The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-23

Through the main fire from left to right
company 4 did not hesitate or falter,
tut recrOssed the river to tire right an
struggled each man for himself through
llle quagmine, thigh deep to the de
serted position. The more | think of ii
me more gallant the company appears.
Nhen we got there | saw Il ZUuayC
regiment of the enemy i'll line of BATTLE
ABOUT 800 yards away. Our boys popped
away at them but the fire was not re
turned. Then, IN good order, they
marched away down the New Market
road. Probably the order to retreat haG
been given the whole Federal army. -
~ few minutes latter Col. Hill, pass,
ing from our right through the coin
pany, said: Capt. Bridgers, can't you
lastvc that house burned| and immediate,
ly went ON.
Capt. Bridgers asked if five of the
company would volunteer to burn it
suggesting that one of the number
should he an officer. Corporal George
L. Williams said he would be the of
ficer and four others said they WOul
so. Matches and little Ratchet were
provided at once and Il minute later the
little PARTY scrambled over the little
breaSt-works in the following order,
George +. Williams, Thomas Fallon.
John II. Thorpe, Henry L. Wyatt HnG
r. II. Bradley.
THE first four kept their relative
positions, as stated. i'll three PAGES OF eacl
other. Bradley was behind, but M
doubt running at his lest. \ wolfe!
was fired at lis as If by company, not
from the house, but from the road to
ward our left. As we Were we'll drilled
in diminishing. all of us instantly drop
ped to the ground, Wyatt mortally
wounded.
HE never uttered a word, or a grOan
but hay limp on his lack. his arms eX
tended. one knee up and Il eliot of blo0C
OH his forehead as large as a mans fist
He was lying within four feet of me ant
this is the way | saw him when }
twisted my nose out of the ground an1
looked around. AS soon as we lalC
down Williams and FallOn returned the
fire. did not shoot because | did no,
see the enemy. While lying there
seemed a very long timc-Terhaps five
mlnutes-we heard Capt. Bridgers or
der us to return, which we did in Il run.
We did not bring Wyatt out, but re
ported that he was killed, and shortly
thereafter some of the boys brOugh
him in. | remember Harrison LyOl
was one Of those who went for him.
Our regiment returned TO yorktown
that night. where we brought Wyatt
and where he died. Tie must have beer
unconscious and ;nsensible from the time
the bullet struck his forehead.
ITO look at Wyatt one would taxi
Aim to he tenacious of life; low bu,
robust in build, guileless, open, frank
aggressive.
"ThCSe Of us vito were with him when
he was killed were detailed to bear his
body to the Richmond boat and he was
taken to that city and inferred.
II Will show you the map and | trus!
my recollection will restore to history
'w.isut It has lost by the lapse of time.
-FOUR friend.
JOHN III. THORPE"
This statement. in a private letter t.
me- CCrroborates the statement of Geo.
f. Williams. except that WlFianfs dir
not remember to have seen Mr.. Bradle!
aan0ng the volunteers. Capt Thorpe Il
certain that Mr.. Bradley started, but
did NOT 1see him afterward. Anyone ac-
quainted with that clever gentleman
knows that Mr.. Bradley rs gallant
enough to have been one of the heroes.
| have never heard his account, but
What ne says would ego" anywhere.
lswt how Mr.. Blacknall could ignore
Capt. John Fl. Thorpe is II mystery.
though of course it was done uninten-
tiorally.
on will note, Mr.. Editor, that Capt
Thorpe gives the glory of the first battle
to our own beloved Tar Heels" term
which all of us Confederate soldiers
bear with pride, as it means adhesion
TO duty.
DOSSEY BATTLE.
Tarboro, n. c., Jan. 20.