Reminiscences of the Guilford Grays, Co. B., 27th N.C. Regiment

by John A. Sloan

On the 20th, we were moved still further to the right; and on the next day, were engaged in a spirited skirmish near Battery No. 45, on our advanced lines. Every few days, we were moved still farther to the right, skirmishing and picketing, until we reached Hatcher's Run, about the 1st of December.

About daylight, on the morning of the 27th of October, three corps of the enemy moved towards the Boydton Plank-Road with a view to turn our right flank and get possession of the Southside railroad, which was now Lee's principal communication. When they reached the Boydton road, they found our troops entrenched at every point. Hancock's corps continued to advance in the direction of Stony Creek, supposing this to be the termination of our lines, and thereby creating a gap between his right and the left of the 5th army corps. Mahone's division, taking advantage of this opening in their lines, assailed Hancock's right, and drove Gibbons' division some distance back. Meanwhile, Hampton with his cavalry began to attack his rear. Our brigade was moved up the creek (Hatcher's Run) as far as Burgess' Mill, and was placed in position to be ready on the next morning to charge the enemy from their position on the other side of the creek. The only means of crossing the stream was a narrow country bridge, which was guarded by their sharpshooters, and beyond on the hills, about one hundred yards off, was posted their artillery. The charge was to be made at daylight; and with this pleasant prospect before us, you may imagine we passed a comfortable night in anticipation. When morning came, our sharpshooters were advanced, and found, to our comfort and delight, that Grant had withdrawn his troops during the night, and retraced his steps to their intrenchments in front of Petersburg. He had been completely frustrated, and thus failed in his flank movement.

On the following day we were in position on the left of Hatcher's Run, and as active operations were considered closed for the winter, we began to build winter quarters. In a short while we had comfortable cabins, in which we remained quietly until the 8th of December.

On the 8th of December the 2d army corps, by way of diversion, made a raid on the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad, and A. P. Hill's corps was ordered to meet them. On the evening of the 8th we quit our comfortable quarters, and in the sleet and driving snow, marched until 2 o'clock a.m. of the 9th, when we bivouacked till morning. We then marched on, in the bitter cold, to Bellfield, when we found the enemy were retreating up the Jerusalem Plank-road. From here we were ordered back to Jarratt's Station to try to intercept them. Just as we reached this point we encountered a large force of their cavalry. Pegram's artillery was thrown forward, and our brigade, concealed in the pines, clad with ice and sleet, was thrown into line as support.

The enemy were not aware of our presence, and charged upon the artillery. Our skirmishers received the charge. Seeing that the battery was supported, they began to retreat. We pursued them across the railroad and pushed forward rapidly for several miles, hoping to intercept their infantry, but we found the pursuit useless. As darkness was now upon us, we halted for the night, and next morning resumed our march for our camp, which we reached, hungry and almost frozen, on the 13th.

Grant behaved himself now tolerably well until Sunday morning, February 5th, when, becoming restless, he began one of his periodical movements, and succeeded in getting very near our lines before we were aware of his movements. About the middle of the day Davis' Mississippi brigade, which was a mile to our left, was marched down to our position and relieved us. We were then marched up the lines some two miles, where we crossed our works and formed a line outside of them. We then marched to the front about one mile, when we turned to the right, and forming line of battle, began to advance and soon struck the skirmish line of the enemy, which we drove with our line of battle some distance, until we came in view of their line posted upon a hill in a field behind earthworks. We were ordered to charge. We started up the hill, and when we had gone some distance, and seeing the brigade on our left was not charging with us, we fell back to the edge of the woods. The enemy now made a strong demonstration on our right flank, and to prevent this movement we had to fall back to our reserve line, when a Georgia brigade took the place of ours. As they were ordered forward a portion of our regiment, among them the Grays, thinking the order came from our commanding officer, advanced with this brigade and fought through the remainder of the day. After dark we were returned to our breastworks, and when we reached them we found that we had been fighting in front of our former position, and had been moved two miles up the lines to be marched back again to fight in the place of other troops who had been moved into our earth works, and almost directly in front of our camp. [There are some things past finding out and beyond explanation, but as the deductions of a citizen soldier are at no time of valuable consideration, I forbear.]

On the following day we were returned to our quarters, where we enjoyed quiet and rest until the latter part of March.

While we were in the heat of the battle of the 5th of February, some few of the new recruits who had recently joined our brigade, not exactly fancying the shot and shell which were flying around, thought the rear was a safer place, and suiting the action to the thought, "dusted." Gen. Lee with several of his staff was seated on horseback in rear of our lines and in proximity to the battle, awaiting the issue, when observing these men crossing the works without their guns, in seeming alarm and haste, he rode toward them, endeavoring to halt and return them to their command, when one of the "dusters," in grave alarm, raised his hands and voice in terror, exclaiming: "Great God, old man, get out of the way, you don't know nothing," continued his rapid flight too terrified to recognize or obey chieftain or orders.

CHAPTER XXI.

The Grays were in winter quarters on the left side of Hatcher's Run, one mile and a half below Burgess' mill. While here we received orders at midnight on the 24th of March, to be in readiness to move in the direction of Petersburg. Leaving the sick and wounded to take care of the camp and the lines in our immediate front, we began our march, not knowing the cause of this seeming untimely order. After two hours rapid marching we reached Petersburg, and bivouacked near the water-works. About daylight we were quietly marched into our trenches in front of and to the right of Hare's Hill. The troops who had just occupied these trenches where we now were had been marched out, and were in readiness, under General Gordon, to make a prearranged sortie upon the Federal forts on Hare's Hill.