530 NortH Caroxina Troops, 1861-’65.

emy to flank him. General Hill, General Martin and Gen-
eral Wise urged him to go forward, but he-would not give the
order. There was but a feeble skirmish line of cavalry in our
front. The history of the great battle shows that Butler’s
army retreated by the very road that Whiting could easily
have reached and held. General Whiting the next day ad-
mitted his blunder—was relieved of the command and re-
turned to his post at Wilmington. A few days afterwards
this brigade and Wise’s were placed under the command of
General D. H. Hill and on 20 May, anniversary of the day on
our battle flags, Martin’s Brigade was formed on the right
of Beauregard’s line of battle, with Wise in reserve. After
a heavy artillery duel of an hour the charge began from the
left, and as the rebel yell came up the line like a tornado,
under its inspiration Martin ordered his brigade to forward,
guide center, charge !—the Seventeenth on the right, the For-
ty-second on the left and the Sixty-sixth in the center.

The General, with Captain L. D. Starke and myself, moved
immediately behind the Sixty-sixth, all on foot, the line with
great enthusiasm charging through a field of small grain into
a pine thicket where the enemy was strongly entrenched, and
supported by his artillery. During the charge General Mar-
tin ordered me to tell Colonel Moore, of the Sixty-sixth, that
nis regiment was advancing too rapidly ahead of the right
and left, and to preserve the alignment. When I gave the
order to Colonel Moore he seized his colors, planted the staff
upon the ground, and lifted his sword in the air above his
head, the well known signal, and his command halted, dressed
on the colors until the regiments on the right and left came
upon the same line, then, with a start, all three sprang for-
ward and rushed upon the enemy’s ranks. The foe retreated,
and our men held the line, subjected to a severe artillery fire.
Lieutenant-Colonel John C. Lamb, of Williamston, N. (., of
the Seventeenth North Carolina, sprang on the breastworks,
cheering his men, and fell mortally wounded—a most gallant,
able and efficient officer cut off in the flower of his youth. He
fell with the shouts of victory from his beloved men resound-
ing in his ears. Observing the enemy moving to our right,
General Martin directed me to go to General Hill and ask for

 

THE Martin-KirKLAND BRIGADE. 531

troops upon our right flank. Going to the rear, on this er-
rand, I met General Hill coming up with Wise’s Brigade, de-
ivered my message, and received his order to direct that bri-
gade to the line at the point of junction with our own, which
I did. Our men converted the enemy’s works into our own
defensive line, Butler being then bottled up at Bermuda Hun-
dreds. We called this action of 20 May the battle of How-
lett’s House, as a Mrs. Howlett lived on the grounds.

ASSIGNED TO HOKE'S DIVISION.

In a few days a new division was organized under Major-
General Robert F. Hoke, of North Carolina, promoted for his
gallant capture of Plymouth and hard fighting under Beaure-
gard at Drewry’s Bluff, and for his great merit, the division
being Martin’s North Carolina, Clingman’s North Carolina,
Colquitt’s Georgia and Hagood’s South Carolina Brigades of
Infantry, with Reid’s Battalion of artillery. General Hoke
hesitated about commanding General Martin, an old soldier,
who, as Adjutant-General of North Carolina, had commis-
sioned Hoke as a Lieutenant, but Martin insisted that he
should include his brigade in the new division and it so re-
mained until the close of the war.

The personal bravery of General Martin in the charge at
Howlett’s was so conspicuous, and his bearing so cool and in-
spiring, that his men after the battle carried him around on
their shoulders, shouting: “Three cheers for Old Onc
Wing,” he having left one arm on the field of Cherubuseo, in
Mexico. Although this disturbed his dignity, it was very
gratifying to the General, for his strict and severe discipline
had not made the men very affectionate towards him, From
this time on he was the object of their admiration, and so was
Captain Starke, who acted with great coolness and courage on
the field, and also, as Commissary, always fed them as well as
he possibly could. ‘aptain Starke, in addition to his duties
as Commissary, acted also as Assistant Inspector, and in
every battle accompanied General Martin, and conveyed his
orders with coolness and gallantry.

From this point Hoke’s Division marched to Cold Harbor
to re-enforce Lee, arriving at Turkey Ridge and taking posi-