Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 24.djvu/342

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rear, and it was attacked by fresh troops before General Ramseur could come to its assistance. It subsequently joined in the charge which drove the enemy from " Fairview " and the " Chancellorsville House," where it was much amused at that great cavalier, General Stuart, singing, "Old Joe Hooker, Get Out the Wilderness," while the battle was raging. Its loss was twelve officers, and seventy-seven men.

Later, having replenished itself with ammunition, it went to the support of General Colquitt, on the extreme left. There it witnessed the most harrowing scene of the war. The woods, already filled with sulphurous smoke, had been set on fire by the enemy's shells. The dropped rifles of the dead and wounded and the enemy's shells with imperfect fuses, exploded in every direction as the flames swept over them ; the dead of both armies were being burnt to a crisp, and the helpless Federal wounded begged to be taken out of the line of the rapidly approaching and devouring fire. The brigade itself was forced to halt to let the flames sweep over the ground where it was ordered to form, and when it did form the ground was uncomfort- ably hot. That night it literally slept in ashes under those charred scrub oaks, and when it was ordered back next day, it afforded great amusement to its more fortunate comrades, for never was there seen in .any army a dirtier and blacker set of brave men from the gen- eral down. As General Lane lay in the ashes that night a pretty little Yankee dog, branded "Co. K," persisted in making friends with him. In all the subsequent movements of the troops in Jack- son's Corps that little dog kept his eye on the " Little General " and followed him back to camp where he became a great pet at brigade headquarters. He proved to be a splendid little fighter.

After this battle the regiment returned to ' ' Camp Gregg ' ' at ' ' Moss Neck ' ' below Fredericksburg, where it remained until the 5th of June, 1863.

Crossing the Potomac at Shepherdstown on the 25th of June, it reached Gettysburg the ist of July. It behaved as it had always done in the first day's fight at that place, when Lane's Brigade was ordered from the centre .of A. P. Hill's line to "the post of honor " on the right to protect that flank of the army from the enemy's cav- alry while it fought his infantry in front.

On the 2d day of July it was under a heavy artillery fire several times during the day, and its skirmishers displayed great gallantry.

It took a very conspicuous part in the so-called Pickett's charge of the 3d of July. The brigade occupied the left of the imperfect