Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-09-10


incident which occurred while we were |
through Baden county, i'll |
North Carolina. W.. were at Belle !
font, the residence of Gen. -, where |
my father learue,t that son of the |
servant who assisted in the burial OF |
Ut, Col. Webster. Was on the premise /
and knew the apo wher the grtv
waI [ rec ,i".c' nj ~. M alluSlp by
some one OF the company. to sevrI al
epic trad,tlnus si"ce inscribed IN the
history OF the country. The following
Is one OF them -
[ Was on thu. Isl or 81 of March.
1881, wA.'u Lord Cornwalli, troop
yer cnc,mp..d 'Iear H,w River. that
Tt. Col W"bsttr's brigade Matted upon
its banks, to reoonnoitre the ford
Thy saw that he stream was imbedded
with rnchS, some rising like giants
crowned Nrth lichen i'll Their midst
against these the swift w...ers dashed
and foamed, and after struggle to
leap above tn, IN. they would wheel
and eddy away, murmur!ng IN the tam
guagr. of the waters, as they hurried
onward to the OCEAN
The ford WIS dangerous, but
deadlier fp- than the sursIng waters
lurke III an old school HOuse Oh the
opposite bank there as unsupported
as were the Grecians III the wooden
horse tefore Troy, stood twenty
six uner,ing rifle men, ready to send
the red shaft of Death into the heart
of the young leader of the brigade.
Thirty two times, as he slowly cross
ed the ford beyond it, did those long
rifles measure him with their silver
eyes. Horseman and horse were I'M
touched, but death uudaunted shook
out his sable wings and hoated in the
direction of Guilford courthouse,
where a fortnight after this period
was fought a battle which caused
Lord Corvallis poean song to be
wreathed with cypress and willow, for
Lit Col. Webster was dear to his heart.
and ne Lord Cornwaliis) now rode by
the side of a species of palanquln,
supported by two horses and formed
of poles over which d CANVASS was
stretched (see Lees memoirs of the
Southern Campaign upon this, was
| laid the young hero of the 33rd. NOR
tally wounded by random shot, while
leading bis brigade into the midst of
the death paved field of Guilford.
Lord CORVALLIS was now on his
march to Whining arriving at Eli
/ zabeth. in Baden county, it was re-
ported to HIM that i'll the vicinity there
was vacant residence-Bellepon and
| finding it quiet and commodious he
removed Lieutenant Colonel Webster
there, where he died few days sub
seYuently and was inferred upon the
estate. Gen. W. the proprietor,
had been dead two years, his three
children were in England for their ed
L. i Il lnnx
compared his departed father to Hy-
perion, to Jove, to Mars, aud to Mer-
curry. I can say of mine that he was
not only one of the best of men, but
that he possessed rare talents com
bined with genius and scholarship
[ delighted i'll the refuements of his
elegant mind, and the emotions which
now possessed his heart on the Occd.
sion of identifying Lieutenant Colonel
| Webster's remaius, were such as rem
dered Linn peculiarly qualified for the
generous office he was then preparing
to perform. The servant, whose her
itary Information was SO much valued
| by my father, was summoned. He
| opened a large gate at the head OF the
avenue, and was followed by several
gentlemen and as many servants with
n vehicle on which was placed II strong
and we'll made coffin and implements
for elimination. They crossed the
high-road in sight of the mansion and
entered the woodland westwardly.---
Tie shadows soon began to grow
deeper, and deeper, from the tall pines
draped in moss, and festooned by
wild vines. Our guide stopped and
looked around, We were upon knoll
below it glidtd n little stream over
| pebbles as white as snow. It's banks
fringed with evergr .ens and flowers
here blOOmed the crimson cardinal and
there the Blue-bell hung, Narc;ssus
like, over its own reflection, the hon
ey-suckle waved its pink clusters, and
tiny humming-birds fitted joyously
around this poem of nature
Here is the grave" said the guide
1t was on the declivities of the knoll,
wild medative solitary place, the
earth strewed with the brown foliage
Of the pine, now green with virdue,
and chanting in its signing notes the
GLORIA in excelsis." [ heard the
cleaving spade and the heavy sod as ii
fell from it, and my sense of hearing
grew morbidly acute. Lower and
lower; presently my father said: stop
now, you have struck the coffin" The
servants came ont of the grave and my
father and two of the gentlemen took
their places. 1t was not long before
heard IAN exclamation, and saw my
father remove his hat from his head III
the most respectful manner. 1 look
ed down, and slowly glided away as q
vap our floats and disappears before
you, the perfect figure of a British
officer, in full uniform, with his cap
upon his head and his sword by his
side Each one of the company looked
at the other in profound silence, a
deep sigh arose from the grave and
saw the tears in my dear fathers eyes.
| looked down again-the grave was
filled with mould and decayed frag-
ments of wood, a skeleton with two
copper coins upon the vacant oritice OF
the eyes, and rusty sword by his side,
vas all that remained of the noble and
gallant leader of the Thirty third.
1 was very faint, said Aunt Elsey
and 1 sat by the grave, for | could not
stand. saw nay father take tenderly
from the skull lock of black hair,
damp with mould aud 1 heard him
say that he would look for the 1oatella,
or knee-pan, as there was but one
the other was shattered ct the battle
OF Guilford, which OccaslOned his death
by lockjaw. There was but one
The spot of sepulchre being now
fully identified, the remains were care
fully replaced in the new coffin the
grave filed, and heart of oak pillar,
painted white, was placed securely at
the head of the grave. This was done
that his native land might some day,
''Let their gifts procure an urn at
least. and Hector's ashes in his country
rest"
The fre-hies we're lighting their
lamps, and the whippoorwill singing
her Phrygian song to the dew, when
we retraced our steps to the mansion.
The pine trees still chanted. and the
red light of sun set. as 1t glanced their
tall forms resem bled the abbey of
medieval days lit at midnight for the
religious services in behalf of depart
ed souls.