ORGANIZATION.
On 3 January, 1865, while the regiment was at Camp McLean, near Goldsboro, it was finally organized by the election of Captain John W. Hinsdale, Colonel; W. F. French, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Captain A. B. Ellington, Major. On 7 January the last two were assigned to duty. Frank M. Hamlin, one of the gallant young officers who refused to surrender with Major Reece, was appointed Adjutant. But from time to time Lieutenants W. W. King, Andrew J. Burton and Frank S. Johnson, son of Senator R. W. Johnson, of Arkansas, who had shortly theretofore left the University of North Carolina and volunteered in the Third Regiment, acted as Adjutant. J. K. Huston was appointed Quartermaster Sergeant, and George B. Haigh, of Fayetteville, grandson of the Hon. George E. Badger, Commissary Sergeant. Drs. E. B. Simpson and J. S. Robinson were assigned to the regiment as Surgeon and Assistant Surgeon.
The companies composing the regiment were then lettered and designated as follows:
Company A—From Guilford County—Captain, John W. Pitts.
Company B—From Alamance and Forsyth Counties—Captain, A. L. Lancaster.
Company C—From Stokes and Person Counties—Captain, R. F. Dalton.
Company D—From New Hanover, Brunswick and Columbus Counties—Captain, John D. Kerr.
Company E—From Catawba County—Captain, J. R. Gaither.
Company F—From Iredell and Rowan Counties—Captain, W. G. Watson.
Company G—From Burke and Caldwell Counties—Captain, L. A. Bristol.
Company H—From Cumberland, Robeson and Harnett Counties—Captain, D. S. Byrd.
Company I—From Richmond County—Captain, A. B. McCollum.
Company K—From Rockingham County—Lieutenant, F. M. Hamlin.
Colonel Hinsdale, upon receiving notice in the city of Raleigh of his election, at once signified his acceptance, but it was questioned by General Holmes whether he was eligible under the orders of the War Department, by reason of the fact that he was not a disabled officer. The matter was referred to the authorities in Richmond and after considerable delay the department decided in Colonel Hinsdale’s favor and he was assigned to the command of the regiment on 14 February, 1865, by the following all too partial general order:
“Headquarters Reserves North Carolina,
Raleigh, N. C., 14 February, 1865.
General Orders No. 4.
“Major C. S. Stringfellow, Assistant Adjutant-General C. S. P. A., will relieve Captain John W. Hinsdale, Assistant-Adjutant-General of Reserves of North Carolina, and the latter officer will proceed to join the Third Regiment Reserves of North Carolina as its Colonel, he having been duly elected to that office on 3 January, 1865.
“The Lieutenant-General commanding in taking leave of Colonel Hinsdale, tenders his warm congratulations on his promotion and earnestly hopes that the intelligence, zeal and gallantry, which has characterized his services as a staff officer may be matured by experience into greater usefulness in his new and more extended sphere.
“Theo. H. Holmes,
“Lieutenant-General Commanding.”
While at Camp McLean, near Goldsboro, the regiment was ordered to Halifax to repel another Federal raid. It remained there only a day or two, the enemy having withdrawn. It returned to Goldsboro where it remained drilling and doing guard duty until the last of January. It was then ordered to Kinston and camped near the beautiful home of Colonel John C. Washington. It was here employed in constructing the breastworks and fortifications for the defence of the town and especially of the county bridge across the Neuse river. Kinston was in easy reach from New Bern and had been visited by many Federal raiding parties from time to time. Our boys were heartily welcomed by the good people of that town.
The rations which were issued to officers and men while here and at Goldsboro were very scant. They consisted of half a pint of black sorghum syrup, a pint of husky meal every other day, a third of a pound of pork or Nassau bacon and a few potatoes occasionally. The old soldiers will all remember Nassau bacon, a very gross, fat, porky substance which ran the blockade at Wilmington and was distributed among Lee’s veterans as bacon. When a ration of cornfield peas was issued, the boys were in “high jinks” indeed. But never was there collected together more uncomplaining men. They recognized the fact that the Confederacy was doing for them its best.