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eye, regaining the ground lost by General Gregg and reestablishing our line at that point.
The enemy made six distinct attacks on this point, with as many fresh columns, but did not succeed in breaking it.
In the meantime we had been reinforced, and at this place the fiercest battle of the war took place.
During the two last attacks I had not a round of ammunition in my brigade, and all I could do was to stand in line of battle with bayonet fixed, determined to receive them in that way if they should break the line before me. General Gregg and his officers in the strongest terms thanked me, and said I had saved the day and saved them from a rout.
When I wanted to throw out pickets I had all the cartridge-boxes examined and could only find twenty-four cartridges in the brigade.
I placed a regiment on picket with orders to give the twenty-four cartridges to twelve picked men and the balance of the regiment should stand guard with fixed bayonets.
Ask your father if he stood on picket in the war of 1812 with fixed bayonets and no powder, within four hundred yards of the enemy.
The expedition of Jackson's corps from the Rappahannock to Manassas and thence to this place is the most daring and extraordinary in the history of wars.
Brigadier-General James H. Lane entered the service as Adjutant of the First North Carolina, camp of instruction at Raleigh; was elected Major of the First North Carolina Volunteers, “Bethel regiment,” May 11, 1861; was elected Lieutenant-Colonel of the same regiment September 1st, 1861; was elected Colonel of the Twenty-eighth North Carolina regiment September 21, 1861; was re-elected Colonel of the same regiment when it reorganized in the spring of 1862, and was appointed Brigadier-General November 1st, 1862, on the recommendation of Generals Lee, Jackson and A. P. Hill.
Dear Sir,--You were unanimously elected Colonel of the Twenty-eighth North Carolina Volunteers this evening.
This regiment is composed of the following companies, enlisted for twelve months:
Co. A, Surry county, Captain Reeves (Major elect).
Co. B, Gaston county, Captain Edwards.
Co. C, Catawba county, Captain Lowe, (Lieutenant-Colonel elect).
Co. D, Stanley county, Captain Montgomery.
Co. E, Montgomery county, Captain Barringer.
Co. F, Yadkin county, Captain Kinyoun.
Co. G, Orange county, Captain Martin.
