Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-10-31

) before our readers the following Letter
from Colonel Liglltfoot, i'll reply tt
the letter Of General CIiEGman, pub
lished some days ago. 1t has never
been our fortuno to know Colonel
Lightfoot personally, bat the esteem
in which! he was held before and
during tie war, anl in which he is
now held wherever known, induces Us
to think he is correct il assuming that
General Clingman is mistaken III re-
gard 10 the part taken by him IL the
battle Of First NJ ei,assas.
NEAR WAeREHToN,
IAC0UTER Co. VA, Oct. %, 1879. ,
Col. y. II. -4Hin&ol,
4ILv Dear Et'icnd:-Your kind letter,
together with . copy Of tho WINNING
ToS Journal, was received to-day.
YOu are entity correct IN - IL ex-
preston OF Opinion that great Injustice
has been done me in the published
I communication OF Gen. Ciirginan. :
/ prefer however, to believe that this
! has been the result Of IL miscOEceptlon
/ OF facts, arising from defective sources
! OF information, rather than 4 desire on
( the part of Gen. Ciinrman, to DO me a
! personal injury. ] shall refer only to
! that portion OF Gen. Clingman's letter
which refers 10 myself. and which is Il
/ tissue of errors from beginning to end.
| And here let me say that nrleeS tie
General is 0c3lcrGIy more accurate, le
can hardly be regarded rs q reliable
historian OF the war. IL SAWS. in the
FIRST place, that Maj Li2htfoot was
the only field officer with III" regiment
besides Col. Fisher, ut the first battle
OF Manassas. | was, 1T the time,
Lieutenant Colonel. having i,cen "p-
pointed before leaving North Carolina,
and Webb was Major. We wero both
with the regiment upon the day in
uucstion Gen. C.in@mun, @-ayeiy
SAYS WAS not in the battle, and Of course
knew nothing 3i,out il. Without re-
ferring to the reports OF Gen. Johnston,
and OF our brigade Commander, with
ont appealing to tn testimony Of sur
viyirg officers OF the regiment, and !
OF It's Brigade STAFF, / could
adiuce on, .tact sufficient in itself TO
refutn this charge Of Gen. Cijrgman. I
1t is well known tIlat early IN the ac-
ton, iust in front OF Ricketts, Battery. |
| received a wound. and though paid /
lite attention to it at the time, ! suf- /
fered very much frola it subsequently, |
and l still bear upon M person. clear |
~ defined, the marx Of the b4lIcf. ! ,
letter published by Lieut.. Avery soon .
after The battle, and which he viii rec /
ollect, did me but justice ii stating /
that when our command. Il er the /
charge, was forced back, though /
wounded, ! was the last 10 leave the .
position that 7 rali:el imme Iiately .
the remnant Of our force fifty yards .
in rear Of the line OF battle, again id .
vanced, and assisted in the final re- /
pulse and pursuit Of tAecnelny. When
we rested after Il Q battle We were far
in advance Of oa' original position,
and we were, in pursuance of Il verbal
order OF President Davis, attached
temporarily 70 the command OF Col.
Gen. James Z. kemper.
[ have at hand Col. Kcmpcrs certiti-
cate to this effect. given ut the time.
| did not go 10 the " ~ a. until 4 late
hour or tie DAY following, and I cr,fii
not then. have bc.u ~eoU ~ Gem
Clingman. iu4t after the b..ti". in
t'raJ'' with tfir two companies t. " lich
he refers. ana clearly II Ii onil.ion
that Geu. C3ln~m2u has, iu i4urr
senses 'iI:.n one bp-.. .n;1t ..i-uu
in hi- m-:r. II nay rci,a@, vIiic;s was
u! iu" time, ;,ut t,'iH -4t!ed
to the .inmedla.@ ,.lultlj>trr, | ra"t
the rtgi,nemt Fuu crs ii: fur -a;lAutry
and devotion. hut W. forced 10 al
init that the service go3.,!tT,,t would
have ntcn lnlci. Urr" effective if IA
advance l?d been made i. /t.. oj jut-
t., and lead of ~ The .H<t.t. ! DO not
yield TO General C!irrtAan IA an aG-
miratinn Of the horoi" virtues Of the
Iamentcd Colonel Fisher, and 40 one
could have had a more je;,ioj.s regard
tl!;ln I for the honor os the cid North
state, and for the far lam" of one Of
Ier most gallant regiments. lou
know, my dear f. end, how paintul ii
must be t. ~. T. l,t forced thus i III
t nj" myself 1pan Tie pHL;ir notice,
ana to De obliged Il speak 81 much
about Iny-n!;. Int ! .-..n.J; sAri:ill tro.i
any possibility IL which homer i@,
in the slightest degree, illvo.v,d, aul
I carn"sIr hopcth.t tn T,?it = @: tLc
JoUn>AI. vii lee disposed. II Justice,
30 n,!hi;sl: ~ much II this letter IS
my he !s cos~.Iy for ny Ir"na. r.n-
lit::tis}.
a,n mot ~la-rTr.E.
lal:r il,"1.l an, Sc3.y.t:3t.
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