198 Norru Carorina Troops, 1861-’65. march, and about 12 M. halted near Green Pole church, throwing up strong works and remaining three days with heavy picket and artillery firing all the time. I think the Sixteenth had but one man killed, Sergeant Westall, a gallant young fellow of Company H, Macon County, killed on the picket line. We left this place early next morning and passed down by Beaver Dam Station to Atlee’s Station and spent two days as reserve corps. Just four weeks from the time we left Orange, we were told that the officers’ baggage wagon was just in rear near the branch and we could go back for a short time and clean up, which we gladly accepted. I had changed my clothes on the morning we had gone on picket at Orange, but don’t think I had had my shoes off since. We had just gotten through our toilets when the long roll was beat and “fall in, men,” was the order, and off we go through heat and dust for Cold Harbor. Passing down in rear of Mechanics- ville, we met Breckinridge’s and Hoke’s Divisions on their way to join Lee, then on, crossing the bridge at Gaines’ Mill, which had been burned since we were there in June, 1862, we were soon in front of part of Grant’s army drawn up in line on the same field where we had killed so many Zouaves 27 June, 1862. SECOND COLD HARBOR. There are three ridges which all come together, the Yan- kees having possession of the last or outside one, and extend- ing their lines up to the junction, then on the left for several miles. They also had a line of dismounted cavalry on the middle ridge. We turned to the right going down the third or inside ridge, and formed in rear of Breckinridge’s artil- lery; Lane on our left joining Hoke and Breckinridge, Mc- Gowan on our right and resting on the Chickahominy. In passing down to the right I walked over the place where I saw a number of Rutherford boys buried in 1862—Sloan, Staf- ford, Correll and others of Company G; Moore of Company D, and George Foster of Polk. Soon after our line was formed General Breckinridge gal- loped down our front and ordered his artillery to open fire on the middle ridge, which was soon cleared and our whole line Aecieetelts RITE TE iyi, aE eee sesiperes eng Pan a SIXTEENTH REGIMENT. 199 moved forward. On reaching the top of the ridge we saw the cavalry dashing out across the bottom in front and into the swamp beyond. Lane had quite a fight on his left, also Hoke and Breckinridge, but all succeeded in clearing the ridge. General Lane was severely wounded and some of his men killed. About dark it began to rain very hard. The writer was ordered to go to the front and relieve the Captain of the sharpshooters, as he had been on continuous duty for three days and nights. I was directed to go to a light that could be seen in front as the place to find the Captain, and feeling my way down the hill into the bottom, soon found my- self in a ditch; badly scratched by the briars on the banks, I scrambled out and started ahead, finding another, then a third ditch, but finally reached the place and relieved the Captain and took command of the line, extinguishing the light which had been made for my guidance. The next morning, 3 June, it had cleared off, and just as day began to appear in the east the enemy made a general assault on our left.