176 Norru Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

the piles. The stench was dreadful, and we had to hold our

noses and run to get away from it.
We remained here until 13 June, with no demonstration of

any kind except artillery duels across the river. Every even-
ing the bands on each side would play Yankee Doodle, Star
Spangled Banner, Dixie, Bonnie Blue Flag, and both would
wind up with Home, Sweet Home, whereat there was on both
sides a universal shout, reverberating from one to the other,
back and forth, showing there was one tie held in common by

these two grand armies.
GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.

General Lee had sent Ewell’s Corps across the mountains
into the Valley, and word has just reached us of his capture
of Winchester and Martinsburg with many prisoners and a
lot of property, and of his march across the Potomac into
Maryland and Pennsylvania. On 14 June, 1863, our pickets
in front. reported that the enemy had all crossed the river, and
on examining the ground we found a very small force in sight
with only a few guns posted on the Stafford Hills. They had

removed or destroyed the pontoon bridges on which they had ©

crossed. We were at once moved back of the hills, and or-
dered to prepare three days’ rations and be ready to move
early next morning. We spent the day in cleaning up arms,
filling up boxes and getting rid of our surplus baggage.
Longstreet’s Corps came up during the day from the Black-
water and went into camp just in our rear. The order of
march was the Sixteenth North Carolina in front with one
howitzer from Pogue’s Battalion, then the remaining regi-
ments of Pender’s old brigade under command of Colonel
W. J. Hoke, of the Thirty-eighth, followed by the Light Di-
vision, Major-General Pender, and the balance of A. P. Hill’s
Corps, then all the remainder of Lee’s army. Very early on
the morning of 15 June we broke camp near Hamilton’s
Crossing, striking the main road above Fredericksburg and
on hy Chancellorsyille, passing the old Chancellor house, and
on in the direction of the river. All along the line we saw
Hooker had thrown up works and fortified on his retreat from
Chancellorsville. Late in the afternoon we crossed the river

SIXTEENTH REGIMENT. 177

at the same ford where the boys had fired into the cavalry
camp on the night of 2 May, and went into camp on the hill
beyond, next night camped at Stevensburg, then to Culpepper
Court House, and two more days march brought us to the
Blue Ridge, crossing at Chester Gap, and down into the Val-
ley at Front Royal, where we forded the two branches of the
Shenandoah and camped at Nineveh. The next day we
marched only about three miles, camping at White Post.
Passing through Charlestown where John Brown was hung,
the next day we camped near Shepherdstown, where General
Scales came up and took command of the brigade, he having
been wounded at Chancellorsville.

Next day we passed through the town and crossed the Poto-
mac below Boteler’s mills; we are soon on the familiar ground
of Sharpsbburg and in the United States, 24 June, and
went into camp just beyond the town. Company G was sent
on picket all night. Next day passed through Hagerstown,
where we saw a good many Southern sympathizers, but they
were afraid to make much of a demonstration, as they were
closely watched by their Union neighbors, but we saw many
rebel flags displayed inside of the doors and windows of many
of the houses. We were advised not to make any noise or
fuss, but to pass through quietly lest we should get our friends
into trouble. That night we camped near a town in Pennsyl-
vania, name forgotten, where a quantity of whiskey was jis-
sued—some of the men got drunk, and some of them were
severely punished. The writer got a canteen of whiskey, a
knife, fork and spoon which I have yet (not the whiskey).
Next night camped near Chambersburg where we spent two
days, and the next night, 30 June, camped on top of Cash’s
Mountain, about five miles from Gettysburg.

BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.

Next morning, 1 July, we passed through Cashtown, and
about 2 p. m., came in sight of Gettysburg and were soon
moved to the right in a lane with a wheat field in our front.
Tearing down the fence, the order came “forward march,”
and the Sixteenth, with Pender’s Division, moved forward at
quickstep dressing to the left, and after marching about a

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