The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-13
The Wlrssengn.
UNPLEASANT

The virginians have tried to make
cut a case of cowardice against Heth's
division commanded by General john
sfon Pettigrew, and to especially mark
the sol North Carolina brigade in 1T
for censure and obloquy, although 1t
went farther into the enemy's lines
than Pickett's Virginia division went.
1T was a lie out of the whole cloth, this
base, vile attempt. Did you read IN
sundays Messenger General harry
5Hefh's General Order in which BROCK
euboro's Virginian brigade was not only
brauded for cowardice but was dis
~ace6 bv order of their general COM
d himself a noble, brave Vlr-
gilman, who has just gone to his grave!
n stigma could possibly be greater
than this:
-aThey will give up their guns n
.oIors and be put on duty policing the
camps. This sentence is imposed Tor
cowardly conduct on every battie1elo
from Gettysburg to date.
Remarkable to know that brigade
was under Pettigrew at Gettysburg on
the third day, and of the four brigades
constituting the division that very
Vfrginian brigade was the one TO
flash in n pan" and give way Inc
other three charged with great dash'
u~ertinacity and bravery, and lost most
heavily. 1t seems from the article OF
MIR. WV. Gather, of Rocky Point, VINO
tells of what he saw-that on the hrst
day as on the third day they disgraced
themselves and some of them plumber
ed our own valiant dead.
1t will be recalled by those who hved
during the war hat a certain virgin
ia regiment, fully equipped, at the bat
tile of Seven Pines, we hin 1t was, re-
fused to charge a Yankee battery when
ordered to do so by the bravest OF the
brave, General D. II. Hill. He denounc-
ed their cowardice and said, L know
r. regiment thai will obey orders and
make the charge" He rode down the
declivity to where the Thirteenth North
Carolina General Pender's first COM
mand) were lying On their arms. Cen
praI Hill said: Men, up the hill is a
Virginia regiment that refuses to
charge a battery. I told them they
we're towards and that l knew a regl-
ment of North Carolinians that would
go in and capture the battery. L Wish
Won to make the charge" The reg1-
ment sprang as one man to their fee1
and passing directly over the Virgin,
ians soon had possession of the Yankee
battery. Captain Tom Evans, OF cas-
well county,, told us that in the charge
ne accidentally stepped upon the gun
of a reclining Virginian who SAID u
him: Don't tread on my gum. Ill!
reply was: you will not use it. 81
what is the difference" After the bat
tie. as we recall it, thirty-seven year
after, General Hill and the colonel o
the regiment had a newspaper con
troversy over the unfortunate and dis
graceful event. We believe the reg1
rusnt afterwards did valiantly in man.
battles. The lesson is, that people VIII
live in glass houses should not throV
stones, and particularly when they ar
chunking the wrong as a
Gettysburg. If any state ever Dor
itself in a tremendous and prolonge'
battle, extending through three day
of most murderous fire with splendl'
xaIlantry, it was North Carolina. Sh
lost more men and sustained a create
ner centage of loss than any othe
state. on either side.
We learn that quite recently a north
Urn writer has been writing with nue.
elaboration of that great battle OF tn
states, and on the part of the soutI
for a second independence, n n
makes the southern loss nearly doubi
that reported officially by the confed
crate commanders. We cannot sa
how this is. If the confederate officer
of regiments, brigades and division
did not know their losses, how is 1t pos
sible for a writer on the enemy's sid
TO discover the actual loss after a
interval OF thirty-ive years? The usr
nj account of the respective losses u
both armies in round numbers is 1906
killed and wounded for Confederate
and 1000 for Federals.