The 26th North Carolina was commanded at Gettysburg by Colonel Henry K. Burgwyn, Jr. He was killed on July 1st and Captain H.C. Albright took command. The 26th brought 800 men to the field. Five hundred eighty-eight men became casualties during the fighting on July 1st in a brutal battle of mutual annihilation with the 24th Michigan Infantry. The colors were shot down fourteen times. Company E was left with twelve men, all but two lightly wounded, and Company F consisted of a single sergeant, Robert Hudspeth.
During the charge on July 3rd 99 more men were lost. Eight more color bearers were killed or wounded. Sergeant Hudspeth had managed to scrape together a handful of detached men from Company F. They all became casualties.
A dispute has raged ever since between partisans of North Carolina and Virginia over who went farthest on July 3rd. There will probably never be an answer, if one is really needed. But one fact is without question – no regiment on either side at Gettysburg suffered more casualties than the 26th North Carolina.
The information from the marker at the Angle may not be accurate. The 26th may not have been in front of Onley's gun, but rather some ways to the north, in front of the 12th New Jersey. The regiment's final color bearer of the day, accompanied by a sergeant, carried the 26th's colors up the slope to the stone wall defended by the New Jersey regiment. In respect for their courage the Jerseymen held their fire and helped them to safety over the wall.
The 26th North Carolina was commanded at Gettysburg by Colonel Henry K. Burgwyn, Jr. He was killed on July 1st and Captain H.C. Albright took command. The 26th brought 800 men to the field. Five hundred eighty-eight men became casualties during the fighting on July 1st in a brutal battle of mutual annihilation with the 24th Michigan Infantry. The colors were shot down fourteen times. Company E was left with twelve men, all but two lightly wounded, and Company F consisted of a single sergeant, Robert Hudspeth.
During the charge on July 3rd 99 more men were lost. Eight more color bearers were killed or wounded. Sergeant Hudspeth had managed to scrape together a handful of detached men from Company F. They all became casualties.
A dispute has raged ever since between partisans of North Carolina and Virginia over who went farthest on July 3rd. There will probably never be an answer, if one is really needed. But one fact is without question – no regiment on either side at Gettysburg suffered more casualties than the 26th North Carolina.
The information from the marker at the Angle may not be accurate. The 26th may not have been in front of Onley's gun, but rather some ways to the north, in front of the 12th New Jersey. The regiment's final color bearer of the day, accompanied by a sergeant, carried the 26th's colors up the slope to the stone wall defended by the New Jersey regiment. In respect for their courage the Jerseymen held their fire and helped them to safety over the wall.
Inscription
Twenty-Sixth
North Carolina Regiment
Pettigrew's Brigade Heth's Division Hill's Corps
Army of Northern Virginia
Although nearly destroyed during its successful attack against Meredith's Iron Brigade on July 1, the Twenty-Sixth North Carolina Regiment joined in the Petigrew-Pickett Charge on the afternoon of July 3. Advancing under solid shot, spherical case, canister, and musketry the Regiment charge to within ten paces of the stone wall to their front.
The scene was described by an artilleryman of a Rhode Island battery: ". . . As a regiment of Pettigrew's Brigade (the Twenty-Sixth North Carolina) was charging. . .and had almost reached the wall in front of us, Sergt. M.C.Onley cried out. . .'Fire that gun! Pull! Pull!' the No. 4 obeyed orders and the gap made in that North Carolina regiment was simply terrible." Under this galling fire, the Twenty-Sixth North Carolina was compelled to retire with the Brigade from this point to Seminary Ridge."
"The men of the Twenty-Sixth Regiment would
dress their colors in spite of the world. "
Erected by the State of North Carolina 1986
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