Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-06-07
THE LAST TO FALL.
Where Twe4ty Heroes-the Last
to Fall for the Lost Cause
Lie Buried Near Bentons-
vile: An Appeal for
Monument to Their
Memory.

So rapid is the fight of time
and so soon do events and issues
crowd one another in these lat
ter years, that it is perhaps
forgotten by many, not known at
all by thousands, and seldom
thought of by any, that the last
battle of the Confederacy was
fought within gun-sound of
Goldsboro; yet such is the fact.
THE ARGUS has often referred
to the Battlea-efS Bentonsyille,
and has some relics Of the fight,
picked up on the field of conflict
twenty-five years afterward.
We are enabled to give to our
readers this morning a piece Of
original history of that noted
battle. 1t is in the shape Of a
communication from our good
friend and countyman Mr.. Hay
wood Bizzen, familiar with all
the incidents, to The Confeder
ate Monumental Association of
North Carolina. 1t speaks for
itself and reads as follows:
The object Of this communities
ton is to bring to the notice of
your Association sacred spot
of earth, where sleep in un-
marked graves the silent dust of
ttcenty of the brave men who sac
? rifced their lives on the altar of
Southern Rights. They fell, NOR
tally wounded, at the battle of
Bentonsville, on the 10Th day of
March, 1865. When the battle
was over. and the armies left the
field. .ffy.to3r wounded repre-
sentatiVes Of the Lost Cause
were left in the residence of Mr..
John Harper, on the battle field,
four miles from Bentonsville,
johnson County, and for three
mouths, that is, until the 10Th OF
the following June, his residence
was a hospital; and those suffer
ing dying men were miniStered
to by him and his faithful wife
and children out OF the scant
means left them by the two
armies.
OF the tifty-four left with Mr.
Harper, Hilfy-0le recovered anC
went home, an6 t,centy-three died
there: tlco were carried home by
friends before burial. one was
buried there and afterwards
taken up and carried home, anC
t1ceHty lie buried there at this
time, all, except one, in unmarked
graves, though their names an(
commands are preserved by Mr.
Harper. which are as follows
Capt. t. G. Taylor, Co a, Is
n. G.. Bat.
Capt. J. W. Laramer, Co [
42nd Regt, Ala.
Capt J. A. Latham, Co B, 40tl
Regt. Ala.
j. R. Stringfeld, Co. D. Gtl
Ga Regt.
Hardy Nance, Co. K, 1st N. c
Bat
J. H. Edwards, Co. B. cot
Tenn. Regt.
T, J. Nail, Co. H, 9th Ga
Regt.
J. F. Chambers, Co, B, 10th n
G. Regt.
Jacob Sewers, Co. D. 1st, N
c.. Bat.
Willie E. (or D. Reed Co. Z
18th n. G. Bat.
A. B. Watkins, Co. A. 34th Va
Regt.
j. W. Glover, Co. F. 9th G;
Regt.
T. J. Dearing, Co. K, 23rd Gs
Regt
M. A. McPhauls, Co. G. 1st n
c. Bat,
Duncan Brown, Co. A. 1st \
G. Bat.
S. F. Smithson, Co. D. 32n
Tenn Regt.
L. B. Flack, Co. d. 50th n. {
Regt.
R. w. Webb, Co. D. 10th Tenn
Regt.
T. L. Smith, Co. F. 28th G;
Regt.
VIM. G. Fast, Co. E 54th V;
Regt.
Through all these twenty-nir
years since the war, Mr.. Harpt
has watched over the last res
ing place of the bodies of thos
twenty brave men, who SO ga
lantlV died in defense of tt
South. 1t is enclosed with {
ordinary rail fence with nothir
durable to mark it or to disti
guish it from any other spot
earth. Mr.. Harper and his wi
who have SO faithfully guarde
it, and SO long, are nearing Il
end of life, she being 70, and
81 years of age, and it does see
a matter of simple justice to Il
dead, before those aged peop
pass away who watched over the
while they suffered, and buri'
them when they were dead, al
who know more of their last IN
ments than anyone else, that
suitable monument, properly
scribed, should be erected to de
ignate the resting place of the
bodies, and to perpetuate the
memory.
Trusting that you will ta
steps at once to erect a sto
monument to their memory, al