Id’d Confederate Boyle & Gamble Staff & Field Officers’ Sword – Corporal Wm. Bryant Lilly Co. C 3rd NC Light Artillery, Co. K 10th NC Infantry, Co. C 40th NC Infantry

Enlisted on 10/5/1861 at Beaufort County, NC as a Corporal.

On 10/5/1861 he mustered into “C” Co. NC 3rd Light Artillery

He was transferred out on 6/9/1864

On 6/9/1864 he transferred into “K” Co. NC 10th Inf State Troop

(date and method of discharge not given)

April 27 –

May 1, 1865
at Greensborough, NC

Surgeon(s)

Norcum,
Henry St.

George Hopkins
Philip T.

Woodson,
Andrew J.

Speer

Bertie

County

Whyte

McClellan soon after that began the transfer of the great army that had for months previously been held for the defense of Washington and

commenced his movement for the capture of Richmond by way of the peninsula, which lies between the James and York rivers. The battalion

while yet awaiting its guns and horses, was ordered to the Confederate Capital, to take part in its defense. The field and staff officers at that time

and with small change until the end of the war consisted of—

John W. Moore, of Hertford County, Major.
Augustus M. Moore, of Chowan County, Adjutant.
Henry G. Trader, of Hertford County, Assistant Quartermaster.
William A. B. Norcum, of Chowan County, Assistant Surgeon.
Exum B. Clark, Sergeant Major.
Oliver F. Gilbert, QM & Commissary Sergeant.
John F. Julich, Chief Bugler.

There were in the battalion three (3) batteries:

Company A was recruited in Northampton County. Andrew J. Ellis, Captain; William J. Rogers, 1st Lieutenant; Junius N. Ramsay, 1st Lieutenant; and John M. Webb, 2nd Lieutenant.

Company B was formed of men enlisted mostly in Chowan and Tyrrell counties. Its officers were William Badham, Jr., Captain, of Chowan

County; 1st Lieutenant, Nelson McCleese, Tyrrell County; 1st Lieutenant, John M. Jones, Jr., Chowan County; 2nd Lieutenant, David J. Gaskins,

Bertie County.

Company C consisted of men who chiefly were reared and enlisted in Hertford County. Its officers were, Thomas Capehart, then Julian G.

Moore, then John M. Sutton, Captains; John M. Sutton, 1st Lieutenant; Alfred M. Darden, 1st Lieutenant; John R. Powell, 2nd Lieutenant.

Lieutenants Sutton and Powell were Bertie County men.

AROUND RICHMOND.

The battalion having been sent to the front before getting its equipment of light artillery when Federal Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan drew near

Richmond with his immense army the command was ordered from the camp of instruction and did its first service by occupying Battery No. 7.

This was an extensive earthwork which was near the York River Railroad, and commanded the highway leading from Mechanicsville, which was

only six (6) miles away and was the nearest point of approach made by the United States Army. There Maj. Gen. McClellan had strongly protected

the right flank of his forces and several bloody conflicts occurred before the Seven Days’ Battles resulted in the defeat and withdrawal of the

Federal forces.

[On July 4, 1862, Companies C and D were disbanded, and the men were transferred to Company B and Company A respectively. Company E

was not mustered into Confederate Service with this battalion. It was transferred to Infantry and assigned as Company G in the 32nd NC Regiment.

As a result, the 3rd NC Battalion-Light Infantry was now reduced to two (2) batteries, each being equipped with six (6) guns, and each battery was

divided into three (3) sections of

two (2) guns each. — From “North Carolina Troops 1861-1865, A Roster, Volume I, Artillery,” Page 335.]

The 3rd NC Battalion-Light Artillery remained near Richmond for some time afterwards and in September of 1862, it was ordered to proceed to

the Valley of Virginia and report to General Robert E. Lee. The battle of Sharpsburg, MD had just been fought and we met the Army of Northern

Virginia in its cantonments around Martinsburg, VA. Having reported to Brig. Gen. William N. Pendleton (VA), Chief of Artillery, the 3rd NC

Battalion-Light Artillery was received into his Corps and served therein until early in December when Federal Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside

began his famous race for the capture of Fredericksburg, VA. We were in camp at Culpeper Court House one dreary winter evening when an

orderly brought orders for our instant departure for Fredericksburg. The discomforts and haste of that movement exceeded anything of the kind

we saw during war. After pressing on for two (2) miserable days through the terrible roads crossing Southwestern Mountains and reaching a point

fifteen (15) miles from Fredericksburg, orders came for the battalion to proceed to a railroad bridge some miles south of Fredericksburg, where

defenses had been constructed for the security of the bridge. We were sorely disappointed in not being permitted to take part in the great battle

fought a few days later, so near us, but it was all important that no raiding party of the enemy should be allowed to burn the bridge over which

nearly all the supplies for General Robert E. Lee’s army had then to pass. We remained at the bridge until Maj. Gen. Burnside’s defeat and in a

few days were ordered to the defense of our own State.

IN NORTH CAROLINA.

When the 3rd NC Battalion-Light Artillery had reached Wilmington, that is the main body of the men, we had more than a week of waiting

apparently before us, before our horses could reach us by the long march overland from Richmond, VA. But on Sunday morning after our arrival,

Maj. Gen. William H.C. Whiting (VA) notified Maj. John W. Moore that his horses had arrived at Goldsborough and that enough of them were

in

such condition that one of his batteries could be properly horsed. He was ordered, therefore, to take the men and guns of one battery and to reach

Kinston as soon as possible and report to Maj. Gen. Samuel G. French (MS). Two (2) days before Maj. Gen. John G. Foster had left New Bern

with twenty thousand (20,000) Federal troops and had been steadily driving back the Confederate forces, but was as yet unable to cross from the

south side of the Neuse River.

MOSELEY HALL, N.C.

By reason of a defective engine, we were nearly all day making the run to Moseley Hall [now LaGrange, in Lenoir County], where we found

Maj. Gen. Samuel G. French (MS) and our battery horses. Troops from Virginia and other points were pouring in and the enemy was reported

close at hand across the river. Just before night, by Maj. Gen. French’s order, 1st Lt. Nelson McCleese was sent with the right section of Badham’s

Battery [Company B] to the defense of the bridge at White Hall, on the Neuse River. These two (2) guns were supported by the 11th NC Regiment,

the 31st NC Regiment, Col. Peter G. Evans’ 63rd NC Regiment (5th Cavalry), and Col. Dennis D. Ferebee’s 59th NC Regiment (4th Cavalry). At an

early hour on Monday morning

Maj. Gen. John G. Foster drove in the Confederate picket across the river and attempted, by a tremendous infantry and artillery fire, to so drive

off the men on our side, that he could pontoon and cross the river. More than a dozen pieces of artillery were brought to bear upon the point

where 1st Lt. McCleese and his men were so bravely holding their ground. From early in the morning until well past midnight this unequal

struggle went on. 1st Lt. McCleese lost but two (2) men and two (2) horses, but his right gun was, after being struck repeatedly, finally disabled

by a shell that broke the axle and struck down five (5) of his cannoneers. After such creditable service, 1st Lt. McCleese was relieved by 2nd Lt.

Julian G. Moore, who brought a fresh section into action. The enemy, however, soon ceased firing and moved for another bridge a few miles

higher up the stream. At that place on the next day 1st Lt. John M. Jones, with the center section of Company B, did also most effective service.

It is proper to say here that the battalion at this time contained only two (2) batteries. It was found so difficult in the fall of 1862 to procure

enough cavalry and artillery horses that many artillery and cavalry companies were induced to change themselves into infantry. Then, too, many

four-gun batteries were by orders of the Secretary of War, formed into large six-gun batteries by uniting the men of both companies and allowing

them to elect officers for the new command thus formed. When the order for distributing inchoate commands reached Maj. John W. Moore in

Camp Lee, near Richmond, in 1862, the 3rd NC Battalion-Light Artillery contained five (5) companies. There were in addition to the three (3)

already mentioned, two (2) others, commanded by Capt. Thomas Capehart and Capt. Solomon Whyte. The latter of these two gave up its artillery

organization and joined a regiment of infantry [became Company G in the 32nd NC Regiment].

Companies A and D were combined under the command of Capt. Andrew J. Ellis, while Company C was added to Company B under Capt.

William Badham, Jr., and Capt. Julian G. Moore became 2nd Lieutenant in the same until March 10, 1863, by another order from Richmond,

Company C was re-organized under the officers as mentioned above. [Capt. Julian G. Moore was commissioned on March 10, 1863, back-dated to

January 29, 1863. Therefore, Company C was not resurrected until March 10, 1863.]

WILMINGTON.

After the battle of Goldsborough Bridge, the 3rd NC Battalion-Light Artillery was ordered to reunite by Company B marching across the country

to rejoin the other half of the command at Wilmington. During the whole year of 1863, the enemy left the Cape Fear region unassailed, so there

were only the ordinary incidents of a life in camp so far as the 3rd NC Battalion-Light Artillery was concerned. About November 1, 1863, Maj.

Gen. William H.C. Whiting (VA) relieved Colonel George Jackson of his command at Kenansville, to assume charge of the entrenched camp

then being constructed above Fort Fisher. Maj. John W. Moore, with Company A, under Capt. Andrew J. Ellis, went to his new post of duty and

found a little army embracing all three (3) branches of military service represented. Two squadrons of cavalry were kept on outpost duty and a

battalion of heavy artillery doing infantry duty were camped in close proximity to Company A. This force was kept for the security of the

Wilmington & Weldon Railroad; and also to secure Froelich’s sword factory at Kenansville, that had been burned by a raiding party some time

before and was then making sabres for the Confederate Government.

At the same time Company C, under Capt. Julian G. Moore, was assigned duty at Fort Caswell, while Company B, under Capt. William

Badham, Jr., was assigned for duty at Fort Holmes on Smith’s Island or Bald Head Island. The new year of 1864 was inaugurated by an important

military movement in North Carolina.

NEW BERN.

Maj. Gen. George E. Pickett (VA) was sent by General Robert E. Lee with five (5) brigades of his veteran troops, against the United States

forces then holding the city of New Bern. Brig. Gen. James G. Martin (NC), with two (2) regiments of infantry, three (3) squadrons of South

Carolina Cavalry and two (2) batteries of Light Artillery was sent by way of Smith’s Mills across White Oak River, to cut railroad connections

from Morehead City. The 3rd NC Battalion-Light Artillery was represented in the movement by Company A, under the immediate command of

Capt. Andrew J. Ellis. He and his command did noble service in the battle at Shepherdsville [aka Newport Barracks]. The enemy with a force

about equal to that of Brig. Gen. Martin, was driven from its positions on both sides of the road, and besides considerable loss in killed and

wounded left about two hundred (200) prisoners. The same battery had by its splendid practice against a blockhouse earlier in the day so

dismayed the garrison that it was captured without loss to the assailants, who came charging upon it across an open plain.

CHARGE BY ARTILLERY.

Adjutant (since Judge) Augustus M. Moore contributes the following incident:

“When Pickett was sent to attack New Bern in the winter of 1864, a small detachment of about 1,500 men, infantry, cavalry and artillery under

General Martin was sent to capture Morehead, and the large army supplies collected at that point. Pickett failed to do anything, and in a few days

withdrew his forces, but the expedition under Martin was partially successful, and had it not been for the withdrawal of Pickett’s forces, we would

in a few hours have captured Morehead.

“After two sharp skirmishes, the entire force of Martin, Seventeenth North Carolina, Forty-second North Carolina, Ellis’ Battery A of Moore’s

Battalion, and about 250 men under Lieutenant Colonel R. J. Jeffords, Fifth South Carolina Cavalry, engaged the enemy in the afternoon about

two miles from Newport. The enemy, as well as our infantry, was on each side of the straight road leading to Newport, near the town, and to the

left and rear of the enemy was their fort, a strong earthwork, mounting several guns.

“The writer was sitting on his horse on and near the left of the road, watching the effect of shells firing from a small brass field piece over the

heads of the Seventeenth North Carolina, as that gallant regiment was advancing and engaging the enemy. Occasionally a shell came screaming

from a rifled field piece of the enemy, stationed about two thousand yards down the road and in full view of Ellis and others of us. For a little

while it seemed as if the enemy was to have all that fun to themselves, when a sudden and sharp command from Captain Ellis attracted my

attention and, looking around, I saw him straighten himself in his saddle, and with his gun dash down the narrow road towards the enemy.

Every once in a while he would wheel into position, his lead horses sometimes falling in the deep and wide ditch, go into battery, fire a few

well-directed shots, and then he was again leading his gun at a gallop, only to go into battery and again fire.

“We were warm personal friends, and anxious to know what had become of him and his gallant men, the writer dashed down the road to learn

what he could. So rapid had been Ellis’ charge with his artillery, that two of his seven men were wounded along the road by the enemy’s

skirmishers. The gallant officer and men had passed the line of our advancing troops, and when I found him, the enemy was fleeing, and Ellis,

with the glee of a boy was standing in the road patting the fine gun he had captured, and laughing with his little gun crew that followed him in that

wild, dashing charge. They had run the enemy’s cannoneers with their horses from their gun, and whilst their infantry support had not fled.

“I have seen and read of many desperate and gallant acts during the Civil War, but of none that ever surpassed, if in fact equalled the one I have

attempted to describe.

“That was more than thirty-six years ago, and some of the brave boys “who charged artillery with artillery” have doubtless passed away. Captain

Ellis, however, is still alive, and residing at Garysburg, where as an accomplished and successful physician, he has filled a useful life full of gentle acts, and crowned it with the esteem and affection of the people of that section.”

DEFENSE OF WILMINGTON.

After Maj. Gen. George E. Pickett’s (VA) failure before New Bern, there were no more movements of importance involving the 3rd NC Battalion-

Light Infantry until about November 1, 1864. Maj. John W. Moore was ordered to leave his post at Kenansville, in Duplin County, and with

Company A, to report to Brig. Gen. Louis Hebert (LA), then commanding the defenses at the mouth of Cape Fear River. The battalion was thus

once more all assembled in the same locality. Company A being posted at Smithville, Company B on Bald Head Island, and Company C in Fort

Caswell. It had been evident for some time to Maj. Gen. William H.C. Whiting (VA) that a great movement was to be made for the capture of

Wilmington.

It was the only post of importance through which the Confederate Government could secure foreign supplies. The immense superiority of the

naval forces of the United States had either captured or blockaded all other Southern ports so that on Wilmington alone hung the hope of our

further continuing the long and bloody struggle. But as the year of our Lord 1864 drew to its close, just as the hearts of all Christendom grew

glad at the approach of the Christmas festivities, a great fleet bearing many thousands of soldiers, appeared in the offing before Fort Fisher and

at daybreak began to bombard that great work, while hundreds of boats were bearing the soldiers from the ships to the land between Fort Fisher

and the entrenched camp, four (4) miles above at Sugar Loaf. As we had no troops at the latter point but a small battalion under Col. George

Jackson, very little resistance could be made against the landing.

General Braxton Bragg (LA) having assumed command, ordered Maj. John W. Moore to report to Maj. Gen. Robert F. Hoke (NC) at Sugar

Loaf. Company B remained on Bald Head Island and Company C went to swell the garrison of Fort Fisher, where the greater part of it was

captured in the second attack January 13-15, 1865, after having lost heavily in defending the doomed fort. The remainder of the battery under

1st Lt. Alfred M. Darden, with the other two batteries, all reported for duty at Fort Anderson on February 10, 1865. 99 Official Records of the

 Union and Confederate Armies, p. 1155.

After the fall of Fort Fisher, Company A had the honor of covering the perilous retreat to Wilmington and afterwards had quite a lively

experience in checking the Federal pursuit when the Southern army was crossing Northeast River at the Hermitage. Battery B, under Capt. William

Badham, Jr., on the fall of Fort Fisher and the

abandonment of the lower forts, did similar service for the troops retreating under Brig. Gen. Louis Hebert (LA).

1st Lt. John M. Jones, at Old Town [Town Creek], won high mention for the desperate defense he made of his post and only retired when further

resistance became impossible. It only remains to be told that Company A once more did glorious service at the battle of Bentonville, and along

with Company B, and such part of Company C as had not been carried from Fort Fisher as prisoners of war were surrendered at Greensborough

by General Joseph E. Johnston (VA).

John W. Moore,
Powellsville, N.C.,
26 April, 1901

* The above was written by former Major John W. Moore on April 9, 1901, and provided as Pages 261-269, in the compilation known as

“Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65 – Volume IV,” edited by Walter Clark, and

published by E. M. Uzzell, Printer and Binder, in 1901. Minor edits, additions, and deletions were provided by this Author for clarity and

consistency.