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

s'N ""I'"oh 1op LUZ ~ SoOli
proved that the valor Of. true soldiers
can amend the misfortnnes of their
comrades, forsuch show of front was
made, on this side Of the mountain
opposite the Frampton Gap, that the
enemy declined tho offer of battle.
A funny incident occurred tho night
of the day that tho works on the
Maryland Heights were captured. A
part of the Quitman Riaemen were
on picquet duty on the mountain
side and Of this detachment was a
very worthy soldier, Philip Kcarnoy,
an Irshman by tho way. When about
ono o'clock that night ho was re-
leved from duty, he went back to
where his company 'w,ro sleeping
and soeing one man covered with a
nice now army blanket, no crawlod
under and slept with him tho bal
ance Of the night. On the noxt morn
ing whom be awol1e, he pushed his
partner Of tho blanket to wako him
up, and with surprise he discovered
that he had, been sleeping with u
dead Yankee soldier. The laugh
was on Kearney this time, and no
Que enjoyed it more than did Liou-
tenant Wright. After the fall of
Harper's Ferry by forced march
McLaws Division was reunited with
the army on tho battlefield Of Sharps
burg, where, posted on tho left, val
liant service was done. Lieutenant
Wright was with his company. Tho
next battle in which he participated
was that of fredericksburg on tho
18th day December, 1862, whore Con-
Leo won one of his brightest tri-
umphs, driving Burnside from the
command Of the Federal army. In
this battle, Lieutenant Wright saw
six commanders Of his Regiment dis
ablcd 10y wounds or killed while the
battle was being fought. Capt. Jno.
K. Nance being placed in command
of tho Regiment as senior officer in
tho field Lioutcnat Wright was
placed in command Of his company.
Ho discharged his duty fully. A
laughable circumstance is reported
as having occurred just here. Mr..
Simon Pratt, very brave man but
with little idea or tasto for the du-
tics of soldier, was on the morning
after the battle, along with his com
rades, ordered to clean up his gun.
One Of the men, seeing his gun stand
ing cooked, said to him: "Mr. Pratt,
look out, your gun IS cockcd-hand
it here and let mo fix it," Mr.. Pratt
handed him tho gun, when the sol
dier looked at tho gun he said:
"Why thoro is no cap on tho tube.
Let mo see if it is loaded. Suiting
tho proper action to tho word he
blew INTO the muzzlc and finding it
without a load in it he said: "Why
Mr.. Pratt, it is not loaded" In
stantly Mr.. Pratt spoke up and said:
"Weli I thought I heard tho old thing
pop on yesterday" 1t seemed that
after once firing it in battle he ncvcr
thought it should be reloaded. 10
no one did this furnish moro amuso-
mont than to Lieutenant Wright.
He was fond Of Mr.. Pratt; sang fro
quently "Young Lochinvar" with
him; and knew that, with all his pc
culiarities, he was a fno fellow.
After this winter quarters and fun.
After the heavy snow storms, which
would cover tho earth for 10 inches
or more, snow battles would be
fought, sometimes between rogi-
ments, sometimes between brigades,
and Lieut.. Wright was always ready
to help in the fun. With tho first Of
May 1868 came Fighting Joe Hooker
and his Charlottesville campaign
which soon came to griof, causing
him to lose command CT tho army Of
the Potomac. Of course Lieut..
Wright was at his post of duty. And
thon came Gettysburg: Lieutenant
Wright was with his command in
that battle which cost the South so
doar. Though Longstrect mover
fought bottor yet tho left never car
ricd the crost Of the hill. Gen. Lee
fell back into Virginia. In Soptem-
Dor 1868, Con. Longstrcct with two