D. H. Hill, Jr., Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 4, North Carolina
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia. May 11, 1864.

Sir: Yesterday evening the enemy penetrated a part of our line and planted his colors upon the temporary breastworks erected by our troops. He was immediately repulsed, and among the brave men who met him, the Twentieth North Carolina regiment, under Colonel [T. F.] Toon, of the brigade commanded by Brig.-Gen. R. D. Johnston, captured his flag. It was brought to me by Maj. John S. Brooks, of that regiment, who received his promotion for gallantry in the battle of Chancellorsville, with the request that it be given to Governor Vance. I take great pleasure in complying with the wish of the gallant captors, and respectfully ask that it be granted, and that these colors be presented to the State of North Carolina as another evidence of the valor and devotion that have made her name eminent in the armies of the Confederacy.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Va. R. E. Lee. Hon. Secretary of War, Richmond,

The next day was rainy and disagreeable, and no serious fighting took place. There were movements, however, along the Federal lines during the day that indicated a withdrawal from the front of Longstreet's corps. Late in the afternoon, under the impression that General Grant had actually begun another flanking movement, General Lee ordered that all artillery on the left and center that was ‘difficult of access’ should be withdrawn from the lines, and that everything should be in readiness to move during the night if necessary. Under this order, General Long, Ewell's chief of artillery, removed all but two batteries from the line of Gen. Edward Johnson's division. Johnson's division held an elevated point somewhat advanced from the general line, and known as the salient, or ‘Bloody Angle,’ the breastworks there making a considerable angle, with its point toward the enemy. .. To provide against contingencies, a second line had been laid off and partly constructed a short distance in rear, so as to cut off this salient.

General Law, in Battles and Leaders.