Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-01


spoke Interestingly as follows:
General w. II. Lyle. commanding
brigade OF Sheridan's division. McCook's
corps. was killed about noon, September
20. 1863, by the troops OF the twenty
second Alabama Regiment OF Deae' Bril-
sade In Hindonan's Division. command
ed in that action by General Patton
Anderson.
This command captured between 600
and 700 officers and men Of Lytle's Bri-
rade. After the charge. which resulted
in the rout of this division Of Sheridan.
General Anderson ordered me. as lnspec-
tor-Generai OF his command. TO take
charge OF those Federal prisoners, then
under fire from their own friends. ana
put them In place Of safety and turn
them over to the provost guard, and re-
Join my command.
Whilst engaged In this duty or collect
ing the men under an ampbitheatre In
their rear, an officer OF the Federal army,
wounded, Achilles-like, in his heel,
limped up TO me and asked me
TO save his general. who had fallen,
and was then lying near the Federal
breastworks. which. together with the
dead leaves in the forest. were cunning
from the artillery fire on both Sides
asked him: who is your general!'
He replied: General Lyle
/ asked him whether he was the Of
fcer riding a small, dark horse. who
was so active In rallying his men. lie
replied that doubtless he was.
then said: Get four or five OF your
most stalwart men, not wounded, and
take them with you to the spot, and
will follow YOU"
The distance was short from where
we were holding this conversation. and
lust across their breastworks, hastily
- Ell fft,at0
we found the body lying In the leaves.
His face was upwards. He was bleeding
from three wounds-one OF which, l know.
was In the neck one In the leg, and
have forgotten where the other was. He
was dressed in full, regulation uniform,
but was minus his sword, his scabbard
and belt being still on his person. My
first exclamation on looking down upon
his graceful and manly form, so perfect
ly dressed and accoutred, was:
IL am dying Egypt, dyiDg!'
then had his body carried across
the breastworks TO a secure place, left
it in charge of this Federal officer,
who begged me to have IT buried, IL pos
sible, and placed a Confederate guard
with It,
At this period the Federal officer who
brought me to General Lytle's body said
to me: General Lytle's family will never
forget you for this act of kindness; will
you kindly give me your name and
rankg'
/ hesitated and said THE Inspector
General of General Anderson's Division"
This did not satisfy him. He pulled a
memorandum-book from his pocket and
said: II want your full address"
l gave II 10 him--"Major Douglass West,
Inspector General. peas's Brigade
He startled me BY replying: "why.
that's my name Probably we are some
kim"
1 replied: Where are you FROM" and
he answered: II am Lieutenant Colonel
Theodore ]. West. of the Twenty-fourth
Wisconsin Regiment" said 1--WE can
hardly be kin. my family have been in
Virginia over two centuries, and never
immigrated.'
EXCHANGED SABRES.
I exchanged sabres with him. he having
very light service sabre, and mine be-
ing a very clumsy Confederate-made
Claymore lie stated that his sabre was
private property. presented TO him by the
citizens of his county and bore his name
on the blade. which found, by examining
1t, TO be true.
| had sent courier in search Of an
ambulance during this conversation.
In the mean time the courier had re-
turned. and said he could find no ambu-
lance, but listening, / heard through the
woods the distant sound OF vehicle I'm
mediatey l galloped towards the sound
! and met Northumberland Longstreet
and staff and reported to him the killing
of General Lyle, and that i was then in
search OF an ambulance TO carry his body
Off the field and have IL buried. / over
took the ambulance about mile distant,
and riding along side Of 1t discovered
that IT contained Captain Deas Mott. OF
the Twenty-second Alabama. MORALLY
wounded in the charge that killed Gene
raj Lytle. l asked Captain Mott II he
was severely wounded. and he replied: Il
think / am MORALLY wounded"
told him ! had General Lytles body,
and that as the dead officer had been a
war Democrat and friendly towards
proper conduct OF the war; l asked him
would ne allow the body 10 be thrown
over the seat of the ambulance 10 be
taken to the hospital, and he said. Ger
tainly." L wrote a note hastily, di-
rectsd 10 the surgeon of our division. DIR.
Turner. and others, asking them. IL pos
sible, to have General Lytles body
buried. | conducted the ambulance back
TO where had left General Lytle's body.
and requested Colonel West to give me
all the effects OIL his person. which con-
sisted OF his belt and scabbard. a most
superb pistol his private pocket book.
and pocket-book containing his military
OF degs. and small wicker flask. These
retained, and when reached General An
derson that night. in bivouac, near Snod-
grass Hill, l detailed all these events
! to him.
We sat by the uncertain light Of the
campfire that night and read quite a
number OF letters, most of which APP
e, 49, 4.
and were signed "Jodie." These letters
contained numerous scraps OF poetry
written by General Lyle, and clipped BY
her from Cincinnati papers. All this was
very interesting reading 10 us, but IL
was painful for US TO think that We had
assisted in putting out so brilliant a
light. We talked of the poem which gave
him his great celebrity. and was enabled
10 recite 1t to General Anderson that
night from memory. and l told him had
read 1t fully two years before the war.
General Anderson said 10 me: Major.
what are you going to do with those
effects OF General Lytle?"
said had promised an officer OF his
command to take the earliest opportunit,
to send them to his family.
KINDNESS TO HIS MOTHER
General Anderson said: Major. YOU
Will do me a great favor IL you will
allow me to do this. as General Lyle
has placed me under peculiar obligations
by having sent my old mother through
the Federal lines in his own ambulance"
then gave him all the effects EXCEPT
q small wicker flask. which 1 retained
az u souvenir. General Anderson sent
these articles through Bragg's head.
quarters TO Rosecranss command un-
der q rag OF truce.
During the action. after the killing
of General Lytle, received q wound
which gave me some concern, and I
asked General kndersons permission 10
ride back to the hospital. and that