It was at the max. The colonel had been killed in a skirmish two months after the unit's forming, but nothing after that.
Hmmm...what if Archer's AL units went to Wilcox's brigade, Steuart's 2 NC units to Hoke/Avery OR Iverson, and Steuart's VA regiments went to Heth's (Brockenbrough's) brigade? Then Archer's TN regiments could go with Davis's MS regiments, although that would mean Archer loses his command...
Only thing is, I think Kennedy's senior to Henagan, so Kennedy'd get the brigade. Always wondered why James Conner got promoted over Kennedy to get the brigade -- he's not even a South Carolinian.
The 44th NC whilst en route to join Lee's army with Pettigrew's Brigade, was halted at Hanover Junction, Virginia, to guard the RR connections there entering, & thus protecting Gen Lee's communications with Richmond. Col T. C. Singletary with two Co's remained at the Junction. Maj Charles M. Stedman, with four Co's, commanded north of the Junction & the bridges of the Fredericksburg, & of the Central (now C. & O.), RR across the South Anna & the Little River, four in number, were entrusted to Lt-Col Hargrove, who posted one Co at each bridge, remaining personally with Co A, at Central's bridge, across the South Anna, the post of the greatest danger.
On the morning of the 26th of June, 1863, the Federal troops appeared before Lt-Col Hargrove & his small force of forty men, stationed in a breastwork on the south side of the river, built to be manned by not less than 400 men.
Before Col Spear made his first attack, Lt-Col Hargrove abandoned the breastwork as being entirely untenable by so small a force, fell back to the north side of the river, posted his men under cover along the river bank, & for two hours successfully resisted repeated efforts to capture the bridge by direct assault, although assailed by a force outnumbering his own at least thirty-five to one. Failing in a direct attack, Col Spear sent 400 men across the river by an old ford, under cover of a violent assault in front from the south, & was about to assail Lt-Col Hargrove in his rear, which was entirely unprotected, when Co G, consisting of forty men, having been ordered from Central bridge over the river at Taylorsville, more than three miles distant, arrived & occupied the breastwork north of the river, at its intersection with the RR, & about 200 yards from the bridge, thus protecting the rear of Co A. Co G had scarcely got into position when the charge of 400 Cav, intended for the unprotected rear of Co A, was delivered against Co G, protected by the breastwork, & was repulsed, as were two other charges made at intervals of about fifteen minutes, while attacks were made simultaneously on Co A, from across the river with like results.
During a lull in the fighting, the Federal force on the north side was reinforced by 400 men, & an assault on both Co's A & G was (at the same time) ordered. Col Spear crossed the river & ordered the attack made up the river bank against Co G's unprotected right, & Co A's unprotected left flank, at the abutment of the bridge. The enormous odds prevailed, but only after a most desperate & hand to hand conflict, with pistol, saber & bayonet, in which Confederates & Federals were commingled.
In the final assault; Co A lost half of its men. The loss of Co G was not heavy. The Federal loss exceeded the entire number of Confederate troops engaged. Col Spear retreated after burning one bridge instead of four. He stated in the presence of his own command & that of Lieut. Col. Hargrove, that "the resistance made by the Confederates was the most stubborn he had known during the war; that he supposed that he was fighting 400 Infy instead of eighty, & that his expedition had entirely failed of its object, which was to cut Gen Lee's communications with Richmond."
No more gallant fight was made during the entire Civil War, than by Lt-Col Hargrove's command. He won the admiration of both friend & foe by his personal gallantry, & only surrendered when overpowered & taken by sheer physical force.
Bringing the