Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 24.djvu/270

 ll No,-/,///

says: " In all my readings of veterans, and of coolness under fire, I have never conceived of anything surpassing the coolness of our men in this fight."

In the "Seven Days' Fight" around Richmond the regiment was next engaged: First, at Mechanicsville, June 26th, in which Colonel Connor was badly wounded; at Ellison's Mill; at Games' Mill, June 2yth, where it won the highest encomiums. General A. P. Hill says of it in his report of the battle: "The i6th North Carolina, Colonel McElroy, and the 22d, Lieutenant-Colonel Gray, at one time carried the crest of the hill, and were in the enemy's camp, but were driven back by overwhelming numbers." And General Fender: " My men fought nobly and maintained their ground with great stubbornness." Next at Frazier's Farm, June 3oth. In this fight the regiment was very conspicuous and suffered severely. Among the killed were Captain Harper and Lieutenant P. E. Charles, of Company E. The latter was bearing the regimental colors at the time, and near him, in a space little more than ten feet square, nine men of the color guard lay dead. Captain Ephraim Bouldin, of Company H, was also killed.

On August Qth the battle of Cedar Mountain was fought. In this engagement the 22d Regiment was charged by a regiment of cavalry which it easily repulsed and punished sharply. Lieutenant Robert W. Cole, of Company E, succeeded Lieutenant Charles as adjutant. The regiment was with Jackson in his battles with Pope of August 28th and 2gth, and bore an active part at Second Manassas on August 3Oth. In these actions it was efficiently commanded by Major C. C. Cole, owing to the extreme sickness of Lieutenant-Colo- nel Gray. Two days later it was again engaged with the enemy at Chantilly, or Ox Hill, fought in a terrible thunder storm, in which the artillery of heaven and of earth seemed to strive in rivalry. The hard service and heavy losses of this campaign may be understood by the fact that at this time there were, out of the twelve field offi- cers of the four regiments of the brigade, but three left on duty with their commands, and some of the companies were commanded by corporals.

Pope, the braggart, had made good use of his ' ' Headquarters in the Saddle " to get out of Virginia, and had learned all about " Lines of Retreat."

The 22d Regiment took part in the reduction and capture of Har- per's Ferry on August i5th, where it remained until the iyth, the day the battle of Sharpsburg was fought. On that day the regiment,