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 238 Southern Historical Society Papers.

and coolness. The left howitzer, under Lieutenant Hudnall, being nearest my works, came under my special notice. Their names are as follows :

Lieutenant Hudnall, commanding, wounded; Sergeant S. B. Hughes, G. H. Pehdleton, R. P. Pleasants, William M. Caldwell, George W. Hobson, William McCarthy, H. C. Shook, wounded; L. W. Timberlake, George P. Hughes, John Werth, wounded ; D. B. Clark.

Permit me, in conclusion, to pay a well-deserved compliment to the First Regiment North Carolina Volunteers. Their patience under trial, perseverance under toil, and courage under fire, have seldom been surpassed by veteran troops. Often working night and day, sometimes without tents and cooking utensils, a murmur has never escaped them to my knowledge. They have done a large portion of the work on the intrenchments at Yorktown, as well as those at Bethel. Had all of the regiments in the field worked with the same spirit there would not be an assailable point in Virginia. After the battle they shook hands affectionately with the spades, calling them "Clever fellows and good friends."

The men are influenced by high moral and religious sentiments, and their conduct has furnished another example of the great truth that he who fears God will ever do his duty to his country.

The Confederates had in all about twelve hundred men in the action. The enemy had the regiments of Colonel Duryea (zouaves), Colonel Carr, Colonel Allen, Colonel Bendix, and Colonel Waldrop (Mas- sachusetts) from Old Point Comfort, and five companies of Phelps' regiment from Newport News We had never more than three hundred actively engaged at any one time. The Confederate loss was eleven wounded ; of these, one mortally. The enemy must have lost some three hundred. I could not, without great dis- paragement of their courage, place their loss at a lower figure. It is inconceivable that five thousand men should make so precipitate a retreat without having sustained at least this much of a reverse.

Let us devoutly thank the living God for His wonderful interpo- sition in our favor, and evince our gratitude by the exemplariness of our lives.

With respect,

D. H. HILL, Colonel First Regiment North Carolina Volunteers.

Colonel]. B. MAGRUDER,

Commander York Line.