t prison.

The Fifty-sixth Regiment N. C. Troops served under Generals Bob Ransom,
Martin Pryor, and then under Brig-Gen. Matt. W. Ransom, with
Twenty-fourth, Twenty-fifth, Thirty-fifth and Forty-ninth Regiments N. C.
Troops. For more than a year the Fifty-sixth operated on the line from
Petersburg, Va., to Wilmington, N. C., in protecting that railroad and
coast country. In the spring of 1863, the Fifty-sixth was deployed on
picket duty in Gum Swamp, below Kinston; the Federals cut it off and
attempted its capture. After some resistance by several companies, they
all took to the swamp and escaped, losing a few captured, and field
officers losing their horses. Company F was detached, and got away in good
order. This little escapade was the source of much merriment with the
other regiments, who "poked" much fun at the Fifty-sixth for running at
Gum Swamp.

The Fifty-sixth represented all sections of North Carolina, as follows:
Co. A, Captain Hughes, Pasquotank County; Co. B, Captain Roberts, Robeson
County; Co. C, Captain White, Currituck County; Co. D, Captain Graham,
Orange County; Co. E, Captain Lockhart, Northampton County; Co. F, Captain
Grigg, Cleveland County; Co. G, Captain Lanemills, Henderson County; Co.
H, Captain Graves, Alexander County; Co. I, Captain Harrell, Rutherford
County; Co. K, Captain Alexander, Mecklenburg County.

About the 1st of September, 1863, the Fifty-sixth Regiment, except
Companys B and E, were detained to assist the Home Guards to arrest
deserters and conscripts, and for five months operated in the counties of
Randolph, Davidson, Moore, Montgomery, Chatham, Wilkes, Watauga, Ashe and
Alleghany. During this time we arrested and sent two thousand men to the
front that the militia were unable to manage, killing and wounding
thirty-five in making these arrests. During the last two months of this
service Company F furnished a provost guard of eighteen men, commanded by
Sergeant F. M. Stockton, at regiment headquarters, Ashboro, N. C. About
the 20th of January, 1864, the regiment gathered in camp at High Point,
N. C., and drilled ten days, and then joined General Pickett's command of
six brigades--Hoke's, Ransom's and Clingman's N. C. Brigades, Barton's,
Kemper's and Corse's Virginia Brigades. All met at Kinston, N. C., on the
30th of January, 1864, and made an expedition against New Bern,
accompanied by a regiment of cavalry, First N. C., under Colonel Dearing,
and several batteries of artil