60 NortH CaRoLina Troops, 1861-65.

“Yes, ladies, and we are all looking for wives!” It was in

Raleigh that we heard the heartrending rumor of General
Lee’s surrender.

Our line of march was through Chapel Hill. The Univer-

sity at that place was deserted and many refugees from the
lower counties were preparing to fly again. After leaving
Chapel Hill we camped on the Regulators’ Battleground,
thence our line of march was on the Salisbury and Hillsboro
road, over which 200 years before the Catawba Indians passed
in their visits to the Tuscaroras in the East. Governor Tryon
and later Lord Cornwallis had led their troops over this his-
toric way in the vain endeavor to subdue the men whose sons
now trod footsore and weary over the same red hills, engaged
in a like struggle for local self government.

When we reached Haw river on Saturday, 15 April, we
found the stream rising rapidly. In crossing the river, sev-
eral of our boys were drowned by leaving the ford to reach
some fish traps a short distance below and being caught by
the swift current and swept down into the deep water below.
On reaching Alamance creek, we had a novel experience.
On account of heavy rains the stream was much swollen
and the current very strong. General Cheatham’s command
was moving in front of General Hoke’s Division and on at-
tempting to ford the stream several men were swept down by
the current, whereupon the others absolutely refused to move.
This halted the entire column, and as the enemy’s cavalry
were closely pressing our rear, the situation was becoming
critical. General Cheatham rode to the front and learning
the cause of the halt, ordered the men to go forward, but, em-
phasizing their determination with some pretty lively swear-
ing, they doggedly refused to move, whereupon General
Cheatham seized the nearest man and into the stream they
went. After floundering in the water awhile, he came out,
and after repeating the process for a few times, they raised a
shout and proceeded to cross. Three wagons, two with guns
and one with bacon, capsized and were swept down the river.
Some lively diving for the bacon followed, but I guess the
guns are still rusting in the bottom of the creek. I am sure
none of them were disturbed on that occasion.

SEVENTY-SECOND REGIMENT. 61

In the midst of the peril of the crossing of the river, Lieu-
tenant-Colonel French realizing the danger to which the
smaller boys were exposed, jumped from his horse, and sta-
tioning himself in mid-stream just below the line of march,
rescued several of the brave lads from inevitable death.
Standing there, watching his chance to save life, he was every
inch the faithful officer and brave soldier, and no wonder the
boys loved him. Within the last twelve months he, too, has
crossed over the river and is now resting under the shade of
the trees. Farewell my dear old comrade!

We reached Red Cross, twenty miles south of Greens-
boro, late on 16 April. Here we stayed until the following
Easter Sunday morning. On Saturday afternoon, a bright
boy from Cleveland County, named Froneberger, was killed
in camp by lightning within ten steps of regimental head-
quarters. His death was instantaneous. The next morn-
ing, 17 April, after a scanty breakfast we made ready as
usual to resume the march, but received no orders. We
waited till noon, then all the afternoon, then till night, and
still no orders. The next morning we heard that General
Johnston had surrendered.

We camped at Red Cross for a few days. Meanwhile it
became known that we had not surrendered. That Johnston
and Sherman had undertaken to make terms for the surren-
der of all the then existing armies of the Confederacy and for
the recognition of our state governments—about the only
decent act of Sherman’s life. But it came to naught by rea-
son of its disapproval in Washington. The armistice which
had been entered into for this purpose was terminated, and
the toilsome, weary, hopeless march was resumed, but we all
knew that the war was over.

It was at this time that a quantity of silver coin, in Greens-
boro, belonging to the Confederate Government was seized
by General Johnston and distributed among his officers and
men—each receiving one dollar and twenty-five cents without
regard to rank. The writer has in his possession the identi-
cal Mexican milled silver dollar which came to him on this
occasion. On one side of it has since been engraved “Bounty
to John W. Hinsdale for four years’ faithful service in the