Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-05-27
SOUTHERN taTEttlGsEGE.
81 TIE BATTLE OF E7LLiAhSeLnG
REPORT OF COL D X. NRAE, rIErR NORTH -
! uLIHA TRoOYs.

Il TIE saTTLE OF H7LLiAAS6ChG
! ,iHEPoRT OF COL D r.. M'RAE, FIErH NORTH Can
II oLtNA TROOPS
1is htApaGARTsRs EaRLY's RRl6ApE,
f. Msy 10Th 1852.
4 GEhEsAL,-l | have the hnnuT 10 report, ii =
!!,dor your ofl:r, the cssusltirs iii tho Fiji
;sssNorth Carolina Regiment, crnmaohet b mt
i Iasn the oth, IN! tie hntElb resI " a!usbu!Y
i 5iA5out,S o'clcck, ?. M.,, my fegimsnt wa,
4 formed in liDu Of battle Composed Of he oh
j North Oaruiiun on tl.a right, 23d Nolia Care
I lima, Ool. H,k., ..,At; SSH Virginia, Len;
i Dol. Whitlle, uext sad z4:h Virginia, Col.
Gen Esrly to ascertain Tho Position stti charge
a battery If the enemy, supposed Il os 6ts
toned in the Tnidi IN our trent. A!irr for
/ nation of the line NC mern n.Tca forward by
tho direction Of t!ajar. General D. Il. liill,
with instructions 10 uppsOaci. the eEou'? close,
! with treiled arrud, w,lhout firing anti close
upon them Tho line pa:aad ,in~n intn $
aarshy, raviIe, and my regiment iortnui IT.
self in Il dense un1ersrnwth composed chisny
Eof pine which made the advance in line diff :
Cult Oa the verge Of the & I'D syond, | halt
4sis and reforr,ed tho line and examined far
:he rneni; tt;ss c'ot se1ing sn lDdici
1lion oi, his preaenca, ! advanced the line
| ABOUT 100 yards INTO Hello, and rs l
did go battery situated al Gst.Ec5 ci
1G0 10 900 yards on .he LEFT opcnet upon ls
With shell. Immediately changed the dIfeHilon
Of the line ~ Is tn face towards lhis point, and
foCnd thai this h,lterY wac posted in ask:7i OF
T0nda near rrd1Ibt, around and on winch
rtarc a. ,ared to Ae at least brigade oi the
emmy. As snnn as made tbs movement
{ and that Inc line Sas broken, and could
..c s. hare see Col. Hokr with the 2s ~ Lieut.
Col. Whi.tIe piih The sssh Virginia The Mp
proach 20 the bate;y was through an open
ied CT soft earth, without aHy cover lGr tdY
troops. ard feeling great anxIoty, dcspa.ched
my Adjulsnt, L Leu'. McR.e, end Major P. J.
Sinclair TO Gen. Hui, with request to be id
formed what battery / Vas to chsign. ilejGr
Sinclair returned :sitn al answer that was to
charge the battery which opened On us, and do
it quickly. Immediately put the line in mo-
ton, and the mon sprang ott at rapid pace.
About this time, regiment which found al
forwards to be the 24th virginia Colonel Terry.
engaged the enemy at some three hu"csred
yards lG my LEFT in front, aud drove him ou, of
Some houses towards bis redOubI FudiDg The
2SI aud 3S;h still absent, saw the necessity Of
connecting my line With this regitnbht to sup
port it, aud at the sauo time to get the cover Of
lie houses -eterred 10. Iordered M line To I'd.
vance obiquey to the loft and when found
my men advancing too rapidly, and nor SuiN
clenty obliqncly, Ordered a bslt, passed to
Tho front OF The lins md urged my men to
move less rapidly and press more senslbly to
tho left, autl, TO calnpcsa thein ordered Them
10 lie down. The eHsuy hac now ComIEehced
to fire upxr Us S'tb his r'd@s. SuieL hssin 10
be fatal. .nd &c his InouGrt observed Capt
E tr.y, Gan. Esrly's aid, some distare, Oh MY
lett, waving Inc on. then pushed OF. My
color bearer vas 1rst struck down, then the
F.! Dag vas seized by his comrade, WHO fell im-
| mcnia,riv. third tcGk it ard shared tbs
sans .e, when Captain Berry Robinson, Of
! Cclnuan7 Il, carried it unl tbs staff vas
sh;gered 10 pieces IN h,s band Under !!.iu
tire oil srop- IRON The battery, and v"iiIes
from The Infantry, The regiment continued to
aivanc, unti! found slight shelter uf q ioF
ience Within hundred yarda Ct lie ledoubL
! Tic hfe was terrific, and my men and officers
wer, failing Oh .-ery side, and th. 24.i, rlr-
ginia, Immediately on my loft, was suffering in
like proportion had delivered my first hre
at about 900 yards, and my mcn were huw
/ firing with effect upon g body of the enemy
who wore retrestlng. INTO the redoubt Al
this time, Col. Terry fell upon my left, Col
Ha;rston, also, and tbs horse OF ii j. Sinclair
had been killed under him. Lieut.. Col. BadhaGl
;el! upon my right. and found myself, with
Maior Maur:;., Of thu oath Virginia, Tie only
ield officers remaining On horse. hui pre-,
viously sen, my Atjnsan; to Gea. Hill, an
nouncIng my losa and the dangar o.! lnY pohi-
tor, earnestly begging renloreelienls, bu!
+ finding my forces LOO small, and TIC position
fatally destructive, did not wait his return,
but ordered my command to fall OH down the
cover OF the fence, sni immediately aftor-
gsrls | received an order 10 retreat. TIE
charge upon the battery vas not attended with
succ :ss. havs n doubt 1t wOuli ha7a been
| had the esd North Carolina and the 35h Fir.
gina participated in the result. uj~ herui-
| cally NV officers and meE endesTored 10 exc
cute inc cliai6 6e :niru;ted 10 tieiG, The list Of
casuallies vii exhibit, ard II is matter Of
pride to the survivors, Gs il was Of encourage
rnent TO sli engaged. to know taat their whole
conduct vas under tic direction and imme-
5isse rrIsnnnl observation Of their IL: )r anl
B.icadier General, the latter Of whom tel
| while b7ayoiy leading the alta \. .iil OF M
officers ard men heha7e1 with courage and
M discrimination can bo made among ir5m.
! NV regiment is nov 20 reduced as to be insl.
fcieat beg that it may be speadly supplied
and AL; yGu, General, ii, calling to The tt!en
,,f the D, partmsI,l this regiment, &c suggest
that my i st L;ca!onaa!s: who survived. msy
kc assigned 10 lhe chnnlsnd OF tie companies
who have lost their Captains iy death: wounds
and Imprisonment, exrsPs in the case OF Capt
| q. 6. JONES' who Tas wounded blt escaped,
md | hope vii, soun reiunu lis command.
Ny Adjutnas who was with me throughout
ths fight, rendered me most valuable assist
ance, aud his good coDduc!, aiu sure, did nc:
ia,i 70 attract your attention.
| beg to b.iag to your motto. nno!ner H.
stance of patriotic sc,ion, which merits 70
ward Mr NchoisGr q. Washington, 3 yonng
gentleman of s.. Louis hs! volunteered as q
private in MY ranks, and on this OCCASION ac'
cnnpsniei ,nu asny O::ier:y on the field,
He mainiainec his position by my side Though
ont, md delivered 10y ordsis along The l.ne
with coolness and precision,
I narn the homer to he.
Very respectfully,
/ =. abadrnl servant,
n. & McRL,
C3lonti ) Njrth C4rc:Iua
! kIPFlETESTAL RhP0ET.