The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-16
ASKETCH OF THE EIGHTEENTH
NORTH CAROLINA INFANTRY.


tons till nightfall. when I was sent
back to repSrt their condition and get
instructions. Shifting position so often
during the evening l had lost my bear
ings, and in the got into Han
cocks CORDS n had to tack variously
TO get out. About IL o'clock I got into
Wilcox's troops, on a straight run
down the plank road. Before / stop
ped my run, I recognized General Will
cox White horse, and going to him
found Wilcox Out of wind, and gasp
ing between words, / told him that I
was just out OF Hancock's corps, and
that there was not a man between him
and Hancock's skirmishers. He evil
IDENTIFY did not believe a word of it, and
was not over polite in letting me know
it. l found where my command was
and went to il, General Lane, Colonies
Barry, Avery and others believed my
statement, and went TO Wilcox to get
a picket line established in front. He
assured them that there was a divis-
ion in his front, and told them not to
disturb the men, let them rest till
morning. The regiments bivouacked
without regard to alingnment, as they
assembled from the different parts Of
the field. on which they had fought.
In the morning Colonel Avery had
gotten part OF the Thirty-thfrd in line.
when HancOck's corps and Sedwick's
division struck us, n fought them like
tigers. The temporary check made
where they were, gave little time for
the brigade that was forming to get
together, and Wilcox was caught, all
out Of joint all along his line. Though
We had little or no alignment, the
regiments, and squads fell back fight
ing as best they could. About a quar-
ter of a mile from where Hancock
flushed us, we were fired into by the di-
vision that Wilcox thought was in his
front the night before and it retreat
ed without waiting to let us pass by it.
There We're fifty or seventy-fve in
the squad that l fell back with, apart
from the Plank road (the most of the
brigade were near it,. About a half
a mile back we were covered by the
right of the Texas brigade, as it ad-
vanced, the first of Longstreet's
troops that got into action. Our squad
composed of men from all of Lanes
regiments, Joined the Fourth Texas I'M
der Captain Jas. t. McLaurin, Com
pany b, n went with it in the charge
tha, drove Hancock back to the posi-
ton of the morning near the Brock
road.
1t was near midday when we rejoin-
ed our commands on the left of the
Plank road, where it had assembled
after the mornings experience. Though
caught at a disadvantage the men
fought we'll, as the casualties show, and
delayed their assailant's advance.
Ewell did splendid fighting that af-
ternOOn on the left Of the army and
drove the federal right some distance.
About 9 o'clock that night the rebel
yell was set up on the right and ex-
tended to the left of the army.
The volume and duration of sound ex-
ceeded anything that we had, then heard
or have heard since. Prisoners taken af-
terward reported great decentralization
from 1T in Warren and Sedwick's corps.
General Horace Porter in his cam
~paigning with Grant" gives a graphic
account of the attack on these COM
mandS after dark, and of the battle
says all circumstances seemed to
combine to make the scene one of I'M
utterable horror. At times the wind
hOwled through the tree-tops, mingling
its moan with the groans of the dying,
and heavy branches were cut off by the
fire of the artillery and fell crashing
upon the heads of the men, adding a
new terror to battle.
Forest fires rageu. ammunition trains
exploded, the dead We're roasted
in the c~onffagration, the wounded.
reused by its hot breath, dragged them
selves along with their torn and man.
'mbs. in the mad energy of de
spaiT, TO escape the ravages of the
flame. n every bush seemed hung
with shreds of .hlood-stained clothing.
1t was as though Christian men had
turned to fiends, and hell itself had
usurped the place of earth"
We We're direct opposites at that time
in action and principles. I'm not in
clined 10 combat his sentiment. Sheol
was not far off that day.
On the Sth left the Wilderness and
had a little skirmishing near the post
office. On the 10th arrived at Spottsyl-
Vania court house and on that and he
following day built breastworks on
different parts of the line, being moved
several times. Our lines being nearly
at right angles to Ewelrs corps, We
built traverses to protect ourselves from
shots III that direction.
Late in evening of the 18th Lanes
brigade that was the left of A. P.
Hills corps, waS thrown forward to
the front and left to conne with
Ewell's line. His left regiments, TWEEN
ty-eigthth and Eighteenth, were be-
yOnd a branch and thrown forward, at
an obtuse angle to the rest of the brig
ade, to connect with Stewards brigade
of General Edward Johnston'S division,
that was thrown back in a circle be-
hind that division to connect with the
Twenty-eighth, forming a salient,
known as the Horseshoe angle.
During the night our artillery was
withdrawn from JohnSon's line, and
I1GIcOCh anu BURNSIDE > CORPS were
massed at the salient, with orders to
attack it at 4 o'clock. The artillery
was returning to Johnson's line, but
had not gotten in position when Han
cock attacked at daylight. Edward
JohsOn's left and Robert D. Johnson's
brigade that were supporting it, were
swept away. That let Hancock into
Stewards rear and the rear of the
Twenty-eighth and Eighteenth who
were engaged with those to the right
OF the angle.
The artillery and Stewards brigade
Were captured. When the Twenty
eighth and Eighteenth found that Han
cock was in their immediate rear, II
was too late to escape and about one
third Of the Twenty-eighth and neal
half OF the Eighteenth were made pris-
onsrS. OF those who escaped, w. H
hcLaurin. adjutant OF the Eighteenth
North Carolina rallied a handful a
the left of the ~breastworkS of the pre-
viouS day and recklesSly deshing int
Hancock's host that pour into thE
woods, through Johnson's opening, pro.
duced a panic, that adding to its owl
decentralization, rove his serted num-
berS back beyond the branch. STAN