Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 23.djvu/50

 44 Southern Historical Society Papers.

After the battle of White- Hall the eleventh became a part of the brigade of General Pettigrew, and continued under his command until his death. The next three months were spent at Goldsboro, Weldon, Magnolia and Greenville.

BLOUNT'S CREEK BRIDGE.

From Greenville the regiment took part in the expedition of General D. H. Hill against Washington, N. C., and on the Qth of April, 1863, at Blount's Creek bridge, with the aid of a battery, it successfully resisted the attempt of General Foster to reinforce the garrison of Washington by that route, driving back after a spirited fight of several hours General Spinola's command, consisting of three brigades, besides artillery and cavalry. Our position was a very strong one naturally, we were well intrenched, and there were other troops in reserve; still it remains that Spinola's giving up the crossing of the creek as hopeless, and his return to Newbern after so brief a contest was pusillanimous, and he deserved the censure he got from his superiors in command. Towards the end of the month we marched by way of Hookerton to Kinston to meet a demonstra- tion made by General Foster, apparently to distract attention from the projected movements in Virginia, and to keep as many Confederates as possible away from the real seat of war.

In the beginning of May we were hurried to Richmond to meet Stoneman's raid, and to protect the railroads and the bridges over the North and South Anna rivers. From there we went to Han- over Junction, and thence to Fredericksburg (Hamilton's Crossing), early in June. There the brigade was incorporated with Heth's Division, A. P. Hill's (Third) Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, in which relation we continued to the end of the war. When the army took up the line of march which ended at Gettysburg, Petti- grew' s Brigade formed part of it, except the Forty-fourth, Colonel Singeltary, which had been left to guard Hanover Junction, and took a very prominent part in the bloody three-days' fight.

GETTYSBURG.

Heth's Division arrived at Cashtown, nine miles from Gettysburg, June 2Qth, being in advance of the corps. On the 3oth Pettigrew with his brigade was sent to Gettysburg for supplies, but finding a large force of cavalry and infantry there, he was unwilling to hazard an attack with a single brigade, and returned without attempting to