Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 4.djvu/91

Rh eral Martin was ordered home to organize new regiments for its local defense.

Preceding and preliminary to the great approaching battles around Richmond, occurred Jackson s remarkable campaign of 1862 in the Shenandoah valley. Jackson’s matchless soldiership and almost inspired energy brought new zeal to the Southerners, whose enthusiasm had been somewhat chilled by the reverses in North Carolina and in the Mississippi valley. Only to Kirkland s Twenty-first North Carolina regiment and Wharton s battalion of sharpshooters was accorded the honor of representing North Carolina in &quot;Jackson s foot-cavalry,&quot; and participating in his brilliant victories. The sharpshooters were regular members of the Twenty-first regiment until after the battle of Winchester, on the 25th of May. Then two companies were detached and organized as sharpshooters, and under the gallant Col. R. W. Wharton did fine service to the close of the war.

On the approach to Winchester, the Twenty-first, then in Trimble’s brigade, was in advance, and at daylight of the 25th was ordered to enter the town. Two of the companies under Major Fulton had been detailed for special service the night before, and did not succeed in rejoining their regiment until the severest part of the fighting was over. The other regiments of the brigade followed closely behind Kirkland, who moved toward the town in double-time. Just as he reached the suburbs of the town, a Federal line rose from behind a stone wall parallel to the road, and poured into the Carolinians a fire as destructive as it was unexpected. The regiment instantly charged the wall but failed to carry it, and took refuge behind a wall almost parallel to the one that sheltered its antagonists. The Twenty-first Georgia regiment, however, seeing the situation of its comrades, dashed hastily into the flank of the Federals, and, assisted by Kirkland s men, drove them through the town. In the midst of a wild ovation that the citizens