154 NortH CaRoLina Troops, 1861-’65.

so richly merited, is, however, to be shared by Lane’s Bri-
gade equally with Pettigrew’s, for Smyth’s front was the ex-
treme left where Lane fought as well as Pettigrew’s Brigade.

While such was the position of affairs on the right and
center when the smoke of battle lifted somewhat, Brocken-
borough’s Virginians and Davis’ Mississippians not having
rallied from the deadly discharge that had hurled them back,
Lane’s North Carolinians were alone on the left and bore the
brunt of the conflict on that part of the field. In his report
Lane says:

“My command never moved forward more handsomely.
The men reserved their fire in accordance with orders until
within good range of the enemy and then opened with telling
effect, driving the cannoneers from their pieces, completely
silencing the guns in our immediate front and breaking the
line of infantry on the crest of the hill.

“We advanced to within a few yards of the stone wall, ex-
posed all the while to a heavy raking artillery fire from the
right. My left was here very much exposed, and a column of
infantry was thrown forward in that direction that enfiladed
my entire line.”

This was a column of regiments that was thrown forward
from Hay’s right; and despite an enfilading artillery fire,
Lane broke off a regiment from his left to face this threat-
ened danger.

Captain Lovell, Company A, Twenty-eighth North Caro-
lina, Lane’s Brigade, says: ‘Some of my men were wounded
and captured inside the works.”

Captain Norwood, Company E, Forty-seventh North Caro-
lina, says that regiment, along with the brigade, advanced to
within thirty yards of the enemy’s works, where they encoun-
tered a plank fence. Several officers, myself among them,
sprung over the fence, followed by the whole command so far
as [ know. The cannoneers then left their pieces.”

Lieutenant-Colonel Morriss, of the Thirty-seventh North
Carolina, says: ‘“Pettigrew’s and Archer’s men reached
the enemy’s works a little in advance of us and succeeded in
driving the enemy from their works in their front, but were
exposed to a flank fire both right and left. We drove the en-

Tue PerrigREw—PICKETT CHARGE. 155

emy from his position on the road and from behind the stone
fence. The enemy having disappeared from our front, we
became engaged with a flanking party on our left and were
surrounded and captured. Six officers on the right of my
regiment were wounded in the enemy’s works and captured.”

The brave Major Jos. H. Saunders, of the Thirty-third,
says: “I went, by a subsequent measurement, to within
sixty yards of the stone wall, where I was wounded. Just
before I was shot I saw a Federal color-bearer just in front
of the left wing of the regiment, get up and run waving his
flag and followed by his regiment, so that there was nothing
to keep our regiment from going right into the enemy’s works.
I was shot by the troops on our left flank. At the time I was
acting as left guide to the line of battle, directing the line of
march more to the right so as to strike the enemy’s works in a
straighter line.”

Rev. Dr. George W. Sanderlin, who was Captain of Com-
pany E, Thirty-third North Carolina, sdys: “Our bri-
gade being in the second line, advanced in fine style over the
field. When we were about two hundred yards from the en-
emy’s works, General Lane ordered a half wheel to the left
and we continued our advance, our organization being excel-
lently preserved, close up to the enemy’s work. We were
subjected to a rapid artillery fire from our front as well as a
deadly musketry fire, and also an enfilading artillery fire
from the left. My regiment, the Thirty-third North Caro-
lina, rested at the enemy’s works, the artillerymen being
driven away from their pieces and the infantry having been
driven from their breastworks. For some five minutes all
was comparatively quiet in our front except a desultory fiving
here and there. We could hear the Federal officers just over
the ridge trying to rally and reform their men. Attention
was called to a piece of artillery just at hand which had been
struck in the nuzzle by a shell from a gun of like calibre from
a Confederate battery, which remained fastened in the bore.
We noticed the situation on the extreme right of the line and
finally saw it driven off by the enemy. A column had been
thrown out on the enemy’s right that flanked us. We, being
in danger of being cut off, were ordered back, Pickett’s troops