by J. W. Evans, Corporal, Company D
The regiment was organized in July, 1863, with the following Field and Staff officers:
JAMES W. HINTON, of Pasquotank, Colonel. He had been Lientenant-Colonel of the Eighth Regiment.
EDWARD C. YELLOWLEY, of Pitt, Lieutenant-Colonel who had served also in the Eighth Regiment as Major.
Jos. I. Edwards, of Hertford County, was Major and on his resignation Apnl, 1864, William H. Bagley of Pasquotank, Captain of Company A, of the Eighth Regiment succeeded. On the resignation of the latterm June 1864 Willis B. Sanderlin, of Camden, Captain Company B, was promoted to Major.
JOSEPH W. HINTON, of Pasquotank, Adjutant.
JNO. W. SESSOMS, of Bertie, A. Q. M.
LEWIS C. LAWRENCE, of Hertford County, A. C. S.
JNO. W. HUTCHINGS was Surgeon and was succeeded by Thomas M. Nixon.
JESSE C. SHANNON, Assistant Surgeon, succeeded by J. T. F. Cummings.
COMPANY A-From Pasqtiot.ank-Captains, John T. Elliott and Thomas H. Tamplin. First Lieutenant, Wm. J. Munden; Second Lieutenants, Thomas H. Tamplin and Andrew J. Turner.
COMPANY B-From Camden--Captains, Willis B. Sanderlin and F. M. Halstead; First Lieutenant, F. M. Halstead; Second Lieutenants, Enoch Stephens and Willis Morrisett.
COMPANY C-From Camden-Captain, Caleb B. Walston. First Lieutenant, William P. Walston.
COMPANY D-From Hertford-Captains, Hillary Taylor and Levi Askew. First Lieutenants, Levi Askew and Wm. P. Taylor; Second Lieutenants, Wm. P. Taylor and David A. Parker.
COMPANY E-From Hertford-Captain, Langley Tayloe. First Lieutenant, Benj. B. Williams (of Bertie) ; Second Lieutenants, John Britt and Joseph Holloman.
COMPANY F-From Bertie--Captains, John T. Mebane and Wm. M. Sutton. First Lieutenants, W. M. Sutton and James A. Leary; Second Lieutenants. James A. Leary, VanBuren White and Nehemiab Bunch.
COMPANY G-From Pasquotank-Captain, Cyrus W. Grandy. First Lieutenant, Benjamin MeHorney; Second Lieutenant, Francis B. Sykes.
COMPANY H-From Chowan-Captain, Richard Keogh. First Lieutenant, Richard Keogh; Second Lieutenants, Jas. C. Warren and James McCoy.
COMPANY I-From Gates-Captains, H. H. L. Bond and W. M. Daughtry. First Lieutenant, W. M. Daughtry; Second Lieutenants, Richard B. Odom and Thos. B. Walton.
COMPANY K--From Hertford-Captain, Simon B. Poole. First Lieutenants, Geo. W. Thompson and John A. Parker. Second Lieutenants, John A. Parker and Cadmus Capehart.
There were changes among the officers and the names of some officers are omitted, but they can not now be recalled by the writer.
Colonel Hinton was a prominent lawyer and orator and after the war removed to Norfolk, where he died. Lieutenant Colonel Yellowley was also a prominent lawyer at Greenville and in early manhood had, under great provocation, killed a man in a duel, an event which was thought to have saddened his whole life. Major Bagley was after the war for many years clerk of our Supreme Court. He married the daughter of Governor Worth and was the father of Worth Bagley, the gallant young officer of the United States Navy who fell at Cardenas in 1898 in the beginning of our war with Spain.
The writer cannot recall the date of his enlistment in what became afterwards Company D, of the Sixty-eighth Regiment, North Carolina Troops, but it was at a X roads about five miles from Harrellsville, Hertford County, N. C., better known as Bethlehem Baptist Church, and where Watson Lewis, Ir., resided and kept a store, and it was in this store house that I signed the muster roll and that Watson Lewis, Jr., witnessed my signature, about thirty-eight years ago, then not being quite 18 years of age.
The names of the field and staff officers of the Sixty-eighth and the commissioned officers of the several companies recorded in Moore's Roster and above recited are familiar and most of the officers are yet well remembered.
Being clerk of the Superior Court of Dare county at the time the Roster was filed in the office and not finding the names of the privates of the several companies of the Sixty-eighth Regiment recorded therein, I felt much surprised and cannot yet understand why a record of the field, staff and com- missioned officers of the companies could be found and no roll of the privates.
I therefore deem it proper to mention here the names of as many of my comrades as I can remember of the company to which I belonged, viz.: COMPANY D--First Sergeant, John B. Slaughter; Second Sergeant, John H. Perry; First Corporal, William Downing; Fourth Corporal, John W. Evans; Fifer, Bartimeus Wiggins; Drummer, Joseph Willoughby. Privates: John Downing, Thomas H. Evans, Judson L. Evans; George W. Perry, Jos. Perry (brothers), John Chambray, Julius I. Hayes, Perry Mitehell, John W. Simons, Richard Baker, Joseph Baker, Wm. H. Fley, John Baker, Sr., Travis I. Taylor, Francis L. Evans, Freeman Evans, Thomas T. Taylor, Dewitt C. Miller, Simeon P. Saiinders, Frank Saunders, Kindred Hollomon, William Hays, Henry Mitchell, Henry C. Sharp, Horatio Taylor, Samuel M. Aumack, Joseph Davidson, Z. W. Lassiter, George W. Valentine, Henry D. Harrell, Daniel Barnes, all of Hertford county; Richard Rountree, James T. Parish, James Brinkley, of Gates county; Samuel M. Pearce, Simon Todd, Moses Todd, of Bertie county.
This company was encamped for a few months at the Bethlehem church during which time the United States transports which were provided with gnns equal to the capacity of the vessel plied the Chowan river and a squad of about thirty of the company were sent out m command of Captain Hillary Taylor and Major Joseph J Edwards, to learn of the inovements of these vessels and also to aid those who were en gaged in bringing bacon and live hogs across the river from Chowan county for the commissary. Being on the hillside of the river at Coleraine, Bertie county, we saw a large sidewheel steanier steaming down the river and Major Edwards desiring to test our accuracy with our new Enfield rifles, commanded us to occasionally fire at the steamer, which caused her commander to bring her within about three-quarters of a mile of the shore when she fired a small shell at us that came directly over our beads and exploded which created some confusion; but being able to secrete ourselves behind the hills, we were lost to view and the steamer soon sped away with no casualties to either side. This was our first experience. We returned to camp, and soon thereafter at about 1 o'clock, a.m., the beat of the long roll aroused our slumbers, orders were given to be in readiness for marching at once, and the company was hurriedly marched to Harrellsville.
The Federals in the meantime bad invaded the village before we could get there, their supposed purpose being to capture bacon and other commissary stores and commit the usual depredations on the citizens.
Our company being only a squad and not knowing the strength of the enemy, our officers did not deem it wise to make a charge in blank darkness but being acquainted with the location of the village they flanked it, and in doing so aroused a suspicion of the enemy's picket guard, that fired a scattering ball at our shadow, but without doing any execution or locating our whereabouts. When we had reaced a position to make a surpise attack on them, should they return to the place whence they came before the dawn of day, a miraculous incident occurred. One of our comrades, Mr. Geo. W. Valentine, an elderly man, had lagged considerably in the rear and upon his advance, was discovered by some of our men who commanded him to halt, but the old gentleman not being well drilled in military tactics and this being his first experience in a skirmish, paid no attention to the command and continued his advance that caused, to his great surprise, a volley of bullets fired at him, but fortunately was not hit, and was recognized only when he cried out: "In the name of God, are you going to kill me."
Thus having made our location known to the enemy, a hasty retreat was necessary. We made our way through the fields in the darkness until we reached a pine thicket about one and a half miles down the road towards the river, and there awaited the return of the enemy, with breathless silence until near 10 o'clock, a. m., when their approach brought us to arms. The road was full for quite a distance with the soldier enemy in advance of their pillaged plunder, (consisting of negroes of both sexes, and every size and age, horses and vehicles of every kind and even the contents of the wardrobes of our best people). We gave them a volley that demoralized them and put them to flight toward the river where the vessels were lying awaiting their return. Still not knowing their strength we did not advance upon them, but took a quick step retreat to where there was no danger. Returning to our camp, we passed through the village and viewed the smouldering remains of several valuable buildings and other property.
Shortly thereafter we were moved and put in quarters for the remainder of the winter and spring near Jackson, Northampton county, N. C., where the companies from Princess Anne county, Va., Curritnek; Camden, Pasquotank, Chowan, Gates and Bertie counties and two other companies from our own Hertford County, joined us. We were there organized into the Sixty Eighth Regiment.
No accident or incident occurred while in quarters at the above named place. On or about 1 May 1864, the regiment was moved to Weldon, and only remained a short time; but during the stay there a young officer by the name of Stockton, from the central part of the State, who had but a short time previous joined the regiment, was drowned in Roanoke river while taking a swim, and so far as this writer knows, his remains were never recovered. On 1 June, 1864, the regiment then at Weldon reported 548 present. 108 Vol. Official Records Union and Confederate Armies, p. 988.
From this point the regiment was sent in July to Morganton, N.C., to protect property and citizens. W arrived there only a few days too late to meet a hand of bushwhacking guerrillas known as Kirk's army. They had made a raid on an encampment of Junior Reserves about three miles from Morganton, near the then terminus of the Western North Carolina Railroad, and on 28 June had captured more than one hundred of them. Hon. W. W. Avery was killed in the pursuit of Kirk's army. Their attack upon the Juniors was made in a silent hour of night.
After we had been encamped for awhile where the Juniors had been, the Ron. Zebulon B. Vance, who was canvassing the State for the gubernatorial chair for a second term, paid us a call and made an address in his own humorous way. After having delivered his speech relating to public affairs, he said that he was glad that he had had the pleasure of meeting us, and complimented our healthy, stalwart soldierly appearance, and said that he hoped no one of the regiment would have to be sent to the hospital for want of drinking water, as we were from the eastern part of the State, for he had been informed that we had searched the hill and mountain sides, and even the valleys, for tadpole water to drink. This was too much for us to bear, our Colonel Hinton thought, without a retort, who was much like the Governor for wit and humor, and so he related a story that went without contradiction. He said that shortly after the outbreak of the war, while Roanoke Island was being fortified, an additional force of troops being necessary, it happened that the troops sent were from the western part of our State. When the steamer that transported them, having made the run down the Albemarle sound in the night time, at the dawn of day came in view of the island, the troops arousing from their slumbers, begau taking a view of their surroundings and discovered the men at the fort on the island getting ont to their work with wheelbarrows. One of them called ont to his comrade and exclaimed: "Boys, have those few men over yonder dug this great ditch already?" and then the Governor surrendered himself amidst the cheers of the men, and said he was captured.
Shortly after this event preparations were made under marching orders to raid the section of country from which Kirk's army caine, and each comrade being provided with as many rations as he could carry, together with a soldier's other equipment, we moved under command of our Lientenant-Colonel. E. C. Yellowley, and went along the line most of the way as far as graded, of the \Vestern North Carolina Railroad then turned off and crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains via Bakersville, the county seat of Mitchell County, and on into Tennessee, known as the Crab Apple section. We then returned on ucarly the same line of march as we went. Nothing was accomplished so far as the writer has any knowledge, further than to make an impression upon the people that it would not be wise on the part of Kirk's army to make another raid as herein refcrred to. We did not meet an opposing foe nor were attacked save one gun shot that was fired by an enemy in ambush, that was impenetrable at night by rcason of tIle campfires that shone against the thickest forest that ever grew on a mountain side, and no pursuit could be made. The shot fired took effect in the thigh of the camp servant of Lieutenant W. P. Taylor, who was lying on a log bench by a campfire, hut the wound proved to be of no consequence.
The marching over the rocky roads was hard to endure, yet the picturesque mountain scenery, the good water, milk, butter and honey that was found in great abundance, will ever be remembered by the members of the Sixty-eighth Regiment.
Shortly after our return to camp near Morganton, the regiment was ordered to Salisbury, N. C., to gnard a large number of Federal prisoners. Upon our arrival the ground within the prison was covered with men and within three days they had dug themselves holes in the ground covering the entrance to each with a little mound, so that they were most completely protected from the open air and weather. The hardship, disease and death among that mass of human beings this writer prays never to witness again.
We had no casualty or death in our ranks during the time of our service around the Salisbury prison, save the accident that occurred to James P. Roberts, of Company I, in the old prison building. When on guard duty he unthoughtedly, with his right arm resting on the muzzle of his rifle, with his foot fired the rifie which shattered his arm and caused its amputation.
Remained at Salisbury until about the first of December, l864, when we were ordered to the eastern part of the State, tlie first stop, as the writer remembers, was at Halifax, where we remained for a few days only. Thence the command was sent to Tarboro, N. C., but only remained a short time.
It being learned that the Federals were advancing from tbe vicinity of Plymouth, N. C., to make an attack on the fort at Rainbow Banks, near Hamilton, N. C., we were ordered on a hasty march in the afternoon of 12 December, 1864, and marched with an occasional rest till dark, when a beautiful pine thicket was reached. Orders were given to rest, as was supposed, for the night. The temperature was falling to a low point; yet the weather was clear, and being very tired, we were very soon snugly retired in beds of new pine straw as comfortably as any squad of soldiers ever enjoyed; but at the hour of midnight, our sound and happy slumbers was disturbed by the beat of the long roll, which all knew meant to be in readiness quickly, and then orders were given to march. At that hour it had become very cold, the road-bed was frozen hard and a marah of about ten miles was made without a rest. At Butler's bridge, two miles from Hamilton, four companies of the Seventieth North Carolina (First Junior Reserves) and two companies of the Sixty-fifth (Sixth Cavalry) and a section of Lee's (Ala.) battery, all under Lieutenant-Colonel C. W. Broadfoot of the Seventieth had been stationed at a creek, crossing the public road. The enemy, piloted by some buffaloes (traitors), crossed the creek below and took our troops at the bridge in the rear. We had turned off from the main road from Tarboro to Williamston in order to come in by Hamilton to reinforce from the rear our troops at Butler's Bridge. After' passing through or near the village of Hamilton, our regiment wearing long cape overcoats, and it being just before the dawn of day, to the surprise of officers and men, we found that we were marching side by side with the enemy. Lieutenant-Colonel Yellowley and the Colonel or officer commanding the Federal troops, were riding side by side. Yellowley supposed the other horseman was Colonel Hinton's body servant who was riding an extra horse of Colonel Hinten. He did not discover to the contrary until the Federal officer gave a command to the person riding by his side, supposing him to be his courier. Colonel Yellowley not obeying the command, caused a suspect that there was a jumble. Immediately the two Colonels separated, each commanding the attention of his troops, and a face to face skirmish took place. Several shots were fired, each side capturing some of their own men as prisoners. Having come together in the way described, and the most of the enemy gotten in advance of us, we had to fall back; but the troops at Butler's bridge, though flanked both front and rear, escaped by the fact that the cavalry being dismounted for skirmishing their horses which were held in the rear were stampeded by the sudden firing behind them broke loose and charged across the bridge. The enemy in front were stampeded by this, supposing we were advancing in force and our foroes saved themselves by crosing over and turning to the right up the road to Tarhoro. The enemy to the left going back towards Spring Green church. Colonel Hinton, however, who was at the Sherrod house, unknowing of these movements, was captured, as was his brother, Joseph W. Hinton, our Adjutant. But Adjutant Hinton made his escape after the break of day. The enemy at daylight fell back to Spring Green on the road to Williainston our forces following and driving them further.
Then only a short time had elapsed when the regiment was ordered to a point just below Kinston, N. C., to reinforce General Hoke's command at a place known as Cobb's Mill, and here a heavy battle, the battle of South West Creek or Wise's Forks, 8 arid 9 March, 1865, was fought. Our regiment was in the division of General Hoke and several of the regiment were killed and wounded. After this event the regiment was moved to a bridge across the Neuse river a short distance beyond Goldsboro, N. C., and there remained till the Federal forces had advanced from Kinston and stopped on the opposite side of the river for a night and day. At this place there was a little skirmish engagement. The bridge was burned and two or three of the regiment were wounded. Then a movement was made eastward, making no permanent stop at any place during which time orders were given to the officers of the several companies to return with their men to the respective communities in which they were mustered, seize and take from any neighbor a horse, where he had more than one, for the purpose of mounting each member of their companies and re-enlisting them into cavalry service. But while these orders were being carried into effect the information came that the chief commander of the army, General R. E. Lee, had surrendered. And thus each member of the several companies being at home, remained, with all the paraphernalia of a soldier without being discharged or mustered out of service in accordance with military rule and so in the month of April, 1865, the career of the Sixty-eighth Regiment, North Carolina State Troops, came to an end.
The writer deems it proper since the Roster of the NorthCarolina Troops fails to give the names of the privates and non-commissioned officers of the several companies of the Sixty-eighth Regiment, to mention the names of a portion of two companies, as remembered by Mr. B. T. Daniel, a native of Roanoke Island, who is still living. He says that two other companies besides those above named were enlisted in the counties of Beaufort and Hyde, and belonged to the Sixty-eighth Regiment, and were supplied with gans, ammunition and all of a soldier's equipment, and that they were kept in these crnmties to watch the movements of the enemy, and that Laban Bridgeman was their Acting Quartermaster, through whom their military supplies were furnished and that they signed the quarterly pay rolls and same was forwarded to headquarters by Quartermaster Bridgeman, and also says that if the companies were designated by letters' that he don't remember them.
The names given and the county in which they resided at the time of enlistment are as follows:
E. S. Swindell, Captain, and William N. Spencer, Captain, both of Hyde County; William Windley, First Lieutenant, Beaufort county; Benjamin Boomer, Second Lientenant, Hyde county; Dave Credle, Junior Second Lieutenant, Hyde county.
Elisha Credle, Sergeant, Beaufort county; Joseph Baum, Sergeant, Hyde county; Samuel Jones, Corporal, Hyde county; Josephus Flinn, Corporal, Beanfort county.
PRIVATES.-Jas. Pledger, Saunders Smith, William Williams, William Davis, John Swindell, Willis Williams, Nathaniel Gibbs, Frank O'Neal, Morgan O'Neal, David Johnson, David Gibbs, Stanley O'Neal, Richard Daniels, Jesse W. Daniels, Frank Bell, George Boyd, of Hyde county; John Whitniey, of Beaufort county; John Bell, Mvin Swindeil, Asa Voliver, James Sadler, Joseph Spender, Alexander Gibbs, Thomas Watson, Hyde county; B. T. Daniel, Amos R. Etheridge, Daniel B. Austin, John W. Meekins, Samuel D. Hooker, Dare county; Edward Burgess, Frank Credle, Hyde county; William O. Resapass, Fenner Respass, Beaufort county; names of other officers and men of these two companies are not now recalled.
JNO. W. EVANS
MANTEO, N. C.,
30 MAY, 1901.
By W. T. CAHO, FOURTH SERGEANT, COMPANY C.
As there seems to be no record of this company on file in the Adjutant-General's office, the writer has undertaken to give a brief history of it. Thirty-six years having elapsed since the war between the States ended, and the writer being less than 18 years of age at the close of hostilities, and less than 16 years of age when he entered the service in this company, the history of the company will necessarily be brief and liable to have omitted a good many facts that would be of value and importance in its history.
This company was raised or recruited near by and around Goldsboro, N. C., by Wiliam R. Bass, who had formerly held a commission as Second Lieutenant in Company I, Thirty-fifth Regiment, in the winter of 1862 and 1868. The officers first commissioned by the State for this company were: Captain, W. R. Bass; Redden C. Barden, First Lieutenant formerly Second Lieutenant Company K, Twenty-seventh North Carolina; Josiah W. Smith, Second Lieutenant, formerly a private in Company K, Twenty-seventh North Carolina; and Erastus Smith, Junior Second Lieutenant. All of the officers were from Wayne county, and from the Nahunta and Saulston sections of the county. The company was first raised or recruited as a company of Partisan Rangers. Soon after its formation it was assigned to Major J. H. Nethercutt's Battalion (Eighth) and remained with that command until the formation of the Sixty-sixth Regiment by the uniting of Moora's and Nethercutt's Battaliona, which took place in the latter part of the summer of 1863.
Upon the formation of the Sixty-eighth Regimnent, this company was not included in the regiment, hut assigned to duty at some obstructions on the Cape Fear river a few miles below Wilmington, then known as Batteries or Forts Lee, Davis, Campbell and Meares. While here the company performed duty as heavy artillerists and infantry, furnishing details for train gnards on the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad, the Wilmington & Manchester Railroad, and the river steamers that plied the Cape Fear river from Wilmington to Fayetteville, and from Wilmingtoh to Smithville, Fort Caswell and other points on the lower Cape Fear river, besides other provost duties in Wilmington. Some time in the fall of 1864, this company was assigned to the Sixty-eighth Regiment of North Carolina Troops as Company C, and after the fall of Fort Fisher and the evacuation 0œ Wilmington in January, 1865, this company was ordered to join the regiment which was then encamped on the Roanoke river near Fort Branch, below the town of Hamilton.
There we first joined the regiment and found it under the command of Edward C. Yellowley, Leutenant-Colonel, of Pitt County. Relnaining there for a few days the regiment was ordered to Williamston, N. C., to gather in some coinmissary stores at that point; from there the regiment was ordered to Tarbero, thence to Goldsboro, and from Goldsboro to Kinston, N. C., where we met the advance of General Schofield's army on their line of march from New Bern to Goldsboro to form a junction with General Sherman. We met General Schofield at Wise's Fork or Cobb's Mill, a few miles from Kinston, on the New Bern road, and the regiment was engaged in that fight 8 and 9 March, 1865. We suffered some losses. I do not remeber all of them. Ed. Sasser, of our company, was wounded in the army; Wm. Taylor of Wilson, in the leg and one _____ Reid of Company I was wounded. They were on the sharpshooter line with the writer. There were other casulaties. Our regiment was then brigaded with the Sixty-seventh Regiment, Sixty-fifth North Carolina (Sixth Cavalry) and some ofther unattached troops, and placed under the command of General Lawrence S. Baker, and in that battle was on the extreme left wing of our army, which was commanded by General R. F. Hoke. We then fell back to Goldsboro and were engaged at the time of the Bentonville fight with Sherman's extreme right wing at Cox's bridge on the Neuse river, between Goldaboro and Smithfield, in Johnston county. Here we had quite a sharp encounter with the enemy. I do not remember the casualties. The men fully realized now that further continuance of the heroic struggle was useless. At this place in one night our Orderly Sergeant with eighty men of our company, went home, leaving only thirty-seven behind. I, with several others of our regiment, was sent off as a guard to the wagon train under the command of Captain S. G. Barrington, of the Sixty-seventh Regiment. From thence we went to Smithfield. At this point the writer was detailed as a guide to a scouting party composed of a part of the Fifty-first Regiment of Alabama Cavalry, a part of General Joseph Wheeler's command, and was with this command at the time of General Joseph F. Johnston's surrender, receiving his parole at the Yadkin river bridge, near Salisbury, and arrived home early in May, 1865. While with the Fifty-first Regiment of Alabama cavalry as a guide he led them through a portion of Wayne, Greene and Lenoir counties to the Atlantic & North Carolina Railroad at Falling creek, where they cut the railroad and burned the bridge across Falling creek in the rear of General Schofield's command, and made a successful escape or retreat with some prisoners and stores which they captured.
The writer did not rejoin his regiment or company, but learned that the regiment was mustered out of service or disbanded near Wilson, N. C., within about fifteen miles of his then home. While at Goldsboro in March, 1865, and a few days before the engagement related at Cox's bridge, the writer was promoted from a private to Fourth Sergeant in his company. At the time the company joined the regiment at Fort Branch it was officered as follows: W. R. Bass, Captain; Redden C. Barden, First Lieutenant, Isaac V. Barden, Second Lieutenant, and Alex H. Hamilton, Junior Second Lieutenant, and Erastus Smith, Sr., Second Lieutenant. The company first and last, had 156 members.
At the time of the enlistment fo the writer, 11 July 1863, he was 15 years, 11 months and 10 days old.
W. T. Caho
Bayboro, N.C.
26 April, 1901