204 NortH Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

Captain Henderson, who had succeeded to the command of

the Eighth, was, however, slain in this last charge.

Before night closed, we thus held again our original line
intact, but the thick woods and dusk of the closing evening,
allowed the enemy to rest within fifty yards of our left. I
then received an order from Major-General Hoke, through
one of his staff, to vacate so much of my line on the left, as
was within the woods, as it was said that Hunton’s Brigade
was moving up to oceupy the ground that ——————— had
lost. I told this staff officer that it was better for me to hold
my whole line until this brigade arrived, for that if any part
was vacated the enemy would occupy it. The officer insisted,
however, that I must withdraw at once, as the other brigade
was approaching, and confusion might be produced. I was
thus compelled to give up, reluctantly, about one hundred
or one hundred and fifty yards of my line on the left. Hun-
ton’s brigade did not, in fact, come up until the next morn-
ing, but as I had foreseen, the enemy immediately extended
their lines until within twenty or thirty yards of my left,
being protected by a little elevation of the ground between us.
One Virginia regiment came up and took position in rear of
uty left, at right angles to it, extending to the rear. While
1 was standing at the angle thus formed at my left a body of
troops was seen moving by the flank from the left, but just

in front of our old lines. Not knowing but that this was a,

part of Hunton’s command, I hailed them. Some of my
officers said, “These are our pickets coming in.” I replied,
“We have no pickets out.” As this body of troops was by
this time just opposite my left, about eight or ten feet in its
frent, but just as near as they could get by reason of the
slight work thrown up high enough to cover a man to the
hips, J said very loud: “Speak or you will be fired into.”
Getting no answer, I ordered my men to fire, and myself
barely escaped our own fire by falling to the ground as the
inuskets were discharged over me. After a few volleys, the
enemy had disappeared. It was evident that they expected
under cover of the darkness, by moving up silently to occupy
a still larger share of our original line. The two lines were
during the night separated by less than fifty yards, and by

Seconp Comp Harsor. 205

morning work enough had been done to perfect each. During
the following day there was only skirmishing, but on the next
(Friday, the 3d), the enemy made an attack on several parts
of the Confederate lines, though not heavily in my front,
only engaging the right of my line, with General Colquitt’s
Brigade. They lost again so heavily on this day that there
was no further attempt by them, except by slow approaches.
At daybreak on the morning of the 13th, it was seen that they
had abandoned our front and moved on towards Petersburg.

In the engagement of 1 June, Captains Blake and
Burgwyn, of my staff, both fell, severely wounded; and as
Captain White had on the previous evening been disabled, I
was without a single staff officer present. In this engage-
ment though my brigade, deprived suddenly of its support,
was at the same time assailed in front, on its left flank and
from its rear, at close quarters and by vastly superior num-
bers, it was neither panic-stricken or beaten. After a strug-
gle which continued for three hours, and after losing more
than one-third of its strength, it recovered all its ground and
repulsed its assailants.

The important position at Cold Harbor was thus preserved
to General Lee. Its conduct in similar circumstances in
front of Petersburg, a little later on the evening of 17 June,

1864, was detailed in my official report of that engagement.
T. L. Cirveman.

AsHEVILLE, N. C.,
3 June, 1874,