How does Alabama action those 3 bloody days compare with those of North Carolina? I couldn't recall exactly the wording on the North Carolina monument at Gettysburg from my in the distant past visits, and being unable to locate my monument references, posted to the North Carolina Message Board. In short order I had the inscription. Paraphrased and partial it states "32 North Carolina Regiments were at Gettysburt July 1, 2, 3,. One Confederate Soldier in EVERY FOUR who fell here was a North Carolinian".

For much information on the North Carolina Monument (by Gutzon Borguum-Stone Mountain & Mt. Rushmore) and the dedication in 1926 visit this website http://www.gdg.org/ncmon.html. It isn't a small amount of information, but, rather, quite a lot of information here on the Battle of Gettysburg, good reading for all. Among the information-it states that North Carolina had 7 Brigades in action the first day. Also that during Picketts Charge-in the first line was 5 North Carolina Regiments and 10 in the second line.

Among and about middle of the web site is this bit of information concerning ALABAMA. This is a graphic account of what appears to one mans experiences in the maelstrom of the Wheat Field. "This, the story from my father's lips and pen of his {??} .. capture at Gettysburg. (Memoirs of Captain Lewis T. Hicks, Company E, 20th regiment, North Carolina Troops)"

"The battle of Gettysburg lasted three days, July 1, 2, and 3, 1863. That portion of the field I was in was a hilly section covered with growing wheat. The union Army was on a high hill {??} .. a rock fence between us, but owing to the wheat we could not {??} ..the rock. The infantry of the enemy was screened by the rock fence - also the artillery, and in our charge down the hill we came{??} so close to the flames from the artillery I had half of my {??} .. whiskers burned off. The carnage to my company was great, {??} carried in three hundred in action, result of two and one-half {??} battle forced us to surrender, and only 62 men out of the 300 {??} .. While the very tongues of death flashed around I jumped up and found myself confronted with a bayonet of a Union soldier pointed at my breast. I grasped the blade and reversed the handle of my sword in a twinkle and offered to surrender. The soldier said in {??} excitement: "he thought I had run him through and he dropped his gun." By that time I was almost overpowered with other Federals rushing at me, so to protect myself I grabbed up the half {??} Yankee and used him as a breast work. In a few more seconds {??} passions cooled and they gave me my life. While mingled foe with friend the Federals taunted us with whipping us and called us "Johnny Rebs." We replied: "You overpower us with numbers but make a ring and we challenge you now to a combat man to man and we will show you who can whip." To their credit they did {??} fair play, and while we were in this frolic the 12th Alabama came up behind us within fifty yards unseen and unheard, as they rose from their knees the Federals exclaimed: "Look!" The Alabamans fired on friend and foe. I was fronting them, and knowing the fire was coming, I turned sideways; my lieutenant, standing beside me had his head split open, and his brains flew on me. The Federals returned the fire and the man I had used as a breastwork too me captive. While marching along he saw my bare feet bleeding, and my great weariness; he loaned me his horse and gave me a good sized plug of tobacco."

Has anyone every came across this occurence anyplace else-involving the 12th Alabama?

Lots of irony found in the information on this website-for one, how about a fist fights in the midst of a great battle.