The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-03-23
GEN. WIN. r. TERRILL.
A Comrade Tells How He was Made Stead
fast for the Union.


r SUPPOSE all the readers of THE Ma.
TIoNAL TRIBUNE remember reading
i Gen. Phil sheridan's account of his fight,
while a Cadet at West Point with an
other Cadet, from Virginia, named Terrill, in
which our gallant little commander betrayed
q good deal of human nature in favorably pre-
senting his case to the prejudice of the other
party in the affair. That man was killed at
the battle of Perryville while calamity fight
ing for the Union, and am induced to relate a
little incident that occurred to me that will
place him in better light than the article OF
Gen. Sheridan was calculated to do.
After the battle of Carriers Woods. June To-
1861 while attempting with the rest OF Gen.
Milroy's army to escape fell into the hands
of the I'd Md. (rebel) regiment, and counter
marched to Winchester, and was ushered into
the presence of the Provost Marshal, who hap
pened to be my own brother and the Major of
the I'd Nd. Upon seeing me brought into his
office he became very much affected, and said:
Charley, what in the devil afe you doing
here?" | answered by asking the same ques-
ton of him, and he could not suppress smile
at the stand l took. After inquriDg about
home and dear ones he remarked that he did
not know what to do with ME. Immediately
relieved his embarrassment by telling him L
desired only to be treated as prisoner of war,
and shown no favors.
"Well, have asked to be relieved here, and
will join my regiment tomorrow" he SAID,
land will be succeeded by Col. Terrill, of the
18th Va, who also had a brother in the Union
army who was killed at Perryville, Ky. feel
satisfied that he will treat you kindly; but be
careful not to allude to his brother, as 1t may
cause him pain. You will find him very much
of q gentleman"
That night my brother and I slept together
on the counter of the empty storeroom in which
no had his office, talking of our boyhood days
and home. Next morning Col Terri!l made
his appearance, and after the transfer OF au-
thority my brother introduced me to him. and
left to reoin his regiment on its march to
Gettysburg, where he was desperately wound
ed, and remained prisoner until after the war
After my brothers departure Col Terrili
invited me to dine with him in the office, and
| found him very pleasant gentleman. we
conversed about the fight, and my meeting my
brother, and a sad expression of face seemed
to indicate a struggle in his mind. Suddenly
he inquired if my brother had informed me
that he also had brother in the Union army
and told him that he had.
eyes, it was so, and | will tell you all about
it" he said. My father procured an appoint
ment for my brother a Cadet to West Point
and / remember when it arrived he called the
family together and presented it to him with
copy Of the Constitution and the New Iesta-
ment. and exacted a pledge before us all that
the war came, and father had forgotten all
about the circumstance, and when Gen. Lee
resigned his commission, father wrote to brother
and urged him to resign, and come home aud
enter the Confederate service; but my brother
reminded him of the pledge he had made, and
declared his determination to stand by the
cause of the Union. OF course we all felt very
sorry. but lid not blame brother, for he was q
conscientious man. We have never heard any
of the particulars of his death, and only know
that it occurred at Perryvlle, KY, and it
would be great satisfaction for the family to
learn more Of the particulars concerning our
brothers DEATH"
informed him l would make inquiry and
if / learned nything of interest concerning
tho matter, would endeavor to acquaint him
of it.
A few days after | was sent on 10 Richmond
with large body Of prisoners, and while in
Libby Prison met Surgeon named Wood, from
the Western army, who told me he bad attended
Gen. Terril after he had been wounded and
ut my request he wrote out full account OF 1t,
and about week or 10 days before the battle
of Cold Harbor mailed it to him from Rich
mond, but | never received any reply, and after
that battle | saw in the Richmond papers that
Col. Terrill, of the 18th Va, had been killed at
the head Of his regiment in that battle.
This account will go to show the lofty prin-
ciple that actuated many other men born in
the South to take sides with the Union and III
defense of the Government, when compelled to
sacrifice the ties OF blood and kindred associa-
tons, hard to appreciate by those who were
not so situated.
This account is given to correct feeling OF
which our own gallant Sheridan and others
could not rid themseiyes.-A SOUTHERN 30 RN
YANKEE Hunterstown, Pa.