After all the discussion earlier about Drewry's Bluff, I thought I'd post a portion of my Great-Great Grandfather's memoirs about his time there in 1864. He was Sergeant Major William H. von Eberstein with the Field & Staff of the NC 61st Infantry Regiment. It gives a pretty good idea as to how things were, plus, the ending is pretty funny to me. I transcribed exactly as it was written and considering he was 1/2 German and 1/2 English, he did a pretty good job of writing. Thought this might be of interest to some of you. Edward "May 7” 1864 our Division was ordered to meet <illegible> near Petersburg There we had a fight with the Yankees and proceeded to Drewys Bluff to occupy the same before the Yankees under Genl Butler. we marched parallel with the Yankee Troops. we arrived at the outer works of Drewys Bluff when we were informed that the Yankees were advancing in Force. We were formed at once in an old field in the lines of Battle waiting for an attack. we occupied the center with our Brigade. The Yankees not advancing upon us when they saw we were prepared. Orders we given for us to fall back to the Intrenchments which we did. as soon as we arrived in the trenches our Skirmishers were thrown out and in less than half an hour our skirmishers were engaged with the Yankee Skirmishers. it was hot and hard fiting the next day. The Yankees made an attack on our right which they carried by assault we not having men enough to man the works. They had flanked us on the right. the skirmishing continued in our Front where we were parted and upon our left. That night about one oclock in the morning orders were given to freshen up our fires, to call in our Pickets & Skirmishers and to retire with haste and quietly to the inner works around Drewys Bluff. The works did not embrace so much ground and we could better defend there. We retired in order and reach the inner works by a circutous route. we got there by day break and before we had got in good position the Yankee skirmishers were upon us. We throwed out our skirmishers as far as we could and they kept the Yankees at bay. we continued skirmishing for two days and nights. the skirmishes were equal to some Battles some time the whole of our troops were engage in front of the works and was a continual crack of the rifle. The Yankee Sharp Shooters at goten up in trees and with those long ranged telescoped rifles infilade our work and were wounding our men severely. I then proposed to Coln Radcliff to let me throw up a curtain with earth to protect our men which he consented to. I commenced to throw one up on our right. in doing so a man belonging to Co B of our Regt by the name of John Cherry got struck in the side of the head by a great shot but did not kill him. I received several holes through my blanket which I had swung over my shoulder. that curtain protected us so efectually that Genl Clingman gave orders during the night to throw them up every twenty yards or so which was done. they protected our men effectually. The skirmishing kept up as heavy as ever no slack in it at all. It took a regt at the time from each Brigade for the Skirmish line and it has to be commanded by a field officer. After Skirmishing there for several days and we expecting an attack from Butlers troops every day and night. On the 15” of May 1864 as well as I remember General Beauregard with a company of Cavalry commanded by Capt Fred Harding cut their way through to our entrenchment near Drurys bluff. Genl Beauregard then planned an attack and in the morning of the 16” just as the day was breaking our forces attacked Butlers Army General Beau Forestalling Butler. The attack commanded by Genl Bushrod Johnston leading in the van we attacked in General Beauregards favorit plan that was in the shape of a V. as the attack commenced Coln Devane came to me and asked me to go and assist him with his line of skirmishers. he said the line was so long he could not attend to it. I had been ordered to remain as long as our Regt did not move to remain near a Battery which we were protecting and <illegible> to assist them. Every Horse of the battery had been shot down. An order came from Genl Beauregard for our Regt to move at a double quick to the right to the assistance of a Georgia Brigade that was getting sorely pressed by the Yankees and were giving way. as we passed Genl Beauregard, President Jefferson Davis was at his side talking with him. Our regt gave him three hearty cheers as we passed. we got to the place where the Georgians were. they were totally demorallized. as we came up they called out good old North Carolina do not leave us. The shot, and the Balls, and the Shell were flying like hail all around us. I saw poor Lieut Sachelford from our Regt fall along side of me. he was shot through the Head. We having lost Coln Radcliff in the Malee I went up to Captain Shoat of our regiment and told him Capt give the command forward. He did. He gave the command Forward North Carolina 61st & he marched off with the Regt charging the Yankees. Capt Shoat and I fell at the same time he being shot through the Head and I through the thigh. The Regt marched right over us and with the other Troops they shove the Yankees before them. Emanual Edwards poor fellow was shot and killed in that charge. Capt Shoat was as brave a man as ever was on a Battle field. He came from the Western part of the State. Two of the Ambulance Corps took me and carried me to the rear. the shot and shell were falling all around us and I thought we should be killed any how. about one mile in the rear from where I was wounded we found behind a Hill the Dr. of a Georgia Brigade taking care of his wounded men. I remarked to him and asked him if he could not do something for me for I was getting very week from loss of blood. He replied that he could not do much for me as his wounded were coming in so fast and that the North Carolina Dr’s were only half a mile down. He looked at my wound put a bandage round it, and gave me a tin full of corn whisky to drink. The liquor revived me at once, and the bandage stoped the efusion of blood to a great extent, so we proceeded to our Dr’s Quarters. they were near the Bluff. The Ambulance men placed me down on the ground in a tent and the Dr which was Dr O’Haggen gave me another tin cup of corn Whiskey to drug me up as he was cuting of a leg at the time and could not attend to me just then. I had not been lying there long before a Yankee Prisoner was brought in wounded through the big toe. he was crying and making a doleful noise. I was a cursing him for being so white livered and for crying like a baby and telling him that if he had remained home and not come there with the balance to fight us he would not now be wounded no more would I. Just at that time Capt Frederic Harding Capt of Genl Beauregard’s Escort from Petersburg had heard that I was wounded so he and Henry Patrick came in serch of me and found me lying down in the tent cursing that Yankee. they could not help laughing. Capt Harding remarked laughingly I should not think you would curse that way being wounded so bad as you are."