only other officer present of our brigade, whose name you did not mention in your letter, was Lieutenant Rigler, of the Thirty-seventh regiment. I do not know whether there were any of General Thomas' command with us or not. Captain Norwood, of Thomas' staff, was captured the same morning that I was, but I don't remember whether on the skirmish line or in the fort. We repulsed the enemy three times in front and once from the rear. After our ammunition was exhausted, the men used their bayonets and clubbed their guns until the whole wall was covered with bluecoats, who continued a heavy fire upon us for several moments after they had entered.
Letter from Lieutenant A. B. Howard, Thirty-third North Carolina Regiment.
General Lane:
Dear Sir—Yours of the 27th instant is at hand, and contents duly noticed. I take pleasure in giving you all the information I can in reference to the gallant defence of Fort Gregg. I am fully confident that three-fourths of the men in the fort, if not more, were from your brigade.
I am glad, indeed, to know that you will give a full and true statement of the affair to General Lee, and that the gallant men of the Old North State, and especially those of Lane's brigade, may have all the honor and credit that they so nobly won.
I fully concur with Lieutenant Snow in his statement concerning the number of men from Harris' brigade. I am pretty certain that there was only one officer instead of two from that brigade: his name was Duncan. He said he was lieutenant colonel, but there were no stars or bars about him to designate his rank.
The three pieces of artillery belonged to Chew's battery. He was captured and taken with us to Johnson's island. I am sorry that I am not able to recall the names of the officers from your command. I don't remember the names of any except those mentioned by yourself. I know there were others besides from our brigade in the Thirty-seventh regiment, &c., but as I was not well acquainted with them, their names have escaped my recollection.
We kept the enemy back for some time after our ammunition
