190 Norru Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

out warm, the snow melting off except on the mountain sides
a few miles off over the river. On 4 May I was on picket
with strict orders to allow no one to cross unless they had a
pass from General Robertson. There was some cavalry graz-
ing their horses on a clover field across the river, and just
after | had returned from the lower part of the line, I heard
their bugles blow “boots and saddles,” and saw the men run-
ning and bridling their horses in great commotion, and soon
after a courier riding at full speed came up the road leading
to the Ford where I had placed myself to meet him. Stop-
ping his horse for a moment he drew from his pocket a large
official envelope addressed “General R. E. Lee,” saying he
had a dispatch for General Lee. My orders forbade my
allowing any one to pass without General Robertson’s per-
mission, but believing that delay might be dangerous, I at
once determined to assume responsibility of disobeying orders
and handing him the dispatch, told him to go ahead. I im-
mediately walked down to the river and notified my pickets
to be ready to move as I was sure we would be sent for, and
soon a courier came ordering us to camp. Bidding farewell
to Barnett’s Ford, where we had spent near ten months rather
pleasantly, we started to camp, and on our arrival found all
the troops gone and about a hundred negroes plundering and
searching for anything and everything left by the men. I
found orders for me to follow by Orange Court House, which
we soon passed for the last time, not catching up with the
army until late, when we found them camped near Mine
Run, at the same place we had camped on our return from
Mine run in the previous December.

THE WILDERNESS.

Early on the morning of 5 May, 1864, we were under arms
and again on the march, passing Mine Run and about 4 p- m.
came near the future battlefield, and leaving the plank road
we turned to the left and marched more than a mile, when we
were halted in a dense thicket and in the rear of Ewell.

Lying there about an hour, we heard the fight open in the
direction of the plank road. Orders came to fall in, and we
started at a double-quick, and soon reaching the road where

ie ee SS (oe ee Dota ae

emepeeee sere ie se ee

5 SR pe

rr ara

SIXTEENTH REGIMENT. 191

we had left it we found the road filled with wagons and ambu-
lances and the field on the left of the road full of artillery.
Going down until we came to the Brock road, which crosses
the plank road and leads to Spottsylvania Court House, we
moved to the right and formed line on this road, our left rest-
ing on the plank road. We then moved forward, passing over
a regiment that would not advance. The Colonel was cursing
them and told them to lie down and let somebody that would
go, go over them. We soon struck some troops of Hancock’s
Corps and drove them before us through a swamp, when we
were stopped and moved back to the Brock road on the top of
the ridge, and it being near dark, we put out sentinels in front
and prepared to spend the night, barricading with all the old
logs and rails that we could find.

Early on the morning of the 6th, orders came to send a de-
tail with all the company canteens for water for the men,
and just at sunrise a gun was fired down the road and the shot
came whistling up the road, and following it came Hancock’s
Corps. This was the only battle I ever saw or heard of in
modern times fought without artillery, and the one mentioned
above was the only one I remember to have heard that morn-
ing, and there was only one gun used on the 5th near the
plank road, and that only fired grape at very close range.

Thomas’ Georgia Brigade was on our left, and Hancock’s
line was so arranged his forces struck it before he reached our
front. Thomas’ men gave way at once, almost without firing
a gun. Our left, the Thirty-eighth, I think, seeing them-
selves flanked began to break, and soon a general break all
along our line occurred. Colonel C. M. Avery had his regi-
ment, the Thirty-third North Carolina, lying just in the rear
of the Sixteenth, and as we moved back in good order, he or-
dered his men up and said as I passed him, “We will give
them one volley before we go,” and he gave the order to fire,
and at the same time the fire was returned, killing and wound-
ing many of his men. The Colonel himself was mortally
wounded. Several of the Sixteenth were hit, and Color-
bearer Carpenter was killed and many others wounded. I
soon met a staff officer on horseback, who was making an effort
to rally and stop the men, but with little effect. He told