The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-01-16

greatest loss in the death CT thsir be-
loved commander. Ia rpnFersarion
| afterwards with the courier b tgiey
who first reported II General Cox the
misfortune that had beiallen the gall
laut Ram>eur, we learned the follow
inc particulars connected with 1T: Just
AS the courier reached General Ra ~
seur and was in the act OF delivering
General COX's message, Ramseurs
horse was killed extracting himself
from his fallen steed as soon as posi-
BILE he turned to his old courier and
said .'B gley, lend me your horse -
the request was D sooner made than
granted. BagIey leaned instantly to
the ground and General Ramseur was
in the &C, OF mounting. when, just as
he had thrown his right leg over the
saddle a ball pierced his side and pass
ed through his body, and as he fell
back into the arms of his courier. he
remarked, ''Bagley. tell my wife l
died in the faith of Jesus Christ"
During the o u that followed Cen
efal Ramseur's fall, the enemy's cav
airy made a detour around the flank
and struck our ordinance wagon and
ambulance train as it was going
through the town of Strasburg. Dark
ness had now closed in, SO that it was
difficult 10 tell fried from zoe, and
many es apes were made in this wav,
under cover IF the darkness. but un-
fortunately, Ore Yankee cavalryman.
more jealous than the r-st of his com
rades, rode up to the driver of the am
bulance N which General Ramseur
was lying, and ordered him to halt /.
The command was Immediately obey
81 -L1- d., " foo11 -
ordered the driver to push on. This
order was also obeyed, but the same
mounted barn burner of Sher;dan's
rode up rapidly again 10 the ambu-
lance and with pistol cooked pointing
at the head OF the driver, ordered
another halt. In the darkness of the
night, think ng that it was one of our
Captain quarter masters who had
charge of the train, the drive in %justi-
~ication of himself replied that the
General had told him to drive on.
General who ," inquired the Yankee
~bafn~burner. General Ramseur,"
replied the ambulance "Ah
ha'"." cried tie overjoyed Yankee as
he gloated over the prize he had
taken, that's the mau l want"
and this is the way our fall
len h-ro fell INFO the enrmy's
hands. He was taken to Sheridan's
headquarters that night where CHE
now iamented) Custer, and old class
mate and comrrade, administered to
his dying wants. General R@mceur
was we think, OHly about twenty eight
years of age at the time Of his death:
had been married we believe, only
about twelve months, and had but Just
the day before received the joyful
intelligence that a son aud heir had
been born unto INN. whom alas he
never lald eye upon. Two days after
the battle, "a NOr,nern paper was re-
ceived watch contained an account of
Geu1 Ramseur's death, His remains.
we think, were forwarded throu.h the
lines by flag OF truce at City Point.
And thus peri~hed one of the bravest
of the brave. No nightlicr soldier eyer
drew blade in The South In a lett er
written to Gen. Cox con rning the
loss which the army had sustained in
in the death of this noble Suutherner.
General Early remarked that he had
frequent occasion while attempting to
stay the flight of his men, to point to
to the gallant stand made by Ramseur
with his division, where for nearly an
hour and a half he held the enemy
the enemy in check. with his own
single command OF North laroIina
troops.
The brilliant movement which cul
minated in the battle of Cedar Greek
was due to the genius of General
Early. His was the master mind that
conceived the idea, and to him be-
longs the credit of the spleniidly
planned battle which was that day
fought. In b~rilliancy of conception
and boldness of execution, il was
carer akin to Stonewall.
Before closing this sketch already
too long, we must refer to the dis
parity in numbers that existed be-
the two cOnJ-ndiug armies
Early's whole force of men of all arms
did not exceed fifteen Thousand, while
cavalry force alone, is said
to have numbered that many. Be
that rs it may, one thing is certain.
.heridan's morning reports showed
entire effective force to exceed
fifty thousand men. Is it any wonder
then. that Early's little struggling
army of fifteea thousand men we're
unable to contend successfully against
force over three times their number?
is it not the wonder that they
held their own as we'll as they did:
FoR The following