Two Cole's are shown on the roster for this company. William Compton Cole and Jesse W. Cole are listed as residing in Chatam county. I will have more infomation and there documents posted soon.
Company G Battle Flag
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Brigadier General James H. Lane was in direct command of the North Carolina 28th regiment, and Col. Samuel D. Lowe was second in command. Following are the official accounts of activities of the N.C. 28th Regiment in two battles: Chancellorsville and Gettysburg:
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At the Battle of Fredericksburg, on December 13, 1862, the 28th Regiment lost sixteen men killed and forty-nine wounded. Following the battle Lane's brigade went into winter quarters near Moss Neck, below Fredericksburg, where it remained on picket duty until April 30, 1863.
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Chancellorsville:
Early on the morning of April 28, 1863, the Army of the Potomac, now commanded by General Joseph Hooker, began crossing the Rappahannock River in the Wilderness area upstream from Fredericksburg, at the same time, a large Federal force at Fredericksburg under General John Sedgwick began to make apparent preparations for a crossing. Lee, concluding that the Federal activity at Fredericksburg was a feint, began moving the bulk of his army to oppose Hooker.
A small force under General Jubal Early was left behind to prevent a crossing by Sedgwick. Jackson's corps, with A. P. Hill's division in the rear, moved down the Orange Plank Road in the direction of Chancellorsville on May 1 and, at a point about three miles from that place, found the enemy retiring.
Advancing in two columns, the Confederates drove the Federals back to their defensive positions around Chancellorsville. Lane's brigade was not engaged in the fighting on May 1 but was formed in line of battle near Chancellorsville late that evening.
Early on the morning of May 2 Jackson's corps was dispatched by Lee to turn the exposed right flank of the Federal army; and, after hard marching, Jackson succeeded in reaching a point about four miles west of Chancellorsville on Hooker's flank. As his troops came up, Jackson deployed them in three lines for the attack. Hill's division was placed in the third line; Lane's brigade was in column on the Orange Turnpike and was ordered to move forward by the flank, eastward on the turnpike, as the lines advanced.
The attack began about 5:15 P.M., and the Federal troops, caught by surprise, fell back in disorder toward Chancellorsville. The first two Confederate lines merged and drove the enemy until strong resistance forced a halt for the night. The third line was exposed to artillery fire as it advanced and, after the attack stalled, it moved to the front and became the first line. Colonel Samuel D. Lowe reported the activities of the 28th Regiment during the night of May 2 and on the next day, when the Confederate attack resumed, as follows (Official Records, Series l, Vol. XXV, pt. 1, pp. 920-921):
"By command of General Lane, I formed on the right of the brigade about 1 p.m., May 2, to the right of the Plank road, a little less than a mile in rear of Chancellorsville. The men rested on their arms in line of battle.
"About 1 a.m., May 3, we found that the enemy were advancing upon our line with loud and continuous cheers. My men quietly awaited the charge till within good range, as I supposed, when they opened a tremendous fire upon the advancing column, which seemed to have the effect of halting them immediately. The charge was accompanied by a severe enfilading fire from a great many pieces of cannon, planted on a commanding position in the direction of Chancellorsville. Though the enemy extended his left flank far beyond our right, and my regiment was on the extreme right of our line, his left did not advance much more than his right, yet enough to show his intention of turning our right. This plan was probably defeated by two of my right companies, which were formed at right angles with the line on a large road. The officers of my regiment had been instructed to obey and repeat any orders coming from the left and, when the fight had almost ceased, the command to fall back was started by some mistake near the left and repeated to the right. The regiment at once fell back a short distance without the least confusion, but without difficulty was reformed in its proper place. We took several prisoners, such was the confusion of the enemy and the close proximity of the contending forces; also a flag belonging to the Third Maine Volunteers, which was captured by Captain [Niven] Clark's company (E).
"At 2 a.m. all was quiet, and we were permitted to rest till after daybreak. Near the time of sunrise their batteries again opened upon us, killing some of my men. In a very short time General Lane ordered me to advance my fight by a change of direction to the left, which being done without halting, we charged forward in brigade line of battle, moving in a line nearly parallel to the Plank road toward Chancellorsville. When we approached the enemy's breastworks, which defended his batteries, we were met by such a storm of solid shot, grape and canister as I never before witnessed. Here a brigade of Confederates, a little in advance and on my right, masked the front of my regiment, excepting two companies on my left. General Lane, being always present, perceived this, and ordered me to support the line in my front with whatever companies lapped it.
"Companies B and G passed on with the brigade, when the line before me halted. After standing a murderous fire for some time, my men fell back with the line in a breastwork, which we had just passed over, and formed promptly. They did not seem discouraged, though our loss had been very heavy. General Lane then ordered me to assist in holding this line if the enemy charged upon it. General [J. E. B.] Stuart now came dashing along the line, ordering us forward to a second charge. The whole line again advanced and fought with the most determined courage, the artillery and musketry mowing our men down, till suddenly the Yankees were discovered flanking my regiment on the right. As I then had no support, I withdrew, and formed the second time behind breastworks. Hearing that General Lane was forming the brigade on the Plank road, I reported to him to know if I should not join him. While absent, General Stuart again commanded the line forward, and my regiment charged through the same terrible artillery firing the third time, led by Captain [Edward F.] Lovill, Company A, to the support of our batteries, which had just got into position on the hill from which those of the enemy had been driven."
On May 3 the entire Confederate line converged on Chancellorsville and forced the Federals to retire. Once Chancellorsville was occupied, Hill's division was ordered to entrench. It occupied its new position until Hooker's army recrossed the Rappahannock. Lee then moved his army hack to Fredericksburg. During the Battle of Chancellorsville the 28th Regiment lost twelve men killed and seventy-seven wounded.
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Gettysburg:
Following the Chancellorsville campaign and the death of Jackson, the Army of Northern Virginia was reorganized into three corps under Generals James Longstreet, Richard S. Ewell, and A. P. Hill. William D. Pender was promoted to the command of Hill's former division, and Lane's brigade was placed under Pender. Thus the 28th Regiment was now a part of Lane's brigade of Pender's division of Hill's 3rd Corps.
On June 3, 1863, General Lee put his army in motion toward the Shenandoah Valley to begin the campaign that would end at Gettysburg. General Ewell's corps moved first and was followed by Longstreet's corps. Hill's corps remained temporarily at Fredericksburg to watch the Federal forces opposite the town. On June 13 Ewell's corps defeated an enemy force at Winchester, and Longstreet's corps occupied Culpeper Court House. The Federals evacuated their Fredericksburg position the same day, and Hill's corps was ordered to move north. Ewell's corps crossed the Potomac into Maryland on June 16 and was followed by Hill's corps, which began fording the river at Shepherdstown on June 24. On the afternoon of June 27 Hill's corps arrived at Fayetteville, Pennsylvania. Longstreet's corps was at Chambersburg, just west of Fayetteville, that day, and Ewell's corps was advancing on Carlisle about thirty miles to the northeast. Hill's corps was ordered to move to Cashtown, about twelve miles southeast of Fayetteville, on June 29, and Longstreet was directed to follow on June 30. Ewell's corps was directed to rejoin the army at Cashtown or Gettysburg, as circumstances required.
During the evening of June 30 General Hill arrived at Cashtown with Pender's division and decided to advance on Gettysburg, about seven miles to the southeast, with Pender's and General Henry Heth's divisions the next morning. At daylight on July 1 the two divisions, with Heth's men in the lead, moved toward Gettysburg. Federal cavalry under the command of General John Buford delayed the Confederate advance, and when Federal infantry in strength were encountered near Gettysburg a general battle developed. After a hard fight the Confederates, reinforced by Ewell's timely arrival from Carlisle, drove the Federals through the streets of Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill south of the town. General Lane reported the activities of his brigade on July 1 as follows (Official Records, Series I, Vol. XXVII, pt. 2, pp. 664-665):
"I have the honor to report that, on the morning of July 1, we moved from South Mountain, Pa., through Cashtown, in the direction of Gettysburg, and formed line of battle in rear of the left of Heth's division, about 3 miles from the latter place, to the left of the turnpike, in the following order: Seventh, Thirty-seventh, Twenty-eighth, Eighteenth, and Thirty-third North Carolina Regiments, the right of the Seventh resting on the road. After marching nearly a mile in line of battle, we were ordered to the right of the road, and formed on the extreme right of the right division [Pender's].
"Here I ordered the Seventh Regiment to deploy as a strong line of skirmishers some distance to my right and at right angles to our line of battle to protect our flank, which was exposed to the enemy's cavalry. [James J.] Pettigrew's and [James J.] Archer's brigades were in the first line, immediately in our front. We were soon ordered forward again after taking this position, the Seventh Regiment being instructed to move as skirmishers by the left flank. In advancing, we gained ground to the fight, and, on merging from the woods in which Pettigrew's brigade had been formed, I found that my line had passed Archer's, and that my entire front was unmasked.
"We then moved forward about a mile, and as the Seventh Regiment had been detained a short time, Colonel Barbour threw out 40 men, under Captain [D. L.] Hudson, to keep hack some of the enemy's cavalry, which had disoriented and were annoying us with an enfilade fire. We moved across this open field at quick time until a body of the enemy's cavalry and a few infantry opened upon us from the woods subsequently occupied by [W.J.] Pegram's battalion of artillery, when the men gave a yell and rushed forward at a double-quick, the whole of the enemy's force beating a hasty retreat to Cemetery Hill.
"My right now extended into the woods above referred to, and my left was a short distance from the Fairfield road. On passing beyond the stone fence and into the peach orchard near McMillan's house, I was ordered by General Pender not to advance farther unless there was another general forward movement. As I could see nothing at that time to indicate such a movement, and as one of the enemy's batteries on Cemetery Hill was doing us some damage, I ordered the brigade back a few yards, that the left might take shelter behind the stone fence.
"We remained in this position that night. . . ."
As Longstreet came up with his corps, Lee ordered him into position on Hill's right. With Ewell's corps on his left, Hill thus held the center of the Confederate line. On July 2 Longstreet and Ewell assaulted, with inconclusive results, the left and right wings respectively of the Federal army, which was now under the command of General George G. Meade. Conditions were relatively quiet on General Lane's pan of the line, and he reported his brigade's activities for that day as follows (Official Records. Series I, Vol. XXVI, pl. 2, p. 665):
[The] next day, before the heavy artillery firing commenced, I ordered the Thirty-third and Eighteenth Regiments to the left of Lieutenant Colonel [John J.] Garnett's battalion of artillery, that they might be better sheltered and at the same time be out of the enemy's line of fire
In the afternoon, I was ordered by General Pender to take possession of the road in my front with my skirmishers, if possible. Fresh men were thrown forward and the whole, under Maj. O. N. Brown of the Thirty-seventh, executed the order very, handsomely, driving the enemy's skirmishers, and occupying the road along our entire front. With the exception of the gallantry displayed by our skirmishers, nothing of interest occurred in my command on the 2d.
General Pender was wounded during the action of July 2 and was succeeded as division commander by General Lane, who was in turn succeeded by General Isaac Trimble on July 3. [Lane then returned to the command of his brigade.] On that day Pender's [Trimble's] division was ordered to support Heth's division, commanded by General James J. Pettigrew after Heth was wounded on July 1 in an attack on the Federal center on Cemetery, Ridge. The assault force consisted of Heth's (Pettigrew's) division on the left supported by Pender's (Trimble's) division and George E. Pickett's division on the right supported by Cadmus M. Wilcox's brigade on his right rear. Lane's brigade was on the left of Trimble's line, which was shorter than Pettigrew's line. General Lane reported the assault as follows (Official Records, Series I, Vol XXVII. pt. 2. pp. 666-667):
Now in command of my own brigade, I moved forward to the support of Pettigrew's right, through the woods in which our batteries were planted, and through an open field about a mile in full view of the enemy's fortified position, and under a murderous artillery and infantry fire.
As soon as Pettigrew's command gave back, [W. L. J.] Lowrance's brigade and my own, without ever having halted, took position on the left of the troops, which were still contesting the ground with the enemy. My command never moved forward more handsomely. The men reserved their fire, in accordance with orders, until within good range of the enemy, and then opened with telling effect, repeatedly driving the cannoneers from their pieces, completely silencing the guns in our immediate front, and breaking the line of infantry which was formed on the crest of the hill. We advanced to within a few yards of the stone wall, exposed all the while to a heavy, raking artillery fire from the right. My left was here very much exposed and a column of the enemy's infantry was thrown forward in that direction, which enfiladed my whole line. This forced me to withdraw my brigade, the troops on my right having already done so. We fell back as well as could be expected, reformed immediately in rear of the artillery, as directed by General Trimble, and remained there until the following morning.
Following the failure of the Pickett-Pettigrew Charge on July 3, Lee held his army in position to receive an expected attack. On the night of July 4 the army began its retreat, and Pender's division, once more under the command of Lane after Trimble was wounded and captured on July 3, fell back toward Hagerstown by way of Fairfield.
COLES IN THE CIVIL WAR
