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Posted on 08/14/2005 9:12:37 PM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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37th North Carolina Infantry Regiment The service of the 37th North Carolina epitomized the grit and determination of Tar Heel fighters.  Sixty percent of the regiment's troops came from the mountain counties of North Carolina; the other 40 percent came from the counties around Charlotte. Most of the men already realized that the concept of a "six-month's war" was an illusion. When the regiment was mustered into Confederate service in January 1862, it was for three years or the duration of war. Colonel Charles Lee was a native North Carolinian who, like his father, Colonel Stephen Lee of the 16th North Carolina, and a cousin, General Stephen Dill Lee, graduated from West Point (class of '56). Charles had pre-viously served with future generals Daniel Harvey Hill and James H. Lane in the 1st North Carolina Volunteers, which had earned the nickname the "Bethel Regiment" for its role in the June 10, 1861, Battle of Big Bethel. Unfortunately, the .69-caliber arms that replaced the flintlocks were no great improvement. Originally flintlocks, they had been converted to percussion, probably comprising some of the 37,000 stands of antiquated muskets, some dating back to the War of 1812, that had been captured with the Federal arsenal in Fayetteville. The 37th carried those arms in its first battle, at New Berne, N.C., on March 14, 1862. Colonel Lee had been placed in command of a demi-brigade, and Lt. Col. William M. Barbour, a Wilkesboro lawyer, commanded the regiment at New Berne. The defenders lost the battle, however, due mostly to factors all too common for the Confederacy. Their overall commander, Brig. Gen. Lawrence O'Bryan Branch, was given a large area to defend with too few troops, and the Federals he faced were still flush from victory at Roanoke Island.  Brig. Gen. Lawrence O'Bryan Branch Soon after the battle, the 2nd North Carolina Brigade was created and General Branch was made its commander. The brigade was composed of the 7th, 18th, 28th, 33rd and 37th North Carolina Infantry regiments. The nephew of Governor John Branch, the brigadier had recently represented North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives. Throughout his tenure in the Confederate Army, Branch would carry a grudge against the service's prewar Regular Army officers, often disdainfully referring in private correspondences to fellow generals and commanders as "West Point Lieuts." Although Branch was controversial, few observers questioned the mettle of the fighting men in his brigade. By May 1, 1862, the brigade was on its way to central Virginia as part of the plan to increase the size of the Confederate forces in that state. Not long after its arrival, two companies of the 37th traded in their smoothbore muskets for British-made Enfield rifle-muskets. By late May, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac had pushed Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston's army to the eastern outskirts of Richmond. Branch's brigade, which had been augmented with a battery of artillery, cavalry and two more infantry regiments, was deployed to guard the Virginia Centtral Railroad about a dozen miles north of Richmond. In response to a report of a large Confederate concentration at Hanover Court House, a couple of miles north of Branch's position, McClellan sent Brig. Gen. Fitz-John Porter's V Corps to investigate on the morning of May 27. The previous night, Companies D and E of the 37th had been sent out to picket the Pamunkey River, to the east. In the morning, the Federals cut off the two companies, along with the 28th North Carolina, from the rest of Branch's force. While the 28th managed to fight its way out, most of the men in the two 37th companies were captured. Wagons were sent out to pick up the exhausted men who did escape. The 37th was further weakened when Company B was detailed to guard an ammunition wagon and ambulance. Colonel Lee was once again placed in charge of two regiments, his diminished 37th and the 18th. Advancing through some woods, the 37th encountered the Federals, according to a 37th officer, "concealed behind logs, trees and in the cut of the road way which [was] bordered by a fence...." The Federal force was vastly superior to the 37th, but the same officer recalled that "Coln Lees men stood like victorious officers & men stood as firm as rocks within 15 or 20 paces of the Yankee line. Volley after volley of grape from their cannon & Minie Balls from there Infantry Mowed Down our men...." After a vicious fight, the bulk of Porter's corps arrived and the Confederates retreated, leaving many of their dead and wounded. The 37th suffered 26 killed, 61 wounded and 167 captured, about one in three men engaged that day.  Even while the battle raged north of Richmond, Branch's brigade was being assigned to a newly created division under the leadership of Maj. Gen. Ambrose Powell Hill. In a letter to Branch, A.P. Hill described his command as the "Light Division," and the 37th would spend the rest of the war as a member of that famous organization. The regiment rendered good service during the Seven Days' battles. At Mechanicsville, it acted as a liaison between the newly named Army of Northern Virginia, under General Robert E. Lee, and the tardy Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. At Gaines' Mill, the regiment charged the Federal works several times before the Yankees retreated from their position. On June 30 at Frayser's Farm, the 37th was once again engaged. As Colonel Lee yelled "On, my brave boys!" he was mortally wounded by an artillery shell. When told of his death, the men of the 37th wept. William Barbour assumed command of the regiment and was promoted to full colonel on July 1. The 37th next fought in the August Battles of Cedar Mountain and Second Manassas. After participating in the capture of Harpers Ferry, the regiment and the rest of Hill's Light Division made the exhausting and critical march from there to the Sharpsburg battlefield. The 37th then took part in Hill's famous counterattack that stopped the Federal IX Corps' drive toward the rear of Lee's army. Toward the end of the fighting, Branch was raising his field glasses to his eyes when a Federal bullet ended his life. Colonel James H. Lane of the 28th then assumed command of the brigade and was promoted to brigadier general.
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Many infantry units on both sides earmarked themselves for valor and the call beyond. The 37th is an excellent choice for this example. It's good to see the Southern Cross flying this AM. Look away Dixie Land . . .
SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — Phil Mickelson (search) delivered another dramatic finish in a major on Monday, flopping a chip out of deep rough to 2 feet for a birdie on the final hole and a one-shot victory in the PGA Championship.
The "Plot" thickens! ;^)
We had a major mishap yesterday. A tree fell on top of a power line and dragged it to the gorund causing our house to be without power until just a few minutes ago.
It's back on now. This is the same tree that Someone offered to cut down and Dad refused.
Which came first . . . the tree or the power lines? ;^)
BTW, did you here about Jason White's annoucement to quit the Titans and his pro football career? I was really looking forward to following his career.
Good morning sweetie. It's always good to see the Southern Cross.
I'm glad it didn't hit the house!
Good morning Aeronaut.
Hey radu.
We had a garden stone in our shop that was very similar.
Free Dixie Bump!!!!!!!!
Hi miss Feather
Howdy ma'am
I had two ancestors serve in a North Carolina regiment - but it was a Union regiment.
The word from China is that the Chinese lost five million against the Americans in Korea. Over a hundred to one. Same situation.
One can see why the Chinese are so hot for modern systems, "technology".
Wonder if the Asians want everybody else out of Asia? Getting the Gaijin out of Asia is why the Japanese went to war in 1941. Chinese are no different. That is why Taiwan, and Japan, Philippines, Viet Nam, Guam, etc. are so pivotal.
More here... (R/C Lanc)
Be sure to check out some of the other planes :-)
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
I am not sure how lack of modern communications was dealt with successfully in the past
This is where the modern commander has it all over those of the past.
Of course the dark side to this is the modern commander has to resist the tempation to...meddle.
Commanders resisting the temptation to meddle, yeah. I have known too many who were out of touch with reality. Out to lunch. La La Land. Hobby horse riders.
Worst has been in civilian life.
Links are expired, it seems.
Remarkable job, I hope it is still intact.
When I was a lad a bunch of grown ups built a RC B-36, used six .19 engines. I am told it was beautiful. Took off, flew nicely, crashed on landing, into itty bitty pieces.
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