Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/158

 152 Southern Historical Society Papers.

From this day to the closing scene at Appomattox the two North Carolina regiments served with Ramseur's — later Cox's — brigade, of Rodes's division, and the three Virginia regiments were consolidated with the remnants of Jones's brigade, of Gordon's division. In these separate commands a warm feeling always existed between the men who had stood firmly by each other on so many hardly contested fields.

They followed the fortunes of war under Early in the Washington city and Valley campaigns. The last seen of them by the writer was on the field of Winchester September 19, 1864, where he, after being baptized in the blood of the heroic and dauntless Rodes,* was him- self so fearfully wounded as to be unfit for field duty ever after.

In the absence of the division and brigade reports, due to the cap- ture of Generals Johnson and Steuart, a few errors have, of neces- sity, appeared in the report of General Ewell. The report, after describing the death of General Jones, and the discomfiture of his brigade, says : " Daniel's brigade of Rodes's, and Gordon's of Early's, were soon brought up and regained the lost ground, the latter cap- turing, by a dashing charge, several hundred prisoners." There was really little loss of ground. Battle was already up with Jones ; and Steuart in time to assist in rallying Battle, when these two brigades advanced as heretofore described. Daniel and Gordon, both advanc- ing on the traveled road, instead of the pike, found Doles' s front, and there rendered that prompt assistance so much needed, which assistance was on Doles's, not Battle's, right. No troops were on either Steuart' s right or left, except Battle and Stafford, and no prisoners were captured in that front, except the One-Hundred-and- Forty-Sixth New York, already mentioned.

The writer well remembers how sorely pressed was Doles when Jones was broken, but never knew who was sent to his assistance, as he was three hundred yards to the left of Doles ; but it is safe to infer that as Daniel and Gordon were not with Steuart, and yet being in the front, they must have been with Doles. The history of this part of the line in action is, that Battle rallied on Steuart's right, and when " formed on the ground first occupied" they were the only troops that moved forward in that front, or, at least, that came up to that front. As to the two howitzers captured, they were claimed by

Colonel Thruston when the fatal bullet pierced his brain. He fell, without a groan, in the arms of the colonel, saturating him with the warm life current.
 * General Rodes was bending from his saddle and giving instructions to