The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1890-01-23
RISEN FROM THE DEAD.
THE REMARKABLE STORY OF THE
CONFEDERATE SOLDIER


Best Citizens in N. G., although His
Escape from Death was Narrow One.
From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat
Just twenty years ago the thirty
seventh Virginia regiment, under Col.
Bob Claiborne, now prosecuting at
torney of the St Louis court of Grim
inaI correction, sailed forth /, from
Morehead, Va, to meet that terror of
all Confederates, the . celebrated
"Stoneman Brigade" Gen. Stone
man was ON a raid, the object of which
was to assail Lees army in the rear,
while the army of the Potomac at
tackled him in front. He had already
met and whipped half dozen bands
of rebels, and Col. Ciaiborne's regi
ment was the most formidable antago-
mist had yet encountered. The en-
gagement was not an important one,
and Purvis' "Record of the REBEL
ion' is the only history of the war
which mentions it. But it was re.
markable tor the daring bravery of
two men. who proved themselves the
only true soldiers out Of whole COM
pany. In the early part of the day
Col: Claiborne's regiment was, with
exception of one company, bearing the
whole brunt OF Stoneman's terrific on
slaughts. By O'Clock in the after.
noon the fine body of men which that
morning formed the thirty seventh
regiment had been reduced to a mere
handful. They had been decirnated
again and again. One more attack
and not soul would have been left.
With the best Of their men either
killed or wounded, and the remainder
ready to succumb with fatigue and
wounds, there seemed no possibility of
escape for any one. But suddenly
the missing company appeared on the
field. Even with the reinforcement,
the fight was hopeless. A shout of re
lief went up from the wearied and
bleeding survivors. There was only
one chance for them, and their COM
mander was quick to see it. a flash
he had leaped from his horse and call.
ing on the new arrivals, he shouted !:
"Every man dismount and follow
mel" lliEt3k
But at that moment the blue coats
of Stoneman's brigade appeared over
the crest of the hill in front, and the
cheers of the Union soldies were ring
ing in the ears of the Confederates.
In vain did their colonel try to rally
them and urge them on. The solid
line of steel in front was too appalling,
and almost to a man they broke and
fed. A second later and Colonel
Claiborne found himself deserted by
all his men but one. That man was .
rough backwoodsman- from - North
Carolina, whom he had but short
time before taken froE, the ranks and
promoted to captaincy for brave
and daring conduct on the battlefield.
His name was Roberts, and as, he
pressed close beside his commanding
officer he shouted, ''I'll stay by you,
Colonel, if 1 lose every drop of blood
in my body!" The words were hard.
ly out of his mouth before he fell full
length on the ground withIa rifle ball
through his chest. .ersd. g
The next moment Col. Claiborne
was surrounded by the boys in blue
and captured. Northumberland
ed to the Confederate government the
death of Capt. Roberts, and from that
day until yesterday, exactly twenty
years, he has heard nothing from the
man who aided him in his charge on
Stoneman's brigade,
| Yesterday morning Colouel Clai
borne, while looking over his letters
came TO one with the postmark Era
leigh, N. c." addressedfin iead penci
to Maj. G. r. Claibore, St. Louis. Or
opening it the first thing he saw wa,
the name "Capt. T. b. Roberta
Junpting to his feet he exclaimed t
a bystander: "My God, 1 have got {
letter from the dead. / saw this mar
shot and killed with my own eyes a
the battle of Morelead, December 81
1868, and here he is writing to me"
| The letter, however, explained bov
Capt. Coberts escaped, and as all th'
circumstances are so remarkable, it j
produced here verbatim: fg3sfk
"RALElGH, N. c., Dec. 26.
"MAJ. CLAIBoRNE:-I have beeI
trying to find out your address eve
since the war; have asked hundreds Q
people about it, and have only jus
succeeded. 1 believe / would rathe
see you and talk to you than any 9th
er man ON God Almighty's earth. d
you remember when you rode up t
me and made me captain at the bal
tie OF Orage Court House? I was or
ly Tarheel soldier before that, bu
when you done what you did woul
have died for you. Then do you re
member the fight at Morehead, )wbe
you and l started alone to charg
Stoneman's brigade =? 1lteil you tbs
fellow Stoneman was the worst cuss j
the whole Yankee army for us fellow
to tackle. But that d--- coInpan
of mine. Want they the meanes
most cowardly -of -7you eve
saws Iteil you they we're the wor,
: God Almighty ever had u hsud j
making. No decent man would la =
run of and left you in the lurch tt
E way they did. Ii they had. felt Lib
! me they would hay diedsa6k0N
mothers son of them, first
You thought, j was dead, adidfi
you q Well, / am the healthfest dea
nan in North Carolina. got "a
. ugly wound in that scrimmages
: Mnrehead, and, never did dknpW he
it ali tnrned4 out. but loagIafteE1El
had All gone ! came to- apd9 felsd
spgct2 5sAagH sid q