The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-09
A SKETCH OF THE EIGHTEENTH
NORTH CAROLINA INFANTRY.


federates displayed their fighting quail
ties on all this field but to Whitings
division belongs the credit of the route
of the little giants"-mighty men of
yalor, not that his troops did II alone,
but he gave them the grand bounce
the Texas brigade being the first to
break their lines and with the assist
ance of gallant comrades McLellanS
army was kep moving. Night put
distance between him and that horrible
rebel-yell, and he abandoned much VAL
liable army supplies. The field, next
day. gave abundant evidence Of desper-
ate fighting on both sides. Saturday
was spent in burying the many dead
upon the field, and gathering the tro-
phies of battle.
Monday evening, the goth, the enemy
was overtaken at FraZier's farm, and
about 4 D.. m. our brigade was engaged
on the right of the road, charging the
enemy's line that was strongly posted
and we'll defended. sweeping across
an OPEN field; the Eighteenth regiment
charged a battery in the yard Of a farm
house, strongly supported by infantry.
They gave us a warm reception with
grape, canister. and minnie, and were
greatly aided by those on their left,
who gave us a CALLING flank fire-So
trying at all times. before becoming
engaged with those on our right, who
did not advance as quickly as we did.
. WITH d yell LII ID EuSu. ettIyl.llu was
! carried before us, and at a fearful cost
in killed and wounded. At the woods
beyond the house the regiment was re-
formed, and advanced again, with the
brigade, through a strip of woods, and
another field, routing the enemy. On
Tuesday the 1st day of July We were
not actively engaged at Malvern Hill
simply held the position assigned us,
when we came on the field in the after
noon. We were under fire Of the land
batteries, and the gunbOatS, a shell
from the latter ~wounding a few men.
. The rest of the week we spent on Nc
! Lellan's flank, clearing it of struggling
parties and on Sunday bivouacked
neal Charles City c.. H, in a thicket
of old field pines. Here a strange &C
| cident occurred. A musket fell from a
I stack of guns. and was discharged,
w~Ounding Lieutenant George w. Hug
gins, Co.. 1, in the foot. He was asleep.
1t was a rude awakening. and from it
he goes limping through life. There
was no one near the guns, and on being
examined it was at half-cock, and
very hot. Had the hammer been OF
the cap. it would lave been readily ac-
counted for, by its hitting the ground.
1t was evidently a rare case of sun
heat-ShOoting. Had any one been rea-
sOnably near, it would have been too
strong a case of circumStantial evil
dence for him to have escaped punish
ment.
From Charles City C. H. We returned
to near Richmond and re
camp till the first week OF August,
when A. p. Hills division reinforced
StOnewall Jackson. who, in command
of two divisions, had gone % the vicin-
ity of Orange G. H.. to n Pope'S
advance, threatening our I-Ilroad con-
nections at Gordonsville. Hill reached
Orange on the eth. and on the Sth only
n fau- n0ilnC p1nrnh u-oo mo do thn
weather being progressively hot, and
there being some misunderstanding
of the order of march.
On the morning of the 9th, was
fought the battle of Cedar Mountain.
! Branch's brigade came on the field af-
ter the battle began, and was hastily
formed on the left OF the Culpepper
road, to support Jackson's first line,
and ordered to advance 1t had gone
but a little distance when it met the
"Stonewall Brigade" that splendid
body of troops, that at first Manassas
gave renOwn n "a name" to the idol
of the army, fleeing in utter route and
Nothing daunted by the unfavorable
condition of affairs Branch's Tar
Heels" met the enemy u~nfiinchingly,
and drove them back in great disorder.
OF this charge General Branch in his
report says: My brigade opened upon
lilcIll, dIlu QulCh1y uIONc liz cISllly
back from the woods, into a large field.
Following up 10 the edge of the field,
[ came in view of large bodies of the
enemy. and having a very fine posi-
ton, 1 opened upon them, with great
effect. The enemy'S cavalry attempt
ed to charge US in two columns, but
the fire soon broke them, and sent them
fleeing across the field in every direc-
ton. The infantry then retreated also.
Advancing into the field, 1 halted near
the middle of it, in doubt which direc-
ton to take. Just at that moment,
General Jackson came riding up from
my rear, alone. / reported my brigade
as being solid, and asked for orders.
My men recognized him, and raised a
terrific shout, as he rode along the line
f with his hat Off He evidently knew
how to appreciate a brigade that had
gone through a hot battle, and was
, then following a retreating enemy,
without having broken it's line of bat
tie, and remained with me directing
my movements until the pursuit ceas-
eds We gained a
splendid victory. and the credit is dut
to my brigade. 1 was among my mer
all during the fight and they were
brave n cool"
Branch's success enabled General
Taliaferro. on the right of the road, tC
reform his left, that was giving away,
, and hold his ground
General Pender ana Arcner were
forming on Branch's left and advanced
before they were properly aligned
success attended an advance on the
. whole line and the field was ours
. Jackson started for Culpepper that
night. but. after going two or three
|, miles. went into camp, his scouts re
porting that Pope had received heavy
achievements.
! The dead were buried and in a few
days Jackson took position south OF
the R%apidan, the Eighteenth camping
. near Orange c. III.
: On the 10Th the Rapidan is agar
. crossed. and we had a skirmish neal
. Brandy Station
The fords of the Rappahannock wert
strongly guarded by Pope's command
, Jackson forced a crossing at one o.
them and attracted their attention IL
that direction whilst by such defile:
, as afforded cover. he assembled the righ'
. bank to Warrenton Springs n on thu
22nd crossed over a small command
In tina engagement the Eighteenth
SrrpportaI q battarv on the south Sidt