The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-01
BITS OF WAR HISTORY
CONTINUED FROM SECOND PAGE.

CONTINUED FROM SECOND PAGE.
had the absolute confidence of every man
in the regiment He was cool and in
trepid. He never lost his head in the
midst of the fercest conflict, nor failed
to discover and seize the advantage of
position. He had a genius for organi-
zation. and appreciated every detail that
contributed to the effectiveness or char
acter of a military organization. He was
in North Carolina at the time Of Gen.
Lees surrender. He went to General
Beauregard and was assigned by him to
the command of a force. He was
detached from the main body of Gen.
Johnson'S army, and when the latter
surrendered, instead of surrenderiDg
with it, he and Capt. Ellington, of Com
pany Fl, who was with him at the time,
rode off to join the army of Gen. Kirby
Smith, across the Mississippi. But before
he reached that army it had surren-
dered, and he went to Galveston and
made that place his home. He became
the editor of the Galveston News, and
has since acquired both fame and wealth.
The regiment after this time was COM
manded at various times by Capt. 2. M.
Null, of Company F; Capt. R. W.
Thomas, of Company K Capt. W. A.
Whitfield, of Company G; Capt. B. F.
Briggs, of Company A; Capt. N. W.
Ellington, of Company FL, and Capt.
John T. Peden, of Company B., but Capt,
Whitfield was in command the greater
part of the time.
The regiment, after Cold Harbor, spent
about a month on the north side of the
James river near Malvern Hill, and
during that time had an engagement with
the enemy near White Oak swamp, in
which the Federals were repulsed, and
the regiment lost several men. We were
afterwards transferred to the lines south
east of Petersburg, and the point occu-
pied by the 55th regiment was to the
right of the point where the mine was
sprung on the 31st of July. The part
of the line occupied by our regiment was
so near to that of the enemy, that
qharp shooting was kept up constantly
between the lines with casualties of al
most daily occurrence The enemy had
number of mortar guns planted just in
rear of their lines, from which shells
were discharged almost constantly night
and day. AS some measure of protec-
ton, the men and officers of the regi
ment dug holes in the side of the hill,
upon which the line of our regiment was
formed. The headquarters of the regi-
ment was a square hole 6 by 8 feet
square, thus made in the side of the bill
with an opening to the rear, and it was
in this place that the writer, adjutant of
the regiment, received all orders from
superior officers, received and made all
reports and all regimental orders, and
there the commanding officer and HIM
~ slept at night.
On the morning of the 30th of July,
the Federal commander made feint by
advancing part of his forces on the
north side of James river, near Malvern
Hill, towards Richmond. This was done
In order to cover his real purpose OF
springing the mine near Petersburg, and
to weaken our opposition at that point
by inducing us to withdraw our troops
towards Richmond. The 55Jh Regiment,
with it's brigade, was part Of the forces
which were moved rapidly across the
country, crossing the James River near
Drewry's Bluff, to check the enemy's ad-
vance. We reached point in front OF
the enemy, not far from Malvern Hill,
on the night of the Both, and we're placed
in line to reinforce troops already there,
but the enemy, made no attempt to adj
vance further. At very early hour the
next morning, we were awakened by the
reverberation of a great sound which
seemed to have been produced a long
way off, and at the same time there was
trembling of the earth, such as that
caused by an earthquake. A few hours
afterwards, courier came with orders
directing us to return at once to the
lines near Petersburg. We commenced
to march Immediately and beneath g
scorching sun; we went at almost 6
double quick, and in crossing the large
shadeless fields in the low lands Of The
James River, a number of men were
overcome by the heat, but we reached
Petersburg on the night of the list, anC
found that the enemy had been driver
back from the advanced position which
they had gained, and for a while Occu
pied after the springing of the mine
Early next morning, there was /;
truce for several hours to bury th'
dead between the lines, and ou
line was formed then just as it was be
fore, except there was bend around tn,
excavation made by the explosion of tn,
mine. The position of our regiment wa
some yards to the south of the excava
ton. The 18th regiment of Cookies bri
gade was just in the rear OF 1t. Tn
springing of the mine was a complet
surprise to US, and both officers and mel
were for several weeks thereafter anx
iously expecting repetition of the act
and were nervous over it. At one tim
or another, every member of the req
ment was sure that he heard the soun'
of the sappers and the miners diggin
away down in the ground beneath him
There was scarcely a night that some on
of the regiment would not come out 0
his hole and crawl TO the regimenta
headquarters and whisper the announce
ment that he could plainly hear tn
sound Of the digging in the ground wa