SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT.

1. William F. Martin, Colonel.2. John C. Lamb, Lieut.-Colonel,3. Wilson G. Lamb, ad Lieut., Co. F.

4. Gilbert Elliott, 1st Lieut, and Adjt.(Builder of the "Albemarle.")

SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT.

By WILSON G. LAMB, Second Lieut. Company F.

With the exception of two companies garrisoning Fort Bar-tow on Roanoke Island, the Seventeenth Regiment was cap-tured at Fort Hatteras on the 27th of August, 1861, by theUnited States naval and land forces, commanded respectively

by Commodore Stringliam and General B. F. Butler. TheSeventeenth Regiment was officered as follows:

W. F. Maetiw, Colonel.

Geokge W. Johnson, Lieutenant-Colonel.

Heney a. Gilliam, Major.

Gilbert Elliott, Adjutant.

John S. Dancy, Quartermaster.

L. D. Staeke, Commissary.

Wyatt M. Beown, Surgeon.

Fort Clark, commanded by Captain John C. Lamb, a mile

up the beach, and Fort Hatteras, near the inlet, under the im-

mediate command of Colonel Martin, constituted the defenses

of Hatteras Inlet. The garrison, numbering less than 1,000

men, was attacked by the overwhelming land and naval forces

of the Federals, and after an heroic defense surrendered as

prisoners of war. Shortly thereafter the enemy, under Gen-

eral Burnside, moved upon Roanoke Island. The two com-

panies constituting the balance of the Seventh Regiment gar-

risoned Fort Bartow, and, under the splendid leadership of

Captain Fearing and Lieutenant C. G. Elliott, the latter af-

terwards the gallant and efficient Adjutant General to Gen-

erals Martin and Kirkland, succeeded by the accurate fire of

their guns in keeping back the Federal fleet, and only surren-

dered after the landing of the Federal troops upon another

part of the island, pushing back the Confederates under

2 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.

Colonel Shaw, and completely flanking the fort. I am in-

debted to Captain C. G. Elliott for an incident of this bat-

tle which is worthy of being preserved. He writes

:

"During the bombardment of Fort Bartow a cannon shot

cut down the flag-staff. Instantly Lieutenant Thomas H.Gilliam sprang upon the parapet, amid the storm of shot and

shell, and firmly planted the beautiful silk color of the JohnHarvey Giiards which waved until the order to retire was re-

ceived." An historical parallel to the brave act of Sergeant

Jasper at Fort Moultrie.

Thus the whole regiment in these two engagements be-

came prisoners of Avar. After being exchanged, the Seventh

Volunteers (as it was first called) was re-organized at CampMangum and became the Seventeenth Regiment N. C. T.

The organization was as follows

:

Colonel, W. F. Martin; Lieutenant-Colonel, John C.

Lamb; Major, Thos. H. Sharp; Adjutant, Gilbert Elliott;

Sergeant Major, Wilson G. Lamb ; A. Q. M., John S. Dancy

;

Commissary, L. D. Starke; Surgeon, E. K. Speed.

Company A—Captain William Biggs.

Company B—Captain James J. Leith.

Company C—Captain William B. Wise.

Company D—Captain J. M . C. Luke.

Company E—Captain John L. Swain.

Company F-—Captain George B. Daniel.

Company G—Captain Thos. J. ISTorman.

Company H—Captain Stewart L. Johnson.

Company I—Captain A. J. M. Whitehead.

Company K—Captain Howard Wiswall.

Company L—Captain Lucius J. Johnson.

The Adjutant of the regiment, Gilbert Elliott, was detailedand under his supervision the iron-clad ram "Albemarle,"which contributed so largely to the capture of Plymouth, wasconstructed. Lieutenants M. A. Cotten and Wilson G. Lambfilled his place as Adjutant of the regiment. The Seven-teenth was assigned to service in Eastern North Carolina and

Seventeenth Regiment. 3

performed picket duty watching the enemy at New Bern,

Washington and Plymouth. In December, 1862, a detach-

ment from the regiment with a squadron of cavalry fromColonel Evans' regiment (Sixty-third North Carolina) and

Moore's Battery, all under Lieutenant-Colonel Lamb, cap-

tured Plymouth. Another detachment drove the enemy fromWashington, N. C. Many minor raids and surprises of the

enemy's outposts cleverly managed by Captain William

Biggs, Lieutenants Hardison, Grimes, Cotten and others gave

indication of what might be expected of the regiment when it

should have the opportunity of displaying its fighting quali-

ties.

In 1863 the regiment was brigaded with the Forty-second,

Fiftieth, and Sixty-sixth Regiments, and placed under the

command of Brigadier-General James G. Martin, and sta-

tioned at Fort Branch, Kinston and Wilmington, and was

thoroughly drilled and disciplined by that splendid organizer

find disciplinarian.

On the 2d of February, 1864, the regiment under com-

mand of Lieutenant-Colonel Lamb with the Forty-second,

Colonel Brown, P arris' Battery of six guns and a squadron of

cavalry, Lieutenant-Colonel Jeffords, the whole under com-

mand of General J. G. Martin, attacked the enemy's forts at

Newport. After the capture of their block houses and driv-

ing in of their outposts, the command moved upon their

,forts and entrenchments. The Seventeenth N. C. on the

right assailed their columns in splendid style and pouring

over the works captured their guns and barracks. The brave

Captain Leith of Company B, was killed. The enemy fled in

dismay over the river and did not stop until safely under the

guns of Fort Macon. Ten pieces of artillery, 78 prisoners

and a large qiiantity of stores were the fruits of this victory.

The railroad bridge was burned and the railroad occupied

to prevent re-inforcements from Beaufort and Fort Macon

being sent to New Bern. Owing to the failure of General

Pickett's command to capture New Bern, General Martin's

troops were withdrawn the next day. In reference to this

battle I quote from the official report of the Federal General,

4 ;N"oeth Caeolina Troops, 1861-'65.

J. M. Palmer, commanding at ISTew Bern under date of Feb-

ruary 7, 1864.

"Martin performed his part well."

The great campaign of 1864 was now about to open and

the desperate struggle to capture the capital of the Confed-

acy to begin. Grant crossed the Eapidan on the 4th of

May, with his army of 140,000 men and moved overland

upon Richmond. Butler, with 30,000 men and a large naval

armament, ascended the James and occupied the Bermuda

Hundreds Peninsula, threatening both Richmond and

Petersburg. To meet this movement the Confederate forces

operating in IvTorth Carolina with troops from South Caro-

lina and Georgia were rapidly concentrated at Richmond and

Petersburg and placed under General Beauregard's com-

mand.

On the 11th of May, the Seventeenth (1,100 strong) fol-

lowed by the Forty-second and Sixty-sixth N. C, marched

through the streets of Petersburg with their bright bayonets

reflecting the morning sunlight to join in the mighty struggle

then impending. The battle of Drewry's Bluff on the 17th

resulted in forcing Butler back upon his fortified base at Ber-

muda hundreds. On the 20th the Confederates were or-

dered to assault this line of entrenchments. Mai*tin's bri-

gade was upon the extreme Confederate right, and the Seven-

teenth, IST. C, was Martin's right regiment sO' it devolved

upon this regiment to lead the assault. Them its thorough

drilling and discipline proved of great value. Emergingfrom the woods into the open field with unbroken front andwithout a halt, at double quick step, its onset was not stopped-

until the enemy's works were won and the Confederate ban-

ner waved in triumph over Butler's stronghold. The charge

was taken up along the line with equal gallantry and success

and Butler's forces were driven to shelter under the pro-

tection of their gunboats in the James and Appomattox.Thus the "bottling up of Butler," so graphically detailed byGeneral Grant, was complete. The regiment suffered veryheavily in this assault, losing about 175 ofiicers and menkilled and wounded. The brave and youthful Lieiitenant-

Seventeentpi Regiment. 5

Colonel Lamb fell mortally wounded upon the enemy's works

and died a few days thereafter. •

Our fighting commissary, Captain L. D. Starke, . now of

Norfolk, Va., is entitled to special notice, having sent his

wagons to the rear and joined the boys in the front, and par-

ticipated in the battle with distinguished bravery. A moregallant soldier never lived.

By the death of Colonel Lamb, Major Sharp became Lieu-

tenant-Colonel, and Captain Lucius J. Johnson, Company L,

became Major.

A division was created for General R. F. Hoke composed

of the brigades of Martin, Colquitt, Hagood and Clingmanand was ordered to report to General R. E. Lee.

The battles of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania had been

fought, and Grant in his turning movement had ordered

Sheridan's cavalry, supported by Warren's Corps, to seize

the heights at New Cold Llarbor.

"Anderson came up on the first of June, with Kershaw's

and Hoke's Divisions, and attacking Sheridan drove himback toward Old Cold Harbor, and secured the heights around

JSTew Cold Harbor and Gaines' Mill, which he at once pro-

ceeded to fortify." The importance and value of this suc-

cess can only be realized when it is understood that had

Grant's order been carried out the Federals would have occu-

pied the ridge, and the Confederates, instead of defending,

would have been compelled to assail them, inasmuch as it was

the key to the Confederate Capital. The great and decisive

battle of Cold Harbor, on 3 June, followed these prelim-

inai'y engagements, and resulted in the bloodiest repulse

of the Federals known in the history of the war. The Seven-

teenth was upon the right of the line, and supported Grandy's

(Va.) battery. In its front the enemy's dead were so thickly

strewn that one could have walked on tlieir bodies its whole

extent. In this battle Lieutenant M. A. Gotten and Private;

Benjamin Andrews greatly distinguished themselves, bring-

ing into our works the flag of a New York regiment, of Ty-

ler's Brigade. The enemy assaulted our lines several times,

and during the interval between the assaults, this flag was

brought in and temporarily planted upon our works. This

6 ISToETH Oaeolina Teoops^ 1861-'65.

incident unquestionably misled the brave Hancock, who in

his official report of the battle claimed that his troops had

carried our line, "having seen through his field glasses the

Stars and Stripes floating from the enemy's works."

After the battle of Cold Harbor General Grant transferred

his army to the south bank of the Appomattox and attempted

a coup d'etat at Petersburg.

General Lee, on the 14th, moved Hoke's Division near

Drewry's Bluff, in order that it might be in position to act as

reserve for his army or go to the support of General Beaure-

gard at Petersburg. The Federals under General Smith had

advanced to within a few miles of Petersburg and had swept

away all our forces in their front and the city was in im-

minent danger of capture. The brigades of Hagood and

Colquitt had been sent forward by rail and Martin with

Clingman was pressing forward by forced marches and ar-

rived after midnight of the 15th and commenced to entrench.

The Confederates now numbered about 10,000 men behind

their hastily entrenched line. The Federal General Smithhad been reinforced by Bumside's Corps which came up at

noon and raised the Federal forces to 66,000.

The morning of the 16th was spent in skirmishing andartillery fire. In the afternoon General Hancock, now in

command of the Federals, assailed with all his forces andjust at sunset broke through General Wise's lines, whosetroops went streaming to the rear. These brave men hadfought unceasingly for two days and were much exhausted

and only yielded when completely overwhelmed. As manyof the men of our division as could be spal-ed were hastily

gathered from various points on the line and with the rem-nant of Wise's brigade being organized in a compact bodywere hurled upon the victorious Federals—the right wingof the Seventeenth joining in the attack. The Federals weredriven out and our line re-established. Warren's Corps hadnow come up, which increased the Federal army to four corps—numbering 90,000—and no reinforcements had reachedGeneral Beauregard from General Lee.

The battle re-opened on the 17th, at noon. Three timeswere the Federals repulsed but as often resumed the offen-

SEVENTEENTH BEQIMENT.1. L. J. Johnson, Major 2. Geo. B Daniel, Captain, Co F

3 William Biggs, Captain, Co. A.

Seventeenth Regiment. 7

sive. At dusk on the extreme right our lines "were again

broken and partially restored by the timely arrival of Gracie's

Brigade, the conflict raging until 11 o'clock.

During these engagements Beauregard's engineers hadbeen at work selecting a line nearer the city—shorter and

stronger, being the line afterwards held during the siege. Af-

ter midnight our troops were withdrawn to this new line. Ourskirmishers being left in the old works with instructions to de-

lay the advance of the enemy in order to gain as much time

as possible for our troops to fortify the new line. The writer

of this had the honor of commanding the skirmishers of his

regiment and can testify to their brave and determined resist-

ance, in connection with other commands, which resulted in

keeping back the enemy until 3 o'clock p. m. of that day

(18th).

Fortunately about this time Field's and Kershaw's Divis-

ions of General Lee's army arrived, which swelled the Con-

federate forces to 20,000 against 90,000 of the enemy's.

About 3 p. m. a general and final assault was given. It

was urged with as great pertinacity and was resisted with

equal determination as those preceding. Before dark it

ended in a complete repulse of the Federals along the whole

of our front. In these series of engagements the regiment

lost many of its most valued officers and brave men. Lieu-

tenants Perry, Hobbs, Pope and others were among the

killed.

The writer would desire to appear not ungrateful to his

comrade and friend. Lieutenant W. J. Hardison (now sheriff

of Martin county) and at the risk of being personal, wishes

to place on record the act of his brave friend, who, at the risk

of his own life, sprang over our breastworks during the ene-

my's last assault and bore his wounded friend in his arms to

safety behind them.

I am indebted to General Hagood's recent address for

much information as to data, etc., of these battles and note

with pleasure his closing words : "I have told the story of

Petersburg without comment. The narrative itself is an im-

8 NoETH Caeolina Teoops, 1861-'65.

mortelle and a reverently lay it upon the tomb of Beaure-

gard, the soldier."

Foiled in his attempt to carry Petersburg by storm Gen-

eral Grant now laid siege to the city. I cannot better de^

scribe the hardships endured by the brave soldiers than to

make extracts from the recent address of Captain Elliott.

"At the beginning of the siege, June 20th, the report of

Martin's Brigade occupying Colquitt's salient showed 2,200

men for duty. In September, when they were relieved, the

total force was 700, nothing but living skeletons. Occupy-

ing the sharp salient, the work was enfiladed on both flanks

by direct fire and the mortar shells came incessantly down

from above. Every man was detailed every night, either on

guard duty or to labor with pick and spade repairing works

knocked down during the day. There was no shelter that

summer from sun or rain. JSTo food could be 'cooked there

but the scanty provisions were brought in bags on the shoul-

ders of men from the cook yard some miles distant. Therations consisted of one pound of pork and three pounds of

meal consisted 'iwcbe

meal for three days—no coffee, no sugar, no vegetables, nogrog, no tobacco, nothing but the bread and meat. No won-

der that the list of officers was reduced to three Captains anda few Lieutenants with but one staff officer, (spared through

God's mercy) to this brigade of 700 skeletons. But every

feeble body contained an unbroken spirit and after the Fall

months came those who had not fallen into their graves or

been disabled, returned to their colors and saw them wavein victory in their last fight at Bentonville."

In July their beloved Brigade Commander, General Mar-tin, was transferred to North Carolina and General Kirklandbecame his successor. General Martin was greatly belovedby his soldiers. They had the most tmbounded confidence

in his military skill and admiration for his personal braveryillustrated on every battlefield where they had followed him.In October the brigade was sent to the Kichmond front andparticipated in the minor engagements of Henrico C. H.,Charles City Road and others, maintaining its high reputa-tion for bravery.

Advices having reached General Lee of the preparation by

Seventeenth Regiment. 9

the Federals of a land and naval expedition for the capture

of Fort Fisher, Hoke's division was sent to its relief. TheSeventeenth and parts of the Forty-second and Sixty-sixth

reginaents were the advance of the division and reached Wil-

mington at 1 a. m. on 24 December, and, after being

lunched at the depot by the patriotic ladies of that city,

took up the line of march for Fort Fisher, the Seventeenth

bivouacking there on the night of the same day. The enemyhaving edEEected a landing at Fort Gatling on the ocean

side, the regiment was withdrawn from Fort Fisher on the

morning of the 25th, and moving down the military road

were ordered to attack Butler's troops. ISTorman's companyin front, supported by the balance of the regiment, deployed

as skirmishers, assailed the enemy. General Kirkland in his

official report said

:

"Lieutenant-Colonel Sharp, Seventeenth N". C, pressed

close upon and drove their skirmish line back upon, their

main body, which was covered by the guns of at least thirty

men of war lying broadside to the beach. Captain Norman,Company G, deserves special notice."

A Lieutenant and ten men were captured. The regiment

lost three men killed and twenty wounded in this engage-

ment.

Before the arrival of the balance of our division, Butler

had re-embarked his troops and thus ended the powder-ship

fiasco and the military career of this modern Falstaff—he

being relieved by General Grant.

The ease with which this land and naval attack was re-

pulsed, undoubtedly created in the mind of General Bragg

an undue feeling of security. Not anticipating a renewal of

the attack on Fort Fisher, unfortvinately the division was

withdrawn to Wilmington.

On the afternoon of 14 January, whilst the regiments

of the division were on dress parade in Wilmington, the

enemy had reappeared before Fort Fisher and were land-

ing their forces, and before the division could be transported

to Sugar Loaf, the bulk of the Federal forces had landed and,

pushing that night across the peninsula, constructed a line

of field works from the ocean to the Cape Fear, thus cutting

10 ISToETH Oaeoliwa Teoops, 1861-'65.

off all land eominuiiication between Hoke's Division and Fort

Fisher. This line of works was held by a negro division,

commanded by General Paine and a white brigade tinder

General Joseph C. Abbott, who afterwards misrepresented

North Carolina in the United States Senate.

At 4 o'clock on the afternoon of the 15th, the skirmishers

of Kirkland's Brigade, which was on the left of our line,

under command of Lieutenant Lamb, were ordered to drive

back the enemy's pickets to enable Generals Bragg and Hoke,

to make a reconnoissance of the enemy's position. The effort

was only partially successful, owing to several of the enemy's

ships which were lying close to the shore, having opened a

terrible enfilading fire upon our skirmishers so soon as they

appeared on the open sand beach; but further to the right

where the small undergrowth was some protection, the ene-

my's skirmish line was driven in and their rifle-pits occu-

pied, giving opportunity for an examination of the enemy's

position. The writer recalls the calm and heroic bearing of

the modest and gallant Hoke who withdrew from the recon-

noissance with two bullet holes through his coat. For rea-

sons satisfactory, I presume, to General Bragg, no assault

was made, notwithstanding at this moment the enemy hadwithdrawn Abbott's Brigade and a portion of Wright's negro

Brigade to join in the assaunlt upon Fort Fisher, which wasthen in progress.

The troops at the time in our front were all negroes anddid not number more than 2,500, defending a line of a mile

in extent. That evening Fort Fisher after a most gallant de-

fense, surrendered, and the last port of the Confederacy wasclosed forever.

Several small engagements approaching closely to the dig-

nity of battles followed the fall of Fisher, in all of which the

enemy were repulsed. The rapid advance of Sherman fromthe South made the evacuation of Wilmington a mere quesr

tion of time and on 22 February, Kirkland's Bri-

gade, forming the rear guard of our army, marched sadly

and leisurely through the streets of our "City by the Sea,"and Wilmington passed under Federal control. Continuingour retreat up the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, the

Seventeenth Eegiment. 11

army, after crossing the North Kiver, halted for the night.

The enemy's cavalry pursued up to this point and attempted

by sudden dash to prevent the burning of the bridge over the

railroad. They were promptly encountered by our rear

guard, under the brave Captain 0. G. Elliott, and were re-

pulsed, sustaining heavy loss. The next day the march wasresumed and without further fighting the army reached

Groldsboro a few days thereafter.

And now the closing scenes of the bloody drama of the

Civil War was to be enacted upon the soil of N"orth Carolina.

Goldsboro became the objective point of three armies. Sher-

man with T0,000 men was advancing northward. Schofield

with his army corps of 21,000 raised the Federal forces to

30,000 at Wilmington ; and Cox's Division arriving at NewBern increased Palmer's command to 15,000. These differ-

ent armies aggregating 115,000 men, if allowed to concen-

trate, would make short work of the Confederate forces whose

total, including the remnant of Hood's army, did not reach

40,000 men. The hope of successful resistance was indeed

forlorn and the only chance of any success was to fight these

armies separately.

The column under General Cox advancing from New Bern,

was encountered near Wise's Fork on the 8th of March, byHoke's Division, reinforced by the Sixty-seventh and Sixty-

eighth North Carolina, and the Junior and Senior reserves.

Leaving, at midnight, tlieir entrenchments along the line of

a creek, Kirkland's, Hagood's and Colquitt's Brigades under

the guide of Colonel Nethercut of the Sixty-sixth North Car-

olina, (who was familiar with the country) found themselves

at day dawn on the flank and rear of the enemy, and forming

line of battle in echelon of brigades, Kirkland's leading, burst

upon the surprised enemy and drove them in rapid flight to

the rear, capturing 1,000 prisoners and 4 pieces of artillery.

The enemy had been driven nearly a mile when Palmer's

Division appeared upon our right flank. The Seventeenth was

on our extreme right and its advance having thus become

arrested immediately changed front to meet the enemy, and

not knowing their force, boldly charged the division and

drove back that part of it in our front, wounding their com-

12 ISToETH Caeolina Troops, 1861-'65.

mander, General Palmer. Finding itself overlapped right

and left, it deployed as skirmishers with both wings reversed,

and held its position until reinforcements were brought up

under the personal command of General Hoke, and thus had

the honor of preventing the flanking of our army. Later a

congratulatory order from General Kirkland was read to the

regiment on dress parade at Goldsboro complimenting it

upon its splendid achievement.

The enemy proceeded to fortify their position, and on the

10th General Bragg sought to employ the same strategy in

again attacking the enemy. It was contemplated by recon-

noissance in force to develop the enemy's extreme left and

renew our turning movement of two days before. Kirk-

land's Brigade was assigned this duty, supported by the other

brigades of the division. Our skirmishers were thrown out,

supported by the brigade, and engaging the enemy's pickets,

drove them rapidly before us. The enemy's works were de-

veloped and, not knowing that it was intended that we should

not assault, we rushed upon the works under the heaviest fire

which we had ever received. Notwithstanding the brigade

had lost one-half of its number, it reached the abatis andslashing and held its position until ordered to withdraw. Inthis assault the heroic Captain Elliott added another gem to

the crown of his military fame. The gallant Lieutenant

Grimes, distinguished in many battles, had been desperately

wounded and became a prisoner. This is the only battle in

which the regiment was ever repulsed, and even here it felt

that if it had received support its colors would have beenplanted upon the enemy's works. Sherman having reached

Averasboro it became necessary to concentrate all available

troops in his front and Hoke's Division was withdrawn andsent by rail to Smithfield Depot and marched thence via

Smithfield to Bentonville. The army of General Shermanwas moving from Averasboro to Goldsboro, upon two roadsrunning parallel and about ten miles apart. Otir division

swelled our army to about 15,000 men, against Sherman's 70,-

000. On tlie morning of the 19th Jefferson C. Davis' and Slo-

cum's Corps, numbering about 35,000 men were attacked by

Seventeenth Regiment. 13

our troops and driven back a considerable distance, three

guns and nine hundred prisoners falling into our hands.

The other corps of Sherman's army came up and v^^ere

thrown on our left flank, which had become much advanced

in the battle of the previous day. In consequence of this

movement it became necessary to change the position of our

army. The brigade of Kirkland, deployed as skirmishers,

held the enemy in check while the entire army changed front,

and thereafter occupied a position in the centre and joined

in the repulse of the many and furious charges of the Feder-

als. In this battle Captain William Biggs, Company A, was

greatly distinguished for his intrepid bravery. The brigade

received the special commendation of General Jos. E. John-

son for its valued services in this engagement.

Thus closes the volume of the bloody record of the Seven-

teenth North Carolina troops and their brave companions of

associated commands.

The army was withdrawn, retiring through Raleigh and

Chapel Hill and was surrendered to General Sherman at

Centre Church, Randolph county, at the final capitulation.

Supplementing this record it would not be amiss to state

that the flag of the Seventeenth North Carolina Troops

saved at the surrender by Private Abel Thomas, of Com-pany A, was unfurled at the unveiling of the Confederate

monument at Raleigh on 20 May, 1895, and beneath its

tattered and bulletrriddled folds the veteran survivors

marched to do honor to their dead heroic comrades.

Wilson G. Lamb^Second Lieutenant Company Y.

WiLLIAMSTON, N. C,26 April, 1901.