The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-07

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formed. Drill, drill, drill. Then
service on guard duty. Then police
duty-which protects the health and
comfort Of the soldiers. Then pro-
During the food and preparing it to
be eaten. In all these duties Ser.
geant Wright was faithful. The first
battle of the war, for the command
of which he was member, was
First Manassas; tho Third Regiment
was stationed at NiitchelPs Ford, or
Bull Run Greek. Here they first
heard the sound of shot and shell
and the whiz of the minnie bullet.
Although advanced to the point
whore glory was in sight, through
some mysterious law of mans na-
ture, an opportunity for dealing IL
staggering blow to the enemy and of
n Brigadier General winning his
spurs as a Major General were lost
by the act of one man! Not long
after this Sergeant Wright became
a Lieutenant. His deportment was
the same. The only change in him
was in the change Of his duties. Dur
ing the winter of 18G1-G2, Lleuten-
ant Wright was in camp near Con-
treville. This has always seemed to
mo critical time with q soldior.
Life is monotonous, and tho tempta-
tion to drink and cards great. But
moral principles woro too deeply
planted in his nature for him to sue
cumb to such seductlons.
| He took part in the battles of vii,
liamsburg, Seven Pines and in the
Seven Days Battles around Rich
mond, in May aud Juno and July
1862 In the last (Seven Days Bat
tles) Lieutenant Wright must have
seen that the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia needed very badly that some
incompetent Major Generals should
have been summarily expelled from
their high places, for never was tho
flower of any army moro rccllessly
led and handled than was done by
blunderheads n these Seven Days
Battles around Richmond He saw
! General Lee Immediately after
wards dispense with tho services
of some, if not all of them. Then it
was that the Peerless Lee organized
his matchless army. Tho command
to which Lieutenant Wright belong
cd did not share in the glories Of the
Second Manassas, but it was rcunit-
cd to the main body of the Army of
Northern Virginia in timc to pa1tici
pate in tho movement across the Po-
tomac into the State of Maryland
when and where Lieutenant Wright,
although no doubt singing tho song
of "Maryland, My Maryland" saw
few of hor sons rally to Loo's stand
ard. After few days rest in and
around Frederick City, the army
was put in motion. Soon it was as
certained that the capture of the gar
rison at Harper's Forry was tho OBJ
ject of the march. But how We can
ever understand tho loss Of the copy
of the order from Con. Leo provid-
ing for tho division Of his army, I am
unable to understand. The order
;as said to have been found, wrap
ping up three cigars, by somo one Of
/ McClellan's officers, about tho 18th
Of September 1862. But how to OK.
plain such use of so important a
piece of paper is the mystery: it was
either base perfidity, or criminal
carelessness. BE the explanation what
it may, it led to very terrible results.
BY the terms Of this order, Gen.
Jackson with his own Division as
we'll as those of A. p. Hill, Walker,
and another was to invest Harper's
Ferry from the Virginia side of tho
! Potomac river, while those OF Nc
Laws and r. H. Anderson were to
invest Harper's Ferry from tho
Maryland side Of the Potomac river.
Lieutenant Wright's command was a
part of McLaws Diyison--and to
Kershaw's Brigade was assigned the
duty OF taking the works on the
Maryland Heights. Tho Third Reg
iment stormed tho works, and Lieu
tenant Wright was at his post of du~
ty. This action of this Regiment was