150 Nortu CAROLINA Troops, 1861-’65.

tomac, where we were engaged in drilling, picketing and
working on breastworks at Colchester, the point at which Gen-
eral Washington crossed on his famous visit to his mother.

We were frequently shelled from the gunboats on the river,

which we could see plainly from the hill top.
The officers commanding the Legion were Colonel Griffin,

the infantry; Major M. C. Butler, the cavalry ; Major
Stephen D. Lee, the artillery ; Colonel Wade Hampton, Com-
mander-in-Chief; Nineteenth Georgia, Colonel Boyd; Four-
teenth Georgia, Colonel’s name forgotten; Sixteenth North
Carolina, Colonel Stephen Lee.

WINTER oF 1861-2.

We remained here until Christmas day, and moved back
to Bacon Race, did picket duty, threw up entrenchments and
fortifications at Wolf Run Shoals during the winter, which,
with several deep snows, was a very severe one. The river
was often frozen over, and on one occasion when Company G@
had spent the night at the ford, two of our men crossed on
the ice to a house beyond, on neutral ground, bought apple
brandy, sugar and eggs, and we had an elegant nogg, before
the relief company arrived.

On 15 March, 1862, we broke camp, starting for the Rap-
pahannock, reaching Falmouth, a small manufacturing town
on the river above Fredericksburg, on the fourth day. We
crossed the river here and went into camp on the heights above
the city, spending the balance of the month drilling until 15
April, broke camp and again took the line of march, through
the city and over the afterwards famous battleground below,
and on the third day reached Bowling Green, in Caroline
County, the place where John Wilkes Booth was killed three
years later and others of his party were captured. Leaving

this place after dark, we marched to Milford, a statien on
the Potomac Railroad, where we embarked for Ashland, ar-
riving there about midnight, where we spent the next day.

YORKTOWN.

The day after, we started for Yorktown, which point we
reached after a hard march of five days, passing some noted

SIXTEENTH REGIMENT. | 151

places on the way: Hanover Court House, Old Church, Yel-
low Tavern, New Kent Court House, Williamsburg and oth-
ers of note, going into camp on the Williamsburg road just
above Yorktown. We fared well here, having nothing else
to do, and living on the finest fish and oysters. On 26 April
the companies of the regiment were reorganized by the elec-
tion of company officers, and on the following day the newly-
elected company officers met and elected Captain Champ
Davis, of Company G, Colonel of the regiment ; Captain J.
S. McElroy, of Company C, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Captain
W. A. Stowe, of Company M, Major. I had forgotten to
mention earlier, that in consequence of infirmity, caused by
exposure, old age, etc., that on 22 February, 1862, Colonel
Stephen Lee had resigned, leaving Lieutenant-Colonel R. G.
A. Love in command of the regiment.

On 4 May before daylight, we were again in motion and
in line of battle, the troops all leaving and everything on the
move’ Yorktown was being evacuated. All through the
night trains of artillery had been passing. Colonel Hampton
was to act as rear guard, and after all had passed we marched
out in line of battle, taking the road and holding the Feder-
als back, skirmishing with their cavalry until we reached
Williamsburg, where we found a large part of Johnston’s
army entrenched in the forts and fortifications in front of
the town. Marching through, we went into camp on the
hill above town, in the same spot where we had camped as we
went down. Late in the afternoon we were called out and
expected to go back into town, where heavy firing was heard
below, but after a short time it ceased, and while we were in
line the Commissary came round with buckets of mean whis-
key and tin cups and gave every man a stiff drink. Orders
were issued to cook rations and be ready to march at 3 o’clock
next morning. Before that time we were up and ready and
soon on the road. The rain falling heavy and the mud deep,
we had a hard march, arriving at Barhamsville late in the
afternoon, near West Point, wet, cold, muddy and hungry.
It cleared up about sunset, and building big fires we cooked
supper and spent a comfortable night.

During the night the wagons and artillery trains were pass-