The Charlotte Democrat., 1895-01-11
First Man Killed.
Henry L. Wyatt, of the First North Carolina
Regiment.

Henry L. Wyatt, of the First North Carolina
Regiment.
The very first life lost in the final di>
rect struggle over secession was on the
Federal side at. Fort Sumter, in an acci-
dental explosion, after the fort had sur.
rendered, April 13, 1861. But the first
Confederate to be killed in line of battle
was Private Henry Lawson Wyatt, a
soldier in Company A, First North Caro-
lima Regiment, infantry. His life was
lost in the battle known as that of "Big
Bethel" fought June 10, 1861, near York.
town, Va.
The conflict at Big Bethel was the first
land battle of the war. Though on
minor scale, 1t was a brilliant victory for
the southern arms. The Confederate
troops engaged belonged to the COM
mand of General John B. Magruder, the
infantry force being chiefly the First
North Carolina Regiment, under the
immediate command of Colonel d. 81.
Hill. who was afterwards lieutenant
general in the Confederate service, and
who has been quite universally regarded
as the hero of the battle The lieutenant.
colonel of the regiment was G. G. Lee,
and the major was James 81. Lane, both
of whom subsequently rose to the rank
of brigadier.ge general in the Confederacy.
The regiment passed into history as
"The Bethel Regiment" of North Caro-
| lima troops.
The Federal troops engaged in the &C.
| tion were under the immediate command
of General B. F. Butler.
| Henry Lawson Wyatt was native of
Virginia, born in Richmond February IL,
1842, a son of Isham and Lucinda Wyatt,
the latter of whom had but recently died.
Henry had learned the carpenters trade,
and was working in Tarboro', N. c., when
the war broke out-his father having
moved from Virginia to Pitt county, N.
c., in 1856.
Young Wyatt was one of the very first
men to enlist as soldier for the southern
cause when the Governor of North Caro~
lima called for volunteers in April, 1861,
after the Lincoln proclamation declaring
war against the Southern States. He en-.
tered the Edgecombe Guards, under com.
mand of Captain John L. Bridgers. Fifty
four days after he was mustered into,
the service Henry Wyatt fell in battle
at the age of 20. He was buried near
the foot of the CORVALLIS monument,
Yorktown, Va.
Young Wyatt lost his life under cir
cumstances of great gallantry and hero.
ism. In the beginning of the battle in
which he fell the sharpshooters of the
enemy occupied house between the two
opposing lines, blue and gray. A cali
was made for volunteers to advance
across the intervening distance, throug b
an open field 200 yards wide, and fire he
building. Corporal George W. Williams,
Private Henry Lawson Wyatt, John 81
Thorpe, Thomas Fallon, and Robert 81
Bradley responded to the call ami att
tempted to perform the duty. They had
proceeded but q short distance into the
field when Henry Wyatt fell with bul.
let in his brain in a volley fired from
the building. The other four soldiers
dropped to the earth and remained until
they could with safety rejoin their COM
mand, went through the entire war and
are yet living.
Very soon after the cannonading of the
house began, Major Winthrop, a gallant
and noble son of Connecticut, endeavored
to lead his men into the action but az
he came to the front waving his sword
about his head, the North Carolinianl
fred volley him and he fell dead, hil
body riddled with bullets-he, believe
was the first victim among the Fedora
officers in the war. His native State hai
long ago we'll perpetuated his memory.
The State of North Carolina has al
. last determined to treasure in perpetuitJ
the features and name Of the daring and
noble Wyatt. Through the efforts o.
J. G. Birdsong, State Librarian, pho
tograph of the dead hero was secured
and at the session of the Legislature o
1891 the Librarian secured an appropriA
tion to have life-size painting mad
!, young man, and q handsome oil por-
, trait made from it now adorns the walls
, of the North Carolina State Library
Persons who had known the living you'll
r say that the artist has, in a most striking
f degree, caught the very spirit of tn
daring, generous soul and fixed its ex
, preston brilliantly in the dark, lustrou
eyes that CLEAN out upon the speaking