The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-05-19
LANES BRIGADE.

Gen. Lanes brigade is composed of the 18th,
18th, 28th, 33d and 18th N. c. Regiments
correspondent of the Raleigh Journal speaks as
follows of the part this Brigade took in the des-
perate battle on Sunday, May the Sd:
Soon the command forward" is passed to US
from the right, and We are in motion. We press
forward eagerly and soon drive in their plckets,
and Just as we are rising hill the enemy launch
forth at US such an avalanche of shot and she'll as
we have never encountered before. Still, how
ever we press forward and charge the Yankee en-
trcnchments. Many are falling on the right hand
and on the left, still we falter not The brave
and intrepid Col Purdie, while in the act OF dis
charging rife at the foe, and when 10 about forty
yards of the entertainments, falls killed. with his
face towards the enemy, by rifle ball in the head
Already have we reached and driven the Yankees
from portion Of their works; but the shot and
shell are playing havoc in our ranks, and the men
are falling on every side Within a space OF
about forty yards the bodies of seventy-six men
were found dead. Lieut.. Col. Hill of the It'll
Regt-a brave and chivalrous soldier and gentle
man-has just fallen. Upon the hills just opposite
are forty pieces of artillery playing along our
lines. Schrapnel and grape and solid shot are
moving down men-still they fight on
Twelve out Of the fifteen Field Officers Of the
Brigade have been killed or wounded Sixteen
33d Regt., have been killed or wounded, together
with all of its Field Officers The SD, 7th and
9th suffered terribly.
At last we are ordered to let the second line
come up, which it did in splendid style. So great
was the casualties among the officers of the differ
cnt regiments that the 33d Regt. was brought out
of the charge by lst Lieutenant and it, With
the 7th regiment, is now commanded respectively
by Captains j. IT. Saunders and James Harris
But the second line in turn is forced back and
the next comes up. At last a heavy force is
thrown forward and the Yankees give back in
great confusion. We capture several of their guns
and their strongest position and turn their flank
BY eleven O'Clock, A. NJ, May Sd, 1868, the
battle of Charlottesville is ended.
And here let US draw curtain-a mourning
curtain-o'er the field. Beneath that curtain rest
the bodies of many gallant dead--Col Purdie and
Lieut.. Col Hill, Captains Kerr and Young, and
Lieutenants Emack, Bolick and Campbell Of the
7th-Captain John Calais, Lieuts. j. d. Bou-
chelle VIM K. Babb, and G. W. Weaver, of the
SD, and others of the brigade-all noble spirits
upon that battlefield offered up their lives as
sacrifices upon the altar of Liberty. But their
names shall ever live treasured up in the memory
Of those whose battles they have fought, and for
whose defence they no longer live. As
have said before, our brigade fought long and
we'll But while l say this, let me also say that
all North Carolinians fought nobly, ard none more
so than Pender's and Ramseurs brigades. But,
perhaps, there will be those more Immediately
connected with their operation who will give you
the details. In the meantime | wish to have it
recorded that in the battle of Charlottesville,
Lanes brigade of North Carolinians showed it
was worthy of the proud reputation it had before
fought SO often and well to gain, and that its
noble commander has secured himself position
in the affections and confidence of his men which
cannot be readily shaken. / wish to have it re-
corded that the noble field officers of each and
every regiment in that brigade fought calamity
and gained for themselves honors greatly to be
coveted. l wish to have it recorded that the
company officers of each and every regiment acted
well their part and did much towards securing
the victory Of the Sd of May. But above all, let
it be recorded that the privates composing the 7th
18th, 2Sth, 33d aud 37th N. G. regiments, upon
the bloody field of Charlottesville, won unfading
laures and braved a storm of shot and shell before
which even Napolcon's army in its palmiest days
would have faltercd.