Faircloth, Thelbert A.

“[A]s the Thirty-seventh emerged from the oak woods through which we had advanced, a battery planted in an open field not more than one hundred yards off, opened upon us with grape and canister . . . . Lieutenant Charles T. Haigh, of Company B, rushed twenty odd yards in front, with hat in one hand and sword in the other, shouting to his men to come on. Other officers, inspired by his noble example, rushed forward with him and led the regiment to the battery, not a gun [of ours] being fired until we reached it, when halting, it poured in one volley, killing every man at the battery . . . . Wheeling to the left from the battery and fighting with desperation, poor Charley Haigh fell dead . . . . Wheeling still farther to our left we strike [Gen. Ambrose E.] Burnside’s troops, who had charged our works and been defeated. Then and there in those oak woods a scene with clubbed musket and bayonet took place which was too horrible to describe. Every one was trying to fight his way back to our works. Our brigade captured three stands of colors, two of them by the Thirty-seventh.”

— Lt. Octavius A. Wiggins, Company E, 37th North Carolina Regiment, Lane’s Brigade, Wilcox’s Division, Hill’s Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, describing the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia, Overland Campaign, May 8-21, 1864. (Battle Result: Inconclusive — Estimated Casualties: 30,000 total).