510 Nortu CaroLina Troops, 1861~’65.

train. As the two regiments numbered only 97 men we did
not accomplish very much.

The end was drawing near and we continued on without
molestation, to Appomattox Court House. There, at the
command of the immortal Lee, we laid down our arms.

In the foregoing I have endeavored to give an account of
the movements of Cooke’s North Carolina Brigade, some-
what in detail. ;

I have refrained from trying to give a full description
of any of its battles, as they are described in the historical
sketches of the different regiments composing the brigade.

In concluding this history, I deem it proper to refer to one
circumstance to show how the “Tar Heels” were treated by
the authorities at Richmond and, also, to show what General
Lee thought of Cooke’s Brigade.

In July, 1864, General Cooke again applied for an Inspec-
tor-General for his brigade and recommended his appointee
of April, 1864, stating that said officer, while acting in this
position, had been severely wounded at the battle of the Wil-
derness, and was not now and probably never would again
be, able for active duty on foot.

Cooke’s application was approved by General Harry Heth,
our Major-General, and A. P. Hill, our Lieutenant-General,
and endorsed by General Lee. “The brigades are so small
that they hardly need Inspectors-General, but as every
brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia has an Inspector-
General, except Cooke’s, respectfully forwarded approved.”

Under date of 24 July, 1864, this application was returned
endorsed by the War Department, “Disapproved. No in-
spectors will be allowed to brigades.”

(This application, with its endorsements, was given to me
by General Cooke in September, 1864.)

Within a week after the above noted endorsement of 24
July, 1864—and, as I now recollect, on 26 July, 1864—a
Mr. Balfour, of Mississippi, was appointed Captain and In-
spector-General and assigned to Cooke’s North Carolina Bri-
gade. Balfour, having been granted a furlough at the time
of his appointment, did not report to General Cooke until
some time in September, when Cooke informed him that he

CookKe’s BRIGADE. §i4

had no place for him and no need for him. He did not come
back.

After this second refusal of his choice of an Inspector-
General, Cooke would not allow his Adjutant-General to
make the Inspector-General’s reports.

This called forth from General Chilton, Lee’s Inspector-
General, a personal letter to Cooke in which he urged Cooke
to have inspection reports made. Chilton stated that, if it
was not done, proceedings would have to be taken against
Cooke. Of course, this meant court-martial, and he stated
further, that he (Chilton) knew that General Lee would dis-
like very much to be compelled to take such proceedings, for
he knew the fact to be, that General Lee looked upon him
(Cooke) as “the Brigadier and his brigade as the brigade of
his army.” (This letter was shown to me by General Cooke
on 14 or 15 October, 1864.)

General Cooke did not receive a military education, but
was a civil engineer and in 1858 was appointed a Second
Lieutenant in the United States Army. About June, 1861,
while stationed_in Arizona or New Mexico, he learned of the
secession of his father’s native State—Virginia. He imme-
diately tendered his resignation and started for the Confeder-
acy. After many trials, he arrived at Richmond, Va., and
offered his services to the Confederate States.

He was appointed Quartermaster and assigned to the staff
of General T. H. Holmes. Shortly thereafter, he was elected
Captain of a Battery of Light Artillery, raised at Fredericks-
burg, Va., and soon after he was made Major and Chief of
Artillery on the staff of General Holmes.

16 April, 1862, he was elected Colonel of the Twenty-sev-
enth North Carolina, and from that time his name is con-
nected with the history of the North Carolina troops.

He was always firm in the enforcement of his orders, yet
not a martinet. On duty, he required that he be recognized,
officially, and his orders obeyed. Off duty, he was as kind
and pleasant a companion as I ever met. He was always
kind to his men and looked after their welfare.

I very well recollect that in September, 1862, while Colo-
nel of the Twenty-seventh North Carolina, near Leesburg,