94 NortH CAROLINA Troops, 1861-’65. _

making a night attack ; but soon after the order was given our
artillery opened and the enemy’s replied. I at yee or-
dered my men to lie down, as I was unwilling to attempt to
maneuver them in the dark, and in such a woods, under such
a deadly fire. Colonel William H. Palmer gallantly crossed

the road to know why I did not move my command.
quested him to tell General Hill that if he wished me to do
so successfully he must order his artillery to cease firing
The order was given and the firing ended on both sides.

I now formed my brigad
gade as I had been ordered, puttin,
the Seventh and Thirty-seventh on the right of the ey

and the Eighteenth and Twenty-eighth on the left, the

right of the Eighteenth resting on the road, while the Thir-
ty-third under Colonel Avery, was thrown forward as skir-
mishers. On account of the artillery fire the line was not
formed till about 9 o’clock. The woods in front of our right
consisted of large oaks with but little undergrowth ; in rear of
our right there was a pine thicket, and to the left of the road
there was a dense growth of scrubby oaks, through which it
was very difficult for troops to move. Our skirmish line oc-
cupied the crest of the hill, separated, on the right of the road
from the Chancellorsville hill by a deep valley. I cavtttdined
all of my field officers to watch closely the front, as we were
then occupying the front line and were expected to make a
night attack. After forming my line I rode from my right
to the road to ask General A. P. Hill if we must advance or
wait for further orders, and on reaching the plank road I met
General Jackson alone, I think, and he at once wished to
know for whom I was looking. It was too dark to recognize
any one, and when I was calling and asking for General A
P. Hill, General Jackson recognized me, as I have always
thought, from my voice, I having been a cadet under him “a
the Virginia Military Institute. I told him, and to save
further delay, I asked for orders. In an earnest tone and
with a pushing gesture of his right hand in the Seow:
tion of the enemy, he replied, “Push right ahead, Lane,” and
then rode forward. On reaching the right of a command
to put 1t in motion I found that a Lieutenant-Colonel Smith
of the One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Regi-

I re-

Rare rtp ertern ese tema ene nt Re RN IE

FLANK Marca At CHANCELLORSVILLE. 95

ment, had come np between our line of battle and the skir-
mish line, with a white handkerchief tied to a stick, to learn,
as he stated, whether we were friends or foes. This officer
seemed surprised at my not allowing him to return after he
had gratified his curiosity. I was still further delayed by
officers of the Seventh Regiment reporting that during my ab-
sence troops of some kind had been talking on our right.
Lieutenant Emack, with four men, was at once sent out to re-
connoitre, and he soon returned with the One Hundred and
Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Regiment, which had thrown
down their arms and surrendered on being told that they were
cut off. Just as Captain Young (our gallant boy-captain,
about 18 or 19 years old) was ordered with his company to
take this regiment to the rear, the right of the skirmish line
fired, as I afterwards learned from Colonel Avery, at a person
who rode up from the direction of the enemy and called for
“General Williams.” This unknown person escaped, but the
firing at him caused the whole skirmish line to open, and the
enemy responded. Much heavier infantry firing was heard
immediately afterwards in the direction of the plank road, fol-
lowed by a reopening of the enemy’s artillery. General Pen-
der now rode up and advised me not to advance, as General
Jackson had been wounded, and, he thought by my com-
mand. I did not advance, but went to the plank roail, where
T learned that General Hill had also been wounded. I there,
moreover, learned from Colonel John D. Barry, then Major
of the Eighteenth North Carolina Regiment, that he knew
nothing of Generals Jackson and Hill having gone to the
front; that he could not tell friend from foe in such woods;
that when the skirmish line fired there was heard the clatter-
ing of approaching horsemen and the ery of cavalry, and
that he not only ordered his men to fire, but that he pro-
nounced the subsequent ery of friends to be a lie, and that his
men continued to fire upon the approaching party. It was
generally understood that night, by my command and others,
that the Eighteenth Regiment not only wounded Generals
Jackson and Hill, but killed some of their couriers and per-
haps some of their staff officers, as some of them were miss-
ing. Colonel Barry, who was one of my bravest and most ac-

wi one mance enamel th hae saa aaa es