In obedience to this order the Guilford Grays, on Friday night, April 18th, 1861, left Greensboro for Fort Macon. Thus the Rubicon was crossed; thus did North Carolina find herself in armed conflict with the United States; and thus were the Guilford Grays precipitated in the contest in which they were to suffer and endure for four long years.
Our departure was the occasion of different and conflicting emotions. The Grays, young, ardent, and full of enthusiasm, were the most light-hearted and happy of all, and marched with as little thought of coming trouble, as if on the way to some festive entertainment. Not so with mothers, sisters, and sweethearts—for except our captain, none of as were married—nature seemed to have granted to these a vision of the future, which was denied to us, and while they cheered us on with encouraging words, there was manifest in their expression a deep but silent under-current of sad forebodings, not unaccompanied with tears. We marched to the depot with drums beating, and with that flag flying, which but twelve months before the girls had given us as a "banner of peace."
Previous to our departure on Friday night the company assembled in the court-house, when Lieut. John A. Pritchett and Orderly Sergeant W. H. Bourne, resigned their offices. John A. Gilmer, Jr., was elected to fill the vacancy of lieutenant, and Wm. P. Wilson that of orderly sergeant.
The following is the roll of members who left for Fort Macon on the night mentioned:
John Sloan, Captain; William Adams, 1st Lieutenant; James T. Morehead, Jr., 2d Lieutenant; John A. Gilmer, Jr., 3d Lieutenant; John E. Logan, M. D., Surgeon; Henry C. Gorrell, Ensign; William P. Wilson, Orderly Sergeant; John A. Sloan, 2d Sergeant; Geo. W. Howlett, 3d Sergeant; Samuel B. Jordan, 4th Sergeant; Thos. J. Sloan, Corporal; Benjamin G. Graham, 2d Corporal; Edward M. Crowson, 3d Corporal; J. Harper Lindsay, Jr., 4th Corporal. Privates: Hardy Ayres, James Ayers, William L. Bryan, Peter M. Brown, John D. Collins, Allison C. Cheely, Chas. A. Campbell, H. Rufus Forbis, Rufus B. Gibson, Walter Green, Frank A. Hanner, Alfred W. Klutts, Andrew D. Lindsay, John H. McKnight, J. W. McDowell, James R. Pearce, Chas. E. Porter, William U. Steiner, Edw. G. Sterling, John E. Wharton, Richard B. Worrell, Robert D. Weatherly, Samuel P. Weir, A. Lafayette Orrell, James Gray, Samuel Robinson, J. Frank Erwin, Joseph E. Brown, Edward Switz, Thos. D. Brooks, W. G. Duvall.
A few days after our departure, the ladies of Greensboro organized a committee, consisting of Mrs. D. P. Weir, Mrs. R. G. Sterling, Mrs. T. M. Jones, Mrs. A. P. Eckel, and Mrs. J. A. Gilmer, to see that we were supplied with provisions and such clothing as was needful, and nobly did these blessed ladies—three of whom have since "crossed the River; resting under the shade on the other side"—perform their work of love. We were constantly receiving boxes, containing, not only every comfort, but luxuries and dainties, from this committee, in addition to those sent us by the dear ones in our private homes.
In the meanwhile our newspapers and politicians were urging immediate action upon the part of our State. The following quotation from The Patriot of May 2d, 1861, will serve to show the state of public opinion at that time. The Patriot says:
"Our streets are filled with excited crowds, and addresses were made during the day by Governor Morehead, Hons. R. C. Puryear, John A. Gilmer, Sr., Rob't. P. Dick, and Thomas Settle. These speeches all breathed the spirit of resistance to tyrants, and our people were told that the time had come for North Carolina to make common cause with her brethren of the South in driving back the abolition horde."
On the 20th day of May, 1861 (being the 86th anniversary of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence), North Carolina severed her relations with the Federal Union, and made "common cause with her brethren of the South."
During the months of May and June our company received many volunteer recruits, all, with one or two exceptions, coming from Guilford County. Below are their names and the dates of their enlistment: