The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-31
AT GETTYSBURG.
Mr.. J.. b. Mercer visits the Death Trap
Where His Brother Fell and Iverson's
Brigade was BlOtted Out.

49, e eA0
Brigade was Blotted Out.
We noted in yesterday mornings
Messenger that Mr.. J. 3. Mercer re-
turned on Friday from a business trip
to New York and nat he visited the
battlefield Of Gettysburg on his return
home. He left Baltimore on Monday
and went to Gettysburg, by way OF the
Western Maryland railroad. The bat
tlefield is only seventy-one miles from
Baltimore, and is reached in a couple
Of hours. On his arrival at Gettysburg
he met tina gallant North Carolinian,
Major William NJ. Robbins, Of States
Vile, who has been at Gettysburg for
three years, as one of the commission
of federal and confederate officers ap-
pointed to ocate the positions Of the
troops of the two armies that contended
in the great three days battle, July
LIST, End and 3rd, 1863. Major Robbins.
who was in the battle, had a warm well
come for Mr.. Mercer, n told him that
he was never so glad as When he met
up with an old Tar Heel. On Tuesday
Major TtOUDluS accompanied MI. ANCi"
Ger over the battlefield, and it vas a
matter of peculiar and painful interest
to Mr.. Mercer, for he had a brother
killed in the first days battle just north
of the town of Gettysburg. Mr.. Mer-
GERS object in visiting the battlefield
was to locate as ear as possible the
spot where his brother gave up his life
for his country. With Major Robbins
assistance and the slabs marking the
position of the troops, Mr.. Mercer is
satisfied he TODD within a few feet, if
not on the very spot where his brother
fell.
His brother was Captain Oliver
Evans Mercer, son of the late Mr.. JOhD
Mercer, Of LockWood's Folly, Bruins
wick county, N. c. He was captain of
Company G, Twentieth North Carolina
regiment, Of VERSIONS brigade, which
a advanced to the death trap" in
front of h impregnable position Oc-
cupied by the One Hundred and Forty
seventh New York regiment, the
Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania regiment
and other federal troops. History re-
cords the fact that at that spot liver
sons brigade was annihilated, most of
the regiment having been killed and
the balance captured. The brigade
never again appeared in the organiza-
ton Of the confederate army. It is
history that the gallant regiments that
were swept from the face of the earth
had advanced to the deadly position
in the completest order and hat the
dead on the field marked a line as if
they had been shot down on dress pa
rade. AS closely as the relic hunters
have stripped the battle field Of every
imaginable relic, Mr.. Mercer while
standing about where his brother fell
picked up a federal bullet. It had
been uncovered by a recent rain, and
the finder considers himself so for
tunate in having a relic he knows .
genuine, and at that from such a sa-
cred spot to him, that he would not
part with it for money. The Rev. A..
D. Belts, of this state, who was a
chaplain in a North Carolina regiment,
rode over the battle field next day
after Captain Evans was killed and
found him cold in death and knelt by
his body and prayed. Mr.. Mercer
showed us yesterday a photograph of
his lamented brother, who was just
past q years of age when he lost his
life.
Tn orninr nXn~ tho hoff10foI6 Mr.
Mercer had pointed ont to hom the po-
sition occupied by the battery Of Ma
jor James Reilly, of this city.
Major Robbins informed Mr.. Mercer
of not a confederate soldier lie around
Gettysburg, as they were all removed
to Hollywood cemetery, at Richmond,
Va.
The positions of the federal troops in
the battle nave been located, and beau
tiful monuments mark the spots. It is
a melancholy fact that only con-
federate monument has been erected
and that by Maryland, where her
troops stood. 1t is a singular coinci-
dence that in this battle the Mary
land regiments on the federal side and
the Maryland regiments on the confed-
crate side faced each other.
1t is we'll known that the govern
ment has and is still identifying the
battle field. Mr.. Mercer says he saw
hundreds of aborers at work making
macadam roads, of which there r
twenty-five miles, through the grounds.
Mr.. Mercer brought back with him
several guide books Of the battle field,
and they will be seen with great in
terest by old confederates who were in
the battle.