Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 30.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

Armed with boarding pikes.

After being at Norfolk a few weeks the men were armed with boarding pikes—that is, a wooden pole about eight feet long, with a spike in the end of it, and at the close of six months they received in addition old bore muskets, the locks of which had been changed from flint and steel to percussion.

It was with these poor weapons that the dauntless few faced the splendidly-equipped troops of the North in the seven-days' fight around Richmond. It was not until almost the end of the war that they received the Enfield rifles.

The company served with distinguished valor in nearly all of the engagements of Northern Virginia, and was one of the few companies that had representatives at the surrender at Appomattox. It was stationed on the right of Mahone's Brigade, forming a line of battle when the order to surrender was received.