336 Norto Carormina Troops, 1861-65.

presence. This retreat was through a swampy region and
our thinly clad and almost barefooted men suffered untold
misery from wading and cold. We slowly retreated across
the State of South Carolina and not until we reached Averas-
boro, N. ©., did we have much skirmishing and no pitched
battle. At many plantations on the route peanuts by the cot-
ton basketful were placed for us along by the side of the road
by order of the ladies up at the “big house.”

AVERASBORO AND BENTONVILLE.

At Averasboro 16 March, 1865, the fight was short and hot.
We did not fool with them long and they did not try to keep
us from going on. At Bentonville in the three days’ fight,
19-21 March, we got pretty badly mixed. We got after the
Yankees and they just fired and fell back; we chased them on
Sunday evening until after dark. I think we went in twenty
feet of one of their lines, when they suddenly fired a volley,
broke and ran. If the fire had been well directed not a man
of us could have escaped. The sheet of fire was blinding.
Many were wounded and a few killed on our side. There
was a mighty rattling of canteens and tin cups in those woods
when the enemy fell back in haste. This battalion had
thirty-eight men killed and wounded, every officer in the bat-
talion was wounded save Captain Barnes and myself. I car-
ried a spade in this fight and held it right in front of my
“eracker box.” After two days in the trenches amidst con-
stant picket firing and occasionally a shelling frolic, we again,
unmolested, evacuated, falling back in the direction of Smith-
field and Sherman going to Goldsboro, neither troubling the
other, one going up Neuse river, the other down. After two
weeks’ rest at or near Smithfield and a reorganization of the
army, we were again in trim for fighting or retreating, which
last we did up to near Greensboro, when on 26 April, the end
came. We were paroled 2 May, 1865, each man being paid
$1.25 in silver.

I have met many of these old comrades at our annual re-
unions since, and some times I think we get our war stories a
little mixed and rather shaky. Now in conclusion, I desire
to say to the survivors of this battalion, that this imperfect

 

TENTH BATraLion. 337

sketch has been written by request and on short notice. I
know it is not a complete record, but I have had only my own
personal recéllections and “Moore’s Roster of North Carolina
Troops’ ’ to draw from. Not a single member of the battal-
ion has been consulted since I undertook this task, but I have
given it my best consideration after a lapse of thirty-six years
or an ordinary life time. I may and most likely have, left
out much that should appear, but nothing has been over-
drawn. ;

If I have failed to give due credit in any shape to any mem-
ber, it was an unintentional oversight. Every member was
my friend and I had naught but the highest regard for them
-. those we buried by the wayside as well as those living to-

ay.

C. S. Powstt.

SmiTHFIELp, N. C.,
26 April, 1901.