History of the 48th Regiment

History of the 48th Regiment

HISTORY OF THE 48TH N.C. TROOPS

Fayetteville Observer, Monday, February 22, 1864

(Transcriber’s note: the writer used a mixture of “we” and “they” in referring to the regiment,
which has been changed to “they” to keep the context uniform.)

The following is a brief and hasty abstract of the history of the 48th N.C. Troops. The regiment
was organized at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, about the 8th April, 1862, having four
companies from Union County, two from Davidson, one from Davidson and Forsythe, one from
Iredell, one from Moore and one from Chatham.

Company A, from Union County, Captain F.L. Wiatt (afterwards promoted to Major, July 15,
1862, to fill a vacancy occasioned by the death of Major B.R. Huske)

Company B, Captain Albert A. Hill, promoted upon the resignation of Major Wiatt, September
22, 1862 to Major and since the death of Col. R.C. Hill, to lt. col.

Company C, Iredell, Captain A.M. Walker, since resigned.

Company D, Moore, Captain B.R. Huske, elected Major 9th April, 1862, and died of wounds
received (in the battle near Richmond) July 15, 1862

Company E, Union, Captain J.W. Walden, since resigned

Company F, Union, Captain S.H. Walkup, elected April 9, 1862, Lt. Col., and promoted to
Colonel on Dec. 4, 1863 by the death of Col. R.C. Hill

Company G, Chatham, Capt. W.H. Jones, promoted to major since the death of Col. R.C. Hill

Company H, Davidson, Captain Michael, since resigned.

Company I, Union, Captain (Dr.) E.C. Alexander, since resigned.

Company K, Davidson and Forsythe, Captain Jesse Atwood, since died.

The above companies were organized into the 48th Regiment N.C.T by the election on the 9th
April, 1862, of R.C. Hill of Iredell County, as colonel, Captain S.H. Walkup of Union county as lt.
col., and Captain B.R. Huske of Fayetteville as major.

They remained about one month at Camp Mangum and removed to Goldsboro, N.C., perfecting
themselves in drill. The regiment was next ordered, on the 1st June, to Petersburg, Va., where
the drill was continued and the regiment was attached to General Robert Ransom’s brigade.
On June 10, they tore up the Norfolk and Petersburg railroad from Blackwater towards Petersburg.
On June 17, they were sent down the James River to get ice for the N.C. hospital at Dr. Epps’
house under the cover of the enemy’s gunboats. On June 18, they attacked the gunboats and
the regiment first got under the enemy’s fire from shelling.

On June 24 they were ordered to Richmond and arrived on the morning of the 25th at French’s
farm, on the Williamsburg Road, where the regiment in the evening charged two brigades of the
enemy, and got badly cut up—out of 480 men engaged, they lost 17 killed on the field and 88
wounded, many of whom have since died, including Major Huske and Captain Clegg of Company D.

This was the beginning of the Richmond “Seven Days” fights. On the 26th, they heard heavy
firing up the Chickahominy to their left, the battle of Mechanicsville. On the 27th, firing
commenced at Gaines’ Mills and Cold Harbor. On the 28th they were placed in General J.G.
Walker’s Brigade and ordered across the Chickahominy to Cold Harbor—the battle was over
before they reached there and the enemy in flight.

The regiment then marched to Allen’s farm on James River near Malvern Hill. On June 30 they
got under a terrific fire of gunboats and continued in line of battle under severe shelling until the
morning of July 2, when they were ordered to Drury’s Bluff and thence back to Petersburg,
where they remained throwing up entrenchments making excursions to Prince George C.H. and
attacking McClellan’s camp. On July 30th they were at Harrison’s Landing in General D.H. Hill’s
Division.

On August 20, they were ordered again to Richmond and on the 27th to Rapidan Station. On
the 1st September, they began the campaign to Maryland, passing Manassas and Leesburg
and crossing the Potomac River into Maryland as far as Frederickstown and thence, returning,
they re-crossed the Potomac into Virginia at Point of Rocks and arrived at Harper’s Ferry on the
13th September where they remained under the enemy’s shells, on Loudon Heights, until the
15th, when 14,000 of the enemy surrendered to General Stonewall Jackson.

They crossed the Shenandoah and were ordered on the night of the 15th to Sharpsburg, crossed
the Potomac at Shepherdstown next day, the 16th, and formed into line of battle early on the
morning of the 17th, in General D.H. Hill’s Division. About 10:00 they were ordered to the left
to support General T.J. Jackson and became engaged in one of their bloodiest fights, at
Sharpsburg. 750 men of the regiment engaged in this action, 35 were killed and 195 wounded,
many of them mortally, of whom were Adjutant H.J. Gaston, Captain Benjamin Atwood, Company
K, and Lt. G.W. Witherspoon, Company C. The two former were captured and died in the
enemy’s hands. Several of the men were here wounded and taken prisoners and many of them
have not since been heard from.

On the night of the 18th September, they re-crossed the Potomac and retired to near Martinsburg;
and thence, after a few days, to Winchester. For about one month they remained near
Winchester, and thence removed with Longstreet’s corps to Upperville, and thence to Madison
C.H. where we remained a few weeks and were then ordered, Nov.18, to Hanover Junction and
on the way were turned towards Fredericksburg. General J.G. Walker having been transferred to
the army of the West, they were placed under the command of Brig. General John R. Cooke.

They arrived near Fredericksburg on Nov. 22 and remained until the 11th December, when they
were placed in line of battle in the rear of Marie’s Heights. On the 13th, when the battle began,
they occupied Marie’s Heights, beside the Washington Battery in full view of the enemy. They
went into the fight about 1:00 p.m. with two field officers, 26 company commissioned officers
and 387 officers and privates and remained exposed to a most destructive fire from shot, shell
and small arms until dark, over four hours. Their loss was 209 in killed and wounded, 17 men
and one officer (Lt. Peter Plyler of Company E) were killed; and both field officers, Lt. Co. Walkup,
commanding the regiment and Major A.A. Hill being wounded; also 15 of the company officers
were wounded, three of whom (Lt. S. Dulin of Co. I, Captain John Stafford and Lt. H.C. Banner of
Co. K) shortly afterwards died of their wounds.

They remained near Fredericksburg until the 3rd January, 1863 when they moved towards N.C.,
arrived at Goldsboro Jan. 17 and from thence by way of South Washington, Burgaw and
Wilmington to Pocotaligo, S.C., where they arrived about the 22nd February, 1863. They
remained there two months, during which time they were ordered to Port Royal to secure a
gunboat that the enemy had run aground.

The left Pocotaligo on the 22nd April, 1863, and returned to Wilmington, N.C., and thence to
Weldon and Kinston. On May 22, they advanced under Maj. General D.H. Hill, through Gum
Swamp, where the enemy had captured and scattered ten regiments, the day previous, were
driven back and pursued to Bachelor’s Creek near Newbern, at which place their commanding
officer, Col. Jones, was killed.

They returned to Kinston, May 25, and remained there until June 4, when their brigade was
ordered to Richmond where they arrived on the 7th; thence to Hanover Junction on the 10th, to
guard the bridges over the South and North Anna and Mattaponi Rivers, until relieved, a few
days after, when they were ordered to join Heth’s division in Lt. General A.P. Hill’s Corps for
the Pennsylvania campaign. But before they were relieved the enemy was reported advancing
under General Dix, in force from the White House upon Richmond, and Cooke’s Brigade was
ordered back to Richmond.

On July 3 they advanced under Major General D.H. Hill across the Chickahominy, at Bottom’s
Bridge, and drove the enemy back to the White House. On July 7 they again marched to
Hanover Junction to protect the bridges from the enemy’s raids and thence, August 1, to
Fredericksburg on picket duty until Sept. 1 when they returned to Hanover Junction and thence
on the 24th to Gordonsville and on the 8th Oct. to Madison C.H. where they joined General
Heth’s division in Lt. Gen. A.B. Hill’s corps on the march to Culpepper C.H., Warrenton and to
Bristow Station; where, on the 14th Oct., Cooke’s and Kirkland’s N.C. Brigades engaged a
whole corps of the enemy and were badly cut up.

They took into the fight 500 men and lost 8 killed and 116 wounded, many of the latter since
died. They have since that time been guarding as pickets the lines of the Rappahannock and
the Rapidan Rivers, at which last place they are now on picket duty but will go into winter
quarters tomorrow the 2nd February, 1864.

I omitted to state that soon after the organization they were placed in General Holmes’ Division
in which they remained until after the battle around Richmond. They were in General Whiting’s
Division while at Wilmington and in General Walker’s Division while in the vicinity of Charleston,
S.C.

Very Respectfully,
S.H. Walkup
Col., 48th N.C.R.

Transcribed by Christine Spencer September 2007