The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-21
THE FIRST n. {. VOLUNTEERS
History of the Regiment Which Was First at
Bethel and Last at Appomattox.
1Continaed frcm Last suntlay.)
By Edward ]. Hale

n TIE / nitCu states army as l-leUteNanl
,'o.o mel OF Albert Sidney .johnstons
Second Regime Mt of Cavalry. His APP
marance at this time was strikingiv d.
erent from that in which he subsequent
Y tccalEe familiar to the army OF
Northern Virginia. His hair was close
.n2rad; his complexion, fresh and rud-
ly; his face. smocth-shavcn, except fer
/ black. Misunderstanding muStache His
rovcment was quicker; his figure
,raCefCl as cannot be forgotten, and
rect to the last--mGie 1.-THE. lie was,
altogether phenomenaliy handsome
i'm, the model of soldier. In Il years
ilne he looked ten years older.
EVENTS LEAD.NG TO THE FIRST
CLASH O| AEMS.
OF the four lines by which General
Scott rad Planned the invasion of Nir-
inia-frcm Washington: from Fortress
Monroe: by the Cumberland Valley: and
rom OHIO by the KanaWha, into West
rn Nirgina-that from Fortress Mon
re fecame the natural one, with the
ruE>fcr of the capital of the Confedera-
from Mont go,rery to Richmond EX-
'cpt that the first mentioned served the
i0ubIe purpose Of protecting the Fed
raj Capital. the Fortress Monroe line
would undoubtedly have claimed his
hief attention. The splendid base
which that great military work. one OF
The largest in the world, supplied, and
he ideal route which the YORKTOWN
Peninsu,ar presented fer his marching
lools, with the broad waters of the
lanes and the York rivers open to his
navy en- either flank. were considerations
which must otherwise have fixed his
.hoicc. 1t is probable that the situation
1T the moIuent of the First Regiment
arrival in Rirhmcud would have destin
ii them to Northern Virginia. but cir
cUmstanccs were rapidly shifting the
heatrc of Operat sons.
Af'e~ the evacuation of the Gosport
Navy Yard 10y the Federal authorities
n the DIST OF April. Richmond was
brown into alarm ly the reports of the
Erroach Of the Federal gunboat Pawncc
ID the James. On the 9th of May Fed
pral vessels chased steamers TO within
twelve miles Of Gloucester Point. on the
York River, ort@tsite Yorktown, and
ired ul,an them. On May Ttb, the slc-
ial agent OF the Confederate Govern
vent reported to the Secretary Of War
l.. 7. Walk2rl. from Richmond, Tint
intelligent and distinguished men i'll
brink OF being carried back and say 10
man but President Davis can save her.
< :" s. There is disappointment that he
does not assume entire direction Of al
fairs here General Lee has or
dcrcd Louisiana troops to Harper's Fer
rs. The South Carolina troops
refuse TO move ualess under orders from
Montgomery 49, On the 18th of May
4
ligadier general Of artillery. who had
been class-mate OF President Davis at
West Point. wrote to the President ut
Montgomery as follows: las you value
our great cause. hasten on to Richmond
Lincoln and Scott are if | mistake not.
covering Ey other demonstrations the
great movement upon Richmond. Sup
pose they should send suddenly up the
York River, as they can, an army OF
10000 or more; there are no means
ut hand to repel them and if their policy
shown in Maryland gets footing here, it
will he Il severe # not a fatal blow
Hasten. pray yea. to avert it. The
very fact of your presence will almost
answer. Hasten, then, | entreat you;
Cthe day after Nirginia's SECESSION, the
on the Virginia battery at Sewells
Point. and again on the DIST. On the
22nd. Major General Benjamin +.
Butler. United States Army, was trans
fcrred from the Department of Anna
polls and assigned to the command o.
tie Department of Virginia. with head
quarters at Fortress Monroe; and nine
additional infantry regiments were sent
Nm, bo .g,.J
made demonstration against Hampton.
three miles from Fortress Monroe. At
Hampton and other points in the PENN
sular country, there was considerable
di.affection to the Confederacy.
1t WAS under these circumstances thar
TIE destination of the First North Caro-
lima Volunteers. the crack regiment Of
TIE day. was decided. They were order
cd to Yorktown the post OF danger and
If honor. 1898 as the papers of the day
described it. Breaking camp at Ricl-
n,0nd on the 9th Of May. they pro
ccttled by rail to West Point. ON the
York River. and by steamboat (the
Logam. the rest of the way.
landing at York Town the
sane afternoon. Upon the boat was
Colonel John Il. Magruder, of the Provi-
Siona Army of Virginia, lately diStin-
gllishcd artillery major of the United
States Army, vino had just been as
signed MAY 2lst) TO the command of
;hc Department Of the Peninsular in
ending the York and james Rivers
Between the time of the regiments
arrival at Yorktown and the 9th %
June. it was kept necessarily at work,
drilling and entronching. While en-
gagged in the latter, it was interesting
to these new disciples of Mars to trace !
the outline Of Corvallis works erected
in defense against their forefathers |
fcnr score years before. Sometimes
their spades and picks would renew
sometimes dcmolish, those ancient war
marks, and occasionally they would n
Garth q souvenir of battle.
y company of mounted men called the !
Cd Dominion Dragons, appeared |
shortly after the regiments arrival, hay
ing their rendezvous ut Yorktown. |
though dcing picket duty between York |
town and the cremy's posts at HanIr
tom uhrce miles from Fortress Monroe
and Newport News some twenty-onV |
miles away. At Newport News. Gen
eral Butler had caused very strong
intrenched camp to be established, gar |