The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-16

| ideal OF a soldier. and as ! thought OF
him / could but reflect upon the honors
so unworthily worn by myself. and
wish they could have been the reward
of such heroism As this One of his
men had fallen wounded within a few
feet of where I lay. and after the heavy
fighting ceased. the c~onfederates hav-
ing re-established their position. / was,
though in pain. so much interested
that / asked him who his a. was.
Well do / remember his reply. as Il
came in a loud, emphatic as II
proud to speak ii. Captain Billy Mac
Laurin, OF the Eighteenth North Caro-
lima regiment. one of the bravest men in
Lees armyi" / was fully prepared 10
believe what he aid
1t is a strange thing to me that those
who write history are so full and pro-
fuse in their records OF achievements OF
generals. to the exclusion Of such
p~raiseworthy deeds on the part OF sub
alterns and privates who bore the
brunt of battle"
The testimony OR A FOE ON THE
GROUND is worth considering, in Civ
ing proper credit to the troops entitled
to il. There were not more han a cou-
pie Of dozen Of us. in this ~sortie, but il
gave time for Lane 10 get in shape and
hold the position till others could come
TO his assistance. When Gordon came
with Early'S division. there were Viz
ginians in it. but they were entitled 10
no more credit thar the Georgians, and
others. that were necessary to help.
and did help, manfully. to hold the
lines.
After the attack in the afternoon
Lane was put on a line that MEOW
an was taken from near a brick kiln
We were shifted to different parts OF
the line till the 21st when We had a
skirmish near q church two or three
miles to the right of the court house.
That right we marched to the right,
and on the morning Of the 23rd bivou-
acked in an oak wood on a little stream
that flowed into the South Anna river.
Our canteenmen were not long in find
ing water and-something besides; one
of them came running back, and asked
for my army colt" I pointed to my
belt, hanging on a nearby oak. Others
were noticed hurriedly leaving camp.
Pop! pop! pop! bang! bang! bang.
was soon heard down the slope. Not
long after an elderly gentleman rode
hurriedly into camp and was directed
to headquarters. General Lane sent at
once to have each regiment searched
and if any mutton was found to send
mutton and man to him under guard.
| Strict search was made. but ii could no
where be found and the ad1utants were
SO reporting; when the adjutant of the
Thirty-seventh was about to make a
similar report for mis- regiment, Jim
L stepped UP the slope right near
headquarters with a leg of mutton in
his hand, open handed guilt, n he
| was ScoOped in.
Jim was the first TO return with a
| trophy of the fusilade down the branch,
and vas the only man caught. The rest
who went that way We're innocent
lambs and saw nothing. Jim was put
| to walking a circle with a billet OF
wood, and the leg of mutton on his
shoulde This soon became a burden
| and the citizen asked that he be re-
leased n allowed to have the mutton.
| General Lane didn't relent at once, and
the kind-hearted citizen at last insisted
that Jim be not only p~ardoned, but that
the men be allowed to go down into
| his clover field and get the flock.
The incident of the morning, gave
| opportunity for one Of the ludicrous
humors of war that afternoon.
The enemy drove back the guards
from Jericho ford and Lane was sent
two or three miles back to assist in
stopping them. and found a corps had
| crossed and had a hard fight. losing 100
men killed and wounded.
In the midst Of a sharp attack the
Thirty-seventh broke. and started for
| lAC cal lOoN tlS tbS 1880
to be cut off and the Thirty-third TO
| be fanked. AS soon as they began leay-
ing the other regiments of the lga
| began bleating like sheep. At a short
distance the Thirty-seenth rallied and
returned and fought very well after
wards. 1t was ludicrous in the eZ-
| treme-fighting for all we We're worth
| and bleating like sheep. We We're re-
lieved about 10 o'clock and returned to
| the station. Next morning we threw
up earthWorks hat We're not needed;
| the enemy had withdrawn.
When my negro boy. Jack, came to
| me from the rear my naversack had an
unusual fullnesS about it. Whilst ]
was ascertaining the cause Gener
| Lane came along viewing the progress
| of the works. l asked him to share
some ~venison CD with me. He was toe
! polite to refuse so rare a dish, and SaiC
it was good.
Grant, like his predecessors deferred
to the objections that General Lee
rather forcibly expressed to their going
direct to Richmond. and with the lefI
flank movement sought to accomplish
that end. On the 31st we had an al
day artillery and SkirmiSh engagement
at Storr's farm. on the Totopotmy, AND
on the LIST day of June supported the ar
tillery on the Turkey Ridge road in thu
preliminary arrangements for the on
Slaught OF the End. The Elgnteenti
fortified on the ridge near the McGhe'
house, and was to the right Of the maiI
point of attack in the second Cold Har
Dor fight, say one-third Of a mile.
Grant massed his troops and hurle'
column after column upon Lee, ant
was repulsed with such terrible slaugh
ter that his officers and men were sait
to nave refused to charge that position
again.
Though not hotly engaged the Eigh
teenth lost some valuable men by Skin
mishers and sharpshoOters. Genera
Lane was wounded. and Colonel Barry
Of the Eighteenth commanded the bri
gade. On h 18th the Eighteenth ha'
q skirmish near Riddles shop. Nigh
put a stop to it. On the goth We cross
. ed James river, and on the END abou
three miles beyond Petersburg had
sharp fight with the enemy that wa
trying to reach the Weldon railroad
| On the 23rd Barry was sent to relieV
!. Mahone's brigade, n it was not on
, Of range when the enemy advanced
Though the artillery and musketry nj
ing was very heavy for a while 1t oil
? not return to give us the help We 6
/ sorely needed.
On tho 2nd 6ay of .Iulv the brigad