A Soldier's Story of His Regiment (61st Georgia): And Incidentally of the Lawton-Gordon-Evans Brigade Army of Northern Virginia

Chapter 13

161 CHAPTER XIII. THlC BATTLltS OF NORTH ANNA AND COLD HARBOR.SKIRMISH BATTLlt AT LYNCHBURG.-A VISIT '.f0 THn NATURAL BRIDGE AND STONEWALL JACKSON'S GRAYlt. After resting a few days General Grant started on a flank movement, but we cut him off at North Anna river and Hanover Junction and fortified. Grant did not try to move us, but he tested the strength of some parts ot Lee's lines. A heavy skirmish battle wa~ in our front. Grant moved on to our right not far from South Anna river and we had to cut him off again at a place called "Turkey Ridge," near South Anna river. Here while we were coming up and forming in line the Yankee sharpshooters killed Sergeant J. A. J. Cruce, a splendid man and excellent soldier. He had joined the church just before the campaign opened. William Kicklighter was also killed on the sharpshooter's line of our brigade. "Billy" was an excellent soldier; also John Self, of Company C, was killed. The Thirty-eighth was sent out to run off the enemy's sharpshooters and skirmish line. They did so and held their position. Grant made another flank movement and we had to move a few miles further. We cut him off at Cold Harbor . Here our brigade was reinforced by the Twelfth Georgia Battalion of seven companies. It was something over one thousand strong. They we~e excellent soldiers and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Henry D. Capers. 162 We built excellent earthworks and formed our lines. About the last of Mayor the first of June Companies D and H were put on skirmish with the Twelfth Georgia Battalion and ordered to advance. We had a very heavy skirmish line, for we were placed about two and one-half spaces apart. We were afraid that the battalion would not do its duty, for we saw that some of the companies were about 160 strong, with a great many boys in them, and they had a fine silk flag with the words "Fort Sump" ter" on one side and "Battery Wagner" on tlie other. They were also fixed up in better garb than we were, and some of our boys said that some of their officers looked too proud and dudeish for soldiers, and they were afraid they would give way and the enemy would flank us. The skirmish line was commanded by their colonel, Henry D. Capers, He was ordered to drive in the Yankee skirmish line and find out the strength of their battle line. We advanced and soon saw that the battalion boys kept in excellent line, and I have neVt"r seen better behavior in officers or men. We SOOl1 found that they "had no flies on them," and we had to do our best to do as well as they did. We advanced and soon found a very heavy skirmish line, composed entirely of New York zouaves, who wore red ~hirts, pants and caps, and blue coats trimmed in red. They all seemed to be very large me11 and were very hard to drive at first; but we kept advancing on them till we got within about thirty yards of them. They turned and fought us all the way back to their line of battle; but they were poor marksmen, for they seldom ever hurt one of our boys. We killed a good many of them. We drove them through and out of a piece of woods, through an open field, across a creek or branch and up a hill. I was a little in advance of the line, and went a little 163 way up the hill. I saw a very strong line of works and a battery of several pieces of artillery. The skirmish line was getting over their works. While one was standing on their works in a daring way, I fired at him, but I do not know that I hurt him; but I do know that he fell from the works. I could see thousands of heads and guns and the cannoneers in readiness, though no one shot at me. They were probably holding the fire till more could come in view. I was about one hundred and fifty yards from their works. I went back down the hill and told Captain Kennedy what I saw, and begged him not to go further up the hill, but he would go...