Company C, 28th Regiment Volunteers, was organized by Thos. L. Lowe at Newton, N.C., in the summer of 1861, numbering about 130 men. Left Newton August 13th, went to High Point, was organized into the 28th Regiment, and left there that fall to go into winter quarters at Wilmington. Remained there during the winter of 1861 guarding that section of the coast. In the spring of 1862 was called to New Bern, arrived there just in time to be in the evacuation, as Burnside's Fleet was already landing.
We marched back to Kinston and there was organized into Branch's Brigade. After a short stay there we were called to Richmond, Va., and there organized into Gen. A. P. Hill's division and later, into Gen. Stonewall Jackson's corps, and then was engaged in the battle at Hanover Court House, where we had a sharp fight with the enemy.
After this fight we took up camp west of Richmond, and then, on the 26th of June, we broke camp, crossed the Chickahominy and engaged McClelland's army on their right flank on Thursday evening above Mechanicsville, and was in all the great Seven Days battles at Mechanicsville, Cold Harbor, Frazier's Farm and Malvern Hill from June 26th to July 1st, 1862. Was engaged in battle every day until the next Tuesday evening at Malvern Hill where McClelland's army, after a dreadful defeat, took shelter under cover of their gunboats on the James River, July 1st. This is known as the Seven Days battles around Richmond. Federal losses were over twenty thousand. Confederate losses were nineteen thousand, five hundred and thirty-three. (See Life of Gen. Lee, page 166.) McClelland's army numbered about two hundred thousand troops, well armed, well equipped, well drilled and was inspected just before the battle by an English officer and pronounced to be the finest army in the world. We defeated this grand army of Gen. McClelland, this "young Napoleon," as Gen. Lee called him, "met his Waterloo."
After a short stay in camp, east of Richmond, the first Maryland campaign was planned. And then taking up a long line of march, encountering the enemy at Cedar Run, where we had a sharp fight, defeating the enemy and driving them from the field. This was the 7th, 8th and 9th of August. Federal losses were one thousand and eight hundred. Confederate losses were one thousand, three hundred and fourteen.
Continuing our march, we arrived at Manassas and engaged the Federal troops in battle. After two hard days fighting, we won a complete victory, driving the enemy in the direction of Washington. This is known as the second Manassas, or Bull Run battle. Hill's men fought with rocks from a railroad cut. Many men were killed by having their skulls broken with rocks. Federal losses were seventeen thousand; Confederate losses eight thousand. This was like unto the first Manassas battle.
When Scott and Wool did at us pull,
Across the country level,
We met them there and fought them fair,
And whipped them like the devil.
Continuing our march, we encountered the Federals at Ox Hill, near Leesburg. After a hard fight we drove the enemy from the field. After this battle, we crossed the Potomac River near Leesburg into Maryland, making a little stop at Fredrick, Md., and planting a battery on the hill directed solid shot against a railroad bridge. It soon yielded to our shots and tumbled into the stream.
Continuing our march through Maryland, crossing the Potomac River back into Virginia near Williamsport, marching down the river via Martinsburg to Harpers Ferry capturing about twelve thousand troops, and more arms and ammunition than we could get away with. This was a very important place as the United States had an arsenal here. It was also noted as the place where John Brown raised the first insurrection. John Smith first settled Virginia at Jamestown. John Brown first unsettled it at Harpers Ferry.
Now for Sharpsburg or Antietum. Then a double quick up the river to Shepard's town, crossing the Potomac River back into Maryland, engaging the enemy so as to relieve Gen. Longstreet and D. H. Hill who were in a deadly struggle with the enemy, driving them from the field that night. Federal losses eighteen thousand Confederate three thousand. Crossing the Potomac at Shepard's Town, the enemy following us. We fought them to a finish, back in and across the river. The broad surface of the Potomac was floating with dead bodies. Federal losses were three thousand, Confederate losses two hundred and sixty-one.
We then tore up the Baltimore and Ohio railroad near Martinsburg; then took up camp at Bunkers Hill. After a short stay there, the cry was "for Fredricksburg." We broke camp at Bunker Hill and marched up through the Shenandoah Valley, where the destruction of war was visible everywhere. Crossing the Shenandoah River near Winchester, winding our way up the mountains, a distance of about nine miles, I saw we had reached the top. The army halted, and as I looked around me, I saw the cloud capped mountains of the Blue Ridge heaving her lofty peaks and smoky terits in the very clouds of heaven and basking her towering spires in the dazzling sunlight of eternal day. As we looked back over the blood stained valley, we beheld the Shenandoah, as she rolled her sporting waters through the valley, fertilizing thousands of acres of the most productive land, and yielding broad fields of sparkling water for the broad-billed duck and silver-scaled fish. Oh, what a scene! A valley once of peace and plenty now all laid to waste and desolation.
Now continuing our long and tedious march, we arrived at Fredricksburg and engaged the Federals in battle on December 13, 1862, and after a hard fought battle defeated the Federals, driving them back across the Rappahannock River. I shall never forget the scene of the women and children as they passed through our lines, some with babies in their arms. What became of them I never knew. Confederates lost four thousand, two hundred and one, Federals lost twelve thousand, three hundred and twenty-one.
Then we went in camp below Fredricksburg for the winter of 1862-63.
Breaking camp in the spring of '63, we arrived at Chancelorsville and engaged the Federals in battle on the 2nd and 3rd of May. This proved to be one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Gen. Stonewall Jackson was wounded on the evening of the 2nd, and died at Guinea Station on Sunday, May 10th.
I shall never forget that memorable day -- May 3rd. The second shell that was thrown from the enemy busted in our ranks, just to my left. I turned my eyes and saw the mangled bodies of Marcus Seitz, Jones Smyre and Laban Yount -- all perished -- and Solomon Honeycutt badly wounded. This impressiveness of my surroundings hushed my voice and filled my eyes with tears. Leaving our dead behind
Steadily we step adown the slope;
Steadily we climb the hill;
Steadily we load, steadily we fire,
Marching right onward still
Confederate losses were ten thousand, two hundred and eighty-one, Federal losses were seventeen thousand, one hundred and ninety-seven.
The writer of this sketch had his right arm broken in front of the Chancelorsville House, near the plank road.
Now a second invasion of the North was planned. Leaving Chancelorsville, crossing the Blue Ridge and the Shenandoah River, marching down the valley, driving the Federal scouts out of the way. Crossing the Potomac near Williamsport, we marched through Maryland, arriving at Gettysburg, Pa., and engaging the Federals on July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
This battle was one of the most deadly conflicts of the Civil war. The map of the battlefield shows that Lane's Brigade went as far as the farthest. Losses in the battle of Gettysburg were heavy on both sides. Confederate losses were over twenty thousand, Federal losses were twenty-three thousand, one hundred and ninety.
We withdrew from the battlefield on July 4th, and in returning from that great battle, we intercepted the Federals at Falling Waters. After a sharp fight we gave the Federals to understand that we only wanted time to recross the Potomac back into Virginia. And after a strenuous march we finally arrived at Liberty Mills, near Gordonsville, and went into camp for the winter of 1863-64.
After spending the winter here, we broke camp on May 1st, and on the 5th, 6th and 7th, we engaged the Federals in the Wilderness. True, the name -- a wilderness it was. After three days battling with the enemy we were led out of the Wilderness -- not by Joshua of old, but by Gen. Robt. E. Lee, -- but only to be engaged in a more deadly conflict at Spottsylvania Court House on the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th of May, it being the fortune, or misfortune, as it was, on the 12th, for the 28th Regiment to be placed where they fell into that historic bloody angle where hand to hand conflicts ensued, and where blood flowed like water. No wonder Gen. Sherman's definition of war was "hell."
In the battles of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania Court House, Gen. Grant's losses, since passing the Rapidan, from May 4th to May 16th, were more than forty thousand men. In Spottsylvania county there were five great battles fought: The first and second Fredricksburg, Chancelorsville, Wilderness and Spottsylvania Court House. All in a radius of fifteen miles. Men gave their lives by the thousands and poured out their blood in torrents. We have nothing in history to equal it. This Regiment, the 28th, Lane's Brigade, was in all these battles and suffered heavily, and was complimented highly, by Gen. A. P. Hill and Gen. Lane for their bravery and good behavior.
Now the march to Chickahominy on May 21st, 1864. Gen. Grant withdrew from Spottsylvania and commenced his move towards Richmond; Gen. Lee moving parallel with the enemy, determined to force him east of Richmond. We had a sharp engagement at North Anna river and near Noel's Station on the 22nd and 23rd of May, also at Jericho Ford. Arriving on June 2nd at Cold Harbor Ridge, and on the morning of the 3rd, just at the break of day, there was just light enough to guide the troops, the second great battle of Cold Harbor Ridge began. This was the same ground that was contested by Gen. Lee and McClelland two years previous. A f earful struggle took place in the works soon after the battle began. The enemy was repulsed time after time and driven back with fearful loss. The attack ended at 12 o'clock. Every attack of the enemy had been successfully repelled, and the battle closed with the Confederates in full possession of their works. Confederate losses were twelve hundred, Federal losses thirteen thousand. This ended the campaign north of the James River.
The Federal losses since the passing of the Rapidan River were more than sixty thousand men, ten thousand more than Lee's total strength. Confederate losses eighteen thousand.
Passing south of the James River, we took up our position in front of Petersburg where we were in many hard fought battles during the summer, fall and winter of 1864 and 1865, until the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond on April 2nd 1865. One of our hardest fought battles in defense of Petersburg was on July 25th 1864 at Ream's and Malone's stations. Heath's division and Lane's Brigade were advanced under cover of guns of Pegram's battery, until directly in front of the works, when a rush was made which resulted in the capture of the whole line -- not however, before the enemy had been driven off in a desperate hand to hand struggle in the works, in which clubs, muskets and bayonets were used freely. The Confederate losses were seven hundred and twenty. Federal losses two thousand. After retiring from this battle constant skirmishing occurred between the two armies, and many sharp encounters took place between the hostile Calvary forces, the most brilliant of all those affairs was the dash made by Gen. Hampton into the Federal lines in September. It was known that Gen. Grant had a large drove of cattle grazing in Prince George County. This information was gained by Gen. Hampton from a letter to Gen. Grant which he intercepted. The letter stated that the cattle had been sent to the neighborhood of Sycamore Church, and that they were in splendid condition. Hampton, at once, determined to secure the beeves, which were much needed by our army.
Hampton leaving Petersburg on the 14th of September and arriving at Sycamore Church; and, at daylight on the morning of the 16th, he surprised and stormed this position, capturing the works and camp of the enemy and three hundred prisoners and all the cattle, about twenty-five hundred in number were secured. And the object of the expedition being accomplished, Hampton set off on his return. Fitzhugh Lee brought up the rear, the captured cattle marching between. The beeves stretched out over a line of four miles, but were skillfully handled. And from time to time, be had to drive off the enemy's cavalry on his way back. He finally succeeded in reaching Petersburg safely with all his captures at 6 o'clock on the morning of the 17th, having lost only fifty men during the expedition. This was the greatest cattle victory during the war. A nice presentation of Hampton to the hungry Confederates. Steak for breakfast, steak for dinner and steak for supper.
And now during the remainder of the fall and winter of 1864 and 1865, we were in ail the principal battles and witnessed all the principal events up to the blowing up of the great tunnel which formed a crater and looked like a second Mount Vesuvious where the Negro troops with the whites rushed in to break our line. But our artillery being trained on the crater, mowed them down by the hundreds. They were caught in their own death trap.
Now the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond. On the morning of the 2nd of April, Lee bad decided to abandon the cities be had so long defended. As we passed out and looked back we saw that which added more to the horror, destruction -- great clouds of smoke go up from the two great cities, where men poured out their life's blood and perished by the tens of thousands. We saw our fate was sealed, our cause lost. Now our last retreat back to Appomattox courthouse, where Gen. Lee surrendered the remnant of the grandest army of fighting men the world ever produced.
Now in conclusion, I will say the War Between the States was undoubtedly one of the most interesting events in the pages of modern history. Being a veteran of the Civil war, I could mention many thrilling narrations of battle scenes, daring adventures, narrow escapes and feats of personal prowess during the war -- all tending to make indelible impressions upon the tablets of memory.
The writer feels a willingness to contribute his mite to the store of accumulated materials relating to the Confederate soldiers now waiting to be molded into finished historic shape by one of her gifted sons. Our flag of the Confederacy is furled, and will live in song and story, though its folds are, in the dust.
This company met their responsibilities and performed their duties faithfully and courageously; and on all occasions when the fire of the battles spread its deadly pall over the battlefields, they proved to be as brave as the bravest.
This Battle Flag of the North Carolina 28th was among 33 colors captured by Hancock's II Corps in turning back Pickett's Charge. The veteran 28th, part of General James Lane's brigade, lost 104 of its 346 men in this disastrous attack.
