Company A – “Jackson Rangers” – Captain S.S. Kirkland
Company B – “Flat River Guards” – Captain R.F. Webb
Company C – “Orange Greys” – Captain W.J. Freeland
Company D – Captain S. McD. Tate
Company E – Captain I.E. Avery
Company F – “Hawfield River Boys” – Captain J.W. Wilson
Company G – Captain J.A. Craigie
Company H – “Caswell Boys” – Captain A.A. Mitchell
Company I – “Cedar Fork Rifles” – Captain R.W. York
Company K – “Flat Bottom Boys/North Carolina Greys” – Captain J.W. Lea

The regiment moved on the Raleigh & Gaston Railroad and the Weldon Railroad to Petersburg, arriving around 10:30 that night.

Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)

Arrived at Manassas Junction in the early morning and ordered to march to Henry Hill. Seven companies reached the battlefield, while Companies D, H & K became separated and were not engaged. The regiment was engaged northwest of the Lewis farm. It lost 23 men killed and 50 men wounded. Colonel Fisher was killed and Lieutenant Colonel Lightfood was wounded. Captain Avery of Company E was wounded.

Siege of Yorktown

Assigned to Brigadier General W.H.C. Whiting’s Second Brigade, Whiting’s-G.W. Smith’s Division, Army of Northern Virginia. The regiment mustered 715 effectives.

Eltham’s Landing

Battle of Seven Pines

Colonel Pender was personally promoted to brigadier general on the battlefield by President Davis. Lieutenant Colonel Avery was wounded for a second time.

Seven Days Battles

The regiment lost 115 casualties.

Gaines’s Mill

Crossed a deep, wooded ravine to drive two lines of infantry from their hillside positions and captured the artillery at the top of the hill. Colonel Avery was wounded and would not return to the regiment until December. Lieutenant Colonel Webb took over command.

White Oak Swamp

Malvern Hill

The regiment was positioned on the left of the line and was not ordered to attack.

Freeman’s Ford

Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)

The regiment lost 147 casualties at Manassas and Ox Hill.

Battle of Chantilly (Ox Hill)

Battle of South Mountain

Hearing the artillery from South Mountain, the regiment returned to South Mountain at Fox’s Gap and took position along the Pike, but were not heavily engaged.

Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Robert F. Webb, who was wounded in the arm. It lost 125 casualties at Sharpsburg fighting east of the Dunker Church between the Smoketown Road and the Hagerstown Pike.  Captain N.W. Ray wrote, “For the first time in the war, I saw our men fix their bayonets in action.” After brutal fighting which saw the lines repeatedly advance and withdraw the Confederate position was reestablished and heavy fighting died out by mutual exhaustion.

Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment was commanded at Fredericksburg by Lieutenant Colonel Robert F. Webb. It was posted in line in front of the Barnard House but was nit heavily engaged.

Battle of Chancellorsville

The regiment lost 8 men killed and 21 wounded in fighting against Sedgwick’s men around Fredericksburg. Colonel Avery took temporary command of the brigade as senior colonel after Brigadier General Hoke was wounded.

2nd Battle of Winchester

Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded at Gettysburg by Lieutenant Colonel Samuel M. Tate while Colonel Avery temporarily commanded the brigade. The 6th North Carolina brought 509 men to the field.

They reached the town from the north in the afternoon and went into line of battle, falling on the flank of the Federal troops north of town and driving them back through Gettysburg. But they paused rather than continuing the attack on to Cemetery and Culp’s Hill beyond the town. It was a decision still hotly debated to this day.

By morning those hills were strongly held by Federal forces. The artillery duel between the Federal guns south of town and the Confederate guns on Powell Hill that went on much of the day passed directly overhead of the regiment’s position but caused few casualties to the 6th.

In the late afternoon the regiment prepared for an attack on the batteries on Cemetery Hill. It was on the right flank of the brigade, connecting with Hays’s Louisiana Brigade on their right. The regiment advanced across the open ground through murdurous fire, including a crossfire from Federal guns on Steven’s Knoll that raked the entire line. It was at this time that Colonel Avery fell mortally wounded, unseen in the smoke and confusion. Nevertheless the 6th was able to overrun the Federal troops behind the stone wall at the base of Culp’s Hill, make their way to the top, and in hand to hand fighting take the artillery positioned there, the center of the Union position at Gettysburg.

The darkness grew complete and the dense clouds of smoke hid much of the rising moon. The Confederates were able to hold the crest of the hill for a few minutes. But no reinforcements came to help while Federal reinforcements quickly gathered to counterattack, so the order came to fall back to the southern edge of the town.

On July 3rd the regiment was not heavily engaged, although there was active skirmishing all day. The 2nd Corps fell back to Seminary Ridge on July 4, but the heavy fighting was over, and at nightfall Lee’s army began the retreat back to Virginia.

From the monument to Hoke’s Brigade at Gettysburg on East Confederate Avenue:

July 1. Advanced at 3 P. M. with Hays’ Brigade flanked Eleventh Corps aided in taking two guns repulsed First Brigade Second Division and captured many prisoners. Late in evening took position here.

July 2. Skirmished all day at 8 P. M. with Hays’ Brigade charged East Cemetery Hill. Severely enfiladed on the left by artillery and musketry it pushed on over infantry line in front scaled the hill planted its colors on the lunettes and captured several guns. But assailed by fresh forces and having no supports it was soon compelled to relinquish what it had gained and withdraw. Its commander Col. Isaac E. Avery was mortally wounded leading the charge.

July 3. Ordered to railroad cut in rear and later to High Street in town.

July 4. At 2 A. M. moved to Seminary Ridge. After midnight began the march to Hagerstown.

The 6th North Carolina lost 183 casualties at Gettysburg.  Colonel Avery was shot in the neck during the attack on East Cemetery Hill on July 2. He died the next day.

Bristoe Campaign

Rappahannock Bridge

The regiment lost 5 men killed, 15 wounded, and 317 captured in the disastrous night battle.

Mine Run Campaign

Plymouth

The regiment took Fort Wessels and stormed the Federal outer works to captured the city. It lost 6 men killed and 29 wounded.

New Bern

Assigned to Ransom’s Division, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia

Battle of North Anna

Bethesda Church

Battle of Cold Harbor

Battle of Lynchburg

Battle of Monocacy

Battle of Fort Stevens

Second Battle of Kernstown

Third Battle of Winchester

Battle of Fisher’s Hill

Battle of Cedar Creek

Hatcher’s Run

Fort Stedman

Battle of Sayler’s Creek

Farmville

Appomattox Court House

The 6th North Carolina Infantry Regiment surrendered 6 officer and 175 enlisted men (of whom only 72 were armed) under the command of Captain J.H. Dickey.