Publisher's Synopsis
The North Carolina 57th Infantry Regiment was organized at Salisbury, North Carolina, in July, 1862, with men recruited in the counties of Rowan, Forsyth, Catawba, Cabarrus, Lincoln, and Alamance. Sent to Virginia, the regiment was assigned to General Law's, Hoke's, Godwin's, and W. G. Lewis' brigade. It fought with the Army of Northern Virginia from Fredericksburg to Mine Run, then returned to North Carolina. After serving in the Kinston area the 57th was ordered back to Virginia. It continued the fight at Drewry's Bluff and Cold Harbor, in Early's Shenandoah Valley operations, and around Appomattox. In an unusual turn of events for a Confederate Regiment, some members of their brigade deserted to the enemy and when caught they were hanged. Chaplain John Paris delivered a sermon on the occasion which is included in this book. We are also blessed with two firsthand accounts for the 57th, the first by Colonel, Hamilton C. Jones, and the other more extensive by Captain James A. Graham of Company G. Both are included in this book.An excerpt from Graham's account of the Battle of Sharpsburg: I will also state that soon after we started the charge, some drunken officer on horseback, (who or of what command I never learned), rode in front of the Twenty-seventh North Carolina, then commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel E, . W. Singletary, and pulling off and waving his hat, yelled out, "Come on, boys; I'm leading this charge." Lieutenant-Colonel Singletary immediately ran up to him (the regiment being then at double-quick) and replied, "You are a liar, sir; we lead our own charges." As soon as the regiments could reform behind their rail fence, they opened fire with the few cartridges they had left and soon checked the advance of the enemy who did not come beyond the line which they had occupied in the morn-ing. In a short while all our ammunition was exhausted.Colonel Cooke sent courier after courier for ammunition, but still none was sent. Four or five times during the afternoon General Longstreet sent couriers telling Colonel Cooke to hold the position at all hazards, that "it was the key to the whole line." Colonel Cooke's reply was always, "Tell General Longstreet to send me some ammunition. I have not a cartridge in my command, but will hold my position at the point of the bayonet." The rail fence, which was our only protection, was riddled with bullets and torn with shot and shell and our men were falling fast, but still the Twenty-seventh North Carolina and the Third Arkansas flinched not. Imbued with the courage of their commander, they stood firm to their post. For about two hours and a half they held the position literally without a cartridge. This fact is mentioned in General E, . E. Lee's report of the first Maryland campaign, and also in Dabney's Life of "Stonewall" Jackson. In all the trying times of that day the Third Arkansas Regiment was side by side with the Twenty-seventh North Carolina, and yet, I never see them mentioned in accounts of the battle.
