174 Norrs Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

States Ford, where he would find a regiment of cavalry
camped, to deploy his regiment to the left of the road, and at
signal to fire three rounds into them and then get back into the
road, and join the brigade on the field, and then left us to ex-
ecute the order. Marching about six miles we came in sight
of their camp fires where they were having a busy, merry
time, some cooking and eating, others fiddling and dancing,
and other lying round the fires resting, not looking for or
thinking of danger. Suddenly there was a crash as the three
volleys were fired into this careless, happy-go-lucky troop in
quick succession, causing another most surprising surprise
party, and such a rush and stampede was never witnessed be-
fore. We never knew what damage was done, but the Fed-
erals thought the whole Confederate army was upon them,
and yelled out, “Shackson’s is upon us—Donner und blitz-
zen,” as each gathered himself together for a flank movement
to the rear, and the whole’ command hastily got on the safe
side of the river, leaving camp equipage, rations and spoils
to a few skulkers (or broken down, mayhap) avho failed to
keep up with the regiment on its return. It was said by one
of these men that a large force of Federals were sent over the
river next day, but we don’t know about that. In obedience
to orders the Sixteenth immediately returned to the battle-
field, reaching Chancellorsville about sunrise, and just as the
line had been formed for the last grand charge Sunday morn-
ing. There being no place for us in the line, the Sixteenth
fell in behind the Thirty-fourth and went into the fight,
having marched and fought the whole day before and all night
-again. It was not long until we were in the thickest of the
fight again, and with one grand charge the enemy was routed
and fell back on his last line. The Sixteenth lost very heav-
ily in officers and men. Colonel McElroy was wounded in
the mouth and disabled, Colonel William Stowe in the head,
and Major Lee having been crippled for life at Fredericks-
burg, the regiment was without a field officer. Captain A. S.
Cloud, Company E, assumed command, and after a few days
we were marched back and went into camp near Camp Gregg

. . . * pat
where we put in the time drilling on the beautiful fields of

SIXTEENTH REGIMENT. 175

the Rappahannock and waiting for Halleck to put up another
General for us to whip.

PROMOTIONS.

The death of General Jackson caused several changes in the
army. A. P. Hill was promoted to Lieutenant-General;
Pender, Major-General, and Colonel A. M. Seales, of the
Thirteenth North Carolina, to be Brigade commander.

Sometime after our return to Camp Gregg, Pender issued
a complimentary order to the brigade, in which he said: “I
may be exacting and hard to please, but in this instance I am
perfectly satisfied. You have pleased me well.” We re-
mained at this camp until 4 June, drilling and grazing our
teams on the fine clover fields of the Rappahannock. As we
were drilling that evening, looking across the river hills we
could see large fields of dust rising above the trees across the
river, and we knew the Federal army was again in motion.
We were at once ordered back to camp and began preparation
to move, tents struck, baggage packed and loaded in the
wagons and everything got ready, and about dark we bade
farewell to our pleasant camp never to see it again. About
dawn of day we reached Hamilton’s Crossing and found the ~
enemy in possession of the Port Royal road, making a good
breastwork. It had been their line of battle in December,
1862. Our sharpshooters were ordered to drive them out,
our brigade succeeding, but Lane’s men on the left failed to
move those opposite their line, and we had to build a barri-
cade between the two brigades, Lane’s men being on the high
ground and unprotected.

Remaining at this place ten days, the writer had to make
several trips from the railroad where our line was, to the
Port Royal road occupied by the sharpshooters, and had to
pass over the ground fought on in December. The Yankees
who had been killed in that fight had been laid up in piles of
about a hundred and a few shovels of dirt thrown over them.
It was the most repulsive sight I ever beheld; there were
heads, hands and fect sticking up through the dirt, and my-
riads of worms and insects of various kinds working all over