Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-05
TARuEEIs THIN GRAY LINE.
An Error CONGRATULATIONS Black
nall. and others.

nall, and others.
Baltimore. Nd
To the Editor Of the Dispatch;
Some time ago there WAS published In
the Wlnston-salem Sentinel. and copied
in the Dispatch. very interesting arti-
Gle called 1.-THE Tarheels' Thin Gray
Line" by General Bradley T. Johnson
describing an incident OF the Valley
campaign OF 1864 The article. as pub
llshed IN the Sentinel and Dispatch. con-
tanned a serious typographical error. The
sentence. There were 5000 infantry ana
10 900 cavalry, and 1890 mounted gunner
should read. There were iJoW infantry
and 1000 cavalry I'm am open field, against
5000 infantry, and 5000 mounted gum
men"
1.-THE Tarheels' Thin Gray Line" was
first published I'm the Baltimore News
some five or six years ago.
Brigadier General Robert ID. Johnston
is a native of North Carolina. but is now
a resident Of Birmingham. Ala. lie was
commissioned az second-lieutenant, Beat
ties Ford Rifles North Carolina State
Troops, May Q. 1851. and in years time
became colonel Of the Twenty-third North
Carolina Infantry lie was made a brig
adier-general September !. 1853. During
the Valley campaign his brigade consisted
Of the following regiments: Fifth North
Carolina. Twelfth North Carolina. Twen-
tieth North Carolina colonel, Thomas r.
loon. afterwards brlgadicr general.
Twenty-third North Carolina colonel
Charles c. BlacknalD. and the famous
First North Carolina Battalion Sharp
shooters (major, r. T.. Wilson,. John
stons Brigade, with Godwins North Car
DINA brigade, and Pegram's old Virginia
brigade, under Colonel John y. Hoffman.
formed IL grams Division. The Old North
state IS justly proud Of General Bob
Johnston.
General Bradley r. Johnson is n Mary
lander, and entered the Confederate army
as captain Of Company A. First Maryland
Infantry Colonel Arnold Eizey command
ing. lie succeeded George III. Stewart.
another gallant AarylandeI, as colonel of
the regiment. I'm June. 1853. At Second
Manassas. where he commanded the Se-
cOnd Brigade OF Jacks0n's Division his
troops ran ont of ammunition, and fought
with stones. In the early part of 1861 he
was assigned to the command OF the Ma
ryiand line. stationed at Hanover june
ton 20 protect Lees line of communion
ton with Richmond. lie rendered VAL
liable service IN repuising the Dahlgren
raid. on June 2S 1854 Colonel Johnston
was made n brigad!er and placed i'm COM
mand of the cavalry brigade Of General
William J.. Jones. who had been killed at
Piedmont, June g. 1854 This brigade Of
wild Southwestern Nirgnian hOrsemen"
consisted OF the Eighth. Twenty-hrst and
Twenty-second regiments, and the Thir-
ty-fOurth and Thirty-siXth battaliOns of
Virginia Cavalry JOhnson's Brigade
with the bugades Of Imbodens. McCaus-
lands and IT, j.. Davidson's. formed To-
maX's cavalry DIVISIONAL Virglnans, ex-
ntu he Iur % no
Wilson'S Brigade. During the Appomattox
campaign General Johnson commanded a
division of AndersOn's Corps. r. Is now
a resident of the State for which he
fought In the dark days OF lSCl-'G5.
Another North Carolinan who fought
and fen IN the "Tarhees thin gray line"
deserves special mention The Twenty
third North Carolina General Robert
Johnstons old regimenO was commanded
by Colonel Charles Christopher Blacknall.
of Granville county. y. c., a descendant
Of tho Blacknalls Of Wing. Buckingham-
shire, who intermarried with the noble
and exclusive Norman family OF Har-
court" AT the outbreak of the war Col
Onal Blacknal organized the Granville
Rihemen" Company ca, Tweuty-third
North Carolina, and was elected captain
Of the company. He rose rapidly TO the
colonelcy of tho regiment on the 18th of
september, 1864, the Twenty-third occu-
pied as a picket the extreme outpost Of
Johnstons North Carolina brigade, and
upon it fell tho fun force of the Federal
onslaught. While the handful OF Tar
heels were slowly retreatng before the
enemy's cavalry Colonel Blacknau was
MORALLY wounded. He was removed TO
Winchester, and when the Confederates
retired up the valley that night he fell
into the enemy's hands. To quote from
his biographer:
Dying I'm the home Of n Washington.
and on the site OF Washington's ancient
fort, built in the French aud Indian war,
his death was in keeping with his pictu-
7 rescue career"
Courage and command Of faculty under
fire distinguished Colonel Blacknall. even
| among Confederate officers. where the
standard OF manhood was as high as the
world has seen. II is 90 be doubted If any
officer of Ike rank I'm Lees army had in
greater measure the love and confidence
OF the private soldier. Handsome. elo-
quent intellectual, gifted with singular
charm of manner, and beloved by ali men
because his heart was as big as humanity,
he has been termed by a comrade who
knew him well in all the trying vicissi-
tudes of soldiers life rs the ideal Con-
federate officer, and by another as one Of
the most chiyalr0us men he ever knew"
And to this We may add, I'm the words
OF the great English poet:
Ills life was gentle. and the elements
so mixd I'm him that Nature might stand
up. and say 10 an the world, This was q
man. "
The story Of the "Tarheels' thin gray
line should be published in pamphlet
form, and placed IN tho hands OF each ana
every North Carolina schOoibOy.
/ am very resuecffulfy