240 Norra Carorina Troops, 1861-65.

top of the mountain, and as night approached the bes a
came frequent. We also learned from couriers W : cam
down the mountain that a heavy force of F ederal es ry a
threatening that position. With the battalion were a ea
Federal prisoners, and also forty or fifty Confederates un :
arrest for various minor offences during the campaign. .
addition to these were four Confederates under sir ¥
death for desertion, and were under a separate guard. 0
before night I released and armed all the pic penene
oners except the four under sentence, and ordered t et a
fall in with the battalion, telling them if they Hee pon
that night I would report the same in their behalf. ~
nightfall the firing on top of the mountain greatly sig se
Taking the battalion and the men who had just been _ —
from arrest, I proceeded up the mountain, halting ae ~ ;
as I passed, to the assistance of our friends at the we fi
our road with the pike. Before reaching the point t ee ying
became very heavy for a few minutes and then one tn
was followed by the huzzas of the enemy. By ae we set
the position had been captured by them and that Lil wou :
break into that part of the train that had passed tha ee
We went ahead as fast as we could and as we came ee -_ :
the enemy had placed a cannon in the road by Hoy we & i
approaching and were firing grape shot down the byes — td
few minutes. Fortunately, the road made a s sak . :
about 100 yards from the gun and the shot did not sweep oi
road beyond that point. After a sharp engagement we op
tured the position together with fifteen or twenty eres
Among the prisoners was an elderly gentleman son Pi
ell, who was army correspondent of the New ee : eed
We also captured the colored servant of Genera ilp jon
and three of the general’s saddle horses. The an P
turned and carried off a few of our wagons and ar seer
and doubtless, but for our timely arrival and — ‘ —_
have destroyed a large part of the train. The Con porte :
that I had released and armed a few hours ig e “
well and a number of them, who belonged to in cavalry,
mounted themselves on horses captured that nig t. ee
A very remarkable thing occurred next morning 1n re

pr atone oeannerre atte

sleheeenbamennsse cerns

First BaTra.ion. 241

the train. While the battalion was engaged in the fight,
some Confederate cavalry that arrived at the point of attack
at the same time as the battalion, stampeded and rushing
down the mountain in great disorder completely dispersed the
guards in charge of the prisoners in rear of the train. It
was a very dark and rainy night. They were in a dense
woods. It was impossible to recognize any one and no at-
tempt was made to collect the prisoners until next morning.
After daylight three of the Confederate soldiers that were
_ under sentence of death, reported to the officer of the guard
and all the Federal prisoners were found near by. Of course
after that the three Confederates were pardoned,
We remained on the north side of the Potomac, near Wil-

' liamsport, about a week and then returned to Virginia with

the rest of the army. A few weeks thereafter the battalion
was sent back to its old brigade, again commanded by General
R. F. Hoke, who had recovered from the wound received in
the battle of Chancellorsville.

IN NORTH CAROLINA,

Nothing of special interest occurred in Virginia in the
fall of 1863. In February, 1864, the battalion was in the
New Bern expedition under General Pickett. In an attempt
to capture the bridge across Batchelor’s creek, near New
Bern, by a detail of twenty men under Captain John A.
Cooper, now a resident of Statesville, N. ©., three men were
killed outright on the bridge and a number severely wounded.
Among the killed was Henry N. Welsh, who deserves special
notice. He was a native of Davidson county and one of the
original members of Company B. When he volunteered he
was a delicate looking young man and it was not thought that
he would be able to stand the service long. After an attack
of fever the first summer he enjoyed good health and was
conspicuous for the fidelity and promptness with which he
discharged all his duties. When a detail was called for, on
service considered especially dangerous, he was the first or
among the first to step out. He had been in the service from
first Manassas to this time, February, 1864, and had never
had a furlough, but under the furlough system of the Army

16