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38 Norto Carotina Troops, 1861-65.

Major Charles S. Stringfellow, now one of Richmond’s
most distinguished lawyers, succeeded Captain Hinsdale as
Assistant Adjutant-General upon the latter’s promotion.

ORGANIZATION OF REGIMENT.

The Third Regiment of Junior Reserves was formed 3
January, 1865, by the consolidation of the Fourth Battalion,
commanded by Major J. M. Reece; the Seventh Battalion,
commanded by Major W. F. French; and the Eighth Battal-
ion, commanded by Major J. B. Ellington. It is proper,
therefore, to give an account of their services as separate or-
ganizations.

THE FOURTH BATTALION.

The Fourth Battalion, four hundred strong, was organs
ized at Camp Holmes, near Raleigh, N. C., on 80 May, 1864,
by the election of J. M. Reece, of Greensboro, Major; John
S. Peseud, of Raleigh, was appointed Adjutant. Peseud
was a brave, true-hearted lad, and is now an honored citizen
of Raleigh. The battalion was sent to Goldsboro 2 June.

It was composed of the following companies:

Company A—From Guilford County—John W. Pitts,

Captain; J. N. Crouch, First Lieutenant; T. A. Parsons and
George M. Glass, Second Lieutenants.

Upon the resignation of all the company officers, W. W.
King was elected First Lieutenant and Davis S. Reid Second
Lieutenant. The former was in command of the company

at Fort Fisher, Kinston and Bentonville. He also acted 23

Regimental Adjutant for a time, when D. S. Reid com-
manded the company. Both of these officers were intelligent,
brave and efficient.

Company B—From Alamance and Forsyth Counties—A.
L. Laneaster, Captain; A. M. Craig, First Lieutenant; Wil-
liam May and C. B. Pfohl, Second Lieutenants.

Company C—From Stokes and Person Counties—R. F.
Dalton, Captain; G. Mason, First Lieutenant; G. W. Yan-
cey and J. H. Shackelford, Second Lieutenants.

Company D—From Rockingham—A. B. Ellington, Cap-
tain; J. P. Ellington, First Lieutenant; F. M. Hamlin and
William Fewell, Second Lieutenants. This company was

SEVENTY-SECOND REGIMENT. 39

added to the Battalion 15 June. Captain Ellington was pro-
moted to the Majority when the regiment was formed.

Lieutenant J. P. Ellington in July, 1864, was drowned
in Masonboro Sound, while in the discharge of his duty as of-
ficer of the day, visiting the pickets on the beach. His body
was recovered by exploding torpedoes in the sound.

Lieutenant F. M. Hamlin was promoted to the First Lieu-
tenancy and commanded the company until he was made Ad-
jutant of the regiment.

The battalion soon after its organization’ was ordered to
Goldsboro to report to Brigadier-General L. S. Baker, com-
manding the district of Southern Virginia and Eastern
North Carolina. It was sent thence to Kinston and there
did guard and picket duty. On 15 June it was ordered to
report to Colonel Frank S. Armistead at Weldon. He had
been placed in command of the defences at that point. On
26 June the battalion was ordered to report to General W. H.
C. Whiting, at Wilmington, the only remaining port of the
Confederacy. The battalion thereupon was stationed at Camp
Davis near Wilmington, on Masonboro Sound, under com-
mand of Colonel George Jackson, an efficient officer, and
did picket and guard duty on the sound and the beach to pre-
vent the landing of the enemy, the escape of slaves to the
blockaders and all communication with the passing vessels.
It was here that young Ellington, of Company D, lost his life,
crossing the Sound in a storm while on his rounds as officer of
the day. He was a zealous and capable officer. The salt
works, from which large supplies of salt were obtained for the
army, were in the vicinity of this camp, and were guarded by
the battalion.

From Camp Davis the battalion moved to Sugar Loaf, on
the Cape Fear River, about fifteen miles below Wilmington,
six miles above Fort Fisher and one mile from the ocean,
where it drilled and did guard and picket duty. “Sugsr
Loaf” is a singular formation. It is a high sand hill run-
ning from the river bank half way across the peninsula, stecy
on the exterior, but sloping on all sides to a basin in the cen-
tre. Itis a natural fortification, which the engineering skill
of General Whiting, by fosse and rampart, had converted