Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-06-12
FOR CONGRESS-GEN. w. Il.
COX.

We notice a disposition in the
District hot TO return Gen. Cox to
Congress. This should not be. No
man who has served bis country SO
CALAMITY as be, should be set aside
for men of less conspicuous service.
The men who took up arms to de-
fend their country are fast passing
away and soon it will be too late to
do them honor. There are other
men urged for the position because
they were soldiers, but bow inslg-
nificant is the record Of them all
compared beside that of Gen. Cox.
Let the old soldiers rally to Gen.
w. II. lCox.-State Chronicle.
Replying to the above, the Dur
ham Recorder says:
We imagine that some of the pri-
Yates, captains and colonels did a
little OF the fighting. While we DO
not wish TO depreciate the services
of any one, the allusion in the ex
tract above is SO unfair, that we
think the old soldiers will say that
the Generals did not do all the
fighting, aud any soldier who was
faithful to his duty is not to be set
aside tor the aristocracy of the Brig
adiers. We have always put Ma or
Graham's claims tor 3 nomination to
Congress upon his superior ability
and patriotism, and sound views on
questions of interest to all. But his
record as a soldier during the val is
not eclipsed by that OF either General
Cox or any other man. The same
can be- said Of Hon. Cbas. M. Cooks
record, B. H. Bun and others.
Since the correspondent seems to
think that General Cox did all the
fighting, we will give below a short
review of the services Major John
w. Graham rendered, not tor the
purpose of making any claims Oh
that ground for his nomination. lie,
us send men of ability and learning
to represent the MetropoIitan Dis.
trict Of North Carolina in Congress
April 2Oth, 1861, Mr.. Graham.
went To Fort Macon as Lieutenant
in the Orange Guards. 10 June he
vas appointed aid to General r. {.
Gatlln and served as such to Apui
1862, when appointed Captain and
commissioned to raise n company
which went into the 56lh n. G.
Regiment as company D.. Served
below Wilmington near Fort Fisher
during the yellow fever in Whining
ton, aud in the fall of 1862 IN Easter,
North Carolina and during the WIN
ter on the Black Water in Virginia
IL spring OF 1863 the seth Regimes
was placed in Brigade OF Gen. Rob
Ransom. Upon his promotion t,
Major General, the Brigade was a
his request retained at Richmond
the orders to proceed to Fredericks
burg being changed. The Brigad,
fought Gen. Dix below Richmond
and was in continuous service il
Eastern Virginia during that sum
me' and fall. In September, 1868
Major Graham vas promoted te
Major OF the 56th Regiment. Ii
spring of 1864 vas in the attack OF
Suffolk, and afterwards at Plymouth
the seth Regimen, being on til.
right of the line which stormed tht
town on AprA 10Th, 1864. In ex
petition TO Washington and New
bern, under Gen. Hoke. From ,hi,
place hurried to Petersburg 10 resis
advance OF Butler AMI in the battle
OF Drury Bluff and Meadow Church
aud helped TO bottle up" Butler
In several fights III front of Peters
burg and on the night of the 18th o
June in a charge ty Ransom's an,
C%iinglnan's Brlgades which recap
tured a part OF IA line, which ha'
been lost 10y other troops In charg
OF the skirmishers OF the Brigad
the next morning in our retrea
back to All inner line, and command
ed the regiment at this point. ate
known as the Crater, on 18th June
1864, when wounded in the righ
; arm and turloughed. Returned t
the trenches IN August and the
continuously served in them the fal
and winter Of lS64-'65. About tn
middle OF March the Brigade, whic'
. was then there in General Bushro,
Johnson's Division was moved /
the right of the line q Fiv
! Forks, Gen. Gordon's command ,ab
iug their place on this line TO III
) right OF the Appoma.tox River. q
10Th March, 1868, brought back ,
Geu. Gordon's position. Mai. Gra
ham commanded the 56,h Regimen
III the capture OF a portion ot ID
Federal line TO the lett OF Hare
Hin. Beng on the extreme left /,
the troops engaged and subjected
a fire III front flank aud rear, III
10Th Regiment suffered severed,
Major e. aham was shot thtou-
" both thighs aud lett in Pe,ersOur
at the e.acGatlon. We think vii