The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-10-26
UNPLEASANT STATEMENTS
The Truth of History in Regard to
Certain Virginia and North Carolina
Troops at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Wilmington Messenger.

wilmington Messenger.)
The Nirginians have tried to make
out case Of cowardice against Heth 5
division commanded by General john
ston Pettigrew, and to especially mark
the sole North Carolina brigade in it
for the censure and obloquy, although
it went farther into the enemy's lines
than Pickett's Virginia division went
1t was lie out of the whole cloth.
this base, vile attempt. Did you read
in SUNDAYS Messenger General Harry
Heth's General Order in which Brock
enboro's Virginian brigade was not
only branded for cOwardice but was
disgraced by order of their general
commanding, himself noble, brave
Virginian, who has just gone to his
grave? What stigma could possibly
be greater than this:
They will give up their guns and
colors and be put on duty policing
the camps. This sentence is imposed
for cowardly conduct on every battle
field from Gettysburg to date"
Remarkable to know that brigade
was under Pettigrew at Gettysburg on
the third day, and of the four brig
AIDES constituting the division that
very Virginian brigade was the one to
flash in the pan" and gave way,
The other three charged with great
dash, pertinacity and bravery, and
lost most heavily. 1t seems from the
article Of Mr.. W. w. Gather, Of Rocky
Point, who tells of what he saw-that
on the first day as on the third day
they disgraced themselves and some
of them plundered our own valiant
dead.
1t will be recalled by those who
lived during the war that certain
Virginia regiment, fully equipped, at
the battle Of Seven Pines, we think it
was, refused to charge Yankee bat
terry when ordered to do so by the
bravest OF the brave, General ID. IL.
Hill. He denounced their cowardice
and said, Il know regiment that
will obey orders and make the
charge" He rode down the declivity
to where the Thirteenth North Caro-
lima General Tenders first command)
were lying on their arms. General
Hill said: Men, up the hill is a
Virginia regiment that refuses to
charge Il battery. | told them they
were towards and that | knew a regi-
ment of North Carolinians that would
90 in and capture the battery.
wish YOU to make the charge" The
regiment sprang as one man to their
feet and passing directly over the
Virginians soon had possession of the
Yankee battery. Captain Tom Evans,
of Casweil county, told us that in the
charge he accidentally stepped upon
the gun of a reclining Virginian who
said to him: don't tread on my gun
His reply was: you will not use it.
so what is the ditference?n After
the battle, as we recall it, thirtyseven
years after, General Hill and the
colonel of the regiment had a news
paper controversy over the unfOrtu-
nate and disgraceful event. We be-
live the regiment afterwards did
valiantly in many battles. The les
son is, that people who live in glass
houses should not throw stones, and
particularly when they are chunkine
the wrong command as at Gettysburg.
If any State ever bore itself in 4 tire
mendous and prolonged battle, ex-
tending through three days of most
murderous fire with splendid gallant
~, it was North Carolina. She lost
percentage of loss than any other
State, on either side.
We learn that quite recently a
Northern writer has been writing with
much elaboration of that great battle
of the States, and on the part Of the
South for a second independence, and
| he makes the Southern loss nearly
double that reported officially by the
| Confederate commanders. We cannot
say how this IS If the Confederate
officers of regiments, brigades and di-
! visions did not know their losses,
| how is it possible for writer on the
enemy's side to discover the actual
! loss after an interval of thirty-fivo
years? The usual account of the re,
| spective losses of both armies il
numbers is 16, 900 killed and wounded
| Tor COntedcrateS ana lI,OOO Tor FED
erals.
The Scientific American gets the
twentieth century business straight
1t seems little singular that ther.
should have been any controversy
over it, but there was. The Anaeri
can says; The nineteenth century
closes with the year 1900. Immedi
ately after midnight, therefore, Of
December 81, 1900, is when the
twentieth century begins; in othe1
words, it begins with the first secono
of the first hour of the first day O
January, 1901" The same pape1
observes that the twentieth century
will have the greatest number of LEAP
years possible for a century-twenty
four-and that February will three