An Historic Sketch of the Sixth North Carolina Regiment.

From the Durham, N. C. “Tobacco Plant” newspaper, Oct 12, 1888, Page 2

Transcribed by Historian Frederick E. Walton 7/11/2016

The Sixth North Carolina Regiment was organized at Burlington, (Company Shops) in June, 1861, as the Sixth Regiment of State Troops, under the ten Regiment Act, with the following field and staff officers:

Colonel Charles F. Fisher, killed at Manassas, July 21. 1861

Colonel, Charles F. Fisher;

Lieutenant-Colonel, W. T. Dortch ;

Major, Charles E. Lightfoot;

Captain N. E. Scales, A. Q. M. ;

Captain W. H. Alexander, A. C. S. ;

Lieutenant H. B. Lowrie, Adjutant ;

Surgeon, A. M. Nesbitt ;

Assistant Surgeons, J., A. Caldwell, C. A. Henderson;

Chaplain, Rev. P. H. Dalton, D. D.

The ten companies and original Captains:

A, from Western North Carolina Railroad,Captain, R. M. McKinney;

B, from Durham county, Captain, R. F. Webb;

Major Robert F. Webb

C, from Durham, Captain, W. J. Freeland ;

D, from Burke, Captain, I. E. Avery;

Colonel Isaac Erwin Avery

F, from Alamance, Captain, J. W. Wilson;

G, from Rowan, Captain, James A. Craige;

Captain, James A. Craige

H, from Caswell, Captain, A. A. Mitchell;

I, from Durham county, Captain, R. W. York;

K, from Alamance, Captain, J. A. Lea.

Captain, Jeremiah A. Lea

The Regiment had four Colonels:

Charles F. Fisher, killed at Manassas, July 21. 1861;

W. D. Pender, killed (Major General)- at Gettysburg;

I. E.Avery, killed July 2, at Gettysburg, commanding Brigade;

Robert F. Webb, wounded at Sharpsburg, September 17, 1862.

Five Lieutenant Colonels :

W. T. Dortch, resigned on account of Governor Ellis' death ;

Charles E. Light-foot, wounded at Seven Pines, Mav 31, 1862;

I. E. Avery,

R. F. Webb,

S. McD. Tate, wounded at Sharpsburg, September 17, 1862.

Major Samuel McDowell Tate

Four Majors:

Charles E. Lightfoot,

Robert F. Webb,

S. McD. Tate,

R. W. York, wounded at Mt. Jackson, September 21, 1864.

Four Surgeons :

A.M. Nesbitt,

J. A. Caldwell,

Pleasant A. Holt,

J. G. Hardy.

Four Assistant Surgeons :

J. A. Caldwell,

C. A. Henderson,

W. A. Collett,

W. A. Bickers;

Two Chaplains :

Rev, A. AY. Mangum, D. D.; Episcopal Methodist;

Rev. .K. J. Stewart, D. D., Episcopal.

A. Q. M.: Captains N. E. Scales, M. W. Page, T. HI. Biame.

A. C. S.: Captain W. H. Alexander.

Adjutants: Lieutenants H. B. Lowrie, B. R. Smith, C. Mebane.

The Regiment was in all the great battles of the army of Northern Virginia, under Generals Johnston and R. E. Lee, with two exceptions: The Regiment was under Picket in his fiasco against New Berne, being engaged at Bachelors Creek; and under Hoke at Plymouth ; and was in the storming Column that took Fort Wessels at Plymouth, and was a part of the army of the Valley under Early that went to Washington, and participated in all the engagements of that army, till the fall of 1864, when it rejoined Lee at Petersburg, and stacked its muskets at Appomattox Court House.

The Regiment, in the Army of the Shenandoah, brigaded in the '"Old Third'' with 4th Alabama, 2d and 11th Mississippi. In 1863, in Hoke's North Carolina brigade, 6th, 21st, 54th, 57th regiments and 1st battalion from Salem.

Army commanders: J. E. Johnston, R. E. Lee.

Corps commanders: Stonewall Jackson, James Longstreet, R. S. Ewell, J. B. Gordon, J. A. Early.

Division commanders: AV. It. C. Whiting, J. B. Hood, J. A. Earlv, S. D. Ramseur, J. G. Walker.

Brigade commanders: Barnard E. Bee, W. H. C. Whiting, E. M. Law, R. F. Hoke, A. C. Goodwin, W. G. Lewis.

Masonic Lodges:

Bee Military Lodge No. 200, under Grand Lodge of Virginia, while in the "Old Third” Brigade. Officers: 

R. W. York, W. M.;

S. McD. Tate, S. W.;

Charles E. Lightfoot, J. W.;

W. J. Freeland, S. D.;

Robt. F. Webb, J. P.;

W. B. Allen, Sec;

W. A. Jenkins, Treas.;

J. F. Williams, Tyler. ;

I. E. Avery Military Lodge No. .1, G. L. of N. C:

R. W. York, W. M.;

S. McD. Tate, S. W.;

A. A. Thompson, J W.;

Rev. K. J. Stewart, D. D., chaplain to both lodges.

Went from the regiment :

Captain Robert Martin McKinney, to be Colonel 15th Regiment;

Lieutenant-Colonel Charles E. Lightfoot, to be Colonel of Artillery commanding defenses of Richmond;

Captain James A. Craig, to be Lieutenant-Colonel 57th Regiment;

Colonel W. D. Pender, to be Brigadier and Major General;

Captain A. G. Avery, to be Major Inspector General of D. H. Hill's staff;

Lieutenant J. A. Rose,to be Aid-de-Camp General Pender's staff;

Private Jacob Shepard, to be Aid-de-Camp General Pender's staff;

Surgeon P. A. Holt to be Chief Surgeon Pender's Division;

Sergeant George F. Bason, to be Lieutenant of Ordinance Scales' Brigade;

Private Banks Holt, to be Lieutenant in 7th N. C.;

Private David Silver, to be Lieutenant 58th Regiment;

Lieutenant John Carson and Private Charles Stewart, to be Commissioned Officers of Avery's Battalion.

Note: no author is credited, but Major R. W. York is credited with similar articles, although they are more specific to his company, The North Carolina Grays.