102 Norru Caroiina Troops, 1861-65.

serted by the proprietors. The detachment went on to Cane
Creek factory. The officer in command sent to a man’s
house to see if he was at home, when two men leaped out of
the back door and started through a corn field at the top of
their speed. One of them was a large man and the other a
small one. At first the superior strength of the large one
gave him the advantage, but before they got to the end of the
field the small one was before. It was the most ludicrous
foot race ever witnessed by the writer. Each one ran, not as
running from danger, but as if for a thousand dollar wager.
The large man was at first supposed to be a deserter, but was
not, for he had once been taken to Camp Holmes and pre-
sented for service, but not accepted. The small one was the
one to whom the house belonged. After the race was over
the officer went in and told the good woman that the running
would be of no service to her husband, and told her to tell
him that the company had to go to Greensboro, and that he
must come on immediately, which, be it told to his credit, he
did. He belonged to our company.

From Cane Creek Factory we went to Greensboro, where
we were put in a regiment of other reserves, and a set of field
officers placed over the company. Our next move was to Ash-
boro. Here our small man who ran so at the factory came up
and delivered himself to the authorities. He had gone to
Greensboro just in time to be too late, and had followed us to
this place. At Greensboro he was furnished with gun and
eartridge box. On his way to Asheboro he came across one,
like himself who was a deserter and Senior Reserve, and on
whom he prevailed te go with him to camp. ~

We drove over the mountains in Randolph County, scaring
up wild turkeys, foxes and owls in great abundance, but no
deserters. The turkeys were seared so terribly that they
eould not: get out of the way. One of the men wanted to
shoot, and when the officer would not let him, tried to bayo-
net it.

About this time we received orders to forage on those who
had sons in the bushes, which was done to some extent. This

rigid system brought up a great many who were sent off as
conscripts, and not deserters,

SEVENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT. 103

We were sent from Ashboro to Wilmington. From Wil-
mington we were ordered to Camp Whiting, thence to Ply-
mouth, thence back to Wilmington, thence to Camp Davis, on
Masonboro Sound, where our young field officers disappeared.

There we had an election for the officers of Lieutenant-
Colonel and Major. Wheeler Hancock, of Rockingham, was
elected to the former and J. Robert McLean, of Guilford, to
the latter office. We had no fight there but could see the en-
emy frequently in their vessels.

From Camp Davis we were ordered to Savannah, from
thence to Coosawhatchie river. The next day after our ar-
rival we got in a fight with General Foster’s forces, which
numbered about seven thousand men, while ours were only
about three thousand. We held the fort (at Savannah) for 37
days and nights they shelling us nearly all the time from a
fort near by. We had nothing but rifle pits to protect us from
their fire. After the fall of Savannah, Sherman being about
to surround us, we evacuated our position, setting fire to the
bridge across the Tullifinny river, which, not burning rapidly,
was cut down by a detachment which had been felling trees
across the road. When we reached New Pocataligo the en-
emy were within a quarter of a mile of us. We would have
been captured had it not been for the Fiftieth North Carolina
Regiment, which kept the enemy at bay until we got by.
We retreated across the Salkehatchie river, about a mile above
the railroad crossing, where we remained some time. There
our commanding Colonel (Shober) left us, and the command
develved upon Wheeler Hancock, the Lieutenant-Colonel,
but the brigade was commanded by Colonel (Wash. ) Hardy,
(Sixtieth North Carolina), for we were brigaded with the
Fiftieth Regiment and Tenth Battalion, ours being called
the Seventh Regiment of Reserves. We were marched
up the Salkehatchie river to Buford’s bridge to prevent Sher-
man’s crossing. While we were there he succeeded in cross-
ing at Rivers’ bridge, after having a pretty lively time with a
Georgia regiment, who captured some of his advance guard.
We were next marched to Branchville and stationed on the
Edisto river, while Sherman passed on towards Columbia.
We next went to a place called Ridgeville, where a great many