The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-12-08

regiment was kept moving Duck anu
forth--up and down the yalley-one
day pursuing the enemy and the next
day falling back, almost a daily round
of skirmishes, In the battle near Win
chester, on the 18th of September,
Grimes brigade acted most gallantly,
capturing the enemy's position, which
it was ordered to attack, and holding
it until late in the afternoon, when it
was ordered to fall back, because the
troops on the left had given way. Its
courage and steadiness were agin con-
spicuously displayed on the 22d of Sep
TENDER on Fishers hill, when the cav
airy on our left gave way in confusion,
and for some time the 45th and 32d
regiments and the second battalion
alone successfully fought the whole
force of the enemy, and did not retire
until nearly surrounded and fired at in
front, flank and rear. Only old soldiers
can appreciate what n trying position
was this
Again, in the disastrous battle OF
Cedar Creek, on the 18th of October,
the SOD regiment sustained it's we'll
merited reputation for that great
courage and steadiness" which General
Daniel had so highly complimented in
his report of the battle of Gettysburg.
In this battle the 32d regiment was de
ployed as sharpshooters and moved
forward most gallantly, and followed
the enemy through Middletown. a
brilliant victory seemed won, and the
enemy appeared to be utterly routed,
but in the afternoon, after our troops
had remained inactive for several
hours, the enemy returned with heavy
achievements and completely turned
the tide of victory. When the enemy
returned and attempted to charge the
position held by Grimes brigade, Gen
eral Grimes promptly ordered II coun-
ter-charge, which his men, with yell,
| quickly made and drove the enemy
back in great confusion. In short
time, however, our troops on the left
| had given way in much disorder, and
then Grimes brigade was ordered to
| fall back This was the last battle of
much importance fought by the 32d
regiment in this wonderful valley
campaign"
The week before Christmas, Grimes
old brigade, and the other brigades of
the division now called Grimes Divis-
| ion, moved from the Valley and went
into winter quarters at Swift creek,
about three miles frem Petersburg.
| There the wearied, battle-scarred sur
vivors of the terrible campaign of 1864
| enjoyed brief rest. On the 5th of
| February they marched in a sold sleet
| to Burgess Mill, on Hatcher's Run, but
| arrived too late to participate in the
| fight that took place near there on that
| day, in which General Pegram (who
| had married only few days before)
| was killed. After remaining there n
| day they returned to their winter quar-
| ters, but were not allowed TO remain
| long, for on the 18th they broke up
! camp and were moved to Switzerland s
| Station. about twelve miles from Pc
! tersburg, on the extreme right of Lees
| extended lines. There they remained
| four weeks, and then were stationed
! in the trenches in front of Petersburg,
| Grimes Division occupying the line of
| Notifications from near the famous
| Crater on the left to Battery No. As,
| on the right. No one who himself has
! not experienced a soldiers life in the
| trenches around Petersburg can I'M
| derstand or appreciate the hardships
| then endured by Lees half-starved
| soldiers The trenches were usually
| knee-deep in mud. the men always on
| the alert and ready for an attack. one
| third always on picket duty in the
! rifle-pitS, oncthirtt kept awake at the
| breastworks every night, and only one
| third off duty at time, and they sleep
| ing on their arms and with accoutre-
ments on, as best they could, amid the
| continuous firing along the picket line
All night long the pickets kept up an
! incessant firing, the sound resembling
| at distance the popping of tirecrack-
! ers, and the flash Of the rifles illumin-
| ing the darkness like fire-fies on a
| summers night, while now and then n
mortar shell would gracefully glide
| through the air and explode with q
| deafening roar. And yet those brave
men endured all this, day after day
| and night after night, without muir
muir, and on the 25th of March made
| one of the most desperate attacks of
the war. On that day General Lee
| made his last and final effort to break
through the coils of Grants encircling
| army. IL was desperate undertak-
ing, and came well-nigh being success
full. AT one point in front of Peters
burg, near Hare's Hill, the breast
works of the two armies were only
about one hundred yards apart, and
General Lee determined to make q sud
den sortie at this place and capture the
enemy'S line. Just before day-dawn
the sharpshooters of Grimes Division.
about three hundred men, with un-
loaded muskets and in profound ST.
lence, leaped over our breastworks.
dashed across the open space in front.
surprising and capturing the enemy's
pickets before they could give the
alarm, and had mounted their breast
works and were upon the enemy be-
fore they could realize their situation.
A brigadieB general and five hundred
men were sent back as prisoners, and
the remainder of the division followed
the sharpshooters and occupied the
enemy's works. Other troops, among
whom were Ransom's and Lewis North
Carolina brigades, had at the same
time captured other portions of the
enemys works, and brilliant victory
seemed within our grasp, but it was
only the meteor's flash that illumines
for moment and leaves the night
darker than before. The expected re-
Inducements, Pickett's Division, did
not come tn their aud ba