Durham NC 1-11-1902

Mr. A.S. Parham
Washington DC

Yours 8th instant just received, and in reply to your inquiry as to the engagement at 5 Forks Va on April 1st, 1865, I will give you my recollection of it, though, without being able to give you the names of commanding officers on the federal side.

Ransoms brigade was not in the Dinwiddie CH engagement on March 31, but was with Bushrod Johnson’s div. and remnant of other division engaged on March 31st, checking in as far as possible. The federal advance on our right - your left - on the morning of April 1st we became early engaged and very hard pressed principally by cavalry until near 1:00 PM when we threw up high rifle pits and held our position for several hours with a heavy force in our front to the south, and continual charges on our flank to east by cavalry . This was our position when about 5:00 PM we were charged by heavy line of infantry from the North coming up in our rear, this line protected from the view by a branch and the hedge bar in our rear, got within 50 yards of our line (the 56 North Carolina ransoms brigade) before seen The fighting was kept up until the charging line of battle reached within 10 or 20 feet of our works – one colorbear of the federal line falling to my certain recollection, within 10 feet of where I stood.

About this time, as an officer, I received command down the line from my right to cease firing and surrender, which order was obeyed.
I anticipated the charge from or in our rear as some 30 minutes. (Page 1 ends) before it reached my part of the line (and I will state here that my regiment, the 56th and as I recollect it, was on the extreme east of or left of the line). I was notified by one of the General Ransoms staff officers that we were being surrounded . When this fact was ascertained General Ransom, being near the center of the brigade with his staff, mounted, and near him --about faced one of his regiments, I think the 25th NC and charged the federal line of battle coming up in our rear from the north and while general Ransom and staff cut through the charging line and was at the surrender at Appomattox CH, the regiment was beat back and was captured.
Any other information in my power to give I would take pleasure in doing so

Truly yours
signed Robert Foucette
First Lieutenant company, G 56 NC regiment