which rising ground absolutely cut off from their view Cus-
ter’s and Davies’ Brigades, now confronted by the Ninth and
charged by Massie. This presence of the Ninth in their
front and Massie’s charge and Fitz Lee’s coming columns
filled these Federal officers with desperation, and they acted
well in the face of the Ninth and Massie’s men, which each
thought and officially reported to be “a brigade” on their
front and flank. Custer charged to the front with two regi-
ments, formed by squadrons, and Davies by regiments to his
right and left. The Sixty-third and Fifty-ninth’s right flank
was most unwisely and totally unprotected, when suddenly
the Eighteenth Pennsylvania, in regiment front, led by Gen-
eral Davies, fell like a tornado on the Sixty-third and Fifty-
ninth, over the open elevation which had concealed them, and
both the Fifty-ninth and Sixty-third broke in confusion to

Stxty-Turrp REGIMENT. 577

their left until the Seventh Virginia, most opportunely coni-
ing up, charged the Eighteenth Pennsylvania on their left
flank, and they fled. Our regimental bugler, F. R. Rose,
and Sergeant-Major Charles Haigh, both of Company A,
Sixty-third Regiment, two as intelligent and brave boys as
ever wore the gray, were off some distance to the right of the
Sixty-third and saw the impending danger and, with that
quickness to see and act which fitted them and so many of our
Southern men in the ranks to command, they both hastened
to prepare the Sixty-third for the terrible onslaught, but they
were too late. They are both now living in Fayetteville, N.
C. They both saw better than any one else the whole affair
and they, together with others now alive and there present,
claim that it was impossible for the Sixty-third to have re-
sisted the impetuous rush of the Eighteenth Pennsylvania
down that slope, placed as the Sixty-third was in that road.
Privates G. A. Thompson and J. B. Hollingsworth, of Com-
pany A, were wounded and W. L. Jennings, of Company A,
was captured, but his captor did not take his saber from him,
and when the Seventh Virginia came to the rescue, Jennings
used it freely upon his captor and took him prisoner. Pri-
vate Ham. S. Alexander, of Company F, Sixty-third Regi-
ment, brother of the Hon. 8. B. Alexander, when wheeling
suddenly to make that retreat, had his horse to fall on his leg
and was unable to extricate himself. He thus lay until the
Pennsylvanians rushed back in retreat, when Alexender lev-
eled his rifle on a Federal private who had been dismounted
in the melee, and actually took him prisoner and made him
pull the fallen horse off his leg. All this shows that the met-
tle of the men of the Sixty-third was not broken, if its ranks
had been. If ever a break in face of the enemy was excusa-
ble, this one was. But it was quickly all over and the regi-
ment reformed and ready for action. The second great cav-
alry fight at Brandy Station then occurred and the Federal
cavalry had all retreated across the Rappahannock by 9 p. m.
and we bivouacked the night of 11 October near Brandy Sta-
tion. Vol. 48, pp. 440, 460, 386 and 390.

On. the morning of the 12th in accordance with General

37