594 Nortu Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

to Richmond. His instructions to General Meade were:
“Lee's Army will be your objective point. Wherever Lee
goes, there you will go also.” Vol. 60, p. 828.

The battle began early on 5 May and raged furiously all
day, and was renewed at 5 o’clock on the morning of the 6th,
and continued with unabated fury until darkness set in, each
army holding substantially the same position they had on the
evening of the 5th. General Grant, Vol. 67, p. 18. Not-
withstanding his statement as to “holding substantially the
same position,” the world now knows that the South won a
great victory at the Wilderness. And that instead of going
“wherever Lee goes,” as ordered, Meade, under General
Grant, began his famous movement via Spottsylvania by Lee’s
right flank, on night of 7 May, after a loss of 17,666 men in
two days. Vol. 67, p. 188. If he intended to go by Lee’s
right flank, at first, why this awful sacrifice? In this great
battle the Sixty-third fought most of the 6th near White
Hall, close to the Catharpin road.

This action on our part was under the immediate super-
vision of General Gordon, who was continually riding and
walking along the dismounted lines of the Nineteenth and
Sixty-third, the only two regiments of his engaged. He
thought “from the number and manner of firing and reports
of officers” that we were fighting infantry. Vol. 68, p. 961.
The firing on our regiment was terrific. Willis L. Miller, of

Yompany F, of Davidson County, was killed here and many
others of our regiment were killed and wounded. He was
a splendid boy soldier. And one of the most touching scenes
I ever witnessed was Captain John R. Erwin writing next
morning to the boy’s father of his death.

GENERAL LEE’S RELIANCE ON HIS CAVALRY.

May 7, 1864, Colonel Taylor, General R. E. Lee’s Assist-
ant Adjutant-General, wrote General Stuart: ‘General Lee
directs me to say that he wishes you would make an exami-
nation and thoroughly inform yourself about the roads on
our right, which it would be advisable or necessary for us to
follow, should the enemy continue his movement toward
Spottsylvania Court House, or should we desire to move on
his flank in that direction. Find out about the roads which

Srxty-Tuirp RecGment. 595

the infantry would take, and upon which our artillery, ete.,
could be thrown around. * * * He relies upon you to

keep him accurately informed of the enemy's movements,
should they be in the direction above indicated.” Vol. 68,
p. 969. The italics are mine and the letter is quoted to show
the importance of our cavalry, in the face of much dispar-
agement by the uninformed. And in this view this letter is
a part of the history of the Sixty-third North Carolina.
And now see the result of Stuart’s Cavalry work along the
lines of that letter. In his report of the terrible battle of
Spottsylvania, General Grant says: “On the night of the
ith the march was commenced toward Spottsylvania Court
House, the Fifth Corps moving by the most direct road. But
the enemy having become apprised of our movement, and
having the shorter line, was enabled to reach there first.”
Vol. 67, p. 19. To same effect are General Sheridan’s words
at top of page 789, Vol. 67. Italics in last quotation mine.
We all know the result. General Grant lost 18,399 men at
Spottsylvania. Vol. 67, p. 188. How much the cavalry
under Stuart, in conforming to General Lee’s letter, aided
in this no one knows. I merely give the facts. We were
not in the battle of Spottsylvania at all, but we aided in this
antecedent work.

Near White Hall, on 8 May, General Gordon received
the “orders” of transfer to Major-General W. H. F. Lee’s
Division and reported to him that day. This division
now consisted of Chambliss’ Virginia and Gordon’s North
Carolina Brigades. Gordon’s Brigade now consisted of only
the Ninth, Nineteenth and Sixty-third North Carolina
(First, Second and Fifth Cavalry), the Fifty-ninth North
Carolina (Fourth Cavalry) having been assigned to Dear-
ing’s Brigade. The Sixty-third was commanded by Colonel

S. B. Evans. Vol. 67, p. 1027.
SHERIDAN 'S RAID.

On the morning of 9 May General Sheridan, from the
vicinity of Alrich’s, on the plank road to Fredericksburg, be-
gan his raid on Richmond, around the right of Lee’s Army.
He had with him his whole corps, three divisions of cavalry, at

 

 

 

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