In Their Own Words
Lane’s Brigade
At Gettysburg
Captain P.C. Carleton, 7th N.C.T.
Major Joseph A. Engelhard, Pender’s Division
Brigadier General James Lane
Major General Isaac Trimble

The Landmark, Statesville, N.C.
August 31, 1893

Captain P.C. Carlton, of Statesville, who, as a member of the 7th N.C. 
Regiment, Lane’s Brigade, participated in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 
3, 1863, has furnished the Landmark for publication the following 
interesting war literature.

On the morning of the 3rd July, 1863, the division of my corps occupied 
the same positions as on the 2nd July.  I was directed to hold my line 
with Anderson’s Division, and the half of Pender’s, now commanded by 
General Lane, and to order Heth’s Division, commanded by Pettigrew, 
and Lane’s and Scales’ Brigades, of Pender’s Division, to report to Lt. 
General Longstreet as a support to his corps in his assault on the enemy’s 
lines.  As the troops were filing off into their positions, Major General 
Trimble reported to me for the command of Pender’s Division, and took 
the command of the two brigades destined to take part in the assault.  

At 1:00 our artillery opened and for two hours rained an incessant storm 
of missiles upon the enemy’s line.  The effort was marked along my front, 
driving the enemy entirely from his guns.

The assault was then gallantly made—Heth’s Division and Trimble’s two 
brigades on the left of Pickett, Anderson had been directed to hold his 
division ready to take advantage of any success which might be gained by 
the assaulting column or to support it if necessary, and to that end Wilcox 
and Perry were moved forward to eligible positions. The assault failed, and 
after almost gaining the enemy’s works, our troops fell back in disorder.  
The enemy made no attempt to pursue.

Extract from the report of Pender’s Division
Major Joseph A. Englehard

During the morning of the 3rd July, General Pender received an order from 
Lt. General Hill to report in person with the two brigades forming his second 
line to the right to Lt. General Longstreet as a support to Pettigrew. General 
Longstreet ordered him to form in the rear of the right of Hill’s Division, 
commanded by General Pettigrew.  Having executed this order, General 
Lane was relieved of the command by Major General Trimble, who acted 
under the same orders given to General Lane.  The two brigades then formed 
as a support to Pettigrew, with Lowrance on the right, after suffering no little 
from the two hours’ exposure to the artillery fire which preceded the attack, 
advanced within close supporting distance of Pettigrew’s line, General Trimble, 
with a portion of his own men and taking immediate command of the movement.

The line moved forward through the woods into the open field, about one 
mile, in full view of the fortified position of the enemy, exposed to a 
murderous artillery fire, front, rear, and enfilade and musketry fire from the 
left.  The line moved handsomely and firmly forward.  The division in front 
gaining ground to the right, uncovered the left of Lane’s Brigade, which 
caused it to advance more rapidly than the rest of the line.  This was 
checked by an order from General Trimble.

When within a few hundred yards of the enemy’s works, the line in front 
being entirely gone, the division moved rapidly up, connecting with the troops 
on the right, still stubbornly contesting the ground with the enemy, reserving 
their fire until within easy range and then opening with telling effect, driving 
the artillerists from their guns, completely silencing the guns and breaking 
the line of support formed on the crest of the hill.  All the guns in the immediate 
front of the division were silenced, and the infantry had fallen behind their 
second and third lines of defense, advancing in an oblique direction, the 
extreme right of which had reached the works, was compelled to fall back, 
exposing the line to a very heavy fire from that direction, immediately on the 
flank, and a large column of infantry appearing on the left, that flank also 
became exposed.  The two extreme left regiments of Lane’s Brigade, under 
Colonels Avery and Perrin, advanced, some minutes after the rest of the line 
had given way and fallen back under orders.

The gallantry and impetuosity of the brigades of the division engaged drew 
from their veteran and wounded commander the highest compliments, as it 
earned the admiration of all who witnessed it.

Lane’s veteran troops advanced with that enthusiasm and firmness which 
had characterized them on every field, under the immediate supervision of 
their brigade commander.  The division was reformed under orders from 
General Trimble, by General Lane, just in the rear of the artillery, and upon 
the same ground where it had rested before making the attack and in this 
position, remained until the enemy fell back on the night of the 4th July.

Extract from General Lane’s Report of the Battle of Gettysburg

Next morning the skirmishing was very heavy in front of Thomas and Perrin, 
requiring, at times, whole regiments to deploy and resist this enemy back, 
which was always done most gallantly.  While this was going on, I was 
ordered by General Hill, through Captain Hill, to move in person to the right 
with the two brigades forming my second line and to “report to General 
Longstreet as a support to Pettigrew”.  General Longstreet ordered me to 
form in the rear of the right of Heth’s Division, commanded by Pettigrew.  
Soon after I had executed this order, putting Lowrance on the right, I was 
relieved of command by Major General Trimble, who acted under the same 
orders that I had received.  Heth’s Division was much larger than Lowrance’s 
Brigade and my men, who were its only support, and there was consequently 
no second line in the rear of their left.  

Now, in command of my brigade, I moved forward to the support of 
Pettigrew’s right, through the woods in which our batteries were planted 
and through an open field in full view of the enemy’s fortified position and 
under a murderous artillery and infantry fire.  As soon as Pettigrew’s 
command gave back, Lowrance’s Brigade and mine, without ever having 
halted, took position on the left of the troops which were still contesting 
the grounds with the enemy.  My command moved forward more handsomely.  
The men reserved their fire in accordance to orders until within good range of 
the enemy and then opened with telling effect, repeatedly driving the enemy 
from their pieces, completely silencing the guns in our front and breaking 
the line of infantry which was formed on the crest of the hill.  We advanced 
to within a few yards of the stone wall, exposed all the time to a heavy, 
raking artillery fire from the right.  My left was here very much exposed, 
and a column of infantry was thrown forward in that direction which enfiladed 
my whole line.  This forced me to withdraw my brigade, the troops on my 
right already having done so.  We fell back as well as could be expected 
and immediately reformed in rear of the artillery as directed by General 
Trimble and remained there until the following morning.  

I cannot speak too highly of my brigade in this bloody engagement.  
Both officers and men moved forward with a heroism unsurpassed, giving 
the brigade inspector and the rear guard nothing to do.  Our great loss 
tells too sadly of the gallant bearing of my command—660 out of a total 
of 1356, including ambulance corps and rear guard.  

General Trimble being wounded I was again thrown in command of this 
division, and with Lowrance’s brigade and my own, under Col. Avery, 
moved back to the rear of Thomas and Perrin on the 4th.

Extract from General Trimble’s Report on the Third Day’s Fight at Gettysburg

On the morning of the third, I had been put in command, by an order of 
General Lee, of two of the brigades of General Pender, who had been wounded.  
These were both of North Carolina troops commanded by J.H. Lane and Alfred 
M. Scales.  On taking command of the troops, entire strangers to me, and 
wishing as far as I could to inspire them with confidence, I addressed them 
briefly, ordered that no gun should be fired until the enemy’s line was broken, 
and that I would advance with them to the farthest point.  

When the charge commenced about 3:00 p.m., I followed Pettigrew about 
150 yards in the rear, a sufficient distance to prevent the adverse fire raking 
both ranks as we marched down the slope.  Notwithstanding the losses as 
we advanced, the men marched with the deliberation and accuracy of men 
on drill.  I observed the same in Pettigrew’s line.  When the latter was within 
100-150 yards of the Emmetsburg Road, they seemed to sink into the earth 
under the tempest of fire poured upon them.  We passed over the remnant 
of their line and immediately after some one close on my left sang out “Three 
cheers for the Old North State!”  Both brigades sent up a hearty shout and I 
said to my aid  “Charley, I believe these fine fellows are going into the enemy’s 
lines.”

They did get to the road and drove the opposite line from it.  They continued 
there some minutes, discharging their pieces at the enemy. The loss here 
was fearful.  I knew that no troops could long endure it.  I was curious to know 
how things went on with the troops on our right, and taking a quick but deliberate 
view of the field over which Picket had advanced, I perceived that the enemy’s 
fire seemed to slacken there and some squads were falling back on the west 
side of the Emmetsburg Road.  By this I inferred that Pickett’s division had 
been repelled and if so, it would be a useless exercise of life to continue the 
contest.  I therefore did not attempt to rally the men who (moved?) back from 
the fence.  

As I followed the retiring line on horseback at a walk to the crest of Seminary 
Ridge, under the unceasing discharge of grape, shell and musketry, I had cause 
to wonder how any one could escape wounds or death.  

On reaching the summit of the ridge, I found the men had fallen into line behind 
some rude defenses.  I said “that is right, my brave fellows, stand your ground 
and we will presently give these chaps as they have given us”, for by all the rules 
of warfare, the Federal troops should, as I expected they would, march against 
our shattered columns and seek to cover our army with an overwhelming defeat.

In turning over the command to General Lane, I used some expressions of 
commendation for the gallant behavior of these men, but I am sure I did not use 
the profane terms which General Lane quotes my language.

Being severely weakened and unable to follow the army in retreat, I made no 
report of the battle in terms of killed and wounded.  General Lane and General 
Scales have done this, which shows the fearful loss in these two brigades in the 
charge of July 3.

In a published letter to Hon. Jno. W. Daniel of Virginia, General Trimble says:

My men were the last to leave the field or the charge.  This I knew, as I rode in the 
line between the two brigades from the start down to the Emmetsburg Road, 
passing over the wreck of Heth’s Divison (Pettigrew’s).  Before my line recoiled 
under a concentrated fire from my front and left, I looked to my right where 
Pickett’s men had been seen to advance and beheld nothing but scattered 
remnants of that splendid line.

When we reached the Emmetsburg Road, the terrible fire, right in their faces, 
with their comrades melting away around them, our line slowly began to yield, 
or rather ceased to advance beyond the road.  It was there that I still sat on my 
horse, wounded, and at the road, that my aide Charlie Grogan said “General, the 
men are falling back, shall I rally them?”  Before replying, I looked again to my 
right, for the effect of Pickett’s charge, but could see nothing but a few men in 
squads moving to the rear and of a considerable distance from the Emmetsburg 
Road.  It was there, after a brief but deliberate view of the field, that I said “No, 
Charley, the best thing these brave fellows can do is get out of this.”  So 
marching my horse, from which I had alighted with the help of Grogan, we 
followed at a walk our men to the rear, who marched back sullenly and slowly 
in almost as good order as they had advanced, and I halted them on the summit 
of Seminary Ridge. On the presumption that the enemy would pursue me, I here 
prepared for defense, and feeling faint from my wound, turned over command to 
General Lane.  

Thus I am sure that my command continued the contest some time after Pickett’s 
force had been dispersed, not that we fought better, but because as a second line 
we did not reach the enemy quite as soon as the troops on our right, but 
maintained our ground after they had been driven back.  Pickett’s men were nearer 
the enemy at the start and did bare the brunt bravely, but they were no the only 
“heroes of Gettysburg”.

Extract From the Published Letter of General Lane To Which Trimble Refers

When General Trimble ordered us forward, we advanced and took our position on 
the left of the troops that were fighting, and when the right of my brigade was 
within a short distance of the stone fence that was used by the enemy as a 
breastwork—my brigade was now on the extreme left of the attacking line—one 
of General Longstreet’s staff came dashing through a hot fire with orders from 
General Longstreet to move my company rapidly to the left, as the enemy had 
thrown out a flanking force in that direction, which was already pouring a destructive 
fire into it.  On ordering Col. Avery, of the 33rd N.C. Regiment, which was the left 
of my command, to face to the left for the purpose of meeting this flanking column 
of the enemy, he said “My God, General!  Do you intend rushing your men into 
such a place unsupported and when the troops on the right are falling back?”  
Seeing that it was useless to sacrifice so many brave men, I ordered my command 
back, in accordance from orders from General Trimble, who was leaving the field 
wounded, I formed in the rear of our artillery.

After I encountered General Trimble on the battlefield, I was ordered to reform my 
command in the rear of our artillery.  I did not see him again, nor was I aware he 
had been wounded, until one of his staff officers rode up with the following message:  
“General Trimble sends his compliments to General Lane, and wishes him to take 
charge of the division as he has been wounded.  He also directs me to say that if 
the troops he had the honor to command today for the first time could not take 
that position, all hell could not take it.”  The above is the substance and as well 
as I can recollect, the words of the message as delivered, and General Trimble 
certainly knew well of what he spoke, as we fought over open ground and the 
general rode into action accompanied by his own staff and that of the division—
the whole party continuing near the (hue of fire closers?) during the active advance.

Transcribed by Christine Spencer, June 2008





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