The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-13
A RECORD TO BE PROUD OF.
Captain James REILLY of the Confederate
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of His Superior
Officers TO the Courage, Gallantry and
Ability of Shis Sterling Confederate
Oficer.
(Staff Correspondence.)

(Staff Correspondence.)
Messenger Bureau, Park Hotel,
Raleigh, y. c., July 10.
The following letters from Governor
Eance's war letter books will be OF
great interest to Wilmington people:
Headquarters District Cape Fear,
Wilmington, May 80, 1863.
of North Carolina:
Governor: 1t gives me sincere pleas
! ure to bear testimony to the ability
and worth Of Captain James Reilly.
1 have known Captain Reilly for
nearly two years and know him 10 be
an able, efficient and gallant officer,
and as an artillery officer surpassed by
none. During the late campaign in
Virginia and Maryland, beginning at
Freeman's Ford and ending at Sharps-
burg. Captain Reilly served imme-
diately under my command. At Free
mans Ford and T~hOrOughfare Gap his
battery was in the hottest of the fight
and rendered most valuable service.
During both days at Manassas he was
closely engaged with both the artillery
and infantry Of the enemy and the
skill and daring bravery with which
| lC IlhHuINu HIS guns contributed IN an
! eminent degree 70 the success of our
armies on the glorious Goth Of August.
I At BOonsbOrO his battery was also en-
| gagged and rendered good service. On
| the retreat from that point his battery,
with the other batteries belonging to
| Hoods (Whiting's) division, covered
the rear of our army and was hOtly en-
| gagged on the 18th of September with
the advan guard Of the enemy until
l all his n ~ ~ 1initinn uyn- nvbo,,-toI On
the 18th of September the howitzer sec
ton Of his battery was holly engaged
Immediately in front of Burnside's
corps and held their position against
fearful odds until their ammunition
was expended and the section literally
cut to pieces. At this time Jones divi-
sion was forced to give ground. The
enemy Immediately occupied the po-
| sitiOn we had left and commenced ad-
vancing in line of battle on the right
of the village of S~harpsburg. At this
m the other section of this bat
terry having ~replenished it's ammuni-
ton. came up and taking position in
front of their column, opened such a
hot and we'll directed fire that the en-
emy's line was soOn broken and
thrown into confusion. At this time
| General A. p. Hill came up and drove
the enemy from the field. On the re-
treat from Sharpsburg Reilly's bat
! terry again covered the rear and was
| the last to cross the river. Promotion
! could not be better or more justly con-
! ferred thar Upon Captain Reilly.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
3. w. FROBEL.
Chief Of Artillery, General Writings
Staff.
Headquarters, Wilmington, n. c.,
May 80, 1863.
To His Excellency, Governor Vance,:
Sir: l beg leave to call your atten-
ton to the eminent claims of Captain
Reilly, of the light artillery, COM
handing light battery d, North Car
DINA troops, to high promotion, not
| only for length of service, many juniors
having been promoted over him with
not a tenth of his claims, but for sig
nal skill and the most distinguished
services on many battlefields. He has
been repeatedly recommended for pro-
motion by General J. Z. Johnston, Cen
eral CT. W.. Smith, and by myself; l
doubt not by other generals. Arriving
with his battery soon after the first
battle of Manassas, he received from
General Johnston a fine set of guns
captured from the enemy and was as
signed to duty in my command near
EvanspOrt. During that severe winter
liz 1iSDOONOI CIC q VI II a Ill DlO-
nOunced his command in the best order
and his battery and horses in the best
condition of any battery in the army.
This was due to himself entirely. He
accompanied me to Yorktown. My divi-
sion covering the rear on the Yorktown
road on u evacuation of that place,
he saved and brought off, besides his
own guns complete, two guns abandon
ed on the road by another battery in
i front of lis ThAV Wnra nraSnntal ~
him by General Johnston, increasing
his guns to six. On the 18th of May,
1861, he engaged on the right in the
battle of Eltham's Landing, in which
the enemy were defeated by my divi-
sion. He served at Seven Pines and
was especially distinguished in the op-
erations which followed that battle for
his daring and skillful engagements al
most daily across the Chickahominy
with guns of the enemy vastly superior
in number and calibre. When ordered
to reinforce General Jackson with two
brigades of my division 1 selected Cap
tain Reilly to accompany me. He
marched his battery from Richmond
across the Blue Ridge in the same TIM
my troops proceeded by rail and re-
turned with JacksOn's corps to the at
tack on the enemy's right near Rich
mond. In this he was in the lead, dis
tinguishing himself at the crossing OF
the Tocop0tamus river, where he dis
lodged the enemy and covered the re-
building of the bridges on the 26th; or
the 9th was actively engaged in the
decisive battle of Gaines Mill, where he
received the choice for his battery OF
fourteen pieces of artillery captured by
my division. = At White a Swamp
and Malvern Hill he was specially no
ticed. The rest of his career has beer
passed under my successors, but my
chief of artillery was with him AND
bears witness to his most skillful an6
gallant service at Freenlan's Ford AND
at the second battle of Manassas, wheI
under Major General % ne gained
great honor at BooneSboro and a
Sharpsburg. Since then he has beer
at the first battle of Fredericksburg
but was not engaged at Suffolk and il
now again with the army of Virginia
His previous education we'll fitted hin