170 NortH Caroutina Troops, 1861-’65.

vancing across the open field, their sharpshooters and skir-
mishers in front. General Lee had just ridden along in front
of our lines, and discovering a body of horse coming from the
left across Hazel Run, waited until he discovered it was Gen-
eral Stuart and staff. General Jackson soon appeared, and
after a short consultation all went off to the right. Soon we
were ordered into line and sent to the center of the field about
two hundred yards in front of the elongation of Longstreet’s
line on our left, and a battery of artillery was unlimbered to
our right and rear, which at once commenced firing and re-
ceiving the fire of numerous batteries from both sides of the
river. It was most gallantly served and suffered in men and
horses, a caisson being blown up with a terrific explosion by
the batteries of the enemy, whose aim was perfect. The bat-
tery also suffered from the sharpshooters, and a brave officer
of the battery rode down to our regiment and asked Colonel
McElroy to drive off the skirmishers and they would take
care of the main body. Colonel McElroy immediately or-
dered Company G to the front, which deployed as skirmish-
ers, but the fire of the Federal sharpshooters concentrated on
us, and one-half our men were shot down without accomplish-
ing anything. Jos. (. Mills and one or two others were
soon wounded and carried off the field, then another company
was sent and with like result and still another, when Colonel
McElroy, with some very strong and earnest expressions, or-
dered the regiment forward, and with a double-quick occu-
pied the ground immediately on the railroad confronting at
least three brigades and holding his ground, falling back
only a few yards to a small ditch about four feet in depth,
from which the regiment poured a murderous fire into and
held in check a vastly superior force. General Pender had
that morning expressed his full confidence in the gallantry of
the Sixteenth and said he looked for a good report from it in
the battle. Late in the evenine he sent in the Fifty-seventh
North Carolina, Colonel A. C. Godwin, a new regiment, to
the help of the Sixteenth. This regiment charged across the
field fully a mile, with the rebel yell, and on they came, not
seeming to know that there was anybody but Yankees in their
front. They discovered our men just in time, and were

SIXTEENTH REGIMENT. wel

directed to distribute their favors among the blue coats just a
little way ahead. A charge was made and the Federals
driven from the field and into the swamp on our left, where
large numbers were captured and sent to the rear, two men of
Company G capturing fifty and marching them off the field
in one body. The battle raged fearfully on our right, and
often the tide of victory seemed to be with the Federals as
they swept. by our right flank and appeared to be getting to
our rear, but soon a rebel yell was heard, and as it advanced
swept back the solid columns of the Federal lines. In this
battle our regiment lost many brave men, good and true, and
quite a number wounded.

The complete repulse and disastrous defeat of Burnside
had been accomplished on this first day before one-half of our
troops had the opportunity of trying their metal, and back to
Falmcuth under cover of night the enemy retired.*

WINTER OF 1862-68.

A short time after the battle of Fredericksburg, Jackson’s
Corps was moved about twelve miles down the river to Camp
Gregg, named in honor of General Gregg, who was killed at
Fredericksburg, where the winter was spent in picketing at
“Moss Neck, on the Rappahannock, about three miles above
Port Royal. There the writer found them on his return to
camp in March, after five months’ absence, and soon after
reaching camp was ordered to hold myself in readiness for
picket, but before night the order was countermanded and
the Sixteenth was ordered to go as an escort to the station
with the body of Colonel Gray, of the Twenty-second, who
had died during the day, and to go on picket the day after.
In the meantime it had become very cloudy and during the
night commenced snowing, and when we left camp the snow
was several inches deep. The river being about two miles
from the hills and all cleared lands between, we could get
very little wood for fires, and in consequence we had to walk
up and down the river all day and night to keep from freezing.

i y i d this
*In his address to the army after this battle General Lee use
expression, ‘‘ Escape from utter destruction has now become the boast
of those who advanced in full confidence of victory. —Ep.