630 NortH Caroiina Troops, 1861-65.

Road and at once forming line across it, repulsed the enemy.
The skirmish line of the enemy was advancing up this road
when we reached it. When Butler was withdrawn I ordered
Lee to move promptly to the Plank Road to attack them.”
Gregg’s cavalry, with our old friends of the First Maine,
were advancing down that road now on their great move. The
Ninth and Sixty-third North Carolina Regiments stopped
them right there at Wilson’s House. And quickly then the
battle was on in all its fury. Again, on pages 949 and 953,
Hampton says: “Being soon after this informed that our
infantry would attack the enemy, I prepared to join in this
attack and as soon as musketry told that our troops were en-
gaged Butler was ordered to charge with his whole line. But-
ler’s men charged gallantly across an open field and drove the
enemy rapidly towards the Plank Road. In this charge,
while leading the men and cheering them by his words and
example, Lieutenant Thomas Preston Hampton, Aidede-
Camp, fell mortally wounded and Lieutenant Wade Hamp-
ton, who was acting on my staff, received a severe wound.
Lee attacked with great spirit, driving the enemy rapidly and
handsomely to Bevill’s House.”

All along the line everywhere the fighting was terrific and
furious. The enemy fought with the courage of the best vet-
erans in the Northern Army and that was as fine courage as
the world ever saw, and they fought with that courage urged
on to fury by the recognized desperation of their situation.
The Sixty-third North Carolina and others fought as that
Northern courage had assisted in teaching their inborn valor
how to fight. And that meant the best fighting the world
ever saw. It meant ruin to the “early morning’s” defiant
foe. All along their lines they were trying to reinforce each
other when driven in at one point and another. On page 609,
General Gregg says: “The attack of the enemy on the right of
the Second Corps toward Hatcher’s Run, caused me to dis-
mount all the available regiments of the Second and Third
Brigades and push them rapidly to that point of attack.”
But he needed them back mighty quick. On same page, re-
ferring to what was going on where the Sixty-third was, he
says: “Repairing to this point I found the enemy’s cavalry

Srxty-Tuirp REGIMENT. 631

dismounted, attacking strongly aided by the fire of four rifled
guns. I sent for all of my available regiments. The First
Maine came at a run, and at once became heavily engaged. The
attack of the enemy was very determined and made in large
force but the troops engaged in resisting it, although much in-
ferior in numbers (of course), could not be beaten back, save
inch by inch. In response to my request for such other of
my regiments as could be spared, Major-General Hancock
sent them to me rapidly. These regiments coming up suc-
cessively as fast as their legs could carry them, entered the
fight and at dark the enemy retired.” And this is the first
time we ever heard that “we retired.” McGregor’s guns
rushed right along up the Plank Road, in line with the Six-
ty-third Regiment in that work, firing as they, the guns,
charged with us. It was actually a charge by artillery. But
in face of “the enemy retired,” on same page, General Gregg
says: “At 10:30 p. m., the division began moving (back)
by the road upen which it had advanced in the morning.”
And thus he “retired” at midnight. On page 235, General
Hancock says: “I desired to send infantry to Gregg’s as-
sistance, seeing that he was being pressed very vigorously,
but I feared a renewal of the attack in my front. * * *
About 5 o’clock p. m. I sent to communicate to General War-
ren or Crawford what had occurred and that unless the
Fifth Corps moved up and connected with me, I could not
answer for the result. * * ™* My command had
been moving and fighting till after dark, and as a conse
quence was in considerable disorder.” ‘Nevertheless when he
got to writing his report he thought he had gained a “victory.”
For, on page 236, he says: ‘Reluctant as I was to leave the
field, and by doing so lose some of the fruits of my victory, I
felt compelled to order a withdrawal rather than risk disas-
ter by awaiting an attack in the morning, only partly pre-
pared.” And that is the first time that the Sixty-third North
Carolina Regiment ever heard that Hancock and Gregg and
Crawford gained a “victory” on the Boydton Plank Road
27 October, 1864. On page 457, Major Bingham, of Gen-
eral Hancock’s staff, said: . ‘The attack had not succeeded”
and General Mott said: “The rebels had turned and doubled