Moses Pipkin enlisted in the Confederate Army in April, 1864, age 
19, from Wayne County, NC and he is listed in Moore’s Roster as 
being in Company A, 71st Regiment, a Private. 

According to an account of David E McKinne, Captain Company A, 
there were many mergers throughout the year of 1864 and early 
1865 of battalions, companies and regiments in eastern North 
Carolina. They went in all directions, this company here, another 
there but they all stayed in eastern NC for the most part. 

By early December, 1864 the companies as finally reorganized and 
relettered, were as follows:

Company A – Wayne and Duplin
Company B – Rowan
Company C – Lincoln and Gaston
Company D – Cleveland and Rutherford
Company E – Cabarrus
Company F – Union
Company G – Greene and Lenoir
Company H – Pitt, Johnston and Wilson
Company I – Beaufort, Hyde and Tyrrell
Company K – Halifax

When news of Sherman coming from Fayetteville arrived by March 
11, they left Kinston and marched through Goldsboro and on to 
Smithfield where they were united with the Western army and saw 
General Joseph E Johnston. 

On March 17, they took up movement to meet Sherman. On the night 
of the 18th they camped near Bentonville. On the 19th the Western 
army charged and took two lines from the enemy. Sherman moved his 
many men around and for the next two days was in control. The 
Confederates quietly withdrew and fell back to Mitchener’s depot 
with only 41 casualties. Sherman did not pursue and moved on to 
Goldsboro. 

On April 9, General Lee surrendered at Appomattox. The official 
surrender was not recognized until April 26. By this time, this 
regiment of men had left Raleigh, some sent to Greensboro by way 
of Hillsboro, others through Chapel Hill and on to Allamance 
Battleground. For some it was on to the Randolph and Trinity 
College areas, near High Point. According to David E McKinne, 
this was their last halting place as Confederate soldiers. “At 
our last halt $1.25 in silver was paid to each man in the army 
without respect to rank.” On May 1, a farewell address was given 
by Major-General Robert F Hoke.  

It is my understanding that our government paid pensions to those 
who were disabled, the checks being issued twice a year. Those 
who had to purchase prosthesis items such as arms and legs were 
re-imbursed by the government. When these soldiers reached old 
age and became needy, they and their widows were granted 
pensions.

Moses Pipkin filed for a pension in 1930 at the age of 85. After 
his death in 1932, his wife, Cynthia filed as a widow as shown in 
the Pension documents that follow.