State

North Carolina at Gettysburg III. Never Enough of Them By .MAINLY W AIM! WKLLMAiN This is Ihc concluding article on .North Carolina's participation in the battle of Gettysburg. Pettigrew Tough North Carolina infantry con¬ tributed much to the successes of the first two days of the Battle of Get¬ tysburg, and those first two days onvinccd Robert E. Lee and his icutcnants that the third day would tring them decisive victory. On July 1 hey had driven Meade's Army of the Potomac out of the town and from the op of Seminary Ridge just below'. On uly 2. despite delays and poor co¬ ordination between units, they had staggered the grim Yankee defenders along Cemetery Ridge and had made lodgements at Culp's Hill above and Little Round Top below. Outnum¬ bered but not outfought, they awaited with fierce confidence the hot dawn of July 3. But before the sun was up, shells began to fall among the men of the First and Third North Carolina Regi¬ ments, who lay in the works on Culp's Hill that they had captured on the previous evening. Daniel's Brigade came at sunrise to re-cnforce Steuart's and helped to beat back an advance of Union infantry; then both brigades charged the stronger positions beyond. Unable to carry these fortifications, they look cover and returned the with¬ ering fire of the superior forces in their front. Two lines of dead— one gray, one blue — appeared almost within reach of each other. But the outnum¬ bered Confederates had to retreat down the hill again by 10:30 a.m. The Mourned One One of the dead would be specially mourned. As Major D. G. Cowand of THE STATE, FeonuARV ZB. 19S3 the 32nd North Carolina ordered the rearward movement of his men, he saw someone fall — his cousin, gay and brave Corporal Joe John Cow¬ and. The major paused and dis¬ mounted, but it was no use. Joe John was breathing his last. Back in Vir¬ ginia, no less than fifteen girls would weep over his lost gallantries. To one of these belles he had pledged Ins heart — or had it gone to his pretty¬ cheeked cousin. Winifred Cowand, at Holly Grove in Bertie County? She never married, and kept his letters all her life. Meanwhile, Lee ordered prepara¬ tions for a final major effort to drive Meade front Cemetery Ridge. His only fresh division, Pickett's, must be the mainspring of that assault. With Pick¬ ett he assigned two brigades from Pender's Division - the tried North Carolinians of Lane and Scales and Heth’s Division, commanded by Johns¬ ton Pettigrew. In a little ravine behind the top of Seminary Ridge they moved into position as noon came on. gaunt, bearded tattered men — undoubtedly the best American infantry that had ever existed up to that time. Over their heads, and through intervals between units. Lee's massed artillery roared its effort to soften up the defenses of the height beyond. Half a Brigade Pettigrew’s Brigade, the half of it that remained from the fierce fighting of the opening day, formed line of regiments. At the right of the forma¬ tion. next to Pickett's leftmost Virgin¬ ians. 22-year-old Major Johnny Jones sat his horse in front of the 26th North Carolina. His beloved friend, the boy- colonel Harry Burgwyn, had died that first day. So had many others. Major Jones must have thought of his kid brother Walter, an 1 8-year-old private of Company D, buried yesterday morn¬ ing bv his comrades. Full 584 killed, wounded and missing on July 1, out of XXO rank and file. Johnny Jones was the only field officer left to command the survivors. Many companies were led by lieutenants and sergeants. Next to the 26th was ranged the 47th North Carolina iK'hind jaunty George Faribault, the only colonel leading a regiment at that point. Be¬ yond Faribault was the 1 1th, Lieuten¬ ant-Colonel W. J. Martin commanding. The Bethel I lag was in front of Com¬ pany С. I he 52nd was under Lieu¬ tenant-Colonel Marcus Parks, for Colonel j. к. Marshal would take the brigade into battle while Pettigrew led the division. Beyond the brigade's left would be Davis, and among his Mississippi regi¬ ments the 55th North Carolina, still burning to silence those sneers about timidity on the Carolina coast last spring. With its colonel, lieutenant- colonel and major all shot away from in front of it. the 55th was commanded by Captain George Gilbreath of Com¬ pany B. It mustered 236 out of 82» that had approached Gettysburg on July I. Next was Brockenborough's Brigade, and ranged behind were other North Carolinians — Lane's and Scales'