The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-07-28

the mighty struggle then impending
: The battle of Drewry's Bluff on the It'll
resulted in forcing Butler back upon hi
fortified base at Bermuda Hundreds
On the Goth the Confederates were or
dered to assault this line of entrench
ments. Martins brigade was upon tn,
extreme Confederate right, (the It'll
N. c., was Martins right regiment so i
devolved upon this brigade to lead the
, assault. Then its thorough drilling an(
discipline proved of greatest value. EN-
crying from the woods into the open fieC
with unbroken front and without halt
at double quick step, its onset was not
stopped until the enemy's works were
won and the Confederate banner waved
in triumph over Buffers stronghold.
The charge was taken up along the line
with equal gallantry and success and
Buffers forces were driven to shelter IN
der the protection of their gun-boats in
the James and Appomattox. Thus the
"bottling up of Butler" so graphically
detailed by Gen. Grant, was complete
The regiment suffered very heavily in
this assault, losing about 175 officers and
men killed and wounded. The brave and
youthful 1t. Col. Lamb fell mortally
wounded upon the enemy's works and
died few days thereafter.
Our fghing commissary, Capt. L. D.
Starke, now of Norfolk, Va, is entitled
to special notice, having sent his wagons
to the rear and joined the boys in the
front, and participated in the battle with
distinguished bravery. a more gallant
soldier never lived.
By the death of Col. Lamb, Maj. Sharp
became 1t. Col, and Capt. Lucius j.
johnson, Company L, became Major.
A division was created for Gen. r. f.
Hoke composed of the brigades of Mar
tin, Colquitt, Hagood and Olingman and
was ordered to report to Gen. r. E. Lee.
| The battles of the Wilderness and
Spottsylvania had been fought, and
Grant in his turning movement had or
dered Sheridan's cavalry supported by
Warren's Corps to seize the heights at
New Cold Harbor.
Anderson Lcame up on the first of
June, with Kershaw's and Hoke's Divis-
ions, and attacking Sheridan drove him
back toward Old Cold Harbor, and Sc
cured the heights around New Cold
H4rbor and Gaines Mill, which he at
once proceeded to fortify." The impor-
lance and value of this success can only
be realized when it is understood that
had Grants order been carried out the
Federals would have occupied the ridge,
aud the Confederates, instead of de-
Tending, would have been compelled to
assail them, inasmuch as it was the key
to the Confederate Capital The great
and decisive battle of Cold Harbor, on
the third of June, followed these pre-
liminary engagements, and resulted in
the bloodiest repulse of the Federals
known in the history of the war. The
18th was upon the right of the line, and
supported Grandy's (Va.l battery. In
its front the enemy's dead was so thickly
strewn that one could have walked on
their bodies its whole extent. In this
battle Lieut.. M. a. Gotten and Private
Benjamin Andrews greatly distinguished
themselves, bringing into our works the
flag of New York regiment, of Tyler's
brigade. The enemy assaulted our lines
several times, and during the interval
between the assaults, this flag was
brought in and temporarily planted upon
our works. This incident unquestiona-
bly, mislead the brave Hancock, who in
his official report of the battle claimed
that his troops had carried our line,
"haying seen through his field glasses
the stars and stripes floating from the
enemy's works"
After the battle of Cold Harbor Gen
eral Grant transferred his army to the
south bank of the Appomattox and at
tempted coup d'etdt at Petersburg.
General Lee on the 14tb moved Hoke's
division near Drury's Bluff in order that
il might be in position to a3t as q re-
serve for his army or go to the support
of General Beauregard at Petersburg.
The Federals under General Smith had
advanced to within few miles Of Peters
burg and had swept away all of our
forces in their front and the city was in
imminent danger of capture. The brig
AIDES of HagoOd and Colquitt had been
sent forward by rail and Martin with
Clingman was pressing forward by forced
marches and arrived after midnight of
the 10Th and commenced to entrench.
The Confederates now numbered about
10000 men behind their hastily en-
trenched line. The Federal General
Smith had been reinforced by Burnside's
corps which came up at noon and raised
the Federal forces to Sc, 600
The morning OF the 18th was spent in
skirmishing and artillery fire. In the
afternoon General Hancock, now in com
mand of the Federab, assaiied with all
his forces and just at sunset broke
through General Wise's lines, whose
troops went streaming to therear. These
brave men had fought increasingly for
two days and were much exhausted and
only yielded when completely over
wheImed. AS many of the men Of our
division as could be spared were hastily
| gathered from various points on the line
and with the remnant of Wise's brigade
being organized in compact body We're
| hurled upon the victorious Federals-the
right wing of the nth joining in the at
tack The Federals were driven out and
our line re-establi8hed. Warren's corps
had now come up, which increased the
Federal army to four corps-numbering
| 80, 000-and no reinforcements had
reached General Beauregard from Gen
eral Lee.
The battle re opened on the 18th at
noon. Three times were the Federals
repulsed but as often resumed the often
siVe. At dusk on the extreme right our
lines were again broken and partially
restored by the timely arrival of Gracie's
brigade, the conflict raging until II
o'clock. During these engagements
Beauregard's engineers had been at
work selecting a line nearer the city