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

The great ‘Overland campaign’ was ended, and Grant was still no nearer Richmond than McClellan had been in 1862. In a few days he moved his army toward Petersburg.

The object of crossing the James was to carry out the plan with which the army of the Potomac began the campaign, that is, to destroy the lines of supply to the Confederate depot, Richmond, on the south side of the James, as close to that city as practicable, after those on the north side had been rendered useless. Campaign of 1864 and 1865.

Just after the disappearance of the Union army from Lee's front at Cold Harbor, General Hoke's division was sent back to Petersburg to assist General Beauregard in the defenses around that city. It arrived just in time to be of most signal service.

On the 13th of June, General Early, commanding Ewell's corps, was directed to take his command and move to the valley of Virginia, to meet Hunter. The North Carolina troops that followed Early up and down the valley, and shared in all the hardships of a campaign that had its full share of successes and reverses, were as follows: The Thirty-second, Fifty-third, Forty-third, Forty-fifth regiments and Second battalion, of Gen. Bryan Grimes' brigade; the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fourteenth and Twenty-third regiments and First battalion,of Gen. R. D. Johnston's brigade; the Sixth, Twenty-first, Fifty-fourth, and Fifty-seventh regiments, of Gen. A. C. Godwin's brigade (General Lewis', commanded, after his wounding, by Godwin). Gen. Robert Ransom was sent to command the cavalry in the valley. The Sixtieth North Carolina cavalry was in Wharton's command.

Early's corps was engaged in skirmishes at Lynchburg and Martinsburg, demonstrated against Harper's Ferry,