420 NortTH CAROLINA Troops, 1861-’65.

former of these commanded the bar with a flanking fire, and
was held by the Confederate Grays in May and June, 1861,
under the writer as Captain Commanding. This company
had been drilled both as infantry and artillery, and subse-
quently became Company E, Twentieth North Carolina. -A
crude picture (page 121, Vol. 2 of these records), shows a por-
tion of the command in camp at Franklin Military Institute
a few days after organization in April, 1861. Many had
been cadets there several years, under Captain C. B. Den-
son, one of the principals and the commandant. Among its
cadets were such officers of high merit as Colonel John Ash-
ford, Colonel Jesse P. Williams, Captains Stephen Cowley,
(killed at the battle of Franklin as Inspector-General of
Bate’s Division), Owen L. Chesnutt, C. B. Monk (killed in
battle), A. B. Hicks, Lieutenants A. D. Hicks, Jos. B. Oli-
ver, and many others.

One fact deserves record here which is believed to be
unique, in regard to this command which was employed in
completing the defensive work of which it was the garrison.

There is probably no other instance North or South, of
the complete equipment of a company by the direct contribu-
tions of its members and their patriotic friends. Formed 20
April, but regularly organized 27 April, in a few days it had
every article supplied to regulars in the old army. Yet it
was formed at the Institute, in the woods, with no village
nearer than Kenansville, eighteen miles distant, Mt. Olive
being but a railroad station three miles away. Nothing
whatever was furnished by the State of North Carolina, or
the Confederate States, except the flint-lock muskets of the
military school. Supplied with tents (made by the patriotic
ladies), uniforms complete, two suits each, both dress and
fatigue, also made by them, knapsacks, canteens, cap, pouch
and belts, camp equipage, including mess chests and medical
stores with boxes of extra shoes, blankets, officers swords and
with three days cooked provisions, and a parting gift of a silk
Confederate flag from the noble women, the command repaired
to the mouth of the river, where attack was daily expected.
These articles had been purchased or made in Richmond,
Norfolk and Wilmington for cash contributed by the com-

 

Corrs or ENGINEERS. 491

pany and its friends. Help was not expected or asked from
the State authorities, and pay for service never entered the
mind of any one of that band, of whom but twenty-seven now
remain, who were members at any time in the four years.

General J. R. Anderson ordered the levelling of the bst-
tery, it is believed, because of the fear that if carried by a land-
ing force, it could be used against Caswell. He was an ex-
cellent infantry officer, but this did not accord with the judg-
ment of an engineer, like Whiting, as noted in the extract re-
ferred to.

It is also due to the fine soldiers which were afterwards
organized into the Fortieth North Carolina Troops, but then
separate artillery companies, to record their arduous labors
in the building, not only of Fort Fisher with its curtains and
connecting batteries, and the works on Smith’s Island, com-
monly called Bald Head, and Fort Pender, Fort Holmes, ete.
These are mentioned in the history of this regiment, Vol. 2,
p. 755, of these records, by Sergeant T. C. Davis.

In April, 1861, before his orders to Virginia, Major W.
H. C. Whiting having established headquarters at Wilming-
ton whither he had repaired from Charleston after the suc-
cessful bombardment of Sumter, appointed Mr. Samuel A.
Ashe, who had been a student at Annapolis, as a Lieutenant
and assigned him to duty at Fort Caswell, under Captain
F. L. Childs, Chief of Artillery and Ordnance. Upon the
organization of the North Carolina forces, the Board of War
sent Mr. Ashe a commission as First Lieutenant in the Corps
of Engineers, Artillery and Ordnance, and he continued his
duties with Captain John C. Winder, and Captain Childs.
Captain Winder had been sent to Fort Caswell by Governor
Ellis as soon as it was seized, and Captain Childs, a zealous
and efficient officer of the old army, had hurried from Charles-
ton, with Major Whiting, to render service on the Cape Fear.

{xcept ten days detached service in June, to move the rifle
machinery from Harper’s Ferry to Fayetteville, Lieutenant
Ashe served with Captain Winder until he fell ill with fever,
recovering in September. In the meantime, the State had
turned over its forces to the Confederate Government, with-
out making provision for its engineer officers, and their com-