The news & observer., 1895-09-15

took the train on the Georgia Central
Railroad and arrived at Rocky Ford.
about fifty miles from Savannah, about
night, where we joined Gen. Hardee'
corps, which was composed largely of
senior and junior reserves. Col. Wash
ington NJ Hardy, Of Buncombe county,
was assigned to the command of the
regiment, which was rear-guard, and,
through the negligence Of Wheeler's Cav
airy, which were deployed as scouts, we
we're entirely cut off, aud would have
been captured had not Mai Young's 10th
North Carolina Battalion come to our
assistance when we had skirEnjsh with
| the enemy, driving them back, with )me
loss on both sides. Gen. Sherman s army
Numbered about 80, 00J men of the great
Northwest Their ancestors, for the
large part, were of the en- grants from
North Carolina and Virginia.; hence it
was q fine command, which lay between
the Savannah and Ogeechee rivers, which
effecjually protected its f4nks from
any movements that we could make to
flank him. We sklrmished with his ad-
vanced picket every day, but would have
| TO fall back as soon as his main army
would push forward its tanks in order
to surround US. AT the junction of the
Charleston railroad about ten miles from
| Savannah, the skirmish become a gene
raj engagement, which lasted for some
time, with some loss on both sides. On
The 9Th, we fell back inside line of
works, about five miles above Savannah,
which extended from the Savannah to
the Ogeechee river, which We strength
ened by filling up culverts, flooding the
water in our front, also running tele-
graph wire, fastened to stumps and trees,
besides palisades and Chivaux de Frise
in front of the regiment to prevent an
a sault on our works. In this position
we kept up a fire from our artillery and
sharpshooters from the entrenchments
every day, and picketing at night. This
was continued until the goth about II
o'clock at night, at which time our sup
| plies having been exhausted, we evacuated
! the works and fell back to the city and
crossed the river on a pontoon bridge, and
made a halt at Hardeeville. S. @ Our
picket that night found the rear guard,
| who policed the city, burnt the
government warehouse said to con.
tain five hundred bales of cot
o'clock a. m, and cut the pontoon bridge
adrift and joined our command at Har-
deeville, where we remained until the
25th (Ohristma9 wnen the regiment was
ordered to Pocotaligo, S. G. We moved
off at early dawn, and marched all day
ia cold drenehing rain, and bivouacked
that night at Grahamville. The march
was resumed the next morning about 5
o'clock and We marched all day through
swamps and mud The enemy was shell
ing the Coosawatchie bridge, SO we cross
ed the Tullafuiney bridge, aud arrived at
Pqcotaligo about dark, and about mid
nig1t we took the cars for Charleston.
Where we arrived the next day. Where
we were held as reinforcemenCs in case
the enemy who had Withdrawn from the
first attack on Fort Fisher, should attack
that city, Among the various forts and
batteries at Charleston, was the ''White
Point battery at the junction of the
Ashley and Cooper rivers oa which were
mounted two large "BIakelyn guns which
carried six hundred pounds rife shot
These guns we're brought in at Whining
ton on blockade runner, and shipped
to Charleston By railroad After re
naming at Charleston for a few days,
we learned that the enemy had return
ed to Fortress Monroe On the 30th We
were ordered 20 Wilmington, n O.,
where we arrived about 10 o'clock D. IN
January 1st, 1865, and crossed the ferry
in srow storm and biYouacked at
"Camp Lamb The next day We were
transported by steamer down the Cape
Far river, the five companies OF the
36th Regiment to Fort Fisher and the
40th to Fort Holmes.
Permit me to say, right here, that
realtz z3d during that Sou hern campaign
what | always believed, that the great
popular heart was not then, and never
had been, in tie war II was reyoiu- |
ton Of the politicians, not the people; |
and was fought at first By the natural
enthusiasm Of our yopng men, and kept
going by the bitterness Of feeling pro-
duced by the cruelties and brutalities Of
the enemy.
During the Southern Campaign, the
companies Of the 40th regiment that re-
NAMED at their respective commands, |
performed their dus.isvs as usual.
1t the frat attack on Fort Fisher, and
during the bombardment, December
24th and 25th, 1864, Company Z and
K of this regiment re inforced that com
mand, after which the enemy'8 land
force e-embarked, and withdrew, leav-
ing Fort Fisher slightly injured
Lieut.. Col Gsorge Fait, resigned his
commission on January II, 1865, to take a
commissi IN of Col. Of the 60 Cavalry
regiment, North Carolina Troops Col
Fait was a good officer and By rank had
no snpariors in the service.
On January the 13 h, we were ordered
to reinforce Fort Fisher, (the second at
tack. Companys D gE G K Of the 40th
regiment embarked on the steamer Petta
way, and arrived at Confederate point
about dark, where We landed by wading
wal It deep in water to reach the beach,
and marched about a mile to the fort,
under fire from the fleet, and took our
position at the guns and palisades On the
land in front Of the fort, where firing
was kept up at short intervals, until day
light. When the whole h9et drew up in
line, and opened fire on the Fort which
would return fire This was kept up all
day; at night we formed picket line
on the beach, where we kept up a fire
with the enemy until about o'clock a.
NJ A most furious enflading fire of
shot and shell from the feet caused us
to fall back inside the fort. The bonn