Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 4.djvu/300



T remains now only to consider the final campaign in North Carolina. Toward the close of 1864, Gen. J. G. Martin had been recalled from the Virginia army and placed in command of the Western department of North Carolina, with headquarters at Asheville. Under his command were, according to Martin s return, March 10th, the following troops: Col. J. B. Palmer s brigade, embracing the Sixty-second, Sixty-fourth and Sixty-ninth (?) North Carolina regiments; Macbeth s light artillery; Erwin s battalion of Senior reserves; Thomas legion (Love’s regiment), McKamy s battalion, Indian battalion, and Barr s battery a total force of 2,910. It is not clear why in this report General Martin seems to count one regiment twice.

These regiments of active, hardy mountaineers were mainly employed in repelling the numerous raids through the mountains by Federal mixed forces, and in meeting detachments from Col. George W. Kirk’s notorious regiment of Union North Carolinians. This regiment was a constant menace to that section and was restlessly energetic. In July, 1864, it surprised and captured Camp Vance, near Morganton. Into this camp about 200 Junior reserves had been assembled to be mustered into the Confederate service. Only one company had arms, and