192 Nortrs Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

them that ‘Longstreet was on the ground and would be there
in less than five minutes, only hold your ground until he gets
in,” but everybody seemed to be for himself and the Yankees
take the hindmost, which would soon have occurred to us all
if just then we had not met General Benning, of Longstreet’s
Corps, leading his brigade in. He told his men to open ranks
and let us pass. After getting in rear of Longstreet’s we
got our men quiet and into line, and crossing the plank road
we formed a new line on a kind of crescent in rear of Ewell.
Just after crossing the road I met Tom Hayden with a can-
teen, and our detail not having returned I asked him for a
drink. Handing his canteen he said, ‘Here is some pond
water,” and without thought I took a big swallow before I
found it was the meanest whiskey I ever tasted, and of course
I was worse off than before I took it. In a few minutes we
heard Longstreet’s men open fire and in a very short time we
heard the old rebel yell; and we knew that Hood was moving
them; then the yell became general all along the line, and I
don’t think I ever listened to a sweeter sound. It would
start on the left and like a wave roll down the line and back
again, and our line took up the refrain, and just like the lit-
tle dog after being whipped when a big dog comes up and
takes his place, they began to jump and yell and cut up
shines, as much as to say, ‘‘Arn’t we horses.”

Shortly after Longstreet had routed and was driving them
back, we were moved down upon the line on the left of the
plank road, where some command had erected the only breast-
work during the night, and then you should have seen what
a brave set of fellows we were. Just then we saw a little fel-
low riding up behind us on a gray horse, dressed in a fine new
uniform with two stars on the collar and a big black feather
in his hat. We recognized little Captain Cloud, who had
been captured at Gettysburg, just on his way from Johnson’s
Island. During his captivity he had been promoted to Lieu-
tenant-Colonel. We almost had to detail a guard to stop him
from charging over the works and capturing Grant and the
whole Yankee army. The battle raged pretty much all day
in our front, and it is claimed by some that but for the
wounding of General Longstreet Grant’s army would have

Uo 4 ea oie gent Ye BY

 

SIXTEENTH REGIMENT. 193

been driven across the Rapidan. I know that by this timely
arrival he saved our brigade from capture. We remained in
this position until Sunday, the 7th, about 4 p. m., when we
were ordered to march by the Brock road to Spottsylvania
Court House, which place we reached at 12 M. Monday and
found nearly all our artillery on the line and pretty well for-
tified.

SPOTTSYLVANIA.

Spottsylvania is located on a long high ridge, and in May,
1864, contained a court house, jail, one brick church and a
tavern—these are all the buildings I remember. Our forti-
fied line was near the top of the ridge and north and east from
the court house, and was about five miles in length, extend-
ing about four miles above to the Tay river, and one mile be-
low the conrt house. The ground in front of the court house
was sloping for about two hundred yards, and there was met
by a thick pine woods, and beyond these pines Grant had two
fortified lines about one hundred yards apart.

Arriving on the ground about 12 o’clock Monday, 8 May,
we were put on the line on the left of the court house near
the branch, with a thick pine forest in our front, but did not
remain long in this position, but were moved to the right be-
yond the court house, and for three days were kept moving
up and down the line, being in reserve all the time.

On the night of the 11th we were marched about four miles
to the left near the Tay river where there was a fort, and just
as I had my little shelter tent put up and ready to lie down,
orders came to fallin, and we were soon on the way to town in

ud and rain, the night so dark we could scarcely see the men
ahead of us. It stopped raining and cleared up before we
reached the court house, and just as day was breaking we
heard Tancock’s grand assault on our lines open and were
soon made aware that part of our line had been captured—
Johnson’s Division of Ewell’s Corps being taken prisoners.
This was the place where it was said General Lee wanted to
lead the troops in person, but the men refused to go forward
until he went to the rear, assuring him that they would re- -
establish the lines, which they did most gallantly. When we

13