Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-04-19
INCIDENTS OF THE WAR.
HOW LIEUTENANT CHARLES 3. WILTSHIRE
WAS WOUNDED.

lALOAN' ~ w AAlSl 49, A-@NAANASi-SNN ~
one of the participants in the Incl
dents narrated, but it was his brother
who took the active part. As related
by the doctor this is the story:
"In the spring of 1865 my brother,
Lieut.. Charles B. Wiltshire, of the
Confederate army, was on a scout with
small party of men and was travel
ing toward Winchester, The same
day was sent toward Martinsburg
and down toward Charlestown.
"As my brother rode out of the
woods near the Bonham mansion,
where he had probably intended to
stop, as he knew the family, he saw a
Federal officer going from the house
toward small stable few feet away.
Putting spurs to his horse, Lieutenant
Wiltshire dashed forward to capture
the Federal, who, it was afterward
learned, was Lieutenant Ferris, Of the
fifth New York cavalry. For some
reason my brother did not draw his
pistol, but rode up to the stable door
in which Ferris stood with pistol in
each hand. Ferris fired and my
brother fell from his horse with pis-
tol ball in his left shoulder, just under
the collar-bone. His men closed in
on Ferris, who kept on shooting, strik-
ing Gill and Bowling of my brother S
party. He fired again at Lieutenant
Wiltshire while the Lieutenant lay
on the ground wounded, but missed
him. 1 suppose my brother was also
doing some firing with pistol held in
his uninjured right hand.
Lieutenant Ferris jumped on my
brothers horse, which was a magnifi-
cent animal and well trained, and
rode off. He was followed by John
Orrick and Bob Eastman, or Bob
Ridley" as he was better known. All
were firing and Orrick's horse was
shot in the neck so that he had to
stop in the woods and let the Federal
officer get away.
"Meanwhil. my brother was cared
for by the Bonham family. Ferris S
commander sent him back after my
brother, but he declined to take man
prisoner who was so badly wounded.
Another detachment was then sent In
command of major to take Lleuten-
ant Wiltshire dead or alive. Ny
brother was taken in wagon SIX or
eight miles to John Gilbert's house.
This was within the Union lines; but
Notwithstanding this fact, a guard
was set at the house door Miss Liz
zie Gilbert attended the wounded
man, who was able to sit up on the
sixth day after he was shot. A Sec
ondary hemorrhage then set in and
he died. Ny father and mother were
at the Frazier residence, a few miles
away, and although my mother was
allowed to see her wounded son and
was sent for when he was dying, my
father was not allowed to see him al
any time.
"At the same hour my brother was
wounded I was in a small engagement
at Colonel Baylors, near Charlestown
and had my horse shot from under me
When l heard of my brothers injury
l wanted to recover the body, think
ing he had been killed. When news
came of his whereabouts COlone
Mosby advised that we should walt
until Lieutenant Wiltshire was able tt
sit up, and then Mosby would see tc
our recovering my brother from cap
tivity. Unfortunately that time die
not arrive. That Colonel Mosby hac
not sent my brother to capture Lieu
tenant Ferris is certain, as he was OF
an entirely different errand, and only
discovered the Federal officer accl
dentally.
Gas for Ferris being a constan
visitor at the Bonham house and
lover of Miss Bonham, as related IL
the Pittsburg Dispatch, that is proba
bly untrue. He had not far to g
when he left the house on the approach
of nv brothers men. The little stabl
was built within few feet OF tn
house for Colonel Bonham's choic
horses, where he could have persona
supervision over them. The place wa
not within twenty-five miles OF ou
armv at that time, and the lines G
the Union army were probably six o
eight miles away.
"At the time of his death Lieuten