The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-11

Blacknall-a man or letters ana well
| known from his productions In the At
lantic Monthly and the newspapers. He
married Miss Virginia Spencer, Of Ok
ford. who still lives to mourn the death
Oh her true and manly husband. These
facts we get from Capt. Capehart's re-
Gently delivered memorial on Col. Black
nall. and from the Henderson Gold Leaf.
whose editor, commenting on the truth
and beauty OF that address, adds his own
eulogy OF the dead:
"Col Blacknall had ardent patriotism,
high conviction OF right and principle,
and an engaging manhood. His presence
was attractive. his gifts were many, his
heroism OF n lofty type" Such a man
must needs have made an ideal Southern
soldier. He received his death wound
at the battle of Winchester, September
10th, 1864. Having his foot
shattered by ball from n cavalryman's
carbine, amputation failed to arrest the
gangrene that subsequently set in; and
he died on March 4th-being ministered
to by the good ladies of Winchester He
was buried by Christie's side-both Colo
nels of the 23rd n. G. and par mobile
fratrum. While the remains Of Christie
have been transferred to his home, Black
nall sleeps in the Stonewall cemetery at
Wmchester-a fact, which, whether Of
deliberate choice on the part Of friends
or not, seems fitting to meet the idea OF
the patriot bard: where should a soldier
rest but where he fell?" TO return to the
regiment: We would be only too glad to
have given a more detailed, as well as
extended. account of battles already re-
ferred to- which friends have furnished
us, particularly of Charlottesville and
Gettysburg; but it is probably we'll to
have left that to the more general his
torian, since the action Of one command,
in any given fight, may be taken, as a
rule, to be the action of all under the
guiding hand and genius of their respec-
tive leaders. For the purposes of this
sketch, an extensive account of any bat
tie is not called for; hence, for the re-
manning report to be given, we propose TO
condense as much as possible. After
Gettysburg the remainder Of the
brigade which was then almost
without a single field officer, refused Ion
ger to serve unden Iverson; and Lieut.
Col. r. d. Johnston was made Brigadier
General. Iverson was removed and
Lieut.-Col. Robert ID. Johnston, of Lin
coin county, n. c., was placed in COM
mand of the brigade the division being
commanded by Rodes. Gettysburg had
proved to be the lion IN the path OF
Gen. Lees march into the enemy's coun-
try. and he soon fell back into Virginia
In operations at Vidiersville. and near
Brandy Station, in the fall of 1868, the
regiment sustained loss, but not heavy.
In barracks at Hanover, during the win
ter OF 1868 and ga, the regiment may be
said to have had really good time, as
did the entire brigade. So at the opening
Of the campaign in 1864, the regiment
and entire brigade appeared well re-
cruited for duty, well equipped, and in
good fighting trim generally. Governor
Vance, in a speech to the army, said the
boys looked like they had corn to sell"
This remark of Governor Vance's sug-
gested most strikingly the contrast as be-
tween the appearance of the troops then
and their woe-begone plight on the return
from the fatal field of Gettysburg 1t
was somewhat now like it was when the
fight first opened at Charlottesville.
barring the fact that the regiment did
not number SO many men. 1t entered the
fight at Charlottesville in frst-rate trim.
numbering somewhere between 800 and
400 men, rank and file. 1t lost good Of
fcers there in the death of Captains
Knight. Of Co. ID. and Hedspeth of Co.
X, besides from 80 to 60 priyates and two
commissioned officers killed, and from 125
TO $50 wounded, as estimated by Capt
Cole, formerly of Co. 3D." although the
Rosters report does not exceed 80 killed
WI dnI wit
much reduced that the regiment entered
the first days fight at Gettysburg. 1t
must have been a small command at that
battle, although it exhibited the nerve
and endurance of host. It's Adjutant.
Junius French, was killed there, and
among the killed also was VIM. H. John
ston, Captain Of Co. X, while the Roster
places the killed Of privates and non
commissioned officers at about 50, and
SO wounded, and SO among the captured
and missing Among the wounded and
captured of the 23rd was Capt III. G..
Turner, of Co. H, since the war distin-
guished member of Congress from Geor-
gia. He is a native of Granville, and
brother of Adjutant Vines r.. Turner
1t is well authenticated that only one of
ficer and not exceeding twenty men Of
the regiment escaped death, wounding, or
capture. 1t was about the 7th Of May,
1864, that the brigade, after season
of recreation in the vicinity of Hanover
and Taylorsville, received orders to re-
join the army at the Wilderness, near
Spottsylvania c. H. Gen. Grant was
now in command ON the other side. The
regiment had part in the battle Of the
Wilderness.
Brigadier General Johnston joined his
command on the Rappahannock just be-
fore the battle of Mine Run and partici-
pated- in that fight, although the brigade
was not actively engaged, as it was a
mere skirmish. The brigade reached the
army, from Hanover, just before the bat
tie Of the Wilderness. 1t participated in
the engagement with Gordon's brigade,
turning the right flank Of the Federal
line. The brigade, in making the flank
attack, penetrated to the rear of the
enemy with some 300 or 400 men, but
was recalled and escaped through the
nd {ont ,o,.% svx h. IL