The 13th North Carolina at Fredericksburg

White Flint Bill

Sergeant
Joined
Oct 9, 2017
Location
Southern Virginia
December 13, 1862. Just south of Fredericksburg, Virginia.

As dawn broke on a cold foggy morning, the men of the 13th North Carolina infantry regiment were in position just behind and in support of nine pieces of Confederate artillery–3 batteries and one section of a battery under the overall command of Capt. Greenlee Davidson. The 13th N.C. regiment was commanded by Col. Alfred Scales and was part of Pender’s Brigade, A.P. Hill’s division, Jackson’s Corps.

Davidson’s guns were deployed around what had been a cluster of slave cabins on Alfred Bernard’s Mannsfield plantation. The cabins had been torn down to clear the sight lines for the gunners.

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This shows the Confederate positions as the Federal assault began. The 13th NC is part of the line behind Davidson’s batteries.

The advanced guns under the command of Capt. J.B. Brockenborough slowed the Federals, but were brought under the concentrated fire of skirmishing infantry and 20 Federal batteries. After taking heavy casualties, they were forced to withdraw.

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The Federals are approaching Lane’s brigade, which is defending the railroad cut. Note the 13th and 22nd North Carolina behind Davidson’s batteries. Brockenborough’s artillery is now under the command of Lt. McKendree and has been repositioned just north of Davidson.

As the assault continued, the men of Lane’s brigade, deployed along the railroad cut, began to run out of ammunition. Eventually they were overwhelmed and forced back.

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Lane’s brigade defended from the wood line here, along the tracks. The Federal assault approached from the field beyond the tracks.

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During this time the federal artillery had been targeting Davidson’s guns at the Bernard cabins. The 13th and other supporting infantry behind the guns took heavy casualties in the shelling.

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A view from the railroad back toward the site of the Bernard cabins, just in advance of the woods in the distant foreground

Eventually Pender’s brigade, including the 13th NC, participated in the counterattack that drove back the attackers and retook the railroad.

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This story is best told with maps. But to understand the experience of soldiers that day, it is better told in their voices.

John W. S. Guerrant of Rockingham County was a 20 year old private in the 13th N.C. on the day of the battle. Here is the story as told by him in a letter he wrote in 1915, at age 73.


“Our regiment supported a battery in an open field, with a body of woods immediately behind us, which was so badly riddled during the day with cannon balls, grape shot and shells that it looked like a tobacco field after a hail storm had struck it. A great many men of our regiment were killed or wounded on that occasion. We were lying on the ground when a shell or cannon ball went into the ground under a man by the name of Hawkins from Yanceyville (my note–he was Cpl. Charles O. Hawkins, of Company A—a 24-year-old farmer), and while he was not wounded at all, the concussion killed him immediately.

Another man, whose name was Soyers, also from Yanceyville, (my note—Thomas L. Sawyers, a 20 year old farmer in Company A) and who was seriously wounded, asked my old friend Tom Fitzgerald (my note—Richard Thomas Fitzgerald of Company A), who now lives at Ruffin, and was at that time a litter-bearer, and whose duty it was to take the wounded off the battlefield to assist him in getting off the field. Mr. Fitzgerald tried to impress Soyers what a hazardous undertaking it would be. Still Soyers insisted, and placing his arms around Fitzgerald’s neck they started, when immediately a piece of shell struck Soyers, tearing off a large portion of his side. Fitzgerald sat him down by a tree, where he died in a few hours.

That night a detail of fifty men—five from each company—was taken from our regiment. I was one of the number. We were carried out between the lines of battle among the dead and posted with instructions to be vigilant and alert, and if the enemy advanced we were to fire and retreat, otherwise to remain until we were relieved.

Heavy snow had fallen, a good deal of which was still lying on the north hillsides, yet we lay there all night to find the next morning that the enemy had covered the pontoon bridges with pine-tops and broom-straw to keep from being heard and had crossed the river.

I could mention a great many things that happened that day, but it would make my letter too long.

The first day after the battle we remained on the battlefield to bury the dead. The second day we marched some six or eight miles to a heavily timbered body of woods, where we soon stretched tents and built chimneys to them, and made ourselves comparatively comfortable.”

In a letter from earlier that year John wrote, “While supporting a battery at Fredericksburg, John Tulloch, who was lying by my side, received the wound he will carry to his grave.” John Tulloch, a 22 year old “hireling” when he enlisted, was wounded in the left ankle and retired to the invalid corps.

John was promoted to Corporal, effective December 13, 1862, presumably for his service that day. With the promotion came a raise. John went from earning $11 per month, to $13 per month.

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John W. S. Guerrant

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Tom and Martha Fitzgerald
 
Excellent post! I see you're new so welcome to the forum.

This side of the battlefield doesn't get much attention. Here's some artwork by Don Troiani, "Onward Georgians", depicting the 49th Georgia in Thomas's Brigade crossing the R. F. & P. Railroad in their counter attack, not too far away from the 13th NC.

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December 13, 1862. Just south of Fredericksburg, Virginia.

As dawn broke on a cold foggy morning, the men of the 13th North Carolina infantry regiment were in position just behind and in support of nine pieces of Confederate artillery–3 batteries and one section of a battery under the overall command of Capt. Greenlee Davidson. The 13th N.C. regiment was commanded by Col. Alfred Scales and was part of Pender’s Brigade, A.P. Hill’s division, Jackson’s Corps.

Davidson’s guns were deployed around what had been a cluster of slave cabins on Alfred Bernard’s Mannsfield plantation. The cabins had been torn down to clear the sight lines for the gunners.

View attachment 160788
This shows the Confederate positions as the Federal assault began. The 13th NC is part of the line behind Davidson’s batteries.

The advanced guns under the command of Capt. J.B. Brockenborough slowed the Federals, but were brought under the concentrated fire of skirmishing infantry and 20 Federal batteries. After taking heavy casualties, they were forced to withdraw.

View attachment 160789
The Federals are approaching Lane’s brigade, which is defending the railroad cut. Note the 13th and 22nd North Carolina behind Davidson’s batteries. Brockenborough’s artillery is now under the command of Lt. McKendree and has been repositioned just north of Davidson.

As the assault continued, the men of Lane’s brigade, deployed along the railroad cut, began to run out of ammunition. Eventually they were overwhelmed and forced back.

View attachment 160790
Lane’s brigade defended from the wood line here, along the tracks. The Federal assault approached from the field beyond the tracks.

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During this time the federal artillery had been targeting Davidson’s guns at the Bernard cabins. The 13th and other supporting infantry behind the guns took heavy casualties in the shelling.

View attachment 160793
A view from the railroad back toward the site of the Bernard cabins, just in advance of the woods in the distant foreground

Eventually Pender’s brigade, including the 13th NC, participated in the counterattack that drove back the attackers and retook the railroad.

View attachment 160794

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This story is best told with maps. But to understand the experience of soldiers that day, it is better told in their voices.

John W. S. Guerrant of Rockingham County was a 20 year old private in the 13th N.C. on the day of the battle. Here is the story as told by him in a letter he wrote in 1915, at age 73.


“Our regiment supported a battery in an open field, with a body of woods immediately behind us, which was so badly riddled during the day with cannon balls, grape shot and shells that it looked like a tobacco field after a hail storm had struck it. A great many men of our regiment were killed or wounded on that occasion. We were lying on the ground when a shell or cannon ball went into the ground under a man by the name of Hawkins from Yanceyville (my note–he was Cpl. Charles O. Hawkins, of Company A—a 24-year-old farmer), and while he was not wounded at all, the concussion killed him immediately.

Another man, whose name was Soyers, also from Yanceyville, (my note—Thomas L. Sawyers, a 20 year old farmer in Company A) and who was seriously wounded, asked my old friend Tom Fitzgerald (my note—Richard Thomas Fitzgerald of Company A), who now lives at Ruffin, and was at that time a litter-bearer, and whose duty it was to take the wounded off the battlefield to assist him in getting off the field. Mr. Fitzgerald tried to impress Soyers what a hazardous undertaking it would be. Still Soyers insisted, and placing his arms around Fitzgerald’s neck they started, when immediately a piece of shell struck Soyers, tearing off a large portion of his side. Fitzgerald sat him down by a tree, where he died in a few hours.

That night a detail of fifty men—five from each company—was taken from our regiment. I was one of the number. We were carried out between the lines of battle among the dead and posted with instructions to be vigilant and alert, and if the enemy advanced we were to fire and retreat, otherwise to remain until we were relieved.

Heavy snow had fallen, a good deal of which was still lying on the north hillsides, yet we lay there all night to find the next morning that the enemy had covered the pontoon bridges with pine-tops and broom-straw to keep from being heard and had crossed the river.

I could mention a great many things that happened that day, but it would make my letter too long.

The first day after the battle we remained on the battlefield to bury the dead. The second day we marched some six or eight miles to a heavily timbered body of woods, where we soon stretched tents and built chimneys to them, and made ourselves comparatively comfortable.”

In a letter from earlier that year John wrote, “While supporting a battery at Fredericksburg, John Tulloch, who was lying by my side, received the wound he will carry to his grave.” John Tulloch, a 22 year old “hireling” when he enlisted, was wounded in the left ankle and retired to the invalid corps.

John was promoted to Corporal, effective December 13, 1862, presumably for his service that day. With the promotion came a raise. John went from earning $11 per month, to $13 per month.

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John W. S. Guerrant

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Tom and Martha Fitzgerald

Welcome. My 2 x great-grandfather was a Conscript from Wilkes County, assigned to Company I of the 13th NC. He arrived in Virginia in time for the Overland Campaign. He was captured on 4/2/1865. Spent two months at Hart's Island, NY.
 
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