The 14th North Carolina Home Page

Company Rosters &
  Roll of the Dead

Profiles
Biographies of officers and men of the
14th N.C. Regiment

Company Profiles
Profiles of the companies that comprised
 the 14th N.C. Regiment

Major Battles
Major battles in which the 14th N.C. was engaged and links to additional battle information

Other Links
of Interest
Sites with references to the 14th N.C. Infantry

"Beyond the Tribute of Tears"

"It is fitting and proper to put upon record at the outset of this sketch our sincere and ardent thanks to the surviving officers and men of the Fourteenth Regiment of North Carolina Troops for the unbroken constancy, patient submission to discipline, uniform valor and good nature maintained by them throughout the war between the Government and the Confederate States. The dead of the regiment are beyond the tribute of tears."

"The Fourteenth Regiment of North Carolina Troops, organized originally as the Fourth Regiment of North Carolina Troops, was formed at Garysburg, N. C., early in June, 1861, and was composed of patriotic and eager men and youths, who tendered their services to the State to maintain the dignity and rights of the State in the conflict then imminent."

"Of the one thousand four hundred officers and men of the regiment borne upon the muster-rolls from the outbreak of the war until Palm Sunday in 1865, when the pale flag of defeat drooped over the guns which had upheld the life of the 'New Nation,' scarcely fifty escaped wounds during their service." ¹

Colonel R. T. Bennett

Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg National Military Park -
The Battle of Fredericksburg, 1862

Extraordinary Felicity . . .

"There are moments in battle of extraordinary felicity, not so much from success as from the very grandeur of the situation. First Fredericksburg afforded such an occasion.. . . Here we had an opportunity to observe Major Pelham in charge of our artillery. It was the opportunity of a life-time to see General Jackson and hear him talk to this picturesque youth, who was manly and confident. He was a handsome boy, faultlessly dressed, and told without affectation the story of yesterday's dreadful ordeal. I ventured to ask General Jackson what to do with some of my regiment for whom there was no room in the ditch. 'Put them out of harm's way,' was the laconic answer. 'The enemy are gone, after a fearful punishment; they stole away in the night.'"⁹

A special series of articles on the Battle of Fredericksburg written by Donald Pfanz

Virtual Tour of Fredericksburg & terrific links for this battle

BrothersWar.com - Fredericksburg

The Civil War Home Page - The Battle of Fredericksburg

Leaders and Battles - Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg Area Tourism  -
Fredericksburg Battlefield

U. S. CIVIL WAR PHOTOGRAPHS  - Fredericksburg

Chancellorsville

Fredericksburg National Military Park  -
The Battle of Chancellorsville, 1863

An Avenue Peopled With Every Agency of Death . . .

"The accident which struck down the corps commander [Stonewall Jackson] in the exultant hour of victory did not stay the fierceness of the onset of our troops next morning. Ramseur’s Brigade was ordered to replace some troops thrown into confusion by the loss of their commander. Into the heavy timber, over breastworks occupied by disordered and broken troops of different commands, we went forward. As I looked back to the scene it reminded me of an advance through a wide gate-way along an avenue peopled with every agency of death and destruction. Shot and shell, buck and ball rained upon us. Nature herself took part in the tumult; exploding missiles broke off the overhead limbs of trees and discharged them in great loads upon those who in search of cover  crouched at their roots; the earth echoed their commotion. The Fourteenth Regiment of North Carolina Troops never did more trying service than it did this day, nor did the courage of the regiment in any battle, except the awful day-long fight of 12th of May, 1864, appear fiercer or more unrelenting. Lieutenant-Colonel William A. Johnston was very active and impressed the command by his disregard of danger. The enemy, foiled at all points, drew back his lines from Chancellorsville and planted them nearer the fords of the river. Under orders the regiment returned to the breastworks, having been saluted by General Robert E. Rodes and publicly thanked on the field by him for its gallant conduct. It is impossible to single out the name of any soldier of the regiment and say he was foremost that day.^{" 10}

A special series of articles on the Battle of Chancellorsville written by Robert Krick

BrothersWar.com - Chancellorsville

Military History Online - Chancellorsville

Leaders and Battles - Chancellorsville

The Civil War Home Page - The Battle of Chancellorsville

CWSAC Battle Summaries  - Chancellorsville

Coalition to Save Chancellorsville Battlefield

Fredericksburg Area Tourism -
Battle of Chancellorsville

U. S. CIVIL WAR PHOTOGRAPHS  - Chancellorsville

Gettysburg Campaign

Leaders and Battles - Second Winchester

We Beat Them Quickly . . .

"We came upon the battlefield about 2 o’clock in the afternoon of the first day. The enemy were then so far as our brigade front, extended behind a strong stone wall, such as are used as fences there. We assailed in front, the Fourteenth Regiment lapping their right. We beat them quickly, capturing prisoners, with small loss to ourselves. To our left the ground broke down from a high ridge to a level of twenty-five acres. Over this ground the enemy was retreating in some order before Doles’ Brigade and other troops. As we routed these people from the stone wall a column of them, looking the size of a brigade, emerged from a depression in the ground to our right and marched in very quick time along a railroad embankment and track into Gettysburg. I am not certain where these troops came from, but I suppose they marched out of the railroad cut. May be they had withdrawn from the very high ridge to the right of the railroad into the road-way as offering a more protected line of retreat. The commander rode at their head and our artillery harassed their rear. I could almost hear their bones crunch under the shot and shell. It was a hot day and our men were much distressed by the heat and work. We straggled into town and then formed as quick as possible. Many of our command were overcome by the heat, and I go upon record now and here as saying that immediate and effective pursuit of the enemy was out of our power. The sharp-shooters of my regiment, under command of Lieutenant Harney, pursued the enemy, and Harney captured with his own hand the colors of the Sixty-eighth Michigan and sent the captured flag to President Davis with his last breath. He was mortally shot in the bowels while in pursuit of these men. I think he was as reliable as any officer of his rank in the Confederate armies.^{" 11}

Gettysburg National Military Park

Military History Online - Gettysburg

BrothersWar.com - Gettysburg

The Civil War Home Page - The Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 - EyeWitness to History - History through the eyes of those who lived it

Lee's Retreat From Gettysburg, 1863 - EyeWitness to History - History through the eyes of those who lived it

Report of Brig. Gen. S. D. Ramseur, on the Gettysburg Campaign

General John Buford's Cavalry in the Gettysburg Campaign

U. S. CIVIL WAR PHOTOGRAPHS  - Gettysburg

Post-Gettysburg letter by Cpl. B. R. Kinney, Co. D, 14th North Carolina Regiment.

Bristoe Station

CWSAC Battle Summaries - The American Battlefield Protection Program  

The Yanks Had Double Lines . . .

"Had a sharp engagement here. The Yanks had double lines. One beyond the railroad in full view and one in front concealed in the railroad cut. [General A. P.] Hill failed to throw out skirmishers, formed his line and advanced. About thirty steps from the railroad the Yankees rose and poured into Hill a murderous fire and killed many of his men when those who could, retreated. [After the battle] Hill asked Lee 'What he must do?'

Lee said, 'Bury your unfortunate dead.'"¹²

The Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, North Anna

Fredericksburg National Military Park -
The Battles of Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House

extreme right of the brigade. We drove the enemy in confusion from the first line of works and, taking a moment’s rest, rushed for the next and stronger line, then held by the foe in great numbers. I record it with sore grief, little softened by the lapse of years, that Tisdale Stepp, of the Rough and Ready Guard, in the front rank, singing “The Bonnie Blue Flag,” was shot dead by an awkward soldier in our rear rank. We reached the near side of these works while the enemy received us on the other side, his teeth firmly clinched for the struggle. I was told that the enemy pulled the Adjutant of the Thirtieth Regiment over the works by the hair of his head and captured him. The colors of one of the regiments was pulled out of the color-bearer’s hands and carried off. The situation was extremely grave, especially in front of the Thirtieth Regiment. They were doing all that mortal men could do to stem the fierce course of the battle. Their brave, modest, high-minded Colonel has been disabled in the advance. I asked General Ramseur’s leave to go with my command to the right half of the brigade and succor ­them if possible. He was a very brave officer, but hesitated hoping some turn of fortune might relieve us without the awful risk of this movement. Presently he told me to do as I liked. Communicating to the regiment the odds about to be faced, we went down the line and drove into the traverses by a front of fours. Out of there we expelled the enemy, giving him cold steel and other reforms. . . About the middle afternoon a red oak many inches in diameter yielded to the storm of missiles and fell to the ground. A section of this tree, the lap of which brushed when falling a few yards from my regiment, is preserved at the war office of the enemy in Washington City. . . Every part of our line taken by the enemy in the early hours of the day was recovered before sundown except the arch of the horse-show. There was not a man in my regiment this day who was not of heroic mold . . . I wish it was possible in our poor human speech to express the supreme conduct of the men and officers of the Fourteenth Regiment on this day, which seemed to be the day of supreme unselfishness and inspired action.^{" 13}

Fredericksburg National Military Park -
Spotsylvania Battlefield

Virtual Tour of The Wilderness  & terrific links for this battle

The Civil War Home Page - The Wilderness

Fredericksburg Area Tourism -
Wilderness Battlefield

U. S. CIVIL WAR PHOTOGRAPHS  - The Wilderness

The Civil War Home Page - Spotsylvania Courthouse

Fredericksburg Area Tourism -
Spotsylvania Courthouse Battlefield

U. S. CIVIL WAR PHOTOGRAPHS  - Spotsylvania

The Civil War Home Page - North Anna

U. S. CIVIL WAR PHOTOGRAPHS  - North Anna

1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign

Leaders and Battles - Monocacy

Detached to the Valley

Monocacy National Battlefield

U. S. CIVIL WAR PHOTOGRAPHS  - Monocacy

Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley 1863-1865

Shenandoah Battlefields National Historic District -
Campaign Year 1864

Petersburg

Petersburg National Battlefield
Petersburg, VA

"Noble Remnants"

"The incessant watch in the trenches about Petersburg, through the winter of 1864-'65, was shared by the Fourteenth Regiment of North Carolina Troops. When the enemy made the irruption of our lines the regiment was part of the 'noble remnants' in retreat, fighting daily rear-guard actions with the forces of the government.^{" 15}

U. S. CIVIL WAR PHOTOGRAPHS  - Petersburg

Appomattox

The Civil War Home Page

The Supreme Hour . . .

"The supreme hour which comes to men and nations was at hand. Eight thousand and odd muskets were surrendered. Of this number the paroles of the Fourteenth Regiment of North Carolina Troops . . . numbered one hundred and seven.^{" 17}

CWSAC Battle Summaries - Appomattox

"Surrender at Appomattox, 1865," EyeWitness to History - History through the eyes of those who lived it

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Appomattox, VA

U. S. CIVIL WAR PHOTOGRAPHS  - Appomattox

Footnotes:

¹Bennett, Colonel R. T. “Fourteenth Regiment.” In Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65, Vol. 1. ed. Walter Clark. Wilmington, North Carolina: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1991, 705-706.

²Smith, Maj. W. A. The Anson Guards, Company “C”, Fourteenth Regiment, North Carolina Volunteers, 1861-1865. Wilmington, North Carolina: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1999, 45.

³Ibid., 58-59.

⁴Ibid., 81.

⁵Ibid, 130.

⁶Ibid, 118.

⁷Ibid, 95.

⁸Bennett, 712.

⁹Ibid, 713.

¹⁰Ibid, 715-716.

¹¹Ibid, 719.

¹²Smith, 216-217.

¹³Bennett,723-725.

¹⁴Ibid 727.

¹⁵Ibid 728.

¹⁶Smith, 45.

¹⁷Bennett, 729.