The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-05-28
A WAR "REMINISCENCES
Recalled by the Recent Death of Major
Il. A. Capehart.

b. A. Capehart.
To the Editor:
l was in December, 1868, taken out of
the ranks of the Third Battalion. North
Carolina Artillery. near Wilmington. and
made Il post courier on General Whit
ng's staff, and at his recommendation
was appointed by President Davis q
midshipman in the navy from the Con
federacy at large, being one of ten thus
honored. Early in 90 / resigned my DO
sitiOn in the navy, and. with the hopes
of seeing some active service, joined the
Fifteenth Battalion of North Carolina
cavalry. commanded by Col. Jas. Holli-
day, and belonging to Gen. Lawrence $
Bakers brigade. Gen. Baker was a gal
liant officer with a brilliant record. and
at that time commanded the post at
Weldon.
Major Capeheart was the major of the
battalion, and Thomas S. Capeheart was
the captain of the company to which I
belonged. Captain Tom Capeheart pre-.
scented me with a thorough bred horse. Il
beauty, and swift one. 1t was named
Cullen after his father.
Our command was stationed several
months at Weldon doing vidette duty
for quite Il scope of country, and having
an OCCASIONAL brush with the enemv's
advance lines and scouts. Finally our
railroad and telegraphic communications
were cut off from every direction and
there we were. We could hear nothing
from Lees army in Virginia or John
ston's south of us, and finally rumors
cam" of Lees surrender-later brought
whole companies of Lees army, who
told us of the surrender.
The magnificent railroad bridge across
the Neuse river between Weldon and
Garysburg was closely packed with
freight trains on all it's tracks. loaded
down with cotton, tar. pitch and tur-
pentine. and the structure was SET on
fire. We sat on the banks and watched
the dazzling confagration and saw the
great spans one by one drop into the
river far below and drift with their halo
of fire finally out of sight.
There quickly came orders for Il hur-
ried march, and in IA short while the
whole command, which, by the way, at
that time. embraced detachment of
Wheeler's cavalry, started
Our march led us on the way to Raj
eigh. and our hope was to reach Gen.
Joe Johnston's army. On reaching Ridge
way station we went into camp for Il
brief rest and here we learned for the
first time Of Johnstons surrender, and
realized the fact. in all its sadness. that
the cause of the Confederacy was crush
cd and hopeless.
Then it was that ''boots and saddle"
were sounded for the last time to our
little command, and a few minutes later.
when formed i'll line, Gen. Baker rode
out and, in touching words. told us ALI
the sad news. He said that every man
must be governed by his own ideas of
what he thought best, that he should
try and reach the Trans Mississippi de-
partment with Il small party. which he
limited to three. We were finally dis
banded there. | do not think any of the
men ever got through Stoneman's lines.
| know that Gen. Baker never did, be-
cause he told me so in the course of il
very pleasant evening at his home i'll
Suffolk twenty years afterwards.
As for myself. staid around and en-
joyed the hospitality of the neighbor-
hood for awhile with the Alstons, the
Hawkins. the Purnells and others. and
after numerous picnics and good times
generally / wendell my way back to my
old home in Norfolk, Va. with a sadness
in my heart which all thes, years has
never entirely effaced.
The memory of Major Capeheart will
long be treasured by those who knew
him, and by none more warmly than
those who served with him during the
war. He was man of noble impulses,
and there nevr entered into his makeup
one iota of selfshness.
Yours truly.
JOSHUA CREACY WRIGHT.
Lock box 1872, Houston, Texas.
May n, 1899