The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-05-15

ment at Gettysburg was So. anu
,bonob we may not have a TennNsOn
| TO immortalize in verse the twenty
! sixth Regiment, its heroism shOuld pc
! the proud boast of every North caro-
linian. and be perpetuated TO 'he re-
mOtest generations. !.
Then he told of the organization OF
the regiment. the election of Lebulon
Baird Vance as colonel, Harry X. Bur
own. IT. as Lieutenant Colonel and
Miner T.. Carmichael as Major. That
was near Raleigh and then the regl-
| ment vent to the coast and later TO
VIRGINIA.. Major Carmichael had been
killed near Newbern and Captain
Martin had succeeded him in his
| command. They suffered heavy losses
in the Seven Days Fight Around
Richmond. Vance left the regiment
to become Governor of the State, and
became Colonel. The Te9l-
! ment then served in North Carolina.
returning to Virginia in May, 1868,
fighting there as the centre regiment
Of P~ettierew's Brigade, and at Get
tysburc. where it made its name ia
nous. until the surrender at Apo
mattON.
And now we come to hat sad and
Hateful dav. Wednesday, the first day
Of July. 1868. when this regiment won
its immortality of ow for IT must
be remembered that 1t was IN the
first days fight that it suffered its I'M
| p]recedented loss and not on the third
day as is generally supposed. At day
dawn the regiment was aroused ana
began preparations for the march, ut
tie thinking of the horrible carnage
through which they must pass before
night. After a short distance the
>z.1 .-.ti chair. ortIJInrN
sweeping the road. At once this re-
oinent and the other regiments of
pettigrew's brigade filed to the right
and there halted. At first there was
some little excitement among the
men but it quickly disappeared as
Col. BurgwNn rode along the line en-
c%ouraging them in his clear, firm
voice. STEADY boys. steady. General
pettiorew and his staff then approach
ed. presenting an imposing appear
ance. aud the entire brigade moved
forward. every man eager for the APP
preaching battle which all now felt
was imminent. \ halt was ordered
and for some time the brigade remain
ed inactive. waiting for the remand
er Of Hills Corps to be placed in po-
sition. Col. Burgwyn became quite
impatient to move on and engage the
tIttitlN tIit 'iN ''i'S
precious time. for all the while the
enemy were being reinforced. 1t was
a irving ordeal for the men to remain
thus quiet while exposed to the enc
mV'S fire. but not Il man fiinched and
some even indulged in Jokes and lestS.
The regiment was again moved for
ward about half Il mile and halted in
a skirt Of woods. In its front was 4
wheat field of ripened grain. ready for
the harvest. about n quarter OF Il mile
wide. then came a branch with thick
undcrbruSh and briarS skirting the
banks. Beyond this was again an
open field with the exception of Il
wooded hill directly in front of the
TwentE-siXth Regiment and about
covering its front. The enemy were
strongly posted in the God on the
ascent of this hill. protected in a
great measure by not only the woods
but by breastWorks and barbados Of
stones and rails and old pits from
which ore had been dug. At last.
shortly after , o'clock. orders to add
vance We're received and at the com
mand, "Attcntion!" every man sprang
to his feet and was ready for the
deadly charge. The entire brigade
moved forward as if on dress parade
in beautiful style and at quick time.
When nearing the branch, above re
ferred to, the enemy from the OppO-
site bank opened Il calling fire into
the left of the brigade-the Eleventh
and TWcnty-siNth Regiments. The
other two regiments OF the brigade,
the FortN-scVcnth and lsifty-second,
although exposed to Il heavy fire
from artillery and infantry. here lost
bur few in comparison with the nth
and both regiments. J~ndismayed by
this destructive fire our gallant Tar
Heels pushed across the branch and
up the opposite slope and drove the
enemy at the point OF the bayonet up
on their second line. This second
line of the enemy vas encountered
almost alone by the 2Gth regiment.
while the other regiments Of the bri-
oade were eXpoSd to a heavy Smelling,
and here if was that the fighting was
50 terrible and deStructlVc-tNIr men
advancing. the enemy ~StubDorniy re-
Sisting. until the two lines were our
ing vclleys into each other at distance
not greater than twenty PAGES. These
words are quoted from the official re-
port OF Major John Jones, and in 50
simple a manner describe as gallant Il
fight as was ever mad by mortal
men. Think for q mOnen what these
words mean! There. standing not
more than twenty PAGES apart, these
two hostile lines were pouring into
each other at that short distance vol
ley after voIlcy of leadcn hail. and
yet they WithStOOd each other amidst
this terrible carnage. each determined
to die rather than to give way. OF
such men our whole country should
feel proud!
AT last the enemy were compelled
to give way and sullenly retired. but
again made a stand in the woods near
the top of the hill and again for the
third time were driven from their DO
sitiOn and here lost a stand Of colors
which was captured by the Goth re
giment. And it was fortunate for
the Goth that he Enemy did then re-
tire. for their ammunition had been
exhausted and they had to refill their
cartridge boxes from the eEemy's dead.
Vt this time General Pender's division
came up and assisted in driving the
enemy from the heights on the edUc