Diary of Private Louis Leon: March 17, 1864

An order was read out at dress parade that all troops in the army would be held until the end of the war. This was nothing of importance to us, as we enlisted for that time. It is raining and snowing very hard, and almost every day. Our regiment is not in winter quarters, for we expect to move when the bad weather stops. We had a snowball fight—our regiment with the 43d North Carolina. Then our brigade with Battle's Brigade. It was lots of fun. Nothing more until the 26th.

SOURCE: Louis Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 58

Diary of Private Louis Leon: April 4, 1863

Firing at intervals all day. The reserve was sent to the river to support our artillery. The colors went with them. It is raining hard. We laid in line two and a half hours in an old field. It is very cold. The Yankees are firing all the time. Then the 43d Regiment came and relieved us.

Katz came in to-day and reported Henry Wortheim dead-he died Monday, March 30.

SOURCE: Louis Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 21-2

Diary of Private Louis Leon: June 29, 1862

Arrived at Drewry's Bluff this morning. Here we met our brigade, commanded by General Daniels. The brigade has five regiments, all North Carolina troops, composed of the 43d, 53d, 32d, 45th and the 2d North Carolina battalions. When we got to our brigade we were left at Drewry's Bluff and the brigade marched on to Richmond, and we stayed here until the 30th.

SOURCE: Louis Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 8

New Regiments

Our Camps of instruction are alive with soldiers. The alacrity with which our people have rallied to the call of the Governor, is beyond all precedent almost. We should not be surprised if we have fifteen full regiments in camp in a month from this date. Several of these regiments have organized and elected their officers. An error having occurred in our notice of the No. of some of them, we give a correct list with the officers elected:

11th “Bethel Regiment re-organized.” – C. Leventhorpe, Colonel; W. A. Owens, Lt. Colonel, and Wm. A Eliason, Major.

43rd Regiment. – Junius Daniel, Colonel; Thomas S. Kenan, Lt. Colonel, and W. J. Boggan, Major.

44th Regiment. – G. B. Singletary, Colonel; R. C. Cotton, Lt. Colonel, and E. Cromwell, Major.

45th Regiment. – Junius Daniel, Colonel; J. H. Morehead, Lt. Colonel, and A. J. Boyd, Major.

46th Regiment. – E. D. Hall, Colonel; Wm. A. Jenkins, Lt. Colonel, and R. G. Mitchell, Major.

47th Regiment. – S. H. Rogers, Colonel; G. H. Faribault, Lt. Colonel, and Jno. A. Graves, Major.

48th Regiment. – R. C. Hill, Col.; S. H. Walkup, Lt. Col., and B. R. Huske, Major.

The above selections in the main are very good, and exhibit the capacity of the company officers to select good officers. To have succeeded in all respects is what could not have been expected. The responsibility of a commander is one of great importance and risk. No man who has a doubt of his capacity, ought to accept. Indeed, positions of such risk should never be sought. Nor is it enough to have a good Colonel to a regiment. Every officer should be the very best than can be obtained at the time, but we differ entirely with those who would place our volunteers in the war under the regime of the armies of Europe or the old United States army. This war, if we understand it, is a war of the people to be fought by them and for them. Hence the importance of having officers who possess both the confidence and the affection of their men. A very erroneous idea prevails, that officers who are elected cannot and will not enforce discipline. This is a contrary fact. No officers in the army are more strict disciplinarians than Gen. Hill, Col. Pettigrew and Col. Pender, and yet non are my beloved by their commands. Others are equally, so no doubt, but those names occurred to us, and we mentioned them. All that is requisite is for officers to know something of human nature – be strict and firm, but not austere and tyrannical. Let them be good soldiers and good commanders, but not forget that they are nothing but men themselves.

– Published in The North Carolina Weekly Standard, Raleigh, North Carolina, Wednesday, April 16, 1862, p. 1