156 Norru Carorina Troops, 1861-65.

General Pender says in his official report: ‘After cross-
ing I was ordered to cross the fields direct for Mechanicsville.
Soon after leaving the Meadow Bridge road, one or two pieces
of artillery opened upon us from a road above Mechanicsville.
Here, owing to my imperfect knowledge of the roads and par-
tial misleading of the guide, my left regiment went too far to
the left, and consequently did not join the brigade until late
at night, for while it was coming up after being sent for, it
was ordered by some one to support another brigade, and I
would here mention it was reported to me as behaving well
under a very murderous fire to which it was soon exposed,
losing about 200 men.” This “left regiment” was the Six-
teenth North Carclina Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-
Colonel J. S. McElroy.

The men lay on their arms that night, and were in line and
ready for action before daylight. During the night I re-
ceived an order from General Pender to bring up the ord-
nance train at once. I started immediately, but on reaching
Mechanicsville, the streets were so blocked with ambulances,
wagons, and litter-bearers bringing off the wounded, that it
was impossible to proceed for some time. General Pender
becoming impatient, mounted his horse and came to meet and
hurry up the train, saying it was important to have the train
up before daylight. On seeing the condition of affairs, he or-
dered me to use all dispatch, and left a courier with me direct-
ing me where to go. On reaching the designated point, I
left the train and rode forward to look up the brigade. Rid-
ing near a thick pine old field on the right and w eat field on
the left, I was soon ordered to “halt! advance and give the
countersign,” but as I could not see the party I was in doubt
to which army he belonged, and after some parleying on both
sides, he said he belonged to a Georgia regiment. I then
advanced and found a mere boy hid in a thicket of plum
bushes. On telling him who T was looking for, he said he
did not know where they were, but that he was on the outpost
and was expecting to be fired on at every moment, but there
was a regiment just below him, as he had heard thein halt and
stack arms there during the night and had not moved since.

Riding through the pines about fifty yards, I found Colo-

SIXTEENTH REGIMENT. 157

nel Riddick with the Thirty-fourth Regiment, the men just
getting up and rolling up their blankets. I told the Colonel
to send for ammunition at once. Then firing commenced
just where I had left, the balls flying among the men and
causing some contusion, one ball striking my horse, slightly
wounding him. Telling Colonel Riddick where to find the
ordnance train, I galloped back to find my train in great dan-
ger from shell and shot flying over and about it. I soon re-
ceived orders from General Pender to move behind the hill,
which was promptly obeyed. In a very short time the firing
ceased and a forward movement was ordered.

Taking the road to Cold Harbor, we came on the ground
fought over the evening before, and found it covered with
Confederate dead. Crossing the creek on a bridge below El-
lyson’s Mills, we soon came to the works of the enemy and
could see how impregnable they were, and but for Jackson’s
coming in the rear, it would have been impossible to carry
them. In rear of the works we found their abandoned camp,
strewn with blankets, oil cloths, knapsacks and everything per-
taining to camp life.

Reaching Gaines’ Mill about 2 o’clock p. m., we crossed
the creek on a bridge and moved rapidly to Cold Harbor,
where we were soon engaged in one of the hardest fights of the
war, losing many men killed and wounded. General Hill
says in his report: “The Sixteenth North Carolina, Colonel
McElroy, and Twenty-second, Colonel Gray, at one time
crossed the crest of the hill and were in the enemy’s camp,
but were driven back by overwhelming numbers, holding our
position. The loss of the regiment was very heavy, the fight-
ing was kept up wee 90 bolock p- m., and we then lay down
to rest on our arms.’

Saturday morning early the men were up, but found the
enemy had crossed the river, leaving the dead and wounded to
be cared for by the rebels, with an immense amount of army
stores in our hands. We spent the day in burying the dead
and caring for the wounded. We had to-day our first sight
of the welobrated Stonewall Jackson, as he and General Lee
met near where we were lying and had a long conference.
From his appearance no one would have suspected that he was