152 NortH Carorina Troops, 1861-65.

“But when the right of Pickett’s Division was compelled
iby the overpowering attack upon its right flank to give way,
there was nothing left for us to do but surrender ourselves
prisoners or withdraw in confusion before the converging
lines of the enemy, those in our immediate front not having
rallied.”

The retired wall in front of Pettigrew’s North Carolina
Brigade was higher and stronger than at the projection and
along it skirted a lane enclosed by a strong fence.

Hays’ Division clung to the wall with great pertinacity and
the second line, protected by the high crest of the ridge, com-
manded it completely, while Howard’s fresh artillery on the
slope of Cemetery Hill swept the front with an enfilading
fire. But while it was impracticable for any troops to carry
it by assault, the Confederate line much weakened by the
losses suffered in the march, silenced the batteries in their
front and suppressed the infantry fire from the wall, and
maintained the unequal contest there to the last.

Some of Pettigrew’s North Carolinians advanced to the
wall itself, doing all that splendid valor and heroic endur-
ance could do to dislodge the enemy—but their heroism was
in vain.

Major Jones, in command of Pettigrew’s Brigade, says:
“On we pushed and were now right on the enemy’s works,
when we received a murderous fire upon our left flank. I
looked to see where it came from and lo! we were completely
flanked upon our left not only by infantry, but artillery.
One of our brigades had given way. The enemy had seized
upon the gap and now poured a galling fire into our troops,
forcing them to give way in succession to the right. The
color-bearer of the Twenty-sixth North Carolina Regiment
was shot down while attempting to plant the flag on the wall.”
Gaston Broughton, commanding Company D, Twenty-sixth
North Carolina Regiment, says: ‘We crossed the road and
went to the enemy’s works, where we continued firing until
most of the regiment were captured, the enemy closing in on
us from our rear.” Lieutenant W. N. Snelling, Company B,
of the same regiment, says: ‘‘We went to an old road some
ten steps from the rock fence behind which was the enemy.”

Tue PrerrigREw—PIcKETT CHARGE. 153

Major Haynes, of the Eleventh North Carolina: “I was
about fifty yards (I think nearer) of the wall when I was
shot down. When shot we were in line going towards the
cemetery wall. We were all cut down—no one but wounded
left in my company, save two.”

Captain J. J. Davis (since Judge): “My company was
next to the extreme left of the regiment, Forty-seventh North
Carolina Regiment, and when not far from the enemy’s
works, say not more than 100 yards, a sergeant of an adjoin-
ing regiment called my attention to the fact that the troops to
the left had given away. I looked and saw that at some dis-
tance to the left, the troops had given way, but our supports
were then advancing in admirable style. (Lane’s Brigade.)
Colonel Graves, who was to the right of me, had kept the reg-
iment well in hand and was urging the men on.” “And we ad-
vanced,” says Captain Davis, “to the plank fence that ran
alongside the lane just under the stone wall.” Here he and
part of his regiment were afterwards captured.

Lieutenant-Colonel B. F. Little, of the Fifty-second
North Carolina Regiment: ‘I was shot down when in about
fifty yards of the enemy’s works, and the ground between
where I lay and the works was thickly strewn with killed and
wounded, some of them having fallen immediately at the
works. I do not think a single one of my men ever got back
to the rear except those who were slightly wounded before
they got to the-place where I was wounded. And such was
the case with the companies on either side of mine. When
I was taken prisoner and borne to the rear, I passed over
their works and found some of my men killed and wounded
immediately at their works.” :

It is of Pettigrew’s Brigade that Colonel Swallow writes
as follows: ‘“Pettigrew’s Brigade now united with Archer's
Regiment which had not entered the fortifications and at-
tacked the enemy with the most desperate determination.
While the writer (Colonel Swallow) lay wounded with Gen-
eral Smyth, of Hays’ Division, at Gettysburg, that officer
told him that Pettigrew’s Brigade all along his front were
within thirty or forty feet of his line and fought with a de
termination he had never seen equalled.” This encomium,