The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-06-22

Lee, ana N northern and English
Writers Pay Tribute to It---A
Glowing Sketch Of the Deeds of
Glorious Men,
iCharlOtte Observer.
Lanes Brigade" was organized at
kinston and left the State for Vir-
glnla as a North Carolina brigade
under General l.. O'B. Branch, and
was never reorganized. After reach
ing the Old Dominion it was ordered
over the mountains Ostensibly to re-
lntorce Jackson, but it did not cross
the Blue Ridge. 1t was marched back
wards and forwards between the foot
of the mountains and a little town
called Criglersville to deceive the
enemy whose signal station was in full
view, and whose flag was kept con-
tlnually waving during the day. 1t
was then suddenly ordered back to
Gordonsvllle, from which point it was
moved rapidly by rail to Hanover
Court House. Shortly afterwards it
made a gallant fight at Slash church
and klnney's farm against an over
whelmng force of infantry, artillery
and cavalry under Fitz John Porter,
and was handsomely complimented
by General Lee in a written commu-
nlcatlon which was read on parade.
1t was theIl assigned to A. p. HIPS
Light Division.
1t was the first brigade of Lees
army to cross the Chickahominy,
which it did at "Half Link" and
sweeping down its eastern bank, it
cleared the way for the division to
cross at Meadow Bridge. The official
reports tel! how nobly it fought and
how terribly it suffered in those memo
rable seven days fights around Rich
mOnd.
At Cedar Run it was the first brig
ade of Hills Division to 60 intoaction
and it there gallantly repulsed the
enemy's infantry and cavalry, and
restored Jackson's disordered left.
At Manassas Junction, in rear of
Popc's army, it chased with rebel yells
Taylor's New Jersey brigade, after it
had been broken by the artillery fire,
made many amusing captures in the
swamps of Bull Run.
On the extreme left at Manassas
Plains it and McGowan's splendid
South Carolinians fought repeatedly
over the same ground, while Jackson
anxiously awaited the arrival of Long
street.
1t was one OF the brigades that met
the enemy at Ok Hill, and fought
them successfully in pouring rain.
+ 1t was this brigade that scaled at
midnight the cliffs on the Shenandoah,
and lay concealed in the woods on the
left and rear of the enemy on Bolivar
Heights, ready and eager to charge,
but Harper's Ferry having soon sur
rendered under our concentrated
murderous artillery fire, it had no op-
portunity to do SO.
1t was also in that noted rapid
march of the Light Division from Har-
per's Ferry to Sharpsburg, where it ar
rived just in time to help hurl back
the fresh troops of the enemy and save
the right of Lees grand but hard
pressed army. Here it was that the
peerless Branch gave up his life in de-
tense of the cause he loved SO we'll,
and Lane was called upon to take
command of his heroes upon the bat
tie field.
1t was one OF the three brigades that
tormed the rear guard of the Army of
Northern Virginia, when Lee retired
from Sharpshurg and re-crossed the
Potomac. There bravely facing the
enemy it held its ground until every
wagon and ambulance had safely
crossed-its own litter-corps hauling
an ambulance of brave wounded Geor-
gians across that turbulent river, as
! the driver and others had mounted
the mules and cowardly deserted them.
1t was this brigade that chased the
finely dressed Pennsylvania Corn EX-
change Regiment over the banks OF
the river near Shepherdstown and,
under a heavy artillery fire from the
opposite side OF the river, made the
! Potomac red with Yankee blood at
| the old dam Just above the ford.
1t was also this brigade that fought
so stubbornly on the right at Fred
ericksburg, driving back two lines OF
battle after large force of the enemy
had penetrated the unfortunate open
ing left between Archer and itself
turned its right and caught its support
with their arms stacked.
1t was this North Carolina brigade
that was ordered to the front to make
a night attack in that matchless flanl
movement Of Jackson at Chancellors
vile, but the attack was abandoned or
account of the woundlng of Jackson
and Hill, This brigade and Pender'
braves constituted the front line tina
terrible night until after IL o'clock
and 1t was Lanes men that repulSeC
Sickles's formidable midnight attacl
on their right.
This brigade was charged by som
of the heroes OF the rear with bein
unduly excited on that occasion, be
cause the Eighteenth under misap
, prehensIon caused by the darkness
, had fired upon lis friends; but yet
stood its ground under three terrifti
and prolonged artillery fires whic
doubtless made those self-constitute
critics of the rear quake and if ga
= lantrv repulsed that formidable attaC
of Sickles, taking from him the color
of the Third Maine Regiment and
5 number of prisoners -ofacers and mer
It was this censured brigade that cal