ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA
3RD CORPS
MAJ. GENERAL A. P. HILL, COMMDR.
Orders No. 131
TO:
Lt. Col. W.T. Poague
Poague Battalion
Col. Poague,
I have been ordered by Gen Lee to dispatch one of your artillery companies to NC for brief duty. Governor Vance has requested that you return your NC battery to the vicinity of Charlotte. They are to be on the road at the earliest possible opportunity and to be south of Charlotte by Friday and ready for engagement by Saturday morning. Federal cavalry raids supported by infantry are seeking to cut the southern and western rail lines thus endangering a major rail head for the state. I wish you to order Charlotte Artillery to proceed with all possible haste immediately upon receipt of this dispatch.
Your Servant,
General Hill, Commdr, 3rd Corps
18th October 2010
10th NC, Co. C
New Hill, NC
Capt. Wayne Womble, Cmdr
General: By order of Captain Womble, this report is submitted herewith for your review.
On Friday of last week and in previous receipt of your orders, we struck our camp and headed for Concord. Corporal Larson and myself intiated the lead element with the rest of the command taking different routes in order to prevent clogging the roads by our guns and baggage trains. The lead element reached the vincinity of Bost Griss without incident and passed the picket line to report to the well shaded and well rested command there. Our command was placed in the boiling sun and we determined to make the best of it as the upper command swilled their cool water.
The command reached us throughout the day without incident. Recruit Yates and the fair Jessica were in attendence along with rec. Abatangelo and his son Pete. We would need them. With the passing of day into night, the provisions forged during the day were presented. Sgt. McElreath certainly found a well meaning steer that presented him with an opportunity. That opportunity was placed on the grill late that night in the form of hamburgers. As a bystander, the hamburgers looked more like door mats but did cause the mouth to water as they sizzled.
Saturday morning brought calm but however was shattered by the alarm of Federal forces in the area. Forced to participate in the morning colors ritual and forced to learn to march as poor infantrymen, the men handled the assignment as best it could. One pvt was arrested for calling the 1st SGt. a 'shilly shalley' during the march.
Soon the long roll was heard and the cannoners jumped to the posts. Rolling our guns from behind bails of hay, they opened upon the batteries in the lunettes that Federal forces had constructed during the evening hours. Confederate forces while not lacking in bravery, lacked in leadership. Our battery was placed on a knowl as bare as a baby's behind with a tree line immediately on our left and road running in the trees. A more hazardous placement of a battery I cannot imagine. The commanders who could very well move a battalion on the parade ground seemilgly lost their senseabilities when the fight starts. Unsupported, our battery was constantly being harassed by cavalry and having to cease fire as our boys moved in front of our guns. I mention Amanda Dick and Ted Stables standing out in their abilites to determine the correct field of fire to not injure our boys. I additionally mention Tyler Godwin and Blane McElreath as they guarded our flank with pistols against probing Federal patrols. Why the Federals did not flank attack up that road, we'll never know. As the line pushed forward, we limbered the guns and caissons and moved forward to a snake rail fence. Upon the Captain's orders to direct fire at the last Federal piece, Corp. Larson expertly sighted the gun and fired a perfectly placed shrapnel round that killed and wonded the entire gun crew. As a result of this shot, our boys charged over the walls and took the works.
Casualty report for the day:
1 slight wounded
none missing, none killed
1 under arrest
We sauntered back to camp and found the piece and shade of content. After filling ourselves with liquids, we did manage a game of baseball to help morale. Soon the game turned out several folks of different camps. The game was umpired by Capt. Womble who was a model of trust and fair play with no questions of cheating nor bribery. Levels of celebration errupted. Later that evening the locals provided a dance with much cake and fun and the fun roused too much rabel rousing. The events of the game that afternoon revisited resulted in the entire command being under arrest for cheating, bribery, and excessive celebration. We found later after investigation that the medical brandy was the culprit of the excessive celebration and that it had been stolen by pvt Camron McElreath from the Major's storage and replaced with colored water.
Sunday, after release from the stockade and missing the morning colors, the battery returned to camp. Gunner Staples was highly accurate on gun #2 and blasted away at the enemy with high effectiveness. Again, Tyler Godwin and Blane McElreath guarded the flanks from Cav. probing. After a short fight, the command returned to camp where we were released from command. We returned now to New Hill and await your further orders.
Casuality report
0 wounded, 0 killed, 0 missing
12 under arrest
This report is hereby submitted on this date by 1st Sgt. Grover Godwin
16th September 2010
Charlotte Artillery
General,
Your dispatch #144 marked 'URGENT' has been received. Corpl. Keith Larson has been ordered to ready the men and quicken the fatigue duties in order to move the company. Sgt. McElreath is loading the ordnance trains. The dispatch has delivered to Capt. Womble.
1st Sgt. Godwin
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2010 13:18:52 -0400
HEADQUARTERS
NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHERN VIRGINIA
DANVILLE VA
MAJ. GENERAL G. PICKETT, CMDR
3RD CORPS. AP HILL, COMDR
POAGUE'S BATTALION
NC BATTERY
CAPTAIN WOMBLE: ORDERS FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.
I HAVE INTERCEPTED A NUMBER OF CAVALRY DISPATCHES THAT DETAIL A RAID INTO THE SOUTH WESTERN CORNER OF NC IN OR AROUND THE AREA OF CHARLOTTE. A RAID IN FORCE IS EXPECTED TO PENETRATE THE AREA NEXT WEEK. THE RAID WILL SEEK TO DESTROY THE RAIL LINES AND GRIST MILLS THAT SUPPLY THE WESTERN FORCES IN THE STATE. YOU ARE TO TAKE YOUR COMMAND AND PROCEED TO THAT AREA TO RE-ENFORCE THE TROOPS GATHERING TO STOP THIS INCURSION. I CANNOT GIVE YOU RAIL PASSES AS THE RAILS HAVE BEEN UPENDED BY RAIDS AND IMPROPER MAINTENENCE. YOU WILL HAVE TO RELY ON YOUR RESOURCES. HAVE YOUR COMMAND ASSEMBLE AT CONCORD AT THE CROSSROADS WHERE BOST GRISS MILL RESIDES. HAVE THEM THERE BY FRIDAY.
MAY YOUR COMMAND GO WITH THE ALMIGHTY AND ASSURANCES OF A GRATEFUL POPULATION.
WITH GREAT REGARDS,
G. PICKETT, MAJ GEN.
10th NCST, Company C
Charlotte Artillery
Captain Wayne Womble, Commdr
Headquarters, New Hill
July, 9, 1863
Report submitted by Orderly Sgt. Godwin by order of Captain Womble.
General,
I herewith submit this report for your review. On July 1st of last weekend, part of our artillery group arrived at the concentration at the town of Gettysburg under orders of Major Poague. Corporal Larson, and two others of our command received the baggage trains and strenuously attempted to set our camp. The rest of the command was negotiating the mountain passes and would arrive in the morning. We secured our camp and reported to command and were informed of an impending battle on the nest day. We hoped our command would not be lost in the mountain passes.
Others arrived in our camp. Pvt Amanda Dick's brother Kevin, had received through telegram that we may be passing through the area and he found his way through the guards to come into our camp. After discussion with him and determining that he was not a Union scout, we invited him to stay with us as his sister would be passing. Numerous cups of popskull later, we found he was at heart with our cause. Being down in numbers, he wished to serve on our crew for the cause and he was trained and ready for the next day. He served with distinction and bravery through the weekend and was an asset to our crew. He survived numerous conclicts and passed to his home without injury vowing to join us should we need his services again.
Corpl Larson's issue trousers were completely worn and we were planning to visit a habadashery when he received a package from home. In the package was a pair trousers made from his wife's tablecloth back home. Various other units were hesitant to serve with him thinking the trousers would attract and become a sought after trophy. Comments such as "My God man, you'll get us all killed....."Do we stop the battle while you play through" were heard. The pants were better than the alternative of seeing the rear of Corpl Larson.
Only July 2nd, the rest of the command arrived much to our relief. We recieved the command in camp just in time to be ready to head to the conflict. There was only a short amount of time to unload the supplies and head to the formation area. Corpl Larson indeed was wearing his pants much to our peril. The fight was one of long range artillery and we silenced those batteries on the field in front of us. Luckily, smoke from the battery hid the tablecloth.
Making our way back to camp, we discovered that some ladies of ill reputation had established a "leisure resting" at the crossroads. We were contstantly met with "come me later" as we traveld by with our battery. Our command stayed away from that spider trap. That eveing, we happened upon an infantry camp with Irish musicians. The tent was open and well attended by all. Spritious liquors were present but our command had none except a toast here and there.
Camped beside us were the battery of Edenton Bell. The battery served beside us at every conflict there. Impending heat made us dive for cover under tent fly. We supported cavalry and in turn were supported with infantry between our hubs in an effort to stave off Federal numbers. A temporary shower of water was well received by the command and used many times.
The last day of fighting had us in an artillery duel for many minutes and a large column of troops formed behind us. They tried to overcome Union troops behind a stone fence but to no avail. The sad remnents retured through our guns and I am afraid we paid a terrible price.
The night passed without incident and we have returned to Raleigh safely. We await your next orders.
I have the honor to be, your obedient servant.
Orderly Sgt. Grover Godwin