The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-11-07


That He and His Companions Were
the Enemy-Discussio of the Mat.
ter Broken Out In a New Place.
Fayetteville Observer.
We give below an interesting COM
munication from Capt. All. H. II.
Tolar, now OF Texas, but formerly of
Bladen county. Captain Tolar was
Captain Of one of the companies in
the Eighteenth Regiment OF Lanes
Brigade. 1t was the fire Of this regi-
ment which caused the death Of
Stonewall Jackson. Many incorrect
stories have been told concerning this
disastrous occurrence. but the facts
were we'll known in Lanes Brigade.
1t appears that tho discussion OF the
matter has broken out in a new place,
and Captain Tolar, all officer Of tho
highest reputation as man Of vsrac-
ity as well as a soldier, does well to
recits the simple story of an event
which produced such far-reaching
effect upon the fortunes of the Con-
federacy. Following is Capt. Tolar's
letter:
DAMON. Texas, July 29, '01.
Mr.. Editor:-In view of the recent
discussion whether Frank S. Rosen-
thall, Of Carrollton, Mo-, a Louisiana
Tiger, is the man who fired the shot
which resulted in the death of Stone
wall Jackson. a review Of the facts in
the case may prove interesting.
AS an eyewitness to the affair |
desire to make some statement OF
facts as they have impressed them
selves on my mind and to call as wit
nesses for concurrence the gallant
Maj. L. j. Wooten, of the 18th N. G..
T., the chivalrous Captains V. v.
Richardson and Thomas l.. Lewis, Of
the 18th n. G. r., and other officers Of
the 18th who were in line at the time
this sad affair was enacted.
1st. Under the circumstances it
would have been utterly impossible
for any one to know who fired the
fatal bullet or bullets. That the
wounds were from the firing line OF
the Eighteenth North Carolina troops,
officers and men Of that regiment will
testify with regret. II my memory
serves me true, the Eighteenth Regi-
ment was the only regiment on the
left Of the turnpike, the remainder of
the brigade Lane's) being on the
right of the road as we faced the
enemy at Charlottesville. About
dark General Jackson and staff, ac-
companied by General A. p. Hill and
| or ho IN in cd
| vance of our line Of battle, and, COM
ing closer to the enemy's line than
they expected, were fired on from a
| regiment OF infantry; and then some
batteries of artillery turned loose
with heavy firing, sending shot and
shell down the pike. The General
and staff left the road, and the two
Generals jackson and HilD, with
staffs and couriers, came down on
the 18th at a rapid gait. The night
was calm and the tramp Of thirty
horsemen, advancing through heavy
forests rapid gait, seemed to the
average infantryman like brigade OF
cavalry. Noting the approach OF
horsemen from the front, and having
been advised that the enemy was in
front, with no line of pickets inter
Col. Purdie gave the order Fix bayo-
nets; load; prepare for sctionn'' as
fast as the command could be given.
When the supposed enemy was in 100
yards, perhaps, of our line, the Colonel
gave the command Commence fir
iug!" and from that moment until
notified by jor Holland Tor Harris)
of General Jacksons staff, that we
were firing on our own men, the firing
was kept up by the entire regiment
with great rapidity. The horse OF
Major Harris (or Holland) was knocked
| down with a blow from the butt OF a
gun in the hands Of Arthur S. Smith,
| Coz X, 18th \. c. r., and at>that mo-
| msnt we were notified % the sad mis-
| take that had been made, by the
Major.
1t was during this continuous fir
| ing that General Jackson received bis
wounds, and if any other troops ex-
cept the 18th fired a shot did not
| hear Of il. The soldier on the firing
line knows how impossible it would
| be for any one to know who fired the
| fatal shot, and the man who would at
| tempt to set up such . claim would
| certainly presume on the intelligence
Of the average Confederate soldier.
or course, if Mr.. Rosenthall knows be
fired the fatal shot, he knew it at the
time. and knew at whom he was
shooting; but he could not have done
this and been in the ranks of the 18th
or any other troops engaged in The
! firing. This view OF the case would
seem to put Mr.. Rosenthall in bad
I light, but, as this is a matter that
must go into history, the only object
OF the writer is to try to aid in getting
the truth of the matter fairly stated.
| This is the first intimation that has
come TO my knowledge Of any Louis
lana Tiger being on that part Of the
field that night. The battalion o.
Tigers bad been disbanded before that
unhappy occurrence, if my memory
serves me right.
can call to mind many OF the Off
GERS OF the Eighteenth Regiment who
were present, and | hope to hear from
them on this subject through the col
umns OF the Observer. There arr
other incidents OF that sad nigh
which might be related with interes
for the information OF the Sons ant
Daughters OF the Confederacy, which
We may take up at some future time
Very truly,
ALI. II. H. TOLAR,
Late Capt. Co. X, 18th n. {. Troops