On May 1, 1864, Company I, 51st Regiment North Carolina Troops, moved from Petersburg to Ivor Station to join the rest of Clingman’s brigade on an expedition to Suffolk. The company had 129 men on its rolls. Six of the men were absent. Over the previous two years, the company had lost only two men in battle. Another six had died of disease and one man was killed accidentally when he fell from a train.
On September 20th, 1864, Second Lieutenant Charles Guy, commanding the company, reported only 29 men present, with 20 of those available for duty. Guy reported the numbers in a letter he wrote to the Fayetteville Observer. In the letter, Lieutenant Guy listed the names of all the men killed, wounded and captured during the battles in Virginia. He ended the note defiantly: “the remainder of Co. I, 51st Reg’t N C T, though they be few in numbers, are ever ready to meet Grant or Butler.” Ten days later, Company I would suffer another 14 casualties at Fort Harrison. Lieutenant Guy was among them, being severely wounded by a ball in the right leg.
To read that an infantry company of 129 men was reduced to only 29 soldiers in a four-month period is shocking. But the extent of the loss really sinks in when one sees a list of the names of those killed, wounded, and captured. Lieutenant Guy’s list, printed in the Fayetteville Observer on October 20, 1864:
Battle of Drewry’s Bluff, May 10th [May 16th], 1864
Killed: H Bunce, D Blue, S Gilmore, J A Guy, J E Guy, J Moore, W L Skipper, M McI Smith, John Tew.
Wounded: Serg’t J R Buie, in left arm; Privates J Adams, A G Bain, severe; J D Breece, D J Culbreath, slight; W Holly, John A W Sandy, severe; J D Williams, severe in left leg
Capt’rd: [1st] Lt J A McArthur, Sgt M D [Hugh McDuffie] Geddie, S. Howard, S. Holley, Alderman [Almon] T Jackson, D A McMillan, W P Pope, A Moore, W P Porter
Battle of Bermuda Hundred, May 20th
Killed: Privates H Williams, John H Taylor.
Wounded: D Autry [died June 15], D W Brock, mortally, since died [May 31]; W H Adams, slight
Battle of Cold Harbor, May 31st
Killed: Private Allen T. Jackson.
Wounded: Privates Joe West, H J Bain, slight; J [Isaac] W Hem[m]in[g]way fore-finger shot off
Battle continued at Cold Harbor, June 1st
Wounded: Sgt H H Bolton, slight; Privates D J Darden, J C Geddie, slight; D Stewart, severe in right thigh
Captured: Capt Geo Sloan, Sergt H L Hall, Privates T Bryant, J W Carroll, N H Deaver, J D Davis, W D B Ellis, G C Fisher, D Graham, W R Glover, J J Hardison, D D Jones, John Jackson, J W Jackson, W T Mainer[Maner], D Monroe, A C McDonald, D McIntyre, M McCorquedale, W J Norris, W Nunnery, D W Pope, P M Smith, Thos J Strickland, A J Taylor, M L Simmons, Alex Tew, J L [L J] Tew, J R Tew, D C Tew, J M Tew, Jac Tew, J C Warren
Also at same line, June 12th, killed by a sharpshooter, Priv W T Ledbetter. Wounded, same day, Private R R Bell, slightly in foot. Also, captured at Bermuda Hundred, May [June] 16th, Private D J Culbreath.
Battle of Camp Hill, near Petersburg, June 16th
Wounded: Private Sion McD Barefoot, slight. Same place, morning of 17th, killed by a sharpshooter, Corp H J Daughtry.
Evening’s charge of 17th June
Wounded: Privates W H Adams, H J Bain, J E Phillips, J H Blackburn, slight; W N Raiford, sev in head.
Also, on front line, by a sharpshooter, June 21, wounded, Corp W J Blue, slight in breast. Also by a sharpshooter, June 26th, wounded, Private G W Carver, severe [died July 29th].
Charge on Weldon Railroad, Aug 19
Captured: Sgt H H Bolton, Thos J Powers, Privates B Page, King Bryan, supposed captured [likely killed]. Also, Lt W A Guy, Ensign officer of the 51st [formerly assigned to Company I], was captured during same charge.
[Guy’s letter also includes the names of the 10 Company I soldiers killed and 16 injured in the Shohola train wreck. All 26 men had been captured at Cold Harbor on June 1, 1864.]
Recap
From May 16 to August 19, 1864, Company I lost 18 men killed outright or died of wounds and 47 men captured. An additional two men died of disease and two were discharged. Twenty-four soldiers were wounded; all but seven had returned to duty by September. At the time that Lieutenant Guy wrote his letter, 24 men were absent sick, wounded, AWOL, or detailed.
Copyright © 2021 – 2025 by Kirk Ward. All rights reserved.