Thomas R..Roulac
Attorney-at-law

Sheffield, Alabama
March 17, 1902,

Dear Sir

At this late date, it is difficult for me to give very satisfactory information on the subject of which you inquire. Taking the points of the compass as you apply them, Ransoms Brigade, faced south at the beginning of the battle of five Forks, and was the left of the Confederate infantry. Of this much I can certainly and positively assure you; that when the angle his brigade occupied was carried, we had been attacked on our left, the east; in rear, the north; and in our front, the south; and that win the 49th North Carolina regiment, to which I belonged to, except its two right companies, which Chambers had ordered Captain Greer to remain in the line of work we had occupied, in order to oppose the force in our front, was moved with its other eight companies, by the left flank at right angles to this line of works, and became engaged with the line of federals coming down that line of works from the east, it was soon closed in upon, with a rush, by troops from the north, our former rear, as well as by those from the west which then formed our rear. This force from the west was, as I could see, a part of the force, which had been moving on us from the north, and which, by more than a half wheel, joined in the charge of the forces, which came down upon us directly from the north. There was no throwing down of guns at this point; Our men fought until the federals literally ran over them. The only time during this war that I tried guns clubbed and blow struck was at this time in place. (page one ends)
The officers and men, by whom we were that captured told me they belonged to Warren’s corps, as did a squad of 11 my skirmish line captured earlier in the day, and both who belonged to the infantry, I reported his moving around our left flank. If any orders had been given to retire from this angle, I never knew of them; and none ever reached the 49th regiment.

Ransom’s brigade was engaged for a short time in the Dinwiddie courthouse engagement of March 31, or at least my regiment was. I do not remember the whole brigade or Wallace’s was. Ransom’s brigade, then had from 1500 to 1600 effective men. You will find as full an account of this battle as my memory could supply in my sketch of the 49th North Carolina in volume three, North Carolina regiments, 1861 to 65 at page 145. It was a wretchedly mismanaged affair on our side. We were caught like rats in a trap.

most truly yours,
Thomas R. Roulac