These pages are dedicated to the memory of all the men from North Carolina that fought in the Civil War. Fayetteville Observer, Monday, July 27, 1863 Headquarters 51st Regiment N.C.T. Sullivan’s Island, S.C., July 20 Messrs Editors: Enclosed I send you a list of casualties in the engagement at Battery Wagner, July 18. The Yanks shelled us for 11 consecutive hours, and continued until the infantry made the assault at 7:00 pm. We repulsed them with heavy loss in killed, wounded and prisoners. They shelled us from three points, making a cross fire, sometimes at the rate of 20 per minute. It is impossible to estimate the number of shells thrown. General Taliaferro, who was in command, (a #1 officer) thinks from 4,000 to 6,000. The odds against us were great, our artillerymen had suffered heavily during the day. The men of our regiment had been on heavy duty and slept but little for six nights and were completely worn down from watching and fatigue, several fainting from excessive heat during the day. We occupied more than one third of the line of defense and had 687 men in the action. Our line was unbroken during the entire fight; no Yankees succeeded in mounting the parapet defended by us. The 51st and 31st N.C. Regiments were (illegible words) on the enemy. The 31st was stationed on our left. The enemy made a desperate assault on them, at one time had mounted our left parapet and planted colors four times. The battery colors had the halliards cut by a shell, which were soon repaired. Twenty minutes after this the flag pole was shattered into fragments its place supplied by the regimental colors of our regiment. The largest part of the infantry in the fort were North Carolinians (51st and 31st Regiments) and fought well as the list of casualties will show. We had forty rounds in boxes when the fight began, all of which were fired and more distributed during the fight. The S.C. heavy artillery did the fighting until the assault was made, acted nobly and lost heavily. Lt. Col. Simpkins, a noble and brave officer, was killed. Respectfully J.R. Latta, 1st Lt. and Adj. 51st N.C.T. List Casualties 51st Regiment N.C.T. at Battery Wagner, Morris Island, July 18, 1863 Company A, Capt. E. Southerland Commanding Killed: D.J. West Wounded: Capt. E. Southerland, hip; Lt. W.H. Littlejohn, knee and hip; Privates E. Holmes, severely; Thomas Atkinson, J. Canisfield and L.H. Matthews, slightly Company B, Capt. Bell commanding Killed: R.J. Ezzell, Paton Merritt Wounded: Lts. Herring and Smith, slightly; Sgt. J.T. McArthur, Corp. J.T. Thornton, ------ Armstrong; S.T. Ezzell Missing: ------- Strickland Company C, Lt. James commanding Killed: R.J. Carroll, E. Bestick, G.F. Groves Wounded: Sgt. Bowden, H. Hunter, J.S. Picket, K. James, J. Jones, slightly; L. Gauner, severely, leg amputated Company D, Capt. R.J. McEachern commanding Killed: M.J. McDonald Wounded: Capt. McEachern, Lt. J.D. Malloy, neck; J.A. Evans, slightly; L. Musselwhite, A. Graham, seriously Company E Capt. W.H. Pope commanding Killed: Lt. G.W. Thompson, J. Parker Wounded: A.J. Branch, A.C. Lee, E.C. Branch, A. Barnes, E. Grimsley, R. Wilcox, M. Wilkerson, Corp. Harrington, all slightly Missing: J. Butler Company F, Lt. Fulmore commanding Killed: Corp. S. Spivey, S. Clements, W. Boone, W. Brewer, S. Locke, A. Baxley Wounded: Sgt. J.C. Faulk, S. Graham, J. Henderson, N. Barbour Missing: A. Spivey Company G, Capt. Lippitt commanding Killed: C.A. Moore Wounded: E. Blanton and J. Arnold, mortally; M. Blanton, slightly; ------- Jernegan, Jordan Powers, W.J. Barney, J.P. Harrison, J.J. Blanton, seriously; Corp. R.R. Harrison Company H, Capt. Maultsby commanding, no casualties Company I, Capt. Sloan commanding Wounded: M. Mel Smith, W.J. Taylor, J.W. Carroll, slightly; A.C. McDonald, W. Bass, M. Porter, seriously Company K, Capt. Underwood commanding Wounded: A. Branch, mortally Missing: D.M. Boon, J.G. Bain The enemy’s loss was very heavy—ours comparatively small. As usual, the North Carolina troops bore the brunt of the battle. The total casualties on our side are estimated at from 80 to 100, of which the 51st N.C. Troops (Col. Hector McKethan) reports 68 killed and wounded and 6 missing—evidently more than half of all the casualties. We learn that there were two regiments of North Carolinians, one of Georgians, and a Battalion of South Carolinians (apart from the artillery) in Battery Wagner. From the 31st we have heard no particulars except that J.D. Johnson of Company D, is wounded and at the Trapmann Street Hospital. Correspondence of the Fayetteville Observer Sullivan’s Island, S.C., July 23, 1863 We are still on Sullivan’s Island, waiting our turn to go over to Morris Island again. The arrangement is that the Garrison is relieved every few days with a fresh command, which is very essential, as no set of men could stand it longer than five or six days. I suppose General Talliaferro’s official report will be published soon. Fayetteville Observer, Monday, Aug. 3, 1863 Casualties 31st Regiment Headquarters 31st Regiment, Sullivan’s Island, July 28 Editors: I enclose a list of casualties in this regiment at the affair on James’ Island, July 16 and the bombardment and assault of Battery Wagner July 18. From the enclosed list it would appear that there was no dereliction of duty on the part of either officers or men of this regiment. There being not more than 350 men in the regiment at the time, and out of that number two whole companies were detached at Battery Gregg at the time of the assault. Casualties on James’ Island, July 16 Company C Killed: W.A. Johnson Wounded: E.A. Lee, Jas. Gower, slightly Company I Wounded: Corp. Jos. Stewart, W.T. Messer, slightly Company K Wounded: Freeman Willis, mortally, since died Casualties on Morris Island in Battery Wagner, July 18 Company A Wounded: W. Kinlow, mortally, since died; Sgt. Lewis, Thomas Jones, A.H. Sealy and J.L. Thompson, slightly Company B Killed: Sidney parker, B.B. Harris Wounded: Sol Allen, severely; J.D. Johnson, Jonathan Dees, slightly Company C Killed: Wm. Matthews Wounded: Alex Rogers, severely; A. Sexton, R. Ellen, A.L. Wood, A.Q. Wood, slightly Company D Wounded: W.R. Bryan, mortally, since died; Sgt. S.J. Mitchiner, slightly Company E Wounded: Sgt. Pope, D.N. Wilkinson, Jno. Faulkner, slightly Missing: Dewain Garrett Company F Killed: Corp. W.E. Harrell, flag bearer Wounded: Sgt. S.S. Perry Company G Wounded: Andrew Lawrence, dangerously, feared mortally; J.A. Grant, E.D. Sandiford, slightly Company H Killed: Jesse Allen Wounded: R.B. Keith, W.A. Mooningham, slightly Company I Killed: Neill H. Gaskins Wounded: Capt. A.B. Parker, mortally, since dead; Sgt. J. McAllister, severely, Isaac Melvin, Sgt. Jno. Gregory, slightly Company K Killed: Z. Smith Wounded: M.W. Carriker, dangerously, feared mortally; H. Mitchell, A. Wiggins, severely E.K. Bryan, Adjutant, 31st N.C.T. Fayetteville Observer, Monday, August 17, 1863 Sullivan’s Island, Aug. 6 List of Casualties 51st Regiment N.C.T. during second term of duty (from July 30 to Aug. 3rd ) in Fort Wagner, Morris Island. Company A W.F. Rowe, wounded in knee, not serious; Wm. Williamson, in side, not serious Company C Jonas Jones, hand, slight; H. Merritt, killed Company D S. Edge, leg and since amputated; H. Galbraith, hip and knee; G. McMillan, head, slight Company K Edward Hawley, breast Fayetteville Observer, Monday, September 7, 1863 Casualties in the 61st Regiment, Charleston, up to Aug. 28th, the 50th day of the bombardment Company A Wounded: Sgts. W.L. Faison, knee; J.M. Robinson, mortally; Jas. McCalop, Privates P.T. Dowd, mortally; C.C. Newton, arm Company B Killed: Corp. E.S. Mount Wounded: Corp. S.G. Owens, A. Beasley Company C Wounded: J. Littleton, W. Arthur Missing: A.J. Johnson Company D Killed: W.M. Earley Wounded: B.f. Wicker, arm amputated; J.R. Hill, Corp. Rollins, Mangum Perry, B. Noah Captured by the enemy: Lt. R.C. Cotton, Corps. M.G. Ellmore, J.H. Straughn, T.F. Andrews, E. Ausley, W.L. Burk, E. Crawford, T.C. Campbell, M.b. Clark, R.C. Dowdy, D. Cummons, G.L. Harmon, J.B. Lloyd, A. McDaniel, M. Manes, E. Mitchell, W.H. Mines, S.P. Morgan, H.M. Perry, S.J. Perry, J. Pilkenton, D. Poe, W. Self, M.G. Thomas, M.I. Webster, J.B. Williams, T.J. Wright Company E Killed: W.H .Littleton Wounded: J. Stokes, B. Welch, R. Grimsley Captured: Lt. Jos. Kinsey, commanding company; Sgts. Y.H. Dale, J. Hines, H.H. Frizell, Corps. S.G. Moore, A. Grimsley, Privates L. Byrd, B. Blizzard, J.J. Frizzell, W.H. Britt, J. Barnett, S. Hines, J. Hinson, P. Hill, W. Howard, S.A. Herring, A. Moye, J. Murphy, J.R. Rosebury, J. Pearce, L. Skinner, H. Skinner, B. Welch Company F Killed: Corp. B.A. Davis Wounded: Capt. A.J. Moore, arm; Corp. A.J. Davis, J.W. Owens Company G Killed: Sgt. J.R. French Wounded: Lt. Keith, commanding, slightly; Privates Ely Ray, J.B. Boney, Clareny Captured: Corp. T.C. Orr, T.S. Armstrong, J. Bonsold, Abram Blanchard, M.L. Crawford, J. Clareny, W.B. Ennis, A. Herring, J.G. Mahn, P. Moore, M. Powell, H.D. Rivenbark, T.E. Rivenbark, J. Smith, H. Skipper, S.B. Stokes, H. Treadwell, W. Wilson, ------- Trainer Company I Killed: E.H. Roberts Wounded: J. Anders, Sgt. G. Higgins, R. Woodruff, R. Crowse, W. Mains, D. Richardson, C. Higgins Company K Killed: E.N. Loftin It is feared that several of the captured of Company D and other companies are wounded. They were all taken in the rifle pits in front of Battery Wagner. Respectfully, W.B. Jones Chaplain, 61st N.C.T. |