Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-07-25
The First Man Wounded.

We copied statement from a cores
pondent of the Richmond "Intelligencer"
last week claiming that Leroy danger
field was the first man wounded in the
war. Another correspondent of the same
paper who was on the field, writes from
HarrlsonbuIg
In your issue of the 18th instant 1 see
An article detailing with much more az
curacy than is usual in articles purpOrting
to relate the early "reminiscences of our
slate UNDERSTANDINGS the surprise at
Phillippi. in which Mr.. Leroy danger
field was wounded, but in some. particulars
tile incident Of his receiving the wound
whics, lost him his leg is not accurately
Slated We had not retreated beyond the
limits Of the town of ''Phillipi, (named for
Il ". Barbour's daughter), and the organi-
ztd pnrtions of the Augusta and Bath
Cava ny companies were formed, in as
in,icn order as the novelty of the circum-
Stances Wuuli admit. in rear Ut the infan-
try ia part of the same which afterwards
70; Ill Il the Thirtv-Frst regiment Of Stone
of David Guy, of the Bath Cavalry, dash
ed up to US riderless from the very midst
Of the enelny'y column Archibald Nc
Clinilc, Leroy Dangerfield. and myself
SELF Whirlel our horses and rode b'ck to
the head of the Federal column, In the
.ope of rescuing Guy or his tody The turn
I'd cut not 10 have been huIt), and it was
while This engaged, and within ten
yards Of tile head OF the Federal column,
that Dane- field was shot; and it was then
and there that McCiintic fired the shot
from an Old, intlock, horseman's pistol
(style Of 1922 that we supposed wounded
Gen. Kelley. The shot guns with which
Danger6eld and myself we're armed being
not above ten to fifteen yards at the only
mounted Federal officer in view, l think
1t certain that Kelley was wounded by
him. McClintic and myself retired behind
Dangerfeld when he was wounded, and he
galloped to the wagon train, and jumped
from his horse on one foot, and SELF
ing the end-gate of wagon, dragged
his mangled leg in. The.rest of your ac-
count is substantially correct. You can,
if you desire. submit this statement to A..
M. McCllntic, Letcher postotfice, Bath
county, Va, to see if it accOrds with his
recollection in detail, as 1 know it must in
doubtless, led into error by the impression
that the blankets shot through were be-
hind the saddle. They were tied across
his old Spanish saddle in front, and fast
ened to the "horn.'' If they had been tied
behind the saddle the shot would have PEN
etrated his body, not his leg.
do not send you this correction under
the impression that an apology IS needed
for one man who runs in general retreat
or stampede, but for the truth of history.
You omit to mention that Mr.. Hanger, of
Augusta, also lost leg at Phillippl. Mr..
Hanger was not attached to any command
h,,fh bod Dro,1 fnv1 fcx frnv ntoy, For
the Augusta boys. You refer to Phillippi
as stampede. You can't Call it a STAN
pede when you compare it with some OF
our performances in the Valley in the fall
of 1854, when Sheridan had us training
You give all the credit for the run at Phil.
lippi to the cavalry. The infantry out
numbered the cavalry, and ran just as
fast. and as far, despite the cavalry's ad-
vantage Of six legs to two. D.