The 2nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment was organized at Garysburg, Northampton County, at Camp Advance. The regiment was under the command of Colonel Charles Courtenay Tew, a graduate and professor at The Citadel who founded his own military academy just before the war. William Preston Bynum was the lieutenant colonel and William R. Cox was major.

Company A – “Rifle Rengers” – Captain Edward D. Hall
Company B – Captain John Howard
Company C – “Topsail Rifles” – Captain S.D. Pool
Company D – Captain Walter S. Stallings
Company E – Captain J. M. Morehead
Company F – Captain Hugh L. Cole
Company G – “Jones Rifle Guards” – Captain Harvey A. Sawyer
Company H – Captain James A. Washington
Company I – “Beaufort Rifles”  —Captain, D. W. Hurtt
Company K – “Elm City Rifles” – Captain George C. Lewis

Seven Days Battles

The regiment lost 116 casualties. Captain Lewis of Company K was wounded, and resigned due to his wound. Lieutenant Alexander Miller was promoted to captain and took over the company.

Gaines’s Mill

Battle of Malvern Hill

Captain Sawyer of Company G was mortally wounded and Captain Cobb of Company H was wounded. Lieutenants Barnes, Bemzan, Carter and Ferrell were wounded. Lieutenant Orin Williams was promoted to captain and took over Company G.

Boonsboro

Battle of South Mountain

Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

The regiment lost 50 casualties. Positioned in the Bloody Lane, their brigade turned back the Federal  Irish Brigade after an exchange of volleys at 30 paces.

Colonel Tew briefly took command of the brigade when Anderson was wounded, but was almost immediately killed by a shot to the head while he was talking with Colonel John Gordon in the Sunken Road. His body was never identified or recovered.

Captain John Howard of Company B then took command of the regiment. He was mortally wounded, and captured when Lee’s army retreated. Howard was promoted to major to date from the battle, but died of his wounds as a Federal prisoner on October 4. Captain Gideon M. Roberts of Company C then took command of the regiment as senior surviving officer. 

Captain Hurt of Company I was wounded commanding the skirmishers of the regiment. Lieutenant Isaac C. Applewhite of Company D was wounded, shot through the lungs, and resigned due to his injury.

Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel William P. Bynum. It was not engaged but lost 21 casualties to artillery fire.

Battle of Chancellorsville

The regiment was commanded by Colonel William Ruffin Cox. It lost 214 casualties, including Colonel Cox, who was wounded three times. Although painfully wounded, Cox stayed with the regiment almost until the end of the fighting. Captain James B. Waugh of Company A was mortally wounded and Lieutenant John Hobson of Company E was killed. Captain Cobb of Company H was wounded.

The heavy casualties came at the end of Jackson’s famous flank attack as it stalled out in the growing dusk, and were lost in fifteen minutes. The 2nd North Carolina was the last regiment sent in to the attack, and found itself charging Federal intrenchments held by unbroken troops.

Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded at Gettysburg by Major Daniel W. Hurtt until he was badly wounded in the head. Captain James T. Scales then took over command. The regiment brought 243 men to field, losing 61 casualties. 

From the War Department marker for Ramseur’s Brigade at Gettysburg:

July 1. Soon after Iverson’s and O’Neal’s Brigades had each suffered the repulse of three regiments with heavy losses Ramseur’s Brigade moved from its position here and vigorously assailed the right wing of the Union forces. The 14th and 30th Regiments with O’Neal’s 3rd Alabama turned the flank of the Union troops while the 2nd and 4th Regiments together with Doles’ Brigade and part of O’Neal’s struck them in the rear. A struggle ensued in which both sides suffered severely and the conflict here only ended with the retreat of the Union Corps from Seminary Ridge. In that retreat the Brigade made active pursuit and captured many prisoners.

July 2. Skirmishing on the southern borders of the town.

July 3. In sunken lane southwest of town.

July 4. In line on Seminary Ridge. At night began the march to Hagerstown.

Falling Waters and Williamsport

Near Manassas Gap

Warrenton

The regiment lost two men killed and two wounded.

Kelly’s Ford & Rappahannock Bridge

Many men were captured in the surprise night attack, particularly from Companies B, F, and K, who were on picket duty. Colonel Cox was wounded in the face while temporarily commanding the brigade. He would leave the regiment for 40 days furlough to recuperate. Cox would eventually suffer eleven wounds during the war. Captain Alexander Miller of Company K was captured.

Mine Run Campaign

Battle of the Wilderness

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Cox.

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

In the first day of the battle as the forces met Lieutenant James Hobson was captured trying to capture a stand of Federal colors, chasing the color bearer back to northern lines and being taken there himself.

Colonel Cox was personally commended By General Lee for his actions on May 12, when the regiment was battered by the Federal assault. Three color bearers were lost. Captain N.B. Whitfield of Company C was killed, and Captain J. Turner Scales of Company E was wounded. 

After the battle Cox was given command of the brigade, which he led to the end of the war. Major Walter Stallings was promoted to lieutenant colonel and took over the regiment.

Cold Harbor

Captain Cobb was wounded.

Battle of Monocacy

Near Washington DC

Snickers Ferry

Lieutenant Colonel Stallings was mortally wounded when artillery shrapnel cut an artery.

Third Battle of Winchester

Captain Cobb was wounded again, losing his leg.

Battle of Fisher’s Hill

The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Richard D. Hancock.

Battle of Cedar Creek

Siege of Petersburg

Returned to Lee’s army around Petersbur, attached to Cox’s Brigade, Grimes’s Division, 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

Fort Stedman

Sayler’s Creek & High Bridge

Farmville

Appomattox Court House

The 2nd Noth Carolina surrendered 6 officers and 48 enlisted men under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Turner Scales.

The men who were paroled were:

Officers—William. R. Cox, James Turner Scales, Robert H. Jones, Richard D. Hancock, Garry Fulghum, Larry B.Boyette, William J. Street, William T. Faircloth, William B. Bell, Samuel P. Collier.
Company A—John E. Banner, James G. Burt.
Company B—Elliot Todd, W. C. Batts, Thomas Flowers, Hodge Bass, Raiford Fulghum, Charles Maddry, Irvin Boykin, Bunyon Stett, John C. Wells, Wiley Statt, John Renike, Simeon Moore.
Company C—Furney Herald.
Company D—Benjamin A. Howard, J. T. Edmundson, John W. Fort, Franklin Webb, Harris Lamb, Leary B. Lamb, William Mumford, James T. Mitchell, William J. L. Mears.
Company E—L. R. Colley, L. W. Hackett, John Sills, John T. Warren.
Company F— Daniel Lane, David Johnson, James Brinkley, Lewis C. Taylor, John A. Poteat, Erasmus F. Page, Robert J. Flake.
Company G—John Saunders, H. H. Young, Stephen Alligood.
Company I—George W. Fulghum, John Austin, David Powers, A. C. Powell.
Company H—Jacob Williams, Robert Williams, Warren Corbett, William B. Pike.