Current Stories(Add Yours):
From Yorktown to Appomattox
 
 
From Yorktown to Appomattox  ( Back to list )
By Jacob Bartlett
I find it a very difficult matter in 1917 to write a record that was made in 1861 to 1865 while memory is the only guide.

The writer enlisted in the confederate service in the year 1861 and was a private in Co. E of the first regiment, N.C. Volunteers. Was drilled on the field at Yorktown, Virginia, where Lord Cornwallis surrendered to Washington and did my first guard duty on the old embankment where the British had been entrenched. Co. E was commanded by W.W McDowell and was the first company to go from Buncombe. At the expiration of six months the first regiment was dis-banded and in the early part of 1862 was reorganized and called the Eleventh or Bethel Regiment.

The Buncombe Rifleman was reorganized by James M. Young who was made Captain and who had the company from the second day of March, 1862 until the ninth day of April, 1865.

Through the summer, fall and winter of 1862 and until the spring of 1863 the 11th or Bethel Regiment was in Eastern N.C. running from place to place and having an occasional skirmish with the enemy, not swarming from place to place in order to get away from the enemy but in order to meet him and as the boys used to say give him the best we had in our shop.

In the fall of the year 1862 we got out of North Carolina into Virginia for a few months and was stationed at Franklin depot which is some where south of Petersburg and on Blackwater River and on the R.R. which leads from Weldon, N.C. to Norfolk, Virginia at which place we gave the enemy a great deal of trouble when he came out of Norfolk to decoy off the Negro and lay his supply of beef, pork and applejack. All of which was plentiful in that part of the Confederacy.

In the early part of the winter of 1862 we were ordered to North Carolina again and on the 16th day of December we met the enemy at a place called White Hall on the Neuse River 18 miles below Goldsboro and in a very short time had him in full retreat toward New Berne leaving his dead and wounded in our care. Very early in the spring of 1863 we were ordered to make another trip down the country. This time it was toward Plymouth in Washington Co., N.C. and somewhere in that low, marshy country at a mill on a stream called Blounts Creek we fell onto the enemy again and gave him a good whipping and a bad scare which was a lot of help on his retreat.

Some time before this i had been promoted to 4th Corporal which put me on the bottom round of the ladder of fame and i sure was proud of those stripes on my coat sleeve. But i must go back and say something more of the battle. Blounts Creek was spanned by a bridge just below the mill dam and Co. K which was Captain Young's Company, was sent to get bridge with orders to wait until the cavalry had all gotten over, then take up the bridge and when the enemy came up fire a volley into his ranks and fall back in order to give artillery a chance to play on him. The orders were all carried out in good style and when the artillery opened fire with grape and canister the enemy soon faced about and left tracks with the heels towards us.

About sundown, which was soon after the firing had ceased, a corporal and three men were asked to volunteer to go beyond the creek and ascertain if possible whether the enemy were all gone or not. I volunteered as Corporal and three men volunteered to go with me. Our orderly Sergeant went with us to select our post and give instructions.

After selecting our position he advanced a few rods but soon returned and said the enemy was just a few rods away and instructed us to keep a very still and keep a sharp lookout and if we should hear any noise like digging or advancing of the enemy to report it to headquarters. We stayed at our post all night and when daylight came there was not a Yankee to be found near us.

With the battle of Blount Creek my war record in N.C. ends and as the spring opens up the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac once more began measuring swords. While the battle rages at Chancellorsville, Va. the 11th or Bethel Regiment is ordered to that scene of bloodshed and carnage. We were entrained somewhere in N.C. and while on our way to Richmond our trains were derailed and we were derailed and failed to join Lee's army until after the battle had ended.

As the 11th Regt. marched through Richmond the old citizens gathered on the sidewalks and asked whose Brigade it was. The answer was "it ain't anybody's brigade it the 11th N.C. Regiment". The old gentlemen would sigh and say its a fine regiment but boys you'll never all get back, which proved to be very true as will be shown later on in this writing.

After Joining Lee's army Pettigrew's Brigade was formed and was composed of the 11th, 26th, 44th, 47th, and 52nd N.C. regiments. Lee's army was encamped on the south side of the Rappahannoc river and Pettiegrew's Brigade was sent down the river about four miles to Taylor's Farm and remained there on picket duty until the army started on the Gettysburg campaign. Whileat Taylor's Farm the writer became sick and was unable to go on the march. The sick were all gathered together at Hamilton's Crossing and sent back to Hanover Junction where we remained a few days and were then sent to Staunton, Va. Some remained in the hospital there and others went down to Harrisonburg. The writer being among the latter remained there ten days, which was my first, last and only experience as a hospital rat during the war.

While at Harrisonburg the news of Gettysburg came and some of the boys were very anxious to rejoin their commands. The doctor refused to discharge them unless they could get a non-commissioned officer to go with them whereupon they asked me to get a discharge from the hospital and go with them, which i did, the doctor telling me at the time that i ought to remain at the hospital longer.

About noon a boy came with a conveyance and we started for Winchesterk, distance of 90 miles. We traveled most of the evening through rain and about sunset reached Mount Jackson, where we spent the night, and about noon the next day we reached Winchester where we were taken charge of by a guard and kept several days. After Lee's army had recrossed the Potomac and encamped on the south side of the river we were permitted to go on and rejoin the army. Then it was that i began to realize that what the citizens of Richmond said was true. The ranks had been thinned until it seemed that only a skeleton of an army had returned.

Co. K of the 11th Regt. lost three lieutenants and almost all of the non-commissioned officers and a great many privates and other companies suffered equally as much. The 26th N.C. Regiment lost 80 percent of the men who went into battle. Colonel Burgwin, who was Colonel of the 26th was killed. The army of the Northern Virginia fell back to the south side of the Rapidan River between Culpepper C.H. and Orange C.H. and make a stand on an elevated position south of the Rapidan River. The Northern army halted on the north side of the river and encamped at the base of Slaughter's Mountain (sometimes called Cedar Mountain) at which place the armies remained until late in the fall when Lee concluded he'd give Gen. Meade's army a surprise party. Everything was gotten ready and men were left at the camp to keep up the fires at night while the army would make a circuitous route and attack the yanks in the rear. After marching nearly three nights and days and being almost in rear of the enemy we found three Yankees, captured two of them and the third made his way to camp and carried the news. Which i suppose was a surprise for they gathered up their belongings and stared double quick for Manassas. Lee's army chased them to Bristol Station, which is on Broad Run and about seven miles south of Manassas. At Broad Run they gave us a little surprise by having a large amount of artillery concealed in an old pine field and a corps of their best troops behind a railroad fill. Gen. Heth's Division of A.P. Hills Corps was thrown into line on top of a ridge and at once started on a charge. As we swept down the slope the enemy opened fire with their artillery and before we reached the enemy's position the center of the division was so badly shattered they couldn't go through the Pettigrew Brigade, being on the extreme left of the division and not so much exposed to the artillery fire, swept on and dislodged the enemy from a portion of R.R. but was in very critical position and was ordered to retreat, which was done in good order. On this occasion the 11th N.C. regiment was on the extreme left of Pettigrew Brigade and while falling back from the R.R> we passed the mangled remains of a large spotted cat and one of Co. K remarked: "Now boys, you can see the horrors of war; here's and old cat shot all to pieces." In this little engagement one N.C. Brigade lost 1300 men in less time than it takes me to write it. We spent the night on the same ground where the first thrown into line of battle with our cartridge boxes for pillows and our guns by our sides, while the Ambulance Corps was bringing the dead and taking care of the wounded. When morning came we started back to our former position near Orange C.H. destroying the R.R. as we came. After reaching Orange C.H. and learning that the enemy had stopped on the north side of the Rapidan River we were permitted to build winter quarters and rest for most of the winter.

While in our winter quarters Gen. Lee began granting leave of absence to his men. The married men first, then the boys. Meanwhile he offered 30 days more to each soldier who would get a recruit to go back with him. The winter was passing away, the married men had been home, and among the boys my time came. I got my 20 days furlough and with one other Co. K started home. We had a lucky trip and reached home in about four days, stayed at home twelve days, and while at home got my recruit and in twelve days from the time i left home to rejoin the army i was home again on thirty days furlough. After my stay at home was ended i returned to the army never expecting to see home again.

It was now in the early part of 1864 and the beeves which the army had brought from Pennsylvania had about all been slaughtered and meat was very scarce but we had a good neighbor who was a free colored gentleman. That colored gentleman owned a small farm, one yoke of oxen, and nice cow. our colored neighbor had done little jobs of hauling for the officers until he had almost got to believe that he was some officer himself and asked for a guard to stay at his house and guard his belongings. Three men were sent from Co. K to guard duty for the colored neighbor. One of the three became tired of his job and came into camp and asked to be relieved, so another man was sent out in his stead. The last man sent was a good forager and in a few days he returned to camp with some plans which he laid before some of the boys and they pronounced his plans good and agreed to work them out.

Our colored neighbor furnished wood for his guards to keep fire and permitted them to spread their blankets on his floor and sleep in front of his fireplace. After having been on guard at our colored neighbors house so long and nothing gone wrong, the guard spread blankets and retired earlier than usual. About 9 o'clock a few of Co. K picked up an axe and took a starlight stroll, an it so happened that they strolled to our colored friend's cow shed, and it may be that the cow tried to bite them. Anyway, they took her a few hundred yards to the corner of the field and some held the cow while one knocked her in the head and all proceeded to dress the beer by starlight. After the beer was dressed the boys returned to camp with three quarters of it. One of the boys came to my shack, woke me, and asked me to go with them after the forth quarter, which i did. After returning with the forth quarter all hands good busy to get the beef hid before daylight. Various methods were used for concealing but all proved to be good. When our colored neighbor went out next morning to feed his stock, his cow failed to answer roll call. As soon as it was light he got on the trail and followed it to where the beef had been dressed and found a memorandum book which belonged to one of Co. K and which he thought revealed the fact that Co. K had borrowed his cow, but it didn't. So he hurried to brigade headquarters to tell about loaning his cow to us and carry the memorandum book to witness that it was Co. K that he had loaned the cow to.

Before breakfast was all over the regimental commanders had received orders to search for fresh beef. The commander of the 11th Regt. informed the company commanders of what was to be done and the officer in command of Co. K told us if we had any beef to hide it. Every one of Co. k was quiet and felt sure the hiding had been sufficiently done. The search was made and not beef found. The Brigade commander was not satisfied and sent one of his staff to search for beef. His search proved fruitless as the first one and he gave up the search but still held the memorandum book. The Brigade quartermaster of the Pettigrew Brigade had been keeping a cow and on the same night that jones loaned us his cow the quartermaster loaned his cow to a Mississippi brigade. Jones' beef was trailed by the blood to about brigade headquarters and the quartermaster's beef from there to the Mississippi Brigade. A search was made in the Mississippi brigade and fresh beef found and they happened to be more liberal then we and just paid for both beeves.

The next thing to be done was to outgeneral the General and recover the lost memorandum book. So a few of us got our heads together, drew up a certificate certifying that the man had lost the book while rabbit hunting and that we had heard him inquiring for the book before the negro's cow was killed and we worked to make it appear that some member of the Mississippi brigade had found the book and that they and not we had killed our neighbor's cow and though that by leaving the book where the cow was killed that they would not be suspicioned and that we would have the cow to pay for, but we didn't.

Shortly after devouring the rations which we drew from our colored comissary, some of the boys began looking around to see where the next meat would come from and found a large steer in a field with a a chain around his horns. The finder came in and reported what he had found and about 9 o'clock at night several of the boys went out to get more beef. After a short hunt over the field they found the steer, caught him, led him to the woods, tied him to a tree and one of the boys selected to knock him in the head with a hatchet. After a few blows had been stuck the old steer stared bawling and the boys, fearing someone might discover them, left the old fellow tied to the tree and went back to camp. After four days had passed the same boy who first found the old steer went back to the place where they tied him to the tree and he was still there, just as they had left him. The boys were not in the habit of being outdone and this time went with a falling axe instead of a hatchet and one who had some experience killing beeves was selected to knock the old steer in the head. About the third lick the chain broke off the old steer's head and he ran away from the boys, leaving them empty handed and feeling themselves a little bit out done.

The winter of 63 and 64 passed without much trouble between the two armies. Gen. Grant had been placed in command of the Northern army. Gen. Lee's army had gotten rest and was recruited until it made a good show. On the 4th day of May, 1864, we broke camp and began moving toward the wilderness to meet the enemy, who had crossed the Rapidan River. On the morning of the 5th of may we met the Yankees in the wilderness. Gen. Kirkland had been put in command of the Pettigrew Brigade which was thrown in front and opened the battle of the wilderness which lasted nearly three days and in which Co. K lost several men.

After Grant had moved his army i went to the front and in rear of Grant's battle line and found that he had moved away without burying his dead, many of whom had been killed the first day and carried a short distance to the rear. The were laid in rows and one could have walked over acres of ground and stepped over dead Yankee every step.

When Grant reached Spottsylvania C.H. he found Lee in front of him again. In the battle of Spottysylvania C.H. Co. K lost one Lieutenant killed, one Sergeant killed, and several men wounded. I had been promoted from the rank of 4th corporal to sergeant and after the battle of Spottsylvanis C.H. was 1st Sergeant of Co. K until the end of the war.

After the battle of Spottsylvania C.H. fighting was almost a everyday occurrence and sometime in June, 1864, we fought the second battle of Cold Harbor in which i was slightly wounded on the chin, it being the first, last and only wound i received during the war.

General Kirkland was wounded in the battle of Cold Harbor and Colonel McRea of Cocke's Brigade was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and placed in command of the Pettigrew Brigade. The two armies kept moving and fighting until they were in front of Petersburg, after which there was not so much marching, but lots of fighting, digging and shoveling dirt done.

While in front of Petersburg, after which there was a Confederate battery which gave the Yankees trouble and Grant thought that if he could get it out of the way he could take the city. he could not take it by storm for he had tried that. Finally he concluded he'd tunnel under it and blow it out of his way. So he put his men to work, make an loaded the tunnel, sent part of his army to the north side of the James River in order to draw a part of Lee's army from Petersburg. Grant's plans all worked out well this far and part of Lee's army was North of the James river and part in front of Petersburg and a part of Grant's army north of the James River and a part in front of Peterburg and the North Carolinians were holding their election and electing the immortal Zeb Vance for governor of North Carolina and at the same time supporting the battery that was so much in Grant's way.

Suddenly there was an explosion and the guns and gunners were blown in almost all directions, a charge was made and about one-quarter of a mile of works taken. But after the Tarheels recovered from their shock they rallied, retook the works and buried the dead Yankees, Both white and colored in the crater.

McRea's Brigade was placed at and near the crater and remained there 14 days, which was the most uncomfortable 14 days i spent during the four years of the war, one-third of the boys required to be an the embankment all the time, keeping up continual firing of small arms in order to keep the enemy from advancing, while they were doing the same thing in order to keep us from advancing, and every morning at 3 o'clock the artillery of both sides would open fire and keep it up until daylight. Almost all times of the day the enemy were dropping bombs form their mortar guns into our trenches and boys who were not on duty in the ditch would settle into the bombproofs which were made by digging holes in the earth, covering them with timber and heaping dirt on the timber like a potato pit.

The only amusement we had during those 14 days was shooting green walnuts off a tree which stood in front of us, and double charging our guns and shooting at an occasional Yankee which we could see at a distance to our right. Every time we would kindle a fire in order to make us some Growley, which was composed of fried meat grease, crackers and water, the Yankees would begin shooting at the smoke and knock our growley full of dirt. The only way of going away from there, (except for eternity) was through a covered ditch which led from out works to a ravine which was about one-forth of a mile in our rear. After remaining in that place of torment 14 days we were relieved and went out through the covered ditch to the ravine where we were formed in regular order and started on the march to we knew not where, it being in the night time and very dark. none of us had slept much in 14 nights and i went to sleep several times while on march that night. Sometime in the night we went into a skirt of woods, halted, spread blankets, lay down and slept until 8 o'clock the next morning. We happened to be near a cornfield so we took some of the rails from the fence, built fires, went into the field and gathered roasting ears for breakfast, took off about half the shuck and laid the ears on the fire to roast, but before they were done we were ordered to fall into line. We advanced about half way across the cornfield and there was such an artillery duel going on we were haled and ordered to lie down. Again we were ordered forward and advanced to the woods. Captain Young was ordered to take command of the left wing of the regiment and move to the left in order to not be so much exposed to the artillery fire. After moving to the left, Captain Young had me and one other boy to take an advanced position on a road in the woods. After being at our advanced position a short time we heard men talking in front of us and hear low rattle of canteens and we though Yankees were coming in force and when they came there only two of them, each one leaded with canteens of fresh water. We took our Yanks to the rear, divided the canteens among the boys, delivered the prisoners to the rear guard and went back to our positions. Late in the evening we were reinforced, made an advance, took about 3000 prisoners and moved back toward Petersburg. Hancock's Corps of Grant's army had took possession of the R.R. about 25 miles south of Petersburg at Reems station. heath's Division of the A.P Hill Corps was sent to drive him away. We arrived at Reems Station on the 26th day of August, drove the enemy away, took 2100 prisoners, eleven stands of colors and 21 pieces of artillery and returned the next day feeling proud of what we had done.

Captain Young was wounded in the battle of Reems Station and there being no other commissioned officer with the company it fell to my lot to take command. The boys and i did the best we knew until our Captain recovered and returned. During the absence of our Captain we were in several battles and never failed to make a good record. Before our Captain returned our Colonel was wounded and there being no other field officer in the regiment and Captain Young being senior Captain was, on his return, placed in command of the regiment and was in command of the regiment most of the time until the we were routed from Petersburg, and while he commanded the regiment i was in command of Co. K. The Yankees had got in possession of the Weldon R.R. and were extending their lines toward the South Side R.R. in order to capture it and cut off our supplies. One evening in November we were sent across Hatchers Run to give them more trouble. Soon after we crossed the stream, we found them behind an old rail fence at the edge of a field and our rifles and the rebel yell both began to ring at the same time and in a very few minutes those of them that could go were in the woods at the other side of the field. While crossing the field we passed a field battery of six guns which was of no benefit to us, for there was only the guns, except they had failed to take away on caison. So two of Co. K mounted the horses and soon landed it on the other side of the creek. The artillery men had taken all the other horses with their caisons, limber chests and ammunition and gone to the woods. After reaching the opposite side of the field from where we first struck the Yankees we discovered that we had only knocked a gap out of the Yankee line and that the two ends were closing together behind us. Then the next thing to do in order to escape Point Lookout or some other place of torment, was to face about, make another charge and show them that the trap wouldn't hold us. We had gone far on the second charge until one of Co. K was wounded and being near me asked me to help him out. I assisted him a short distance and found that we were passing the cannon the second time and i turned him loose, got a sassafras sprout from which i took a piece with which i spiked one of the cannons and took my place again in the ranks and my wounded comrade got out all right.

Just before reaching the rail fence where we first struck the Yankees one of their artillery officers rode up behind us carrying the artillery flag and trying to rally his men to their guns again, and a shower of bullets from our rifles cut the flag staff in two just above his hand and whether he was killed or only wounded i don't know. No one went back to see.

After this little trouble we built our winter quarters and spend the better part of 1864 and the early part of 1865 about four miles south of Petersburg. Most of the winter was spend in strengthening our fortifications and getting ready for the next spring's campaign. Our enlistment was for three years or the way, and about the first of March, 1865, our three years had expired but the war had not ended and we were asked to reenlist. The 11th Regiment was formed in regular order on the parade ground, the Colors were placed a few paces in front and the regiment was called by companies to form on the colors, that is all who were willing to enlist. The conscript law had been in force for some time and the Confederate States and most of the boys would rather be called a volunteer than a conscript, but when Co. K was called forward to form on the Colors i was the only boy who went. I am not writing this to make the impression that i was the only brave boy in the Company, for i was not, but i did prefer the name volunteer rather than conscript. This was my third time to volunteer since the war began, and for this and other acts I was offered a commission as Lieutenant but refused to accept it for the reason that a commissioned officer was not allowed to carry a gun in battle and I didn't want the Yankees shooting at me and me with nothing to shoot back at them.

Grant had extended his line to Lee's right until Lee had only one man to every nine fee of space, which made the line at the main breastworks very little stronger than the picket line.

On the night of the first of April, 1865, the Yankees reinforced their picket line and kept up a continual firing until about daybreak, when their main column advanced and took most of our pickets. Only a few escaped to bring the news that the Yankees were advancing. On our left they came with a tremendous yell, while in our front they were advancing without noise. We directed our fire toward the noise, it not being light enough to see those in our front. My attention was so much attracted to the left that the Yankees were coming over the breastworks about four rods to my right before i knew they were there. I looked around and saw that there was no one there but me and the Yankees and i might not have known they were there if they had not been yelling and shooting at the boys who ran before i did.

Well, i felt very light and was anxious to see how fast i could run and i set out for a foot race and when i quit running i looked back and couldn't see a Yankee anywhere. Well, i know i ran fast for the balls they shoot at me never overtook me and as i passed the ones they shot before i started i could hear them whistling through the air.

Richmond and Petersburg were both gone and so was i. And i kept going. Late in the evening i called at an old gentleman's house and asked if i could get breakfast with him and he said i could if i could wait a few minutes, and i waited. In a few minutes a darky handed me a slice of boiled ham and a piece of hot hoecake which i took in my hand and went on with the others who were carrying their boiled ham and hoecake and eating as they went. It was late breakfast but it was good. On the 4th of April i got with the army and we all kept together until the 9th. On the 9th Lee surrendered and at the surrender my war record ended.


/S/ J.S. Bartlett
Co. E, 1st Regt., N.C. Volunteers
Co. K, 11th Regt., N.C. Troops
 
Submitted By:  Brent Kennedy( Retyped for your reading pleasure )
 
 
Add Your Story  ( Back to list )
Title:
Author:
Submitter:
Story: (I suggest you create/format the story in word and then copy/paste it into the window below.)