The National tribune., 1901-10-17
CARRICK'S FORD.
An Eyewitness Gives His Version Of the
Killing of Gen. Garrett.

EDlIOK NAIIONAL IRlBbNE. Iedu
your valuable paper with a great deal
of interest, and hardly know whose con-
tribution | most admire. They are all
good, and to one who served in the Army
of the Potomac q character like Geo.
Dallas MOsgrOye, writing, We'll say, from
Stonewall Jackson's Corps, would GER
tainly be intensely interesting to many
who operated against that willy chieftain
and | rather begrudge the boys who faced
Morgan, in that they are having at this
late date so fluent a writer as the author
of ''Bugle Notes" Another subject that
has attracted my attention is the death of
Gen. Garnett.
l was a high private in Co. E, 9TH
Ind, first call for 10000 men. The com
pany was recruited from Aurora and vi
cinity. The required 100 names We're
enrolled before Fort Sumter fell and be-
fore that first call for 10000 volunteers.
The company was differed as follows:
John II. Ferry, Captain; Alex Il. Patter-
son, First Lieutenant; Henry Waller, Sec
ond Lieutennt, and Il. +. Burlingame,
| Orderly Sergeant.
We were rcndezvOused at Indianapolis,
and were made color company of the 18th
| Ind, with no less parsonage for Colonel
than EbeneZer DumOnt, who had earned
an enyiable reputation during the Next
can war.
The It'll Ind. was the second regiment
to leave the State. We disembarked at
Grafton, w. Va. We then went to Web
ster, and from there, with other regiments
and a battery, started out one very dark,
rainy night for Philippi, where we ar
rived on schedule time.
The battery opened fire from the hill
top overlooking the town, while the in
fantry, led by Col. Dumont, charged down
the hill and across the bridge by com
panies, in close column, through the
nd fa, ha Iu,itE nf b,
town. There were no casualties in the
18th Ind. Col. Kelley, of the list w. Va,
was shot through the lungs by q man in
citizens clothes The Virginians would
have made short work of him but for the
timely interference of Col. DumOnt, who
said that he should be accepted as pris-
oner of war, since he had thrown away
his weapon, an old-fashioned horse-pistol,
and held up his hand, loudly calling for
quarter. The JOhnnies lost one man,
wOunded-leg shot off by bursting shell.
We were not long delayed at the classic
town of Philippi, but wended our way
to Burlington and Laurel Hill, where the
rebel forces under Garnet disputed our
passage. The choosing of locations and
their Notifications were proof of skillful
engineering. While we were daily Skin
mishing with them and thinking every
day we would be allowed to assault their
works, Mcclellan was busy getting in their
rear ut Cheat Mountain, where considera-
BILE strategy was shown, and after stub
born battle, fought between Rosecrans and
Gen. Pegram, and won by Rosecrans, who
swooped down on the rear of the army at
Laurel Hill, the only thing left for the
Johnnies to do was to beat Il hasty retreat
anything to get away and not be caught
between two fires. Then the mad race
commenced, with Garnett's forces well in
the lead. AS the chase waXed warm the
Of
army equipments. Finally, we commenced
overhauling their stragglers, and the ones
| saw were tine-looking fellows. They
looked like men of leisure from the cities
of the South, and their dress and depQrt
ment denoted Southern culture.
After passing over mountains and "a lot
of rough country, we struck the Cheat
River Valley, portions of which were fine
productive land. The 18th Ind. was second
or third to the front. While thus surg
ing to the front our ears were saluted
by the boom from Garnett's artillery,
which was III position on elevated ground
on the opposite side of the river, just to
the left of the ford. The artillery and
infantry were ready to dispute our pas
sage of the ford.
Col. Dumont, who had as much fight in
him as any man north or south of Mason
and Dixon's line, dashed furiousy to the
front and assisted III formation of line
of battle, and then opened the much
Ionged-for battle. Our regiment did but
little, if any, firing until Dumont led US
across the river, which was probably 200
yards wide from bank to bank, and about
three feet deep.
The approach to the ford from the en-
emy's side of the river led through a mar
row gorge, which was thickly grown up
with trees and laurel bushes extending
high up on the bluff or rapidly-rising
ground.
To the left was the road, which was
blockaded with wrecked wagons and one
or two pieces of artillery, an Anticipated
iron piece, about a 12-pounder, all of
which effectually blOckaded the road. In
crossing the swift-running current bore our
column below the ford. Then commenced
scramble through the laurel thickets and
up the rugged ascent. Our Second Lieu
tenant, who had seen service in the Brit
sh army, and was very quIck-witted, saw
a point to be gained by bearing off to
the left. Those of us who followed him
worked our way through the wrecked
train in approach to the ford and passed
all distractions. Then we had clear sail
ing on to the next ford above, about a
third of mile distant. Here we found
the enemy behind some drift that had
formed in the bend on the opposite side
of the river. My brother, VIM. Wheeler,
was first to gain position behind a tree,
and fired the first shot. / came up to him
Just after he fired, and after scolding be-
cause | stood in the open where the bull
lets were falling thick and fast, he told
me to shoot at an officer whose head and
breast were above the drift, where he was
either standing on something or mounted
on a horse. / raised my gun to draw Il
bead on him, when Orderly-Sergeant b.
F. Burlngame said to wait and we would
fire a volley at him. At the word of COM
mand from Burlingame three of us fired,
and my brother said, You've killed him."
| am certain there were not 20 shots fired
by us at this second ford. We crossed at
once, the enemy having fled after the
fall of their chieftain, and found Gen
Garnett with fatal wound IN the breast
| saw a culver of the muscles and he
was dead. | was one of probably a dozen
who were the first to reach him.
am not certain who the third man was
in the firing party, but think it was either
Laycock or Vinson, of Co. e. Now, 1
could not say positively whose shot killed
Garnett. The credit was given to Bur-
lingame at the time, and has never been
disputed until after a lapse of 40 years.
When his gun was given over at Indianap-
oils a pacard was placed on it which
read: This is the gun carried by b. +.
Burlingame, and killed the first Major
General of the war"
My statement of what / know to be
true is in defense of a man who is not
here to defend his claim. He has long
since answered the last rOll-call. But