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624 NortH Caro.ina Troops, 1861-’65.

marched upwards of one hundred miles, defeating the enemy
in two fights, and bringing from his lines in safety a large
amount of captured property, together with 304 prisoners.

“Of the 2,486 cattle captured, 2,468 have been brought in
and I hope to get the few remaining ones. My loss was ten
killed, forty-seven wounded and four missing.

“IT beg to express my entire satisfaction at the conduct of
officers and men. Major-General Lee and Brigadier-General
Dearing carried out my orders and wishes most skilfully, pro-
tecting the flanks and covering the main attack, thus contrib-
uting greatly to the successful issue of the expedition. * *

“T cannot close my report without notice of the conduct of
the scouts who were with me. Sergeant Shadburne, who gave
me the information about the cattle, acted as guide to General
Rosser, accompanied the leading regiment in its charge, kept
his party always in the front, and acted with conspicuous gai-
lantry.”

Coggins’ Point is just seven miles below City Point, the
base of operations of General Grant’s army. At City Point
Grant got all his supplies. And City Point was General
Grant’s headquarters.

Coggins’ Point is just twelve and a half miles a little south
of northeast from Petersburg. It was, therefore, right in
the rear centre of the enemy’s lines. This magnifies the
achievement. There was nothing rash in it. It was effected
by great, cool courage and daring after long, careful consum-
mate consideration. And every young North Carolinian in
studying such acts and their heroes should learn a great les-
son for life from this way Hampton had of doing everything.
Nothing in his line of duty was too small to study and mas-
ter. “Genius is the capacity for taking infinite pains,” said
one of the world’s greatest geniuses, the poet, Goethe. Every
great result, whatever it may be, is simply careful, intense
thought in concrete, visible form. This act burst upon the
world like a meteor. But it had all been thought out and its
wonderful success prepared for. And the boy or girl who
expects success in any thing without first learning to think
well, will be a failure sure.

Before 5 September, 1864, the plans were all accurately,

Stxty-Tuirp ReGiment. 625

exactly laid by Hampton’s great scout “Shadburne.” The
whole Army of Northern Virginia and most all in the Army
of the Potomac knew that name Shadburne. It meant terror
to the enemy as much as Mosby’s did.

On page 1235, Vol. 88, dated 5 September, 1864, begins a
long report from Shadburne to Hampton giving in almost in-
finitesimal detail, an accurate picture in works of everything
an eagle would see poised over Coggins’ Point. Hampton
knew, by that report, everything he wanted to know. He saw
the situation just like the eagle would and he knew exactly
how to swoop down on his prey.

Hampton had been in conference, as he was in duty re-
quired, with General R. E. Lee about it. On page 1242, Vol.
88, under date of 9 September, 1864, General R. E. Lee wrote
Hampton: “I am not sufficiently acquainted with the coun-
try to say how you can return if embarrassed with cattle.
* * * Let your movement depend upon the report of
your scouts. Should time permit, a personal conference
would be more satisfactory.” And I feel sure, from my
would be more satisfactory.” The affair was guarded
with perfect secrecy, until Hampton struck. I affiirm as a
fact, corroborated to-day by the evidence of D. B. Coltrane
and Denson A. Caldwell, that no one but Hampton, R. E.
Lee and Hampton’s scouts, unless it was Hampton’s own
generals, knew anything about Hampton’s purpose till Ros-
ser made the attack at 5 a. m. on the 16th. Great men
don’t talk of their great purposes till as acts they speak
for themselves. All this shows the importance and mag-
nitude of the grand result. In it the Sixty-third North
Carolina Regiment acted a splendid part in fighting and
as solitary picket at one time, at Sycamore Church on
“the roads leading from the direction of the enemy.” This was
one of the Sixty-third’s high trusts alone, the whole affair de-
pending on its faithful performance and then, afterwards, as
often before, the Sixty-third with “General Lee brought up
the rear.” And right here comes in an illustration of the
beautiful necessity of these histories to unfold the glories hid-
den in general words. Please re-read the last sentence quoted

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