The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1864-06-28
[rOR THE LANCASTER LEpcrK1

At the request Of our fellow. ,ownsm an !,
DIR. r. +. Wylie. we publish the following
extract Of a letter received by him from his
son, Lieut.. 7. NJ. Wylie. The letter was
written in camp, nenr Gains Mill, Vn., June
llth, and the extract referred 10 Is in cor.
rectisn Of certain ugly rumors which have
been circulated in deroga,ion Of the charae.
Ter Of one of our best soldier citizens whs
has been serving his country in the army
for nearly three years. We are glad of the
opportunity Of publishing this statement.
" Is made by one ~ho has no personal con.
Germ in the matter, except the interest
which every high minded soldier naturally
feels in the reputation Of abrother soldier.
1t shows the unreasonable bleness Of the ru-
NOR, and may be regarded as mild rebuke
to persons at home who are prone to enter.
tain, without adequate cause, evil reports of
those who are doing their duty in front i
"The rumor with regard to Sery't. Twitty's
dssertion has not the least shadow of foun
dation. jeff. Mathis, who is u member of
his company, says that he was taken pris.
oner at Spottsylvanis. A white flag was
raised by the Missssipplans on the right Of
his Regiment, and he and several Of the
Mississippians surrendered themselves pri..
oners. Whether the situation justified his
surrender or not cannot say. If any orror
has been committed, | am inclined to think
it an error Of judgment As this runor
is one OF. character to iDjuro the reputa.
ton of one Of our best citizens, ] will enter
into some Of the details Of the battle In
which Mr.. Tw..ty was captured. On n very
foggy morning the enemy concentrated
very heavily in front of Johnsion's Division.
and made most desperate assault ngains,
Gen1. is. position, coming up in ten or
tm elve columns deep. Johnston was sur.
prised and overpowered. The enemy took
his capturing abou, 1000
prisoners, killing and wouniing a great
many and completely putting to rout the
rest of his Division. Rhodes Di vision and
McGowsn's Brigade were sent forward to
reclaim the breastworks and after n desper.
ate and gallant assault succeeded in regain.
ing the works. Thv 18th =. G. Regimsnt
being in McGowan's Brigade participated
n the charge, and suffered severely a. their
casualties will show. There is always
much confusion in acharge. BIen often
get separated from their Regiments and
hight in other regiments. Dir. Twitty may
have been lighting in some Regiment in
which great many prisoners were cap.
tnred, he being among the number.
-
The public should reserve their judg.
nens until Mr. Twitty returns home. lie
can "nd will probably give good accoun,
OF himself But have said enough on ,hi.
subject; the rumoi 10 too absurd aud .idicu
i'us to occupy the lnnd of sensible man
for one moneu,! 1t an cunts to this he
does not desert before the tight, but passes
through the very jaws Of death, reaches our
breastworks and then de.ert, to the enemy !
Deserters do not generally 60 over to the
enemy immediately after a gallant and des.
Perato charge"
tSlnee TIE foregoing WAS put in type We
have received the following note hom h
source entitled To full credit h il from
member oi S.rg't. T's compai,y, and i.
Po''t've and conclusive upon the suhj-c,
matter in question
MAR RIcHNoSD, Va,
June IS, 1864
w. II. CoSNsKs. ESQ DEAR SIR IL un.
ders;and that n report !. prevalent in Ian.
caster District, that is highly derOgatory to
the character Of Sergt w B. Twitty. Of
company !, 18th s. {. Regiment. | ha,.
bs's Informed that it is circ ulutsd through
the country that Serg't II. deserted in the
face Of the enemy. ], hereby, with The ap-
proval Of the officers, and privates Present,
belonging to his company, pronounce il
false. 1t is supposed that Ssrg't. T., was
captured, with two others Of his company,
in the severe engagement at Spotsylvania
&. ii but for all We know he was killed.
The last seen Of him, he ~as in ten PAGES
Of the enemy in She hottest Of the fight
There WAS no other alternative lett him
short Of death but to surrender, and Of 80
many captured there by the enemy, it seems
strange to us, why Srrg't. Twitty should
be- singled out for base slander.
YUurs, T..
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Northern News.