424 NortH Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

The same sketch relates the mortal wound, and death while
a prisoner, of Major-General W. H. C. Whiting, who volun-
teered in the defence of this work, and fell gallantly leading
in hand-to-hand combat.

Fisher was provided with sub-terra shells which would
have destroyed Butler’s command had he advanced to attack
with his troops, but when the second expedition occurred 15
January, the wires had been cut by the rain of shells of enor-
mous size, which ploughed up the whole surface, as the fire
was directed by signal. More than ten thousand fell in forty-
eight hours.

Captain Kerrigan was sent for this special work, the tor-

pedo service being a division of the engineer force.

General Gabriel J. Rains began this organization, which
was placed in charge of the engineer troops, and they were
used with success at Charleston, Mobile and Savannah. The
automatic sub-terra explosive shell was an invention of Gen-
eral Rains, as was his machine for manufacturing gun-caps.
He was a North Carolinian, born in Craven County, a gradu-
ate of West Point in 1807, and was over 50 years old when
the war broke out. Wounded in the Seminole war, he was
also a veteran of the Mexican war. He was a Colonel in the
Army of the Confederate States, and promoted to General in
appreciation of his valued service. Nearly 1,300 of these
shells buried near the lines of Richmond doubtless aided in
keeping the enemy away during the siege of Petersburg. But
the war closed as he was bringing his devices to perfection.

Topographical work in North Carolina was done in part
by engineers attached to the staff of the generals commanding
districts, and in some eases by officers ordered for this special
service by the Engineer Bureau.

Among these was that experienced engineer, Captain John
S. Grant, from the staff of General Lee. The writer served
with him as Assistant Military Engineer, in the Southeastern
District, along the White Oak and including the Angola Bay
and Holly Shelter regions and the coast. This was for use
in preparing for offensive or defensive operations between
New Bern and Wilmington. Captain Grant had been an en-
gineer officer of the British army, and the author of impor-

Corps or ENGINEERS. . 425

tant works. Much of the territory referred to equalled or ex-
ceeded in difficulty the Wilderness of Spottsylvania, which it
was also the fortune of the writer to survey with Captain B.
L. Blackford, whose corps was ordered finally to Wilmington,
and encamped at Wrightsville Sound, in the autumn of 1863.
Among those who joined it there were Messrs. A. Paul Repi-
ton and T. R. Purnell (now judge of the United States Dis-
trict Court in North Carolina. )

The Chief Engineer of the Army of the South, as it was
called, under General Jos. E. Johnston, in North Carolina,
was Colonel John Clark, and with him was Lieutenant James
A. Tennent, of Asheville, N. C., who had served in the South
Carolina infantry and afterward as Assistant Engineer in the
Topographical Corps on the coast.

Captain J. F. Lanneau (Professor Applied Mathematics
at Wake Forest) is another citizen of the State who rendered
valuable service. He had been Captain in Hampton’s Le-
gion, and later was commissioned as Lieutenant of Engineers,
being promoted to Captain. He served under Whiting, and
Lee, and was finally Chief Engineer of Hampton’s Corps.

COMPANY A, SECOND ENGINEER TROOPS.

This was the only body of engineer troops organized in
North Carolina. Captain John C. Winder, then a military
assistant engineer, was commissioned as Captain, in recogni-
tion of much meritorious service 12 August, 1863, and later
the following were appointed by the President as Lieuten-
ants in this organization of the regular army: Francis
Hawks, as First Lieutenant; Bruce Gwynn and C. B. Den-
son, as Second Lieutenants.

Francis Hawks, a son of Dr. Hawks, the famous divine
and historian, was a native of New Bern, and had been edu-
cated as an engineer and engaged in staff duty.

Lieutenant Gwynn was a son of Colonel Walter Gwynn,
and was a brave and impetuous officer, who was detailed from
the company for special duty at Fort Fisher shortly before the
battle, and made prisoner there, and confined in a northern

prison ‘until the end of the war.
Lieutenant Denson had organized Company E, Twentieth