Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 2.djvu/332

114 wounded at Cedar Mountain. General Early in his report of that battle specially mentioned the gallantry of Captain Lilley, of the Twenty-fifth, and the color-bearer, leading a portion of his regiment in the face of the enemy, and the color-bearers of the Thirty-first, who advanced waving their flags, and rallying part of that regiment around them. At Second Manassas Early's brigade made a gallant charge, in which Colonel Smith and Major Higginbotham of the Thirty-first were severely wounded. The regiments were at the capture of Harper's Ferry and the battles of Sharpsburg and Fredericksburg. On April nth they were detached to General Imboden's command in the Shenandoah valley. Under that leader they marched rapidly across the mountains, attacking and routing the enemy at Beverly, and thence by way of Buckhannon, Weston, Bulltown, to Frankfort, Greenbrier county, with several skirmishes. Marching to Buffalo gap, they took cars for Fredericksburg and returned to the army after an absence of just one month. The night following their return they began the march for Winchester, under the brigade command of Gen. William Smith. After marching to York, Pa., they returned to fight at Gettysburg under Ewell, now commanding the corps. Subsequently they participated in all the battles of the Second corps, Mine Run, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, South Anna, Petersburg, Hatcher's Run, Fort Stedman, and finally stacked arms at Appomattox Court House, The gallant Col. John S. Hoffman led the brigade on the day of the bloody angle fight at Spottsylvania, General Pegram having been wounded at the Wilderness, and his brigade and Gen. C. A. Evans' Georgians were chiefly instrumental in holding the line and saving the army from a terrible defeat. The flag of the Thirty-first, which was presented by the hand of Stonewall Jackson, at the request of the ladies who made it, is yet preserved at the town of Beverly.