The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-12-08
BITS OF WAR HISTORY
SHORT SKETCH OF THIRTY
SECOND NORTH AROLiNA
REGIMENT.
W..;TTEN BY EDITOR H.A. LONDON


Long White Tail TO H--The Retreat
aud Fiual Surrender at Appomattox.
The companies composing the Thir-
ty-second Regiment of North Carolina
Troops were organized in the follow
ing counties:
Company A, in Tyrrell.
Company Il, in Camden.
Company C, in Northampton.
Company ID, in Northampton.
Company +, in Catawba.
Company f, in Catawba.
Company G, in BERTHE.
Company II, in Nash.
Company i, in Chatham.
Company X. in Franklin.
Although this regiment was not or
eanized until the year 1862, yet every
company in it had volunteered in 1861
and had been in active service for near
iy year. For instance, Companies
and X had been organized In the
spring of 1861, as soon as the first call
for volunteers had been made by Gov
ernor Ellis, and were attached to the
18th regiment, from which they were
transferred in July, 1862, to the 32d
regiment While attached to the 18th
regiment these two companies particl-
pated in Magruder's Peninsular cam
paign and in the battles around Rich
mond, in which they suffered heavy
losses. The other companies had at
first been attached to other commands,
but in the fall of 1861 six of these com
panies were organized into the First
Battalion of North Carolina Volun-
teers," with Capt William L. Williams,
of Nash, as Lieutenant-Colonel and
Capt. L. G.. Brabble, of Tyrrell, as Ma
ior. This battalion was stationed near
Portsmouth for several months, and in
February, 1862. was ordered to Muir
freesboro and other places in the east
ern part of North Carolina, where it
remained until May, when it returned
to Virginia. After its return to Vir-
GINA the battalion was stationed at
Suffolk, Petersburg and Drewrys
Bluff, at the latter place remaining
several weeks in the summer of 1862
While there the companies composing
this battalion. with the others above
named, were organized into the 32d
regiment, with f. G.. Brabble as Colo
mel; William L. Williams, Lieutenant
Colonel, and ID. G. Coward, of Company
A., as aior-Lieutenant. Colonel Will
liams, few months thereafter, re-
him, Henry G. Lewis, also of Company
A, became Major. And at one time the
singular coincidence occurred tproba-
bly, not in another regiment in either
the Confederate or Union army of
every field officer and every staff officer
of this regiment-from Colonel Brab-
BILE to Sergeant-Maj Hardison-all
being selected from the same company.
And again it was another singular CO.
incidence that all these officers were
members of the same Episcopal)
church, and to their credit be it re-
corded that with one exception not
one of them ever tasted spirituous
liquors!
Probably no regiment ia the Com
federate service was more fortunate in
its field and staff officers, and the infiu-
l%ace and example of such sober, moral
and religious officers had a most salu-
tary and beneficial effect upon the
whole regiment, both in camp and in
battle Colonel Brabble was a strict
disciplinarian, yet humane and very
considerate Of the comfort of his men,
SO that they all implicitly obeyed his
orders and had entire confidence in
him. and in the midst of battle were
under perfect control. After his I'M
uimely death The was killed at Spott-
-sylvania in May, 1864. he was sue
ceeded by Lieutenant-C Colonel Coward,
who was as modest and gentle as a
maiden. and yet as brave as the
bravest-the model of Christian SOL
der. For the last six months OF the
war Colonel Cowand commanded the
brigade to which the 32d regiment be-
longed, and the regiment was without
field officer. for Major Lewis had
been wounded and captured at Gettys-
burg and was not released until after
the close of the war. The first adiu-
tant of the regiment was DIR. r. III. Par
ker. who was made assistant surgeon
in 1863. and Sergt. Francis A. Boyle, of
Company A, was promoted 10 fill the
vacancy.
The brigade to which the SOD regi-
ment was attached was commanded by
Gen. Junius Daniel who undoubtedly
was one of the very best
of Lees Brigadiers. The other
regiments of this brigade were the
AID. the 45th, the SD and the I'd North
Carolina battalion, and this brigade
remained unchanged throughout the
war, and was as fine body OF troops
as ever marched to battle. 1t was for
tunate in its commanders. for after the
lameDted death of General Daniel (who
was killed at Spottsylvania) it was
commanded by Gen. Bryan Grimes, I'M
I'll he was promoted to the command
of Rodes' division, and then (as before
stated) by Colonel Coward until the
sad surrender at Appomattox.
The 32nd regiment with the other
regiments of Daniels brigade, was sta
toned near Petersburg and Drewry's
Bluff during the fall of 1862 and did
not take part in the Maryland cam
paign. During this period the bri-
gade was thoroughly drilled, and at
tanned as high a state of efficiency and
discipline as any brigade in the Con-
federate army, as was SO conspicuous
~ displayed in next years bloody cam
paign eliminating at Gettysburg. In
December the brigade went into win
ter quarters near Drewry's Bluff, but
in short time Ton the 3rd of January.
1899 was removed to the eastern part
of this State, where il remained until
the 18th of May. Although the regi-