Assistant Adjutants — General.
The first
Assistant Adjutant-General of this brigade was
Captain W. E. Cannady, of whom
General Branch, in his report of the battles around
Richmond, says: “He had been with me since my appointment to the command of a regiment, and in all situations had shown himself true and faithful.
After leaving
Mechanicsville he was obliged to return to the hospital, and before the close of the expedition died of typhoid fever.”
Captain Francis T. Hawks succeeded
Captain Cannady, and continued with the brigade until after the
battle of Fredericksburg.
In his report of the
battle of Newberne,
General Branch says: “To
Mr. Francis T. Hawks, who tendered his services for the occasion and was placed on my staff, I was greatly indebted for services in bearing orders and rallying troops.
He remained with me throughout the battle and subsequent retreat.”
General Branch also reports that at
Cedar Run “he conducted himself gallantly.”
After we went into winter-quarters at
Moss Neck,
Captain George B. Johnston, on my recommendation, was appointed
Assistant Adjutant-General of our brigade, but remained with us only a short time on account of ill health.
He tendered his resignation July 6th, 1863, and died soon after of consumption.
Captain Johnston was a highly cultivated, intelligent, kind-hearted, Christian gentleman, a thorough rebel, and a bold and most efficient officer.
He entered the
Confederate service as a private in Company D, First North Carolina Volunteers (
Bethel regiment), was afterwards elected
First Lieutenant of Company G, Twenty-eighth North Carolina Regiment, and was
Captain of that company when I persuaded him to accept a position on my staff.
No one can read the following letter and not admire the noble character of its author:
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My Dear General,--With this I send you a formal resignation of my position on your staff.
Although it may seem uncalled for, I cannot resist the temptation to write you more fully on the subject.
After three months struggle with disease, in the vain hope of rejoining you and sharing with you the toils and dangers of this campaign, I am told by my physicians that I am utterly unfit for duty
now, and that I cannot hope to return to my post while warm weather lasts.
In accordance with the views expressed to you in a former letter, nothing is left me but to resign.
The principle of
duty is the only one which has guided my action in this matter.
Duty
to the service demands my resignation; for in this her life and death struggle, our country
needs that every one of her offices should be efficiently filled — that every officer should at least be at his post, ready to do his best; he then who holds one of these offices, and from sickness or any other cause is unable to discharge its duties, must give way to a better man. Such is
my situation.
My duty to you, as my commanding officer and my personal friend requires it; for the last four months you have been without the services of an
Adjutant-General and doubtless have been compelled to perform my duties for me; besides your enemies in the brigade will make my continued absence a handle against you, speaking
of me with slanderous tongues and lying hearts that they may wound
your feelings and lessen your influence.
Finally, my duty to my family and myself requires my resignation; if I should retain my position, and, after spending the
whole active campaign in
my sick room, should be able to resume my duties at
its close--when the army had quit the field for the camp — this would afford a coincidence too unfortunate not to be immediately seized upon by the tooth of calumny; indeed, few men's reputations could stand such a test.
Rather than do so, I would
then resign and go again into the ranks.
I need not tell
you, my dear General, with what reluctance I take this step — how, hoping against hope, I have put off the evil day, until (I fear) I have taxed too sorely even your friendly patience.
Your military family was a happy one; such kindliness and genial courtesy and mutual confidence dwelt among us; and the ties of personal friendship,
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binding me so strongly to yourself, were beginning to take in also and to draw very close to me all of my brother officers of your staff.
It causes me no slight pain to sever those ties — to take to my heart the thought that I am no longer
of you. My constant prayer will be may God protect and bless you all; and my heart will be with you in the future, rejoicing at every brave deed done and at every new laurel won, full of earnest sympathy with all your fortunes whether good or ill.
Please remember me most particularly to my brother officers of the staff, the officers of Company G,
Colonels Lowe,
Speer, and
Major Stowe;
Colonels Avery,
Barbour, and
Barry--in a word
all of my personal friends.
If God should ever give me strength to take the field again, you may expect to see me
somewhere in the old 4th, if it be in the ranks with a musket on my shoulder.
Yours most truly,
The next and last assistant Adjutant-General was
Captain E. J. Hale, Jr., of
Fayettville, N. C. He entered the service as a private in Company F, First North Carolina Volunteers ( “
Bethel regiment” ), and was adjutant of the Fifty-Sixth North Carolina Troops when I secured his promotion.
He, too, was a very intelligent, highly educated, noble-hearted, Christian gentleman.
In the discharge of all office work, he was remarkably accurate, prompt and efficient; and on the field, quick, cool, bold and dashing — just the officer to inspire troops with confidence.
In the
Wilderness and at Spotsylvania Courthouse, he was conspicuously gallant; and at
Petersburg, when our lines were broken, he mounted the works, and by his great bravery, won the outspoken admiration of all who saw him.
