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| Col. John Randolph Lane Society Cartersville Crossroads Articles |
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By Henry A. London [1], Editor's Note: Originally appearing in the Chatham Record under the title "Henry A. London's War Reminiscences," this summary of the Chatham Rifles' service during the War Between the States has been supplemented with additional historical material and details by compatriot Richard Sailey. As a first-hand account, enriched with historical records unavailable to the original author, this piece provides a more complete look at the local company known as the Chatham Rifles. During the winter of 1861 when war clouds were gathering, the young men of Pittsboro and vicinity began to organize a volunteer military company. By April 1st a sufficient number of men had joined and the officers of the company were elected. As soon as Fort Sumter was fired upon and surrendered [2], the company tendered its services to Governor John W. Ellis, which were accepted. The commissions of the officers were dated April 15th making the Chatham Rifles one of the very first companies in the state to volunteer its services in defense of North Carolina. The company remained in Pittsboro for the next six weeks preparing for active service. The daily drilling and parading of the bold new soldier boys, who were the lions of the day, enlivened the old town. The company ranks were quickly filled with applications to join coming in from all parts of the county. Many applicants were turned down because it was decided not to have more than 100 members, besides the officers. The ladies of Pittsboro organized a sewing society and were busy making clothes for the company members. They also made a handsome flag and presented it to the company in grand style. On a delightful spring afternoon the company was paraded on the lawn in the old Thompson lot. Miss Ann Thompson was the presenter. Lucien A. Hanks, in behalf of the company, received the flag with a short and stirring address. Ordered to Raleigh. At length orders were received to report to Raleigh and on the morning of May 28th tents were struck and the company prepared to march off for the seat of war. Sheriff R. B. Paschal observed "great excitement when the Pittsboro Company left". [3] The company formed up in the street in front of the old Ramsey Hotel for a departing ceremony. The company numbered 4 officers and 104 enlisted men. The Hon. Hugh Waddell made a most eloquent and soul-stirring speech and the Reverend R.B. Sutton offered appropriate prayers. The sorrowful parting of loved ones followed. Alas! To many it was the last parting. Husbands and wives, mothers and sons, brothers and sisters embraced and wept, and well they might weep, for of that gallant band 27 were wounded and 30 died in service or were killed in battle. Regiment Organized. The company remained in Raleigh only long enough to be mustered in on June 4th and then proceeded by rail to Garysburg.[4] On June 11, 1861, the Chatham Rifles and eleven other companies [5] were organized and mustered into Confederate States service for twelve months as the 5th Regiment N. C. Volunteers. The officers from the twelve companies elected Stephen Lee as colonel, Ross R. Ihrie of the Chatham Rifles as lieutenant colonel and William F. Green of Franklin County as major. Stephen Lee was an instructor at the North Carolina Military Institute and before he received notice of his election, he was offered and accepted the colonelcy of the 6th Regiment N. C. Volunteers. On June 24th Robert M. McKinney was elected colonel and joined the regiment by the end of the month. Colonel McKinney, like Stephen Lee, was an instructor at the North Carolina Military Institute. Lt. John J. Manning, Jr. [6] of the Chatham Rifles was appointed Adjutant of the regiment. To fill the vacancies left in the Chatham Rifles caused by these promotions, John W. Taylor was elected captain, William L. London was elected first lieutenant and Clarence C. Poe was elected third lieutenant. On to Yorktown. News of the June 10th battle at Bethel reached the regiment while camped at Garysburg. The impetuous young soldiers were anxious to go at once to the seat of war, for fear the war would be over before they could get there. Thinking that the next battle would be fought near Yorktown they asked to be sent there. On June 29th they got their wish when the 5th Regiment was ordered to the Yorktown peninsula. Moving by way of Petersburg, Richmond, and West Point, using rail and steamship, the regiment arrived at Yorktown late on July 1st. They went into camp southwest of the old British works on the edge of town near the 1st North Carolina (Bethel Regiment). Friendships were renewed over breakfast the next morning. [7] The regiment was immediately put to work constructing breastworks day and night while also performing camp and fatigue duty. [8] The regiment saw active and arduous service all during the summer and fall of 1861. General John Bankhead Magruder [9] commanded the Confederate forces around Yorktown and he had to keep his small force continually moving to create the impression that he had a much larger army. The clerk of the company from Alamance County reported his company's movements between August 2nd and August 17th. (The Chatham Rifles were part of this force.) Co. H marched from Yorktown Va. To Warwick C[ourt] House, August 2nd 1861. From Warwick C[ourt] H[ouse] to Bethell [sic], Aug. 5th '61. From Bethell C[hurch] to Hampton, Augt 6th 1861. From Hampton to Bethell C[hurch] Augt 8th 1861. From Bethel C[hurch] to Warwick C[ourt] H[ouse], Agt 12th '61. From Warwick C[ourt] House to Yorktown, Agt 13th '61. [10] Sickness. Many of the men were unaccustomed to severe manual labor and this, combined with the malaria of the unhealthy location, soon caused the great majority to succumb to measles and fever. The first death in the company was that of Lt. Clarence C. Poe, who died of typhoid fever on August 7th. His body was returned home to his widowed mother and buried in the churchyard of the Baptist church in Pittsboro. Four days later, Corporal Duncan R. McIver became the second casualty of the fever. [11] In the entire regiment there were less than 400 men present for duty out of the more than 1,000 men on the roster. As a result of the high rate of sickness the regiment was moved north of the York River to Hobdy's Point in Gloucester County. [12] The situation grew worse by September 7th when only 230 men were present for duty. The regiment remained in Gloucester County until October 1st when it returned to Yorktown; there it was brigaded with the 1st North Carolina (Bethel Regiment) October 3, 1861. These two regiments formed the 6th Brigade, which was commanded by Colonel McKinney. Ten companies of the regiment were assigned to the position at Harrod's Mill, and two companies were stationed at Ship Point. [13] On November 14th the regimental designation was changed from 5th Regiment N.C. Volunteers to 15th Regiment North Carolina Troops (5th Regiment N. C. Volunteers). [14] The newly named 15th North Carolina went into winter quarters at Camp Dudley where it remained until March 1862. [15] North Carolina Invaded. A Federal force commanded by General Ambrose E. Burnside invaded North Carolina and captured Roanoke Island on February 8, 1862. Burnside began moving his troops toward New Bern. Troops from Virginia were needed to support the small Confederate force in the New Bern area. On March 4, 1862, some 5,000 troops (including the 15th North Carolina) were ordered by General Magruder to move from Yorktown to Suffolk to replace other Confederate troops sent from there to North Carolina. The troops sent to Suffolk were placed under command of General Howell Cobb [16] and became known as Cobb's Brigade. [17] The Federals under Burnside succeeded in taking New Bern on March 14th and the Confederates under General Lawrence O'Brian Branch fell back to Goldsboro where Cobb's Brigade reinforced them. Johnston Takes Command. Early in April 1862 General George B. McClellan landed at Fort Monroe to begin his campaign to capture Richmond and end the war. The Confederates opposed him with a force of 12,000 men. To reinforce Magruder, President Jefferson Davis ordered troops from the Army of Northern Virginia moved down from Manassas to the Yorktown-Warwick line. All Confederate troops on the Peninsula were placed under Joseph E. Johnston. [18] Cobb's Brigade at Goldsboro was ordered back to Yorktown. When it arrived, April 15th, it immediately took up a position along the Warwick River near Lee's Mill. The 15th North Carolina received its baptism of fire the next day. Skirmish at Lee's Mill. General McClellan ordered General William F. Smith to disrupt the Confederate defenses in the area of Dam No. 1. The advance occurred very unexpectedly and the Confederate troops were taken by surprise, and yet they very gallantly repulsed the enemy with heavy loss. A small stream separated the Confederates and Federals, across which the former had constructed several dams to raise the water and prevent the latter from crossing. Near the water's edge our troops had built some rifle pits, and about 200 yards farther back a heavier entrenchment was ordered to be constructed. The 15th Regiment, then having about 500 men fit for duty, while at work on this entrenchment, about 3:30 o'clock on the afternoon of May 16th [sic] was suddenly called to arms by the pickets running in and announcing that a large force of the enemy was wading across the pond (where the water was about four feet deep) and directly opposite the rifle pits. The regiment dropped their spades and picks, seized their guns and with yells and cheers rushed in the direction of the Federals who by this time had crossed the stream and had occupied the rifle pits, behind which they sought shelter. When our men had advanced within about 50 yards of the pits, the Federals opened a destructive fire, which was returned promptly. At the first volley Colonel McKinney fell dead, and his death not being known to the other field officers and the regiment being without orders either to advance or retire, our troops were halted, the men lying down or sheltering themselves as well as they could behind the few stumps and trees that were there, and shooting at the enemy whenever one could be seen. They remained thus engaged about three-quarters of an hour, when reinforcements arrived they were ordered forward and quickly drove the enemy out of the rifle pits and back across the stream. According to the official report of the Federal officer who commanded the force that crossed the stream, their number was 192, and of that number 23 were killed, 51 were wounded and 9 were captured, a total loss of 83, which shows that our men shot well. While the force that crossed the stream is reported as being only 192 (four companies of the Third Vermont Volunteers), yet a whole brigade was supporting them from the other side of the stream and kept up a very annoying fire [20 field pieces] on our men. The 15th Regiment's loss was 12 killed and 31 wounded, and the Chatham Rifles suffered a heavier loss than any other company, being nearer and more exposed to the enemy's fire. Here the company lost its first men in battle, Samuel R. Foushee and M. H. Bennett, two most excellent young men and brave soldiers. Leonidas J. Merritt and Stanley M. Riggsbee were wounded. An incident of this fight is worthy of mention. While our men were lying on the ground and hotly engaged with the enemy sheltered behind the rifle pits, our old countyman, William Poe, would not lie down, but, calmly sitting on the ground with his legs crossed (tailor fashion) as coolly loaded and shot at the Federals as if he was engaged in his favorite pastime of shooting at squirrels. Withdrawal to Richmond. Prior to the skirmish at Lee's Mill, Johnston was considering the abandonment of the Peninsula in favor of a stronger defensive position before Richmond. The Confederate forces felt the mounting pressure all along the Yorktown-Warwick line. Johnston ordered a withdrawal on the night of May 3rd. Cobb's Brigade of Magruder's Corps was ordered to move through Williamsburg in the direction of Richmond. Johnston established a rear guard along a series of redoubts east of Williamsburg. General James Longstreet's division took up a position at Fort Magruder and the nearby redoubts. The morning of May 5th Federal troops under General Joseph Hooker attacked and were repulsed. The Confederates succeeded in delaying the Federal advance. The Confederate army retired up the peninsula towards Richmond. Reorganization. The company (and the regiment) having enlisted for 12 months in May 1861 (for everybody at the beginning thought the war would not last longer) found their term of service expiring. Nearly everyone at once re-enlisted for the war. At the company reorganization on May 2nd they elected William L. London captain, Leonidas J. Merritt first lieutenant, James T. Rogers second lieutenant and William H. H. Tyson third lieutenant. Oscar M. Neal was defeated for reelection as second lieutenant. The regiment was also reorganized with the company officers selecting Henry A. Dowd [19] colonel, William McRae [20] of New Hanover County lieutenant colonel and William H. Yarborough of Franklin County major. Ross R. Ihrie of the Chatham Rifles was defeated for reelection as lieutenant colonel and returned home to Chatham County. Several members of the Chatham Rifles were elected as officers in other regiments. The company furnished three captains (Nathan Alexander Ramsey to the 61st N.C., Thomas West Harris to the 63rd N.C., and John S. McClenahan to the 63rd N.C.) and three lieutenants (John J. Crump to the 44th N.C., William S. Ramsey to the 61st N.C. and George T. Leach to the 53rd N.C.). Seven Pines and Seven Days. The regiment spent the 30th and 31st of May marching and counter-marching between Mechanicsville and Seven Pines. On Sunday morning, June 1st, it was formed in line of battle near Fair Oaks to renew the attack. Before advancing the order to attack was countermanded and the regiment took a new position on the Nine Mile road above Fair Oaks. The regiment remained under daily fire from the enemy's batteries until Saturday morning, June 29th. [21] On July 1st General Robert E. Lee was determined to strike one last blow to the enemy army before it could escape. In the late afternoon the Confederates launched an assault on Malvern Hill but it floundered in the face of the intense firepower of massed Federal artillery. Cobb's Brigade was thrown into the fray to silence the guns, but the attack was repulsed with heavy losses for the regiment. Of the 692 men reporting for duty, 20 were killed and 110 were wounded. [22] Colonel Dowd was severely wounded. [23] Within the Chatham Rifles, every officer was killed or wounded and 23 out of the 32 men who went into the battle were casualties. The killed were Lt. Leonidas J. Merritt, Sergeant James T. McClenahan and privates William J. Baker, Joseph M. Sanders and John R. Stedman. All of these were true men and brave soldiers worthy of praise! During the night the Federals retired to Harrison's Landing on the James River. The regiment marched back with Cobb's Brigade to the Williamsburg road near Richmond and went into camp. Transferred. In accordance with orders dated July 4, 1862, the Chatham Rifles were transferred to the 32nd Regiment North Carolina Troops. The company became Company I and as such was known until the end of the war. [24]
Notes.
[2] Fort Sumter surrendered on April 13, 1861, to Confederate forces after heavy bombardment. Accounts of this victory at Charleston, South Carolina, created much excitement in North Carolina. [3] Richard Bray Paschal, Diary Book, 1860-1864 (unpublished manuscript), p. 39. [4] Garysburg is located in Northampton County, north of Weldon. [5] Companies came from Northampton, Union, Cleveland, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Alamance and Edgecombe Counties. [6] John J. Manning resigned October 7, 1861, to become a Confederate Agent for Confiscation. Henry A. Dowd was appointed Adjutant for the regiment. [7] James T. Rogers, His Civil War Diary, April 20, 1861-January 15, 1862 (unpublished manuscript), p. 2. [8] Walter Clark, North Carolina Regiments, 1861-1865, 5 vols. (Raleigh, State of North Carolina, 1901), vol. 1, p. 736. [9] John Bankhead Magruder graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1830. He won fame with his victory at Big Bethel and was promoted to brigadier general in June 1861. Magruder was promoted to major general on October 7, 1861. [10] Louis H. Manarin and W. T. Jordan, Jr., Eds. North Carolina Troops 1861-1865, A Roster, 13 vols. (Raleigh, North Carolina Division of Archives and History, 1966-1993), vol. 5, p. 494. [11] Manarin and Jordan, North Carolina Troops, vol. 5, p. 614. [12] Some of the companies were dispersed to King and Queen Court House and some to Gloucester Court House. [13] Manarin and Jordan, North Carolina Troops, vol. 5, p. 495. [14] Special Orders No. 222, Adjutant and Inspector General's Office, Richmond. [15] On January 31, 1862, the 15th N. C. Regiment was reported in the 1st Division, commanded by General Gabriel J. Rains [16] Howell Cobb was born September 7, 1815, in Jefferson County, Georgia. He was U.S. Representative from Georgia, 1843-1851; Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1849-1851; Governor of Georgia, 1851-53; and Secretary of the Treasury under Buchanan. He chaired the convention of delegates from the Southern states which assembled in Montgomery, Alabama, in February 1861 to form the Confederate government. Cobb was appointed brigadier general in February 1862. [17] In addition to the 15th North Carolina, Cobb's Brigade consisted of the 2nd Louisiana, 11th Georgia, 16th Georgia, and the Georgia Legion [18] Robert U. Johnson and Clarence C. Buel, Eds., Battles and Leaders of the Civil War 4 vols. (New York, Century Company, 1887-1888) vol. 2, p. 202. [19] Henry A. Dowd was elected Colonel on April 20, 1862, following the death of Colonel McKinney. [20] William McRae was promoted to Colonel in February 1863 and to Brigadier General in June 1864. [21] Clark, North Carolina Regiments, vol. 1, pp. 738-739. [22] Manarin and Jordan, North Carolina Troops, vol. 5, p. 496. [23] Henry A. Dowd was forced to resign as Colonel in February 1863 because of these wounds. [24] Manarin and Jordan, North Carolina Troops, vol. 5, p. 496. |
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