Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-06-19
HOW GEN. PEITIs:REW WAS
KILLED.

sleeping with their blankets around
them in the road, and he saw the
Yankee that rode up to Gen. Petit
grew and shot him dead with his pis-
tol. But that Yankee never lived, fol
he captured Friday" a courier Of
Pettigrew's, and foolishly put Friday
behind him. Friday" shot him
through and through as he rode of
with him. Gen. Heath was present al
the time, and exclaiming, "Boys, save
yourselves" he rode off at gallop,
and the soldier says he has never seen
him since. A Major Jones took charge
of the command and got them out OF
the elk" Jones of course was a tar
heel.-Raleigh Crescent.
There are SO many errors in the
above statement, and having been an
eyewitness and participant in this un-
fortunate affair, I feel called upon to
make corrections, as much injustice is
done.
When the army reached Hagerstown
upon the retreat from Gettysburg,
Pender's Division was temporarily
consolidated with Heath's, General
Pender having been wounded at Get
tysburg, from which he died at Staun
ton. Being the Adjutant General of
Pender's Division, was, by the con-
solidation, thrown upon the staff of
Genera! Heth.
About day light, when near Falling
Waters. after a very hard, all-night
march from Hagerstown, General
Heth was ordered to halt, form line of
battle, and permit the troops time to
cross the Potomac without molestation.
Many of them were still in the rear.
feet sore and worn down. The recent
rains, which had swollen the river SO
much that it was impossible to ford it
at Williamsport, had also left the roads
in such condition as TO make the
movement of artillery and wagons
very difficult Many of these were
still behind. For their protection, as
it was understood, the Cavalry Brigade
of General Fitz. Lee had been sent to
the rear. At least, Just before we were
halted, General Lee did pass to the
rear with his command.
General Heth placed his own COM
mand in line of battle upon the crest of
a very high ridge, and ordered me to
hold Pender's Division in readiness
in the rear Of his own. These orders
having been executed, 1 dispatched a
courier to collect together bundles of
wheat, which were stacked up in the
field in which we were, and had bed
made just in rear of General Petit
CREWS Brigade, and near where Gen
eral Heth had established his head
quarters. General Pettigrew, Gen
eral E. L. Thomas, of Georgia, and
myself, dismounting, rested upon these
bundles of wheat. After talking to-
gether for some time we fell asleep,
and were walked by the shouts of men
and the firing Of pistols in our imme-
diate vicinity. Springing to our feet,
we found that detachment of Fed
eral cavalry, numbering not more than
seventy-fve, under the command of a
Major, had ridden through our ranks,
the men being mostly asleep and their
arms stacked, and were between US
and the men and in our rear. Unfor-
tunately for him, as the sequel showed,
General Pettigrew rushed to his horse
and mounted. General Thomas and
myself attempted to do the same, bnt
the enemy were between rs and the
place where our horses were tied.
The Federal troops were not attempt
ing to shoot us, but were firing at ran
dom, yelling and crying out "surren-
der" We learned afterwards that
they were informed that we were only
a disorganized body of stragglers, and
their idea was to capture us.
General Pettigrew, having mounted,
was riding towards his men, and when
near General Thomas and myself was
fired upon by a Federal soldier, the
ball striking his horse. Riding up to
General Pettigrew, who was disentang-
ling himself from his fallen horse, the
soldier fred again, this time mortally
wounding him. He was not shot dead,
but died several days afterwards in
Martinsburg.
The man who killed General Petit
grew, was not subsequently killed by
"Friday,' Genear Pettigrew's courier,
but by troops of his brigade, who by
this time had recovered their arms.
1 examined him, and I feel sure that
his body was penetrated by more than
a dozen bullets, and his horse by
double that number. General Thomas
and myself were between our troops
and the enemy's cavalry, who were
entirely in our rear. Our troops fired
not more than q few seconds after
General Pettigrew was shot, immedl-
ately over our heads, we lying down
to escape the fire of our own men.
The soldier who had wounded Petit
grew fell just by my side, and almost
the entire detachment of Federal
cavalry, with their horses, were killed
or wounded. A few may have escaped,
but I saw only one, who took with
him one of our soldiers, not courier,
and not on horse back, and our men
would not fire on him, not willing to
kill one of their fellow soldiers.
I am satisfied that General Heth
gave no orders for the men to save
themselves. and Iknowh he didnot "ride
off at gallop." He directed meto form
line of battle just in rear of his front
line, in order that his Division might
retire behind it. 1 did SO with por-
tions of Lanes Brigade under COM
mand of Colonel Avery, of the
33d North Carolina, and portions of
Scales Brigade, under command Of
Colonel Lowrance, of the 34th North
Carolina. General Heth's Division
then passed to the rear, and were not