The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-11

when reached the pike. | explained the
situation briefly to him, directed him to
sweep through the woods, reach the road
and hold it at all hazards, as the safety
OF Lees large train depended upon it's
being held. He went off in high spirits.
and / never saw him again. I never
knew a truer, drawer, better man" Gar
lands force was five regiments OF infan-
try and Bondurants battery Of artillery.
his infantry force being a little less than
thousand men, all North Carolinians
The five regiments were: The 9Th. placed
ON the right; the 10Th, placed as a sup
port; the 23rd. posted behind low stone
wall on the left of the 9Th; then came
the Goth and Both From the nature or
the ground and the duty to be performed,
the regiments were not in contact with
each other, and the Both was $50 yards to
the left of the Goth. Fifty skirmishers
Of the 9th n. G. soon encountered the
BIRD Ohio. depoved as skirmishers I'M
der Lieutenant-COlOnel r. +. Hayes,
afterwards President Of the United
States, and the action began at
nine a. m. between Cox's division and
Garland's brigade. Gen. Hill then gives
| the forces. respectively, engaged, and
concludes that Cox's infantry artillery
and cavalry, reached 1900 while Gar
lands opposing brigade numbered
scarce thousand Lieut.. Col Ruff
fin, OF the Thirteenth North Carolina,
later judge on the Supreme Court bench
Of this State, was with Gen Garland
when the latter received his fatal wound.
'The effort Of the enemy seemed to be
to turn the Thirteenth, and Col. Ruff
fin in vain urged Gen. Garland to go to
the other part Of his line With him ''the
post of danger was the post of honor"
Judge Rufin, in letter to
General Hill. stated that he
had just told Gen. Garland to
get to safer position from which to
superintend his brigade when he received
the mortal wound. Says Gen. Hill:
| Upon the fall of Garland, Col. MacRae,
of the Fifth North Carolina Regiment.
assumed command, and ordered the two
regiments on the left to close in to the
right This order was not received, or
found impossible Of execution. The main
attack was on the Twenty-Third North
Carolina behind the stone-wall (Col.
Blacknall, it's commander, was then on
sick furlough). Gen. Hill continues:
1.-THE Federals had a plunging fire upon
this regiment (the Twenty Third N. CO.
!
the wall, and only about fifty yards from
it."
! The 18th Ohio made charge upon
! BOndurant's battery, and drew it off,
! failing. however, to capture it. The
30th Ohio advanced directly upon the
stone-wall in their front, while regi-
ment moved upon the Twenty-Third
North Carolina on each flank" "a hot po-
sition for the 23rd) The result was,
"some of the Both Ohio forced through a
break in the wall, and bayonets and
! dubbed muskets We're used freely for
a few minutes. Garlands brigade, de-
moralized by his death and by the flu
rious assault on its centre, broke now in
confusion and reiterated behind the
mountain, leaving some 200 prisoners OF
the 5th 23rd and Goth n. G. in the
hands of the enemy. The brigade was
too roughly handled to be of any further
USE that day"
! A half hour afterwards, according to
/ Gen. Hill, Gen. G. B. Anderson, of
| North Carolina, arrived with "a small
but fine body of men," and made an eff
| fort to rescue the ground lost by Gar
| lands brigade. "but failed and met a
serious repulse" The loss in Garland's
brigade is put by Gen. Hill at, killed and
wounded 100; missing 20O-and in con-
Guiding the account, he says:
IF the battle Of South Mountain was
fought to prevent the advance of Nc
Clellan, it was failure on the part Of
the Confederates if it was fought to save
Lees trains and artillery, and to re-unit.
his scattered forces it was a Confederate
success"
The latter view was the true one. Or.
the 18th Of September, the battle OF
Sharpsburg as known in Southern his
tory, was fought. Col d. X. MacRae,
of the 9Th n c., was in command of the
brigade. The division Of d. H. Hill
and Longstreet bravely held the centre
and right in this action. The 23rd regi-
ment here was able to muster but few
men, comparatively, many members Of
the regiment being bare-footed and alb
solutely unable to keep up with the
rapid march over the rough and rocky
roads. For several days the ration-sup-
ply for the boys had been roasting ears,
hard grained at that At one point in
this fight the brigade wavered, and it
occurred through a mistake, or an order
from some one not authorized to give it.
ing the enemy before it a voice was
heard: "Cease fring-you are shooting
your own men," at the same moment
several hands being seen along the line
waving as if to indicate sign for re-
treat. At this critical juncture the fire
of the enemy in front increased, and a
run back by the brigade was the con-
sequence. No explanation was ever
known for thp mistake "ruSe I" or what
ever it was. The loss of the regiment in
the two battles of South Mountain and
Sharpsburg was about 45 privates and
non-commissioned officers wounded, and
10 or 20 killed. and of commissioned of.
ficers from 3 to 6 wounded; none killed.
Assistant Surgeon Jordan was killed at
South Mountain.
General Lee awaited revival OF the
attack next day, but the enemy declined
to advance, and learning that reinforce
mpntS yvara naY,oSpoy foruyar fn Mn(Nlol.