Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 25.djvu/341

 On May 19, 1862, the regiim-nt was ordered to Tarboro. North C.irolina. thence it proceeded to < invnville, North Carolina, and for a few weeks was cn^.i^cd in oiit|)ost and picket duty in that section of th<- St.ttt, during which time it participated in no affair of conse- quence, save the skirmish at Tranter's Creek, which, though other- wise unimportant, was to the regiment most unfortunate, in that its accomplished commander lost his lilt.

From eastern North Carolina the regiment was ordered to Virginia and there assigned to the brigade of General J. Johnston Pettigrew, one of the very ablest commanders of the Army of Northern Vir- ginia. Not only the 44th regiment, but the entire brigade, which consisted of five regiments the nth. North Carolina, the 26th North Carolina, the 44th North Carolina, the 4jth North Carolina, and the 52nd North Carolina, felt the impress of his soldierly qualities. Itjl was ever a matter of regret to the officers and men of the regiment that no opportunity was offered them of manifesting their apprecia- tion of his great qualities by their conduct on the battlefield under his immediate command. The other regiments of his brigade were with him at Gettysburg and contributed to his imperishable renown by their steadfast valor, but the 44th North Carolina whilst en route, was halted at Hanover Junction, Virginia, to guard the railroad con- nections there entering, and thus protecting General Lee's commu- nications with Richmond. Colonel T. C. Singletary with two companies, remained at the Junction. Major Charles M. Stedman, with four companies, commanded north of the Junction and the bridges of the Fredericksburg, and of the Central (now C. & O.), Railroad across the South Anna and the Little River, four in number, were entrusted to Lieutenant-Colonel Hargrove, who posted one company at each bridge, remaining personally with Company A, at Central's bridge, across the South Anna, the post of the greatest danger.

On the morning of the 26th of June, 1863, the Federal troops, consisting of the nth Pennsylvania Cavalry, two companies of a California cavalry regiment and two pieces of artillery, about 1,500 all included, commanded by Colonel, afterwards General Spear, ap- peared before Lieutenant-Colonel Hargrove and his small force of forty men, stationed in a breastwork on the south side of the river, built to be manned by not less than 400 men. Before Colonel Spear made his first attack, Lieutenant-Colonel Hargrove abandoned the breastwork as being entirely untenable by so small a force, fell back to the north side of the river, posted his men under cover along the