The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-07-20

Mr.. J. III. Wood, of Clayton, Gives an
Account of His Regiment in That
Memorable Battle-Mr. Buffers
Account Was Very Interesting to
Him.
Mr.. Editor: Buffers let
ter in last weeks Caucasian of his
arst visit to Gettysburg was very in
teresting to an old soldier, especially
one that was in the fight from the
first to the last.
We slept on the road that led to
the town that is nearest to the rail-
road, near enough to the field troops
10 have seen each other but for hill
between us. We marched up there at
night the last day of June. About
the first day of July the Forty-sev-
enth Regiment of North Carolina
troops marched off in front, and just
as soon as we beheld the top of the
hill We filed right. We were in less
than four hundred yards of one gun
mounted in a fort in the road, and
Just as Company G. cleared the road
the gun fired at the fiag-bearer and
bis head was knocked off. If my
memory fails me not, his name was
Green, from Franklin County.
Now, we had one gun following us
on the left of the road, for it was an
open field Just as soon as he could
turn and fire he landed a solid shot
hot of g
article can see that the rebel was
lust as good a shot as the Yankee.
That was the only gun they had there
at that time | might have said that
the Forty-seventh Regiment belonged
TO General ]. J. Pettigrew's brigade.
think Butler took in the field from
the right instead of the left from his
letter and description. l wish
could have been with him; I should
nave said: Let's go to the spot
Where the first gun was fired and the
ArSt man killed, then we will have
The field before u.s." But his descrip-
Ton of the field was so plain that a
soldier that was there will have nc
trouble in understanding it.
Now, our line Of battle extended tC
the right until We could have beer
marched to this stone fence on the
'uda without any resistance in the
'narge to capture the town. The Fed
erals had burned up three-gun bat
IeFF' and it was in front Of the Elev
ellh and Twenty-siXth North Caroline
Regiments. That was where these
TWO regiments lost SO many men. Blu
We captured the town My regimen
vas little to the right of the town
oHe man from a company was al
'"ed to go down. The man from
IL! company brought back two-gal
,oH jug OF molasses. Some of tn,
uoys thought he had some Yankee
''quor, but We had ''hcken" just tn,
same.
!, NOW we hadn't enough men to holt
cnat road, as Generals Lane an
o'dies We're on our left with all the
Uuiu DO, so We had to fall back t
INES, for We were some distanc
'front.'. This ended the first day
ent' General Longstreet had com
- ny next morning and made the al
'A the second day on this sam
Su mat Butler described so plair
~ Now, the hill protected Ions
dn until the night Of the secon
y' Next morning We moved to tn
sn' and took up our position in til
ota nIer OF the open field in the bi
~ ie OF the heights directly in fro1
lnree heavy field guns, and thes
81. S were a hundred yards benin
az ir infantry with an elevation su
adp en' TO shoot over their lines as v
oh' On their lines. We got
~ range before they opened fl
Us The line at this point was
me-" orSe-shoe shape. 1 saw Pickett
III III IN the Federal lines, but at tn
al e l was shot down, and that W,
tn Knew of the fight until late
tn evening. I could have wake
me On dead and wounded