On the completion of its organization it was moved to New Bern, NC, where it received its baptism of fire on 14 March 1862, in battle at that place. Lieutenant-Colonel Barber commanded it, Colonel Lee being assigned to the command of the left wing of General Branch's army. Although fighting under great disadvantage, the regiment behaved with great credit to itself and showed plainly of what material it was composed, reinforcing most beautifully Colonel Campbell, of the Seventh, whose lines were first broken. It is well to state that in the beginning that the greater part of the regiment was composed of hardy mountaineers, as fine looking body of men as ever marched to the tap of a drum. Outnumbered at every point, the small army of General Branch was compelled to fall back to Kinston and after a short rest the Thirty-seventh was taken to Falling Creek.

HANOVER COURT HOUSE

On 31 March, 1862, General L. O'B. Branch's Brigade was organized, consisting of the following regiments: Seventh, Colonel Reuben P. Campbell; Eighteenth, Colonel James D. Radcliffe; Twenty-eighth, Colonel James H. Lane Thirty-third, Colonel Clarke M. Avery; and the Thirty-seventh, Colonel Charles C. Lee. This noted brigade, composed entirely of North Carolina troops, was then sent to Virginia, where it remained until the final sad ending at Appomattox, unbroken in its organization. It proceeded directly to Gordonsville, where it remained several days, and was then ordered to join General Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley. After marching two days orders were received to counter-march to Gordonsville, and from there to the vicinity of Hanover Court House. On Tuesday, 27 May 1862, General Branch fought the battle of Hanover Court House with his brigade against the entire corps of Fitz John Porter. The brunt of this battle fell upon the Thirty-seventh and Eighteenth regiments. The Thirty-seventh fought only as brave men could fight, against overwhelming odds, driving the enemy from its front and forcing him to take shelter in the dense woods under the protection of his batteries. The regiment held ground from 1 p. m. until night, when General Branch fell back to Ashland. One of the most remarkable incidents happened in Company G, from Alexander County, that occured in any company in the Confederate Army during the entire war. There were four brothers in the company named Robinett; three of them, William P. Robinett, Joel B. Robinett and John C. Robinett, were killed upon the field. Rarely in history can we find where a single family made such a sacrifice upon the altar of its country.

SEVEN DAYS BATTLES

At Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill, Frazier's Farm, and Malvern Hill the regiment responded promptly to every call for dangerous service and its loss of 138 men in these various engagements tells of its fidelity to duty. At the battle of Frazier's Farm, on 30 June, the regiment lost its beloved Colonel, Charles C. Lee, while gallantly leading it on to victory. It is sufficient to say General D. H. Hill, under whom Colonel Lee served as Lieutenant Colonel in the old Bethel Regiment, regarded him as one of the finest officers of the South. Lieutenant-Colonel Barber was then promoted to the Colonelcy of the regiment. After forcing McClellan to Harrison's Landing, the regiment returned to the neighborhood of Richmond for a few days and then to Gordonsville. On 9 August it moved rapidly to Cedar Run and arrived with the brigade just in time to check the advance of Pope's army. Early and Taliaferro were yielding ground when we rushed upon the field and quickly formed into line, and by well-directed volleys, sent the overconfident enemy back across the field in confusion to the shelter of the works. Just then the Federal cavalry made one of the most brilliant and gallant charges that was made by cavalry, upon infantry, during the entire war. The Thirty-seventh, with the whole brigade, reserved its fire until the column came in point -blank range, when it poured a withering volley into it, sending it back in "confusion worse confounded." The regiment never forgot this cavalry charge. It always expressed the desire to receive a similar one. The loss of the regiment in this action was 2 killed and 13 wounded.

SECOND MANASSAS.

Longstreet's Corps having joined Jackson, General Lee sent the latter upon his wonderful flank movement to Pope's rear. The Thirty-seventh was one of the regiments that kept pace with the "Foot Cavalry", covering more than fifty miles in two days, its fare being principally green corn gathered by the wayside. At Manassas Junction it was one of the regiments that charged Taylor's New Jersey Brigade across Bull Run on 27 August, completely annihilating it. Moving back to the Junction, it feasted sumptuously for several hours upon the captured stores, then took its position with Jackson’s forces behind the unfinished railroad cut to await the coming of Pope's army. On the 28th it made its appearance and formed in three lines of battle---came on like the waves of the ocean; several well directed volleys hurled them back, but quickly reforming, they came again and again until night put an end to the terrible slaughter. This was kept up upon 29th and 30th; the Thirty-seventh manfully held its position, although at times it would scarcely have a round of ammunition left to the man.

Generals A. P. Hill and Branch could often be seen dismounted urging their men to hold their ground at the point of the bayonet. The loss of the Thirty-seventh in the three days' fighting was 13 killed and 67 wounded.

Pope falling back towards Washington, Jackson again cut him off at Ox Hill on 1 September, and a fierce battle ensued. A chilling rainstorm drenched the men to the skin, causing the muskets to choke and fire badly. The regiment here again bore its part nobly, losing 5 killed and 18 wounded. The firing ceased at dark as if by mutual consent.

SHARPSBURG

The Thirty-seventh endured the hardships of the first Maryland campaign and from Frederick City it re-crossed the Potomac at Williamsport and was part of the force that invested Harper's Ferry from the Virginia side. It was one the regiments that scaled the heights overlooking the Shenandoah River and took position on Bolivar Heights, where the following morning, 15 September, it witnessed the surrender of the garrison in Harper's Ferry. It remained with A. P. Hill's Division to receive the surrender and the 37^th made the memorable forced march to the battlefield of Sharpsburg, Maryland on 17 September, just in time to hurl back the victorious forces of Burnside across the Antietam. In this battle the Thirty-seventh fought behind a stone fence, and its loss was only 4 men wounded, but it was called upon to mourn the loss of brigade commander, General L. O'B. Branch, who was then so rapidly rising in military prominence and was so dearly beloved by his troops.

At Shepherdstown it was one of the regiments that crossed the large cornfield in the face of a withering artillery fire and helped drive the enemy back across the Potomac with slight loss, only 4 wounded. This action took place on 20 September. The 37^th NC was one of the regiments detailed to tear up the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad from Hedgesville to North Mountain Depot, and did the work well. For several weeks the regiment did picket duty while encamped near Snicker's Gap.

FREDERICKSBURG.

About 1 November, General McClellan's army crossed the Potomac and proceeded via Warrenton in the direction of Fredericksburg. Longstreet's Corps soon left the valley and took position near Culpepper Court House. Jackson's forces remained in the Valley watching the Federal army under General Burnside, who had succeeded General McClellan, until it was clearly evident it was moving on Fredericksburg. Jackson then, by a series of rapid marches, concentrated his troops in the vicinity of Guinea Station.

On 12 December 1862, Lane's Brigade took its position in line of battle behind the Richmond and Fredericksburg railroad cut, a short, distance South of Deep Run. The following day, 13 December 1862, the battle of Fredericksburg was fought. The Thirty-seventh Regiment was upon the right of Lane's Brigade, with its right resting upon a marshy swamp where no troops were placed. On the opposite side of this swamp Archer's Brigade held the railroad. The field was enveloped in fog, which concealed the enemy's movements, but the air was very conducive to sound and we could plainly hear the commands of the officers as they were forming their lines for the assault. At 9 o'clock a line of battle advanced from under cover of the riverbank, but was driven back by our artillery and Lane's skirmish line. About noon the fog lifted and heavy columns of the enemy were thrown into the unfortunate gap between Lane and Archer. While the Thirty-seventh had cleared its front almost with the first volley, we could plainly see the enemy rushing across the railroad on our right. Colonel Barber then deflected his three right companies and formed them to the rear at a right angle to the track. The regiment made a bloody and gallant struggle to hold its position, but Archer's left and Lane's right were forced to give back upon our reserves, who drove the enemy back across the railroad with great slaughter and re-established our lines. The loss of the regiment is not known to the writer, except that it was very great.

After the battle the regiment -went into winter quarters at Moss Neck, about eight miles farther down the river, where it remained and did picket duty, with the other four regiments of the brigade for the remainder of the winter.

CHANCELLORSVILLE.

On 29 April 1863, the familiar boom of cannon comes wafted on the spring breezes from the direction of Fredericksburg. Its increasing sound soon convinces us that the campaign of 1863 had opened and we must bid adieu to pleasant and comfortable quarters and face grim war in all it horrors. We could not foresee that our noble old regiment was called upon to bear its bloody part in two of the bloodiest hardest contested battles ever fought upon the American continent, before the year would end. Large columns of soldiery could be seen moving from their camps, all converging upon the direct road to Fredericksburg. A few hours march and we take our position in the second line of battle upon these historic hills. We could only see about 30,000 of enemy in the plain below and knew our struggle would be in another direction. On 1 May, at daylight, we marched for Chancellorsville, but took no part in driving Hooker back to his fortifications at that place. Skirmishers were thrown out on arriving there, and we occupied the front line during the night. On 2 May the regiment started early in the morning, with Jackson's Corps, on that wonderful and world-renowned flank movement of General Stonewall Jackson around Hooker's army in broad daylight, the grandest movement made by any general upon the chessboard of warfare. On reaching the turnpike in rear of Hooker's army, Rodes’ and Colston's Divisions were formed into line of battle and put in motion. The Thirty-seventh Regiment led Hill's division, which was in column on the pike. Consequently we were almost in the second line. General Jackson rode at the head of the regiment and all eyes were upon him. Our lines soon struck Hooker's rear and a running fight was kept up until night, or about sunset, when A. P. Hill was ordered to the front. The Thirty-seventh led Lane's Brigade, which was the leading one of the division. As a matter of course, we got the brunt of artillery fire, the most unmerciful ever known upon one single point of any battlefield, for the enemy had collected 43 pieces of cannon to stop Jackson's onslaught and were firing on Hill's men as they approached Fair View. Fortunately for us, it lasted but a short time, when we were moved down the road about one hundred yards and took possession of the enemy's inner or last breastworks, those immediately around Chancellorsville House, without firing a gun. This shows clearly that the panic-stricken state Hooker's right wing was in. The brigade was formed with the Thirty-seventh on the right of the road, the Seventh on its right, the Eighteenth on the opposite side, or left of the road, the Twenty-eighth on the left of the Eighteenth. The Thirty-third deployed as skirmishers covering the entire front of the brigade. Rapid firing was continuous on the skirmish line until long after General Jackson was wounded, but no serious effort made to retake the works; so the poor, weary men, crouched down behind the works to rest and "bitterly think on the morrow."

General J. E. B. Stuart, who took command of the corps after Jackson and A. P. Hill were wounded, moved his line forward early the next morning, 3 May. During the night, the Eighteenth and Twenty-eighth were moved to our right, placing the whole of Lane's brigade upon the right of the turnpike. We moved forward as if upon parade and the bloody work commenced. We drove the enemy from the woods and took possession of the little works they had thrown up during the night and held them until relieved by other troops. Colonel Barber in his official report says: "During the entire engagement my officers and men behaved gallantly. Lieutenant Charlton C. Ragin, Company K, was killed gallantly commanding his company. The annexed tabulated statement will show that my total loss is as follows: One officer killed, 19 officers wounded; 35 men killed, 175 wounded, 8 missing. I do not hesitate to say that it was the bloodiest battle that I have ever witnessed." The regiment always, to the very end of the war, regarded this battle as the bloodiest and hardest contested of all its experience. Its position was more exposed to the enemy's artillery than any other regiment in the entire corps, and its loss far greater than that any other.

After the enemy was defeated at every point and driven across the river the regiment returned to its old camp at Moss Neck, where it enjoyed one more month of rest and enjoyment. After the death of our beloved General Stonewall Jackson, there was a reorganization of the army, dividing it into three corps, our brigade being placed in Pender's Division of the Third Corps, commanded by General A. P. Hill. On the morning of 6 June the Thirty-seventh Regiment, for the third time, occupied the old line of battle at Fredericksburg, where the Third Corps remained watching a portion of the Federal army that had crossed the Rappahannock, until the 15th. The enemy having re-crossed the river, our corps commenced its march northerly in pursuit of the First and Second Corps.

GETTYSBURG

By rapid forced marches, the regiment crossed the Potomac on the 25th and reached Fayetteville on the 27th, where rested until the 30th. It resumed its march and arrived upon the battlefield of Gettysburg on the morning of 1 July and formed line of battle in rear of Heth's Division, which was then heavily engaged. Our brigade was on the right of our division and the Thirty-seventh Regiment on the right of brigade. Consequently we were the extreme right of the advancing column. Company G, under Captain Hudson, was deployed as skirmishers on our right flank to guard against the enemy's cavalry. The whole line moved gallantly forward and secured possession of Seminary Ridge, the brigade extending from the McMillan House to near the Fairfield road on the left. It was not otherwise engaged during the day. We held this position all day on the 2nd under a severe artillery fire, but were not actively engaged. Our Major-General, W. D. Pender, received his mortal wound upon this day. On the morning of the 3rd, Lanes and Scales' North Carolina brigades were sent, under command of Major-General Trimble, to the right to reinforce Longstreet. After getting in our position, our new commander rode down the line and halted at different regiments and made us little speeches, saying he was a stranger to us and had been sent to command us in the absence of our wounded general, and would lead us upon Cemetery Hill at 3 o'clock. About 1 o'clock p. m., the report of a cannon far to the right was heard and was quickly answered by one of Earl's far away to the left. These were signal guns, which announced the opening of one of the severest artillery duels the world has ever known. The earth fairly shook for two hours, then the firing ceased almost as suddenly as it had commenced and the infantry moved forward. It was a grand sight, as far as the eye could see to the right and to the left two lines of Confederate soldiers with waving banners pressing on into the very jaws of death. Trimble's comniand wis the second line in support of Pettigrew. Lane upon the left and Scales upon the right. In a few minutes after the start we were obliqued rapidly to the left to take the place of Brockenborough's Brigade, which had broken. Over the Emmettsburg road we went and rushed for the stone wall, the line all the while seemed to be melting away. When the order came to retire, those who were spared did so in perfect order--never anything like a panic, as some people think and halted at the position from which we had started. Our loss was severe, especially in officers. We regret not having the official list of casualties at hand, but well remember the loss in killed of the follonving officers: Major Owen N. Broivn, Lieutenants I. M. Royster, Lewis Battle, Dorothy, John P. Elms, W. N. Nichols, and William Mickle.

We held our position all day on the 4th, no movement being made on either side, and commenced the retreat soon after dark and marched all night through a drenching rain. Lane's Brigade led the Third Corps on the march during the 5th, the Thirty-seventh Regiment again leading the brigade, Generals Lee and A. P. Hill riding just in front of us the entire day. On the 6th we reached Hagerstown, bivouacked three days, and then formed line of battle and entrenched, but Meade did not dare attack, to the great disappointment of the Confederates, for they wanted revenge and felt sure we would get it. On the night of 13 July the army crossed the Potomac. On the morning of the 14th while Heth's and Pender’s Divisions were waiting at Falling Waters to cross the river, the men being nearly all asleep, a squad of Federal cavalry dashed and mortally wounded General Pettigrew. The Thirty-seventh, with the brigade, was formed in line and did some very nice skirmishing, holding back a force that threatened our rear until the wagon train and all the troops had passed over the river, when it crossed on the pontoon bridge. The Thirty-seventh was one of the last, if not the very last, to cross. While at Hagerstown on 10 July, Lieutenant Thomas L. Norwood of Company A, who had been shot through the breast and captured at Gettysburg, came marching into camp disguised in the most ridiculously looking and fitting countryman's suit of clothes imaginable, having secured it at Gettysburg in one of the houses around the hospital. Although suffering greatly from his wound, he managed his wit and cunning to march through the Federal lines and into ours. He was then sent to the headquarters of General Lee and took a cup of coffee with that distinguished personage. He was considered one of the finest officers of Thirty-seventh. The regiment fell back with the army and reoccupied the lines of the Rapidan, going into camp near Orange Court House and doing picket duty at Morton’s Ford.

Colonel Barber in a report made about this time to the Adjutant-General of North Carolina, says: "The regiment has lost one hundred and fifty men killed, seventy who have died of wounds, three hundred and who have died of disease, and three hundred and thirty-two have been wounded and recovered. Total loss kill and wounded, five hundred and fifty-two; to which add three hundred and two who have died of disease, and have a total of casualties amounting to eight hundred and fifty-four men. Fourteen commissioned officers of this regiment have been killed or mortally wounded, and ten others permanently disabled by wounds. This does not embrace the names of those officers who have been wounded but were not disabled by their wounds. There are but six officers in this regiment 'who have not been wounded, and a large number (both officers and men) have been wounded several times.  Notwithstanding the heavy loss of my regiment in battle I now have present four hundred and forty-two officers and men, and am able to give the enemy a good fight whenever it is necessary."

In that splendid campaign of strategy, when Lee pushed Meade back from the Rappahannock to Centreville, this regiment moved with the brigade and formed line of battle at Bristoe Station on the 14th, but was not in the bloody battle that took place. On the return of the army to the Rappahannock, it was detailed to destroy the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. Perhaps it may be of interest to know how this was done. The rails were ripped up and pens made of the crossties, the rails then laid on the pens which were set on fire. The irons soon become red hot in center. When half a dozen soldiers would seize each end and run to a telegraph post, or tree, and play circus by running rapidly around it bending the rail three or four times around the post. We then went into camp on the Rappahannock, near Brandv Station, where we remained several weeks, then took up the march to the old lines on the Rapidan. While on the march the Thirty-seventh was hurried rapidly back to assist our cavalry which was being driven back by the Federal cavalry. The regiment was formed on the left of the Warrenton Road and a battery placed on the right,, as our cavalry came rushing back closely followed by the Yankee cavalry. The battery opened and the Thirty-seventh, from its concealed position, poured a murderous volley into them. It was a sudden and bloody check. The Thirty-seventh pursued them several hundred yards down the road until not one could be seen. It then rejoined the brigade and with it returned to our old camps at Liberty Mills, on the upper Rapidan, and went into winter quarters. General Meade, not content to allow the campaign of 1863 to end without another struggle, crossed at United States and Germania Fords and we marched to Mine Run and fortified strongly across Meade's front. This was 26 November 1863, and the army remained here several days. The suffering of the poorly clad men from cold was intense, beyond anything ever experienced by the Army of Northern Virginia. A regular blizzard prevailed the whole time it remained there. The enemy failed to attack, but re-crossed the river and the regiment, with the brigade, returned to camp.

WINTER QUARTERS, LIBERTY MILLS, VA

The only event of interest that occurred during the winter was an exciting snow ball battle. A short description may be of interest. The Thirty-third, under Lieutenant-Colonel V. Cowan, marched from its camp to that of the Seventh and captured it without a battle. The two then proceeded to the camp of the Eighteenth and demanded its surrender, which was immediately given. Colonel Cowan then sent a challenge to the Thirty-seventh and Twenty-eighth for battle. The two regiments accepted the challenge and formed line of battle under the command of Captain W. T. Nicholson. On the edge of a hill in front of our camps, we threw out skirmishers and waited. The enemy soon appeared across an open field with a strong line of skirmishers in front, and the battle opened by their driving our skirmish line in, the three assaulting regiments came to the attack beautifully, but one volley from the Twenty-eighth and Thirty-seventh drove them back down the hill. Again they returned and again were driven back. Rallying in the valley, they reformed and made a vigorous assault, breaking our center driving us into our camps, where we retreated to our shanties and surrendered to a pot of rice, bacon and corn bread. Our winter quarters life at dear old Liberty Mills was by far the most pleasant we ever had, the young officers enjoying the society of the beautiful young ladies of whom there were many in Orange County.

WILDERNESS

All pleasures have an ending and ours ended on 4 May 1864, when we turned our faces towards the east to meet General Grant, with his mighty host. We bivouacked that night near Vidiersville and resumed the march on the morning of the 5th. About 12 o'clock the heavy boom of cannon in front told us that the enemy had been met. Continuing our march we soon came upon the enemy 's dead in great numbers on either side of the road. As we entered the Wilderness heavy firing was heard in front of us, on the right of the plank road. Our division, then commanded by Wilcox, formed in line of battle, swept through the Wilderness, obliquely to the left, for about two hundred yards, capturing about two hundred prisoners. We were then withdrawn, with the division, to the Plank Road to assist Heth's division, which was then hard-pressed by overwhelming numbers. The Thirty-seventh was the rear regiment of the division, and as it was leaving the Plank road it was reported that the enemy was approaching from the left of the road. It was detained there and did not take part in the engagement that evening, but lay still, watched and listened to the heaviest musketry it had ever heard. As Wilcox went in, the whole Wilderness roared like fire in a canebrake. At nightfall the Thirty-seventh joined the brigade a short distance to the right of the road. None of the brigades seemed to be in line, some regiments isolated entirely from their brigades, in fact, and no line at all, but just as they had fought. In this disorganized fix we received the heavy attack of Hancock on the morning of 6 May. The men were willing to fight, but had no chance, ‘twas "confusion worse confounded." The Thirty-seventh was borne gradually back by other disorganized troops without firing a gun. One hundred yards or so in rear, we struck a road down which Longstreet's men were coming at double-quick. As we passed through their ranks they could not resist the temptation of giving us a little chaffing. Some wanted to know if we belonged to General Lee's army. We didn't look like the men they had left here. "We were worse than Bragg's men." These old veterans of Longstreet wheeled into line and the tide of battle turned. The Yankees were driven far back into the Wilderness. The Thirty-seventh, which was never disorganized or confused, formed with the brigade, on the left of the Plank Road and fortified, remaining there until the night of the 8th, when we took up the march for Spottsylvania Court House, arriving there about 12 o'clock on 9 May.

SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE

The brigade formed with the Thirty-seventh on the right, then the Seventh, Thirty-third, Eighteenth and Twenty- eighth, and commenced immediately to fortify. On the evening of the 10th we were withdrawn (the whole brigade) and double-quicked to the left to re-establish our lines that had been broken, but this was done before we arrived, so we returned to our fortified position in front of the Court House. The 11th passed without any fighting anywhere on the line, but at daylight on the 12th the enemy attacked heavily at the salient, which Johnson's Division held, breaking and capturing almost his entire division. They then swept up the lines towards our brigade, capturing part of the Twenty-eighth and Eighteenth. The four regiments on the left of the Thirty-seventh then swung back and formed at right angle to that regiment. The enemy advanced in heavy force up line, receiving a severe oblique fire from the Thirty-seventh and direct fire from the rest of the brigade, which drove them from the field. The entire brigade then advanced several hundred yards over the works, but were soon ordered back and finding other troops occupying the works, we were ordered back to the Court House. General Lee, with several general officers, sat on their horses just in front of us. Captain W. T. Nicholson, of Company E, Thirty-seventh Regiment, who then commanded the sharpshooters of the brigade, was sent for and reported to General Lee in person. General Lee directed him to take his corps of sharpshooters across the works and ascertain, if possible, how far the enemy left extended. Nicholson exhibited extraordinary bravery and intelligence. He advanced beyond his men, procured the necessary information, hurried back and reported to General Lee. The regiment, with the brigade, was ordered over the works and several hundred yards from them formed at right angles to our works. As we advanced to cross the works a battery was playing upon us. One shell exploded in Company D, Thirty-seventh regiment, killing the Captain and eight men. General Lee was riding very close to us at the time. General Mahone's brigade of Virginians formed just in rear of us. We advanced as soon as formed. As the Thirty-seventh emerged from the oak woods through which we had advanced, a battery planted in an open field not more than one hundred yards off, opened upon us with grape and canister. This sudden and bloody surprise was calculated to break the sturdiest veterans, but it had no effect upon the Thirty-seventh, except the loss of many of its brave men.

The writer now begs to chronicle an act of bravery, which surpassed anything he witnessed during the entire war. As this fire was received by the Thirty-seventh, Lieutenant Charles T. Haigh, of Company B, rushed twenty odd yards in front, with hat in one hand and sword in the other, shouting to his men to come on. Other officers, inspired by his noble example, rushed forward with him and led the regiment to the battery, not a gun being fired until we reached it. When halting, it poured in one volley, killing every man at the battery. It was the only instance that came under the observation of the writer where a charge was led by officers. We read often of such things, but they seldom happen. They generally remain in rear of their men to keep from being shot by them. Wheeling to the left from the battery and fighting with desperation, poor Charley Haigh fell dead by the side of the writer, the bravest of the brave. Let us drop a tear to the memory of that noble boy who now sleeps upon that bloody battlefield.

Wheeling still farther to our left we struck Burnside's troops, who had charged our works and been defeated. Then and there in those oak woods a scene with clubbed musket and bayonet took place which was too horrible to describe. Every one was trying to fight his way back to our works. Our brigade captured three stands of colors, two of them by the Thirty-seventh. General Lane says in his official report: "First Lieutenant James M. Grimsley, Company K, Thirty-seventh Regiment, with a small squad of men, had the honor of capturing the colors of the Seventeenth Michigan and about, thirty prisoners. Lieutenant Grimsley is a very brave man. Lieutenant O. A. Wiggins, Company E, Thirty-se-venth Regiment, was captured by the enemy, but by his boldness, succeeded in making his escape and brought off with him the flag of the Fifty-first Pennsylvania Regiment and several prisoners. Private T. H. Wheeler, a brave soldier of Company E, Eighteenth Regiment, is entitled to the credit of capturing the battery flag. The charge of the Thirty-seventh North Carolina Regiment upon a battery of six guns was one of the grandest sights I ever saw."

The loss of the regiment in this engagement was 4 officers killed, 3 wounded; 18 men killed, 30 men wounded; 2 officers missing, 38 men missing. Officers killed: Captain H. Grady, Company D; Lieutenant E. A. Carter, Company A; Lieutenant C. T. Haigh, Company B; Lieutenant B. Johnston, Company C. Officers wounded: Ensign R. Stanley, Captain D. L. Hudson, Company G; E. H. Russ Company I. Officers missing: Colonel William M. Barber, Lieutenant J. D. Brown, Company C. From the 12th to 20th May, the regiment lost 6 men wounded, one man killed. Captain W. T. Nicholson was badly wounded in the shoulder by a piece of shell on the 14th. On the afternoon of the 21st we moved to the right, beyond our works, and formed line of battle, charged the enemy's breast works and captured them. The regiment had one officer wounded and two men. The officer wounded was Lieutenant O. A. Wiggins, Company E. The following order was read to the brigade on the 13th:

Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia, On Battlefield
Major-General C. M. Wilcox, Commanding Division:

General: General Lee directs me to acknowledge the receipt of the flags captured by Lane's Brigade in its gallant charge of yesterday, and to say that they will be forwarded to the honorable Secretary of War, with the accompanying note and the names of the brave captors.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. S. Venable, A. D. C.

From Spottsylvania the regiment marched with the brigade to Jericho Ford, where it fought the battle of that name, losing one man killed, two officers and nineteen men wounded, two men missing. Officers wounded: Lieutenant J. B. Somerville, Company B; Lieutenant J. M. Grimsley, Company K.

PETERSBURG

From 27 May 1864 to 1 June the regiment was continually marching and skirmishing, losing seven or eight men. 0fficer wounded: Lieutenant A. F. Yandle, of Company I, on 3 June. As all official records of losses sustained after 3 June were destroyed, no further attempt will be made to give minute descriptions of the movements of the regiment, but simply state it sustained its good name to the end. At Frizzell's Mill, Deep Bottom, and on the Weldon road, it fought bravely and was in the grand charge made by the three veteran North Carolina brigades 25 August on Hancock's entrenched position at Reams' Station. The Thirty-seventh always contended that it was one of the first regiments that carried the entrenchments. The next real engagement was at Jones' Farm, where we lost our beloved Colonel, William M. Barber, who fell while talking to the writer of this sketch [Lt. Octavius A. Wiggins], just before our lines advanced. We advanced and drove the enemy over a mile back when night put an end to the battle. It was a bloody affair, but little mention has ever been made of it as few troops were engaged. It took place on 30 September 1864. The next day, 1 October, the brigade advanced with --Major Wooten's Corps of sharpshooters in front. Major Wooten managed in some way to slip past and capture about 300 prisoners. We took possession of the enemy's breastworks and held them all day, but were subjected to an annoying skirmish fire. The Thirty-seventh had several men killed by them. During the action on 30 September the regiment behaved most beautifully, not once halting until ordered to do so at night. About the middle of November the regiment, with the brigade, built little shanties in rear of the works near the Jones House to make themselves as comfortable as possible through the winter, a strong picket line being kept in front day and night. On 8 December the regiment marched with the brigade to Jarrett's Station to meet a demonstration of the enemy in that direction, but returned without a battle. This march was one of the most trying the regiment ever experienced. It snowed and rained and sleeted the whole time, the ground being so slick after the sleet that it was impossible almost, to stand. Men could often be seen marching on sleety ground, with no shoes on. On the night of 24 March 1865, Lane's Brigade moved through Petersburg and took position to support Gordon in his attack on Hare's Hill. We were not engaged, but the position held by the Thirty-seventh subjected it to a merciless artillery fire for several hours. We returned to our position and the next day our skirmish line having been taken, General Lane was ordered to re-establish it. He did so about daylight the next morning, having one officer, Lieutenant Brown, and several men of the Thirty-seventh wounded. On 1 April the troops on our right were withdrawn and sent to Five Forks. To fill the gap made vacant by their withdrawal the brigade was deployed in skirmish line ten paces apart behind the works. Just as day was breaking on 2 April, our poor, little weak line was assaulted by three lines of battle. After a stubborn resistance, we were overpowered and our lines taken, the regiment losing officers, Captains W. T. Nicholson, Hudson and Petty, Lieutenants Tankersley and Ross. The line was forced back to Fort Gregg. A part of the Thirty-seventh, with other troops undertook to defend the fort. It made a splendid defense but after hours of hard fighting it yielded to overwhelming numbers and all were captured. That night the regiment fell back with General Lee's army and surrendered with it at Appomattox under the command of Major Jackson L Bost.

Thus closed the career of one of the most gallant regiment that left the State of North Carolina, or any other State, for the scene of war. Organized by one of the finest officers of the State and brought up to that high standard of discipline necessary in all organized bodies, she maintained it to last. Always ready, never murmuring, she covered herself with glory upon upwards of one hundred bloody battlefields.

When the lines were broken on the morning of 2 April the brave senior Captain of the regiment, W. T. Nicholson was killed. He had been with the regiment from the beginning and had participated in thirty odd battles. The writer, who as First Lieutenant, would have succeeded to the captaincy, was captured. He received a scalp wound, the muzzle of the gun being in such close proximity to his head as to blow powder into his face, nearly destroying his eyes and knocking him senseless upon the ground. Of course he was captured and reaching the enemy’s lines, he found many of his friends there who had been captured at the same time. The wound proved to be of small consequence and his friends set themselves to work picking the powder from his face, which they succeeded in doing very nicely. The prisoners were then sent to City Point and from there to Washington. The next day a train load of officers was started for Johnson's island, when near Harrisburg, Pa., in the dead hours of the night, the writer jumped from the window of the car while it was running at the rate of forty miles an hour. Why he did not break his neck, the Lord only knows, but he was not even hurt except a few scratches on the forehead where it plowed in the sand. Fortunately for him, he had on a suit of clothes made of an old gray shawl, such as the students at Chapel Hill wore before the war. Cutting off the brass buttons from the coat and vest and substituting wooden pegs, he was in perfect disguise and passed as a laborer, working a day or so at one place, then moving farther south, until he reached Baltimore, thence by steamer to Richmond, but too late to do any more fighting, for General Lee had surrendered. He procured a parole and started for his home in Halifax County, NC. When near Garysburg, in Northampton County, he met a regiment of negro soldiers who had gone from Norfolk to Weldon to put telegraph wires in fix, or rather to escort the telegraph men. About a dozen stragglers stopped him and robbed him of the money he had made in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Then one concluded to kill him, leveled his gun and pulled the trigger, but one of his companions knocked his gun up just at that instant, the ball passing over the writer's head, again blowing his face full of powder. They then left him to his fate. This was the last gun the writer ever heard fired by a Yankee soldier.