The
Greensborough Patriot
June 5,
1862
Page 2
The Late Fight at Hanover.
Richmond, Va., May 30, 1862.
To the
Editor of the Richmond Examiner:
I give you an exact account of the
fight at Lebannon Church, Hanover county, on the 27th, and hope you
will let the people know something of that severe and unequal contest.
About 11 ½ a.m. a captain of the
Virginia Cavalry informed Col. Charles C. Lee, of the 37th North
Carolina troops, that the enemy was advancing, but that he believed it to be a
mere marauding party, which might be captured by prompt action. General Branch was at his headquarters, more
than a mile distant, and as no time could be lost, Col. Lee soon ascertained
that the enemy was advancing in considerable force, he , therefore sent forward
the remainder of his regiment, and placed it in line of battle across the road,
and sent back for Captain Latham’s artillery to reply to a battery which had
opened upon his regiment. He also asked
Colonel Wade, of the Twelfth N. C. troops to place his regiment in the woods on
the right to prevent a flank movement; he then deployed Company A, of the 37th
as skirmishers, to protect the left flank.
Captain Latham, with two guns of his
battery, came forward and replied vigorously for a short time until a shell was
thrown into his caisson, which caused it to explode, killing two men and two
horses and wounding seven men. Our guns
now ceased to fire while moving back the disabled section. Company F, of the 37th, now opened
fire with Enfield rifles upon the advance of the enemy and put him to flight,
killing a lieutenant and two of his men.
The enemy now retired from view, having engaged us for two hours. Gen. Branch about this time came upon the
field, and ordered the Eighteenth and Thirty-seventh forward to support Colonel
Lane’s Twenty-eight North Carolina troops, which had been sent early in the
morning to support two companies of the Thirty-seventh on picket some four
miles distant. These two regiments
commenced to advance under Colonel Lee the respective regiments being commanded
by Colonel Cowen, of the Eighteenth, and Lieutenant Colonel Barber, of the 27th,
Colonel Lee soon ascertained that the enemy had planted a battery of artillery
on a hill in front of him, with a strong infantry support. This was reported to General Branch. General Branch ordered Colonel Lee to charge
the battery with the Eighteenth and Thirty-seventh—Col. Lee sent to the General
asking him to cause Latham to engage the enemy’s battery and to send up other
infantry support for the Eighteenth and Thirty-seventh commenced the charge—the
Eighteenth sweeping gallantly through an open field in the face of a terrible
fire with good effect. At the same time
the Thirty-seventh advanced with rapidity and steadiness through a dense forest
in which the undergrowth was so thick that a man could not be seen more than
thirty steps. The Thirty-seventh rushed
forward with enthusiasm until it encountered the Yankees who were concealed
behind logs, trees and in the cut of a roadway, which was bordered by a fence
of cedar brush. Here the enemy had every
advantage of a position, while his force was vastly superior, but Col. Lee’s
men stood like veterans. Officers and
men stood as firm as rocks within fifteen or twenty paces of the Yankee
line. Volley after volley of grape from
their cannon and Minnie balls from their infantry mowed down our men, still the
Thirty-seventh moved forward, driving the enemy before it. Unable to stand the well-directed fire of the
Eighteenth and Thirty-seventh, the enemy fled from his battery, leaving his
flag on the field. While these two
regiments were fighting as only brave men can fight, and were driving from his
position an enemy of six regiments of infantry and one battery of artillery,
strange to say no assistance was sent to them, though General Branch had at his
side a battery of artillery and four regiments of infantry. At last, when no longer able to stand alone
against such heavy odds, the two regiments fell back, stubbornly contesting the
ground as they retired. They had fought
long, especially the thirty-seventh, which had been under fire for nearly six
hours. Their loss was very heavy. The Thirty-seventh had only seven companies
on the field (companies B and E being on picket, and company B being detailed
to guard the wagon train, yet it lost a hundred and sixteen killed, wounded and
missing, more than one out of every three men.
The loss of the Eighteenth was quite severe they leaving some hundred
and sixty of their men on the field.
Col. Campbell’s Seventh and Col. Wade’s Twelfth N.C. troops now covered
the retreat, holding the enemy in check in fine style. None of our other troops were in the action,
except Captain Saunders’ company of the Thirty-third N.C. troops, which while
deployed as skirmishers, captured a Yankee hospital, and with it a surgeon,
four men and 10 horses. The hospital
contained forty-nine wounded Yankees.
Their loss was quite severe—greater perhaps, than our own, including a
field officer.
Our officers all behaved well. Col. Lee and Maj. Hickson were both knocked
from their horses by shells. Lieut. Col.
Barbers’ horse was killed under him, and he was slightly wounded in the
neck. Adjutant Wm. F. Nickolson’s horse
was killed and came very near falling on him.
Col. Lane’s regiment was entirely
cut off, and had to take care of itself.
Colonel Lane had cause to be proud of his men.—Then encountered the
advanced regiment of the enemy and killed some eighty or more, and captured
some sixty-eight prisoners, who were sent to Richmond, besides others, who
afterwards escaped.
Col. Lane was then opposed by a
superior force, which almost entirely surrounded him, yet he conducted his
command off and reached Richmond yesterday.
His loss, however is great, as many of his men broke down and, it is
believed, were captured by the Yankee cavalry.
Capts. Ashcraft and Farthing, of the Thirty-seventh, with some one
hundred and forty men, were on picket, and started to Col. Lane, when they
heard his firing. Capt. Ashcraft, with
forty-four of his men, and fifteen of Captain Farthing’s escaped; the rest, it
is feared, were captured.
The above is a true statement of the
facts which will make the battle of Lebanon Church a sad, but so far as the
company and regimental officers are concerned a brilliant affair for North
Carolinians. Of the rest public must
judge: I am sir, &c.
“HANOVER.”
