direction of the steamer, keeping as near as possible to the bank of the river, though up to my waist in mud and water, and coming in contact with melting snow and ice the most of the time. After no little perseverance I succeeded in accomplishing my object, though before reaching the steamer I was nearly over my shoulders in the water, very cold, and much exhausted. On board of the steamer there happened to be a barrel of whiskey, which had been bayoneted by soldiers. I needed a stimulant, and at once procured some in a tin cup and drank it, then took a position by the engine and warmed and dried myself as thoroughly as possible. The members of my battery also came off on this steamer, one of whom, Private Perkins, was pulled out of the water into the steamer by a colored man. The commotion among our soldiers at this time was very great, many of them were frantic with excitement, and attempted to get on board of the steamer, though failed to accomplish their object. GUNBOATS. General Floyd stood on the deck of the steamer with his sabre drawn, exclaiming, "Come on, my brave Virginia boys." The steamer was soon filled to its utmost capacity. Just as the steamer moved from the landing General Floyd received information that the enemy's gunboats were in sight, coming up the river. The engineer of the steamer was ordered to put on full head of steam and proceed up the river as speedily as possible. Thus Generals Floyd and Pillow made their escape from Fort Donelson and reached Nashville the next morning. The most of the 56th Virginia Infantry came off on this steamer. Lieutenant Thomas, of Company F, later captain, now Sergeant of the Police Court, Richmond, Va., is one of the survivors of the old 56th Virginia Regiment. General Forrest, with his cavalry, succeeded in cutting their way out, and arrived at Nashville in a day or two. A member of my battery, W. M. Sharp, came off with his command. There was much interest and some excitement manifested by the people of Nashville in consequence of the fall of Fort Donelson. Hopes were entertained by many of the citizens that their city would be defended and not evacuated, and it was reported for several days that the Confederates would fortify Nashville, and not fall back further; but this idea, if ever contemplated, was abandoned. BACK TO VIRGINIA. After remaining in this city nearly one week, orders were received for General Floyd and remainder of his command to proceed to Virginia. The troops soon boarded the cars, and were conveyed to Murfreesboro'. Near Murfreesboro', on the macadamized road, we (four of my battery) were fortunate enough to find two of our company's baggage-wagons. The baggage had been destroyed at Dover, Tenn. One of these wagons was loaded with coffee, and the other with some provisions brought from Nashville, which were subsequently turned over to the commissary at Norristown, Tenn. We were pleased to meet four members of our battery, who were left in charge of these wagons. During our travel through Tennessee, the people were very hospitable to us. We marched from there to Chattanooga, and encamped about one week at the base of Lookout Mountain. We then took the cars to Knoxville, and remained here a week, and then marched across the Cumberland mountains to Morristown, Tenn., thence by rail to Virginia, and arrived in Abingdon, Va., the latter part of March, 1862. Upon our arrival in Abingdon we were much surprised on being informed that General Floyd had been relieved of his command by President Davis, and Colonel Stuart, of the Fifty-sixth Virginia Regiment, was commandant of the post. The command of General Floyd was soon ordered to the Army of Northern Virginia. Subsequently General Floyd commanded State troops in Southwest Virginia. My company having been captured at Fort Donelson, and not having any command to report to, I was tendered a position by the medical director of my brigade in his department, which I accepted, and held for some time. Finally, my company was exchanged, and I rejoined it at Chaffin's Bluff, about ten miles below Richmond, Va. THOMAS J. RIDDELL, M. D., Private in Goochland Artillery, Floyd's Brigade, late C. S. A., Richmond, Va. [From the Daily Charlotte (N. C.) Observer, Feb. 17, 1895.] TWENTY-EIGHTH NORTH CAROLINA INFANTRY. GENERAL J. H. LANE WRITES ITS HISTORY. Another of the Historical War Sketches Prepared at the Instance of Judge Clark-A Record Of Glory and Honor. At the request of Judge Walter Clark, General James H. Lane, of Auburn, Alabama, has prepared a sketch of his old regiment, the Twenty-eighth North Carolina. A copy of it is sent to the Observer and is herewith published. In a private letter to the editor General Lane says of his work: My old regiment has a splendid record and I do not feel equal to such a theme. I have done my best in the way of a chronological summary of its brilliant achievements. My object in interspersing it freely with unpublished reminiscences—personal incidents of my own knowledge is to make it more interesting to the general reader. It required both time and labor to get up the sketch, and yet it has been a great pleasure to me to do it." The Twenty-eighth North Carolina Regiment had the following field and staff officers during the war: Colonels: James H. Lane, Samuel D. Lowe. Lieutenant-Colonels: Thomas L. Lowe, Samuel D. Lowe, William D. Barringer, William H. A. Speer. Majors: Richard E. Reeves, Samuel D. Lowe, William J. Montgomery, William D. Barringer, William H. A. Speer, Samuel N. Stowe. Adjutants: Duncan A. McRae, Romulus S. Folger. Sergeant-majors: Milton A. Lowe, J. T. Lowe, W. R. Rankin. Captains, A. Q. M.: George S. Thompson, Durant A. Parker. Q. M. Sergeants: Edward Moore, J. C. Kelly, T. C. Lowe. Captain, A. C. S.: Nicholas Gibbon.. Commissary sergeant: W. A. Mauney. Surgeons: Robert Gibbon, W. W. Gaither. Assistant surgeons: F. N. Luckey, R. G. Barham, Thomas B. Lane, M. L. Mayo. Hospital stewards: John Abernathy, L. J. Barker. Ordnance sergeant: Gabriel Johnston. Chaplains: Oscar J. Brent, F. Milton Kennedy, D. S. Henkel. This regiment, numbering about 900, was organized at High Point, North Carolina, September 21, 1861, as appears from the following communication: CAMP FISHER, HIGH POINT, September 21, 1861. LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JAMES H. LANE: Dear Sir-You were unanimously elected colonel of the 28th North Carolina Volunteers this evening. This regiment is composed of the following companies, enlisted for twelve months: Company A, Surry county, Captain Reeves (major-elect). Company B, Gaston county, Captain Edwards. Company C, Catawba county, Captain Lowe (lieutenant-colonelelect). Company D, Stanly county, Captain Montgomery. Company E, Montgomery county, Captain Barringer. Company F, Yadkin county, Captain Kinyoun. Company G, Orange county, Captain Martin. Company H, Cleveland county, Captain Wright. You will see that most of us are "mountain boys," and we trust that we do not disgrace the home from which we come. It would afford us great pleasure and satisfaction to have for our leader an officer so well and so favorably known for bravery, courtesy, and professional attainments as Lieutenant-Colonel Lane, of the gallant "Bethel" Regiment. Permit us to express our personal hope that we may receive a favorable reply as soon as possible, and to subscribe ourselves, Your obedient servants, S. N. STOWE, Major Commanding Post, Committee in behalf of the 28th Regiment. Immediately after organizing, the regiment was ordered to Wilmington, N. C., where it remained under General Joseph R. Anderson, commanding the "Cape Fear District," until the fall of Newbern. During its stay in that kind and hospitable town it performed post duty and guarded various bridges on the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad. It was kept under rigid discipline; and that it was well drilled and properly cared for will appear from the following extracts from the Wilmington Journal: On a recent visit to the camp of the 28th Regiment we were pleased to see that a complete town of neat wooden tenements has taken the place of the canvass village of the latter part of the summer and fall, affording convenient and comfortable quarters with chimneys for the men, houses for the stores and other purposes. We found nearly all finished, with the exception of some of the officers' quarters, Colonel Lane's among the number, these being left to the last, as, being less crowded, the necessity was not so pressing. * * * "Almost as we go to press the 28th moves down Second street, with steady tramp, the long line of their bayonets gleaming in the sun, and the firm bearing of the men indicative of determination and giving promise of gallant service when called upon. The drill and marching of the regiments are, to our feeble notions, as good as could be desired by regulars. If there is less of the pomp and circumstance of war with our plainly arrayed troops than with the fancy corps raised in northern cities, experience has shown that there is more of the pride that will stand and will not run unless it be forward. Colonel Lane may well be proud of his regiment." On the 28th of October, 1861, the regiment numbered 970 all told. It reached Newbern the 14th of March, 1862, just as the troops were withdrawing and it helped to cover their retreat. It fell back with them through mud and rain to Kinston, where it remained until it was ordered to Virginia. Soon after reaching Kinston it was assigned to the brigade commanded by General L. O'B. Branch. It at once renewed its work of reorganizing for the war which it had so gloriously begun in Wilmington, and completed the same the 12th of April, 1862. The following from a correspondent was published at the time in the Raleigh Journal: "It is with no ordinary emotions of joy and pride that I inform you, and through your paper the public, that the Twenty-eighth North Carolina Regiment has 'reorganized for the war.' Six companies reorganized before we left Wilmington. Last week the four remaining companies reorganized, and on Saturday we had an election for field officers, when Colonel Lane and Lieutenant-Colonel Lowe were elected to their former positions by acclamation. For major we had some warm balloting. Several were nominated. After |