On the morning of the 17th of September, just before day-break, we
were aroused from our slumbers and moved to a position in line of
battle on the extreme right of the Confederate lines. At early dawn
the enemy opened their artillery from both sides of the Antietam, the
heaviest fire being directed against our left. Under cover of this
fire a large force of infantry attacked Gen. Jackson's division, and
for some time the conflict raged with fury and alternate success. Gen.
Early, in command of Ewell's division, was sent to their support, when
Jackson's division was withdrawn, its ammunition being nearly
exhausted. The battle was now renewed with great violence, and the
troops of McLaws and J. G. Walker were brought from the right. With
these re-enforcements Gen. Early attacked resolutely the large force
opposed to him, and drove them back in some confusion beyond the
position our troops had occupied at the beginning of the engagement.
This attack upon our left was speedily followed by one in heavy force
on the centre, and our regiment was double-quicked one and a half
miles to near the centre, and placed in line about one mile to the
left of the town of Sharpsburg.
The gallant and conspicuous part which the 27th regiment took in the
fight, Capt. Graham, of the Orange Guards, describes graphically as
follows:
"Forming in a corn-field we advanced under a heavy fire of grape
and canister at a quick step up a little rise and halted at a rail
fence, our right considerably advanced. After holding this
position for half an hour or more our front was changed so as to
be on a line with the other troops. In the meantime we had
suffered heavily, and I think had inflicted equally as much
damage. [On this first advance Capt. Adams was shot down.] About 1
o'clock the enemy having retired behind the hill upon which they
were posted, and none appearing within range in our front, Col.
Cooke ordered us to fall back some twenty steps in the corn and
lie down so as to draw them on; he, in the meantime, regardless of
personal danger from sharpshooters, remained at the fence beside a
small tree. After remaining there some 20 minutes, the enemy
attempted to sneak up a section of artillery to the little woods
upon our left. Colonel Cooke, watching the movement, ordered the
four left companies of our regiment up to the fence and directed
them to fire upon this artillery. At the first fire, before they
had gotten into position, nearly every horse and more than half
the men fell, and the infantry line which had moved up to support
them showed evident signs of wavering. Col. Cooke seeing this, and
having received orders to charge if opportunity offered,
immediately ordered a charge. Without waiting a second word of
command we leaped the fence and 'made at them,' and soon we had
captured three guns and had the troops opposed to us in full
retreat. A battery posted near a little brick church upon a hill
to our left was playing sad havoc with us, but supposing that
would be taken by the troops upon our left--who we concluded were
charging with us--we still pursued the flying foe. Numbers of them
surrendered to us and they were ordered to the rear. We pushed on
and soon wheeled to the right, drove down their line, giving them
all the while an enfilade fire, and succeeded in breaking six
regiments who fled in confusion. After pushing on this way for a
while we found ourselves opposed by a large body of troops behind
a stone wall in a corn-field. Stopping to contend with these, we
found that we were almost out of ammunition. Owing to this fact,
and not being supported in our charge, we were ordered to fall
back to our original position. This of course was done at
double-quick. As we returned we experienced the perfidy of those
who had previously surrendered to us, and whom we had not taken
time to disarm. They, seeing that we were not supported, attempted
to form a line in our rear, and in a few minutes would have done
so. As it was we had to pass between two fires: a part of the
troops having been thrown back to oppose our movement on their
flank, and these supposed prisoners having formed on the other
side. A bloody lane indeed it proved to us. Many a brave man lost
his life in that retreat. At some points the lines were not sixty
yards distant on either side. Arriving at our original position,
we halted and reformed behind the rail fence. We opened fire with
the few remaining cartridges we had left and soon checked the
advance of the enemy, who did not come beyond the line which they
occupied in the morning. In a short while all our ammunition was
exhausted. Courier after courier was sent after ammunition, but
none was received. Four or five times during the afternoon,
couriers came from Gen. Longstreet, telling Col. Cooke to hold his
position at all hazards, 'as it was the key to the whole line.'
Cooke's reply was, 'tell Gen. Longstreet to send me some
ammunition. I have not a cartridge in my command, but I will hold
my position at the point of the bayonet.'"
Mr. Davis, in his history, says: "_Col. Cooke, with the 27th North
Carolina regiment, stood boldly in line without a cartridge._"
"About 5 o'clock in the afternoon we were relieved, and moved to
the rear about one mile. After resting half an hour and getting
fresh ammunition, we were again marched to the front, and placed in
line in the rear of the troops who had relieved us. Here we were
subjected to a severe shelling, but had no chance to return the
fire. After nightfall we rejoined our division on the left, and
with them bivouaced upon the battle-field."
General R. E. Lee, in his report of this battle, makes complimentary
mention of our regiment, and says, further, "this battle was fought by
less than forty thousand men on our side, all of whom had undergone
the greatest labors and hardships in the field and on the march.
Nothing could surpass the determined valor with which they met the
large army of the enemy, fully supplied and equipped, and the result
reflected the highest credit on the officers and men engaged."
General McClellan, in his official report, states that he had in
action in the battle 87,184 men of all arms. Lee's entire strength was
35,255. "These 35,000 Confederates were the very flower of the army of
northern Virginia, who, with indomitable courage and inflexible
tenacity, wrestled for the mastery in the ratio of one to three of
their adversaries; at times it appeared as if disaster was inevitable,
but succor never failed, and night found Lee's lines unbroken and his
army still defiant. The drawn battle of Sharpsburg was as forcible an
illustration of southern valor and determination as was furnished
during the whole period of the war, when the great disparity in
numbers between the two armies is considered.
The Grays went into this battle with 32 men, rank and file. Capt.
William Adams, privates Jas. E. Edwards, A. F. Coble, James M.
Edwards, R. Leyton Smith and Samuel Young were killed on the field.
Privates Peter M. Brown, Benjamin Burnsides and Robert L. Donnell were
badly wounded and fell into the hands of the enemy. R. L. Donnell died
of his wounds at Chester, Pa., November 6th, 1862. Privates W. D.
Archer, Walter D. McAdoo, J. E. McLean, Samuel F. McLean, L. L.
Prather and W. W. Underwood were wounded and sent to the hospital. W.
W. Underwood died of his wounds September 29th, 1862. Privates Paul
Crutchfield, H. Rufus Forbis, Rufus B. Gibson, James M. Hardin, James
L. Wilson and William McFarland were exchanged and returned to their
company the following November, except McFarland, who was reported
dead.
On account of the forced and continuous march from Rapidan, many of
our men from sheer exhaustion and sickness were compelled to fall out
of ranks, among them some of the best soldiers in the company.
Captain Adams, as before stated, fell early in the action. He was
carried from the field and buried in the cemetery at Shepherdstown.
His remains were afterwards removed and interred in the cemetery at
Greensboro. He was a brave and gallant officer, and fell front-faced
with his armor on. The other members of the company who were killed,
wrapped in their martial garb, sleep in some unknown grave, on the
spot where they fell, amid the carnage and gore of the battle-field:
"Whether unknown or known to fame--
Their cause and country still the same--
They died, and wore the gray."
On the 18th we occupied the position of the preceding day. Our ranks
were increased during the day, and our general forces were augmented
by the arrival of troops; but our army was in no condition to take the
offensive, and the army of McClellan had been too severely handled to
justify a renewal of the attack, consequently the day passed without
any hostile demonstrations. During the night our army was withdrawn
from Sharpsburg, and at day-break on the morning of the 19th we
recrossed the Potomac at Shepherdstown. After fording the river, we
halted a short distance on the hills near by, and were engaged in
drying our clothing and making a breakfast from our scanty rations of
pop-corn and hard tack, when a force of the enemy, (Porter's corps,)
who had the temerity to cross the river in pursuit, made their
appearance. Gen. A. P. Hill, in charge of the rear guard of the army,
met them, made a charge upon them and drove them into the river. In
his report of this engagement he says: "The broad surface of the
Potomac was blue with the floating bodies of our foe. But few escaped
to tell the tale. By their own account they lost three thousand men,
killed and drowned. Some two hundred prisoners were taken."
The condition of our troops now demanding repose, we were ordered to
the Occoquan, near Martinsburg. On our march another attempt to harass
our rear was reported, and we were sent back to the vicinity of
Shepherdstown; finding "all quiet on the Potomac," the march was again
resumed at night, and on the 21st we went into camp near Martinsburg.
After spending a few days here we were moved to the neighborhood of
Bunker Hill and Winchester, and remained in camp until the 23d of
October.
On the 22d of September, while in camp near Martinsburg, the Grays
proceeded to fill the offices made vacant by the battle of the 17th.
Lieut. J. A. Sloan was promoted to captain; 2d Lieut. McKnight to 1st
Lieutenant; Frank A. Hanner to 2d Lieutenant; and Sergeant B. G.
Graham to junior 2d Lieutenant. J. Harper Lindsay was appointed
orderly sergeant. Corporals Wm. M. Paisley and A. C. Cheely were made
Sergeants. Privates R. D. Weatherly, Thos. J. Rhodes and H. Rufus
Forbis were appointed corporals.
On the 8th of September, private R. D. Brown died at the hospital in
Petersburg, Va.; on the 12th, private R. L. Coble, at Frederick City,
Md.; on the 19th, Hugh Hall in hospital at Richmond; and on the 24th,
privates Wm. Seats and Wm. H. McLean died in hospital at Winchester,
Va.