The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-03
Hg shot GENERAL REYNOLDS.
SHlRPSHOOTER VINO KILLED
GETTYSBURG HERO.
Was OnI, q BOY Of sixteen when II Hap
prncd and Was Acting Under an az.
trer's Orders-Sorry Now That He
nd It-Ilis story OF the Tragedy.


nd n-Iiis story Of the Tragedy.
From the pHsburo Leader
"Bsn. it did its work; you may come down
now"
Nearly forty years ago on the morning
ofthe FIRST day OF July, 1858. these words were
.poken by n Confederate officer and a
lanky. bcardless youth clambered down
from his perch in the top branches of u cherry
tree with rife still smoking in his hands
simultaneously. and only 900 yards away.
gallant Union General. an ariny corps leader,
on whose shoulders cleaned the stars be-
tokenng his rank, fell from hls horse with n
bullet hole In his head, and lie died before his
aids could reach his side.
This is the story OF the death Of Major
Gen Reynolds. Pennsylvania beloved
soldier son. at tho opening OF the first days
battle Mt Gettysburg, told by the sharpsh ooter
who had laid him low and now published
for the first time, The incident has been
hitherto almost unyoced. for the man who
when only boy OF 10 years fired the fatal
shot has bitterly repented Of 1t.
His name is Ben jamin Thorpe. and he il
now. at the age of SO, what he was in the wnr.
the crack shot Of North Carolina. and he still
lives on his ancestral acres Just outside the
village Of Sutterwhite.
Ben Thorpe Is not proud OF his achieve
n,ent and only to his more intimate friends
VIII ne (liR ol tne SnOt Ilreu from me treptOp
that July morning years ago When he
does speak OF it there is poignant regret in
his tone. He regretted it the day he learned
who the distinguished target which his bullet
struck was, and he has never ceased to regret
Lonely he lives upon his big plantation,
his only companions. except for Northern
visitors. being n half score of negro hands
and twenty gaunt and fredericksburg
IcarhDt,nda n I'M sind
All day on the 3Oth OF June, 1859. the egons
OF Lee. Longstreet and Hill had been sweep
ing up from the Southern plains In tho drec-
ton OF Gettysburg, intent upon destroying
the Union army of Hooker and Meade and
opening up the farest and richest valleys and
most populous cities Of the North to pillage.
In the van were the Confederate brigunds of
Pettgrcw and Archer. Of Hcnth's division,
Hills corps. and swinging up. the Chambers
burg road this force. on the morning of
July l. had taken up q commanding position
just below Seminary Ridge. In McPherson's
woods and about an old farmhouse which
stood Just beyond them lay the Twenty sixth
North Carolina Infantry, each man sharp
shooter, trained BY long practice to pick a
squirrel from the top of a tall tree.
shooters Jay snusIy hidden in, the tons s Of Of
officers as their qiarry. FncinE them and
holding commanding position on the crest
of ns RGse nnnsd the Union artillery
morning Js s'1od wSs ?so' keS 2" tGs
@ hns the f the 'I Tnon 1ms e GSnns
gallopins along the Emmetsbmrg road from,
n 10 adyapee Of
sixth Pennsylvania, Regiment and the Second
Wisconsin; the famed Iron Brigade; quickly
the Second Wisconsin arrived UPON the Held
west Of the Seminary he, ordered. them TO
sS s9s e95 % Ssds
ebey snd s SsstSrs tas position
gained from the fact that The H Second py WE ee
s consn left e. ssa dead IN The woods me death
In that same bloody anray was sss.. '' ''m ~"
1s e. xqi nna, fhs,ss was made e
ISSUING dsE. orders to his sdss The
bead to look for his supporting columns and ana
h r. ten then then on when st rife BAN struck him
fell the srouns fa dead I'fe It's stricken rider
e ,essy 1Iha' ira ows he ibe Ssrss
Re d had seld ar z bis eye and srimy said Ben
ben Thorpe had beenone of the hundred
sixth North Carolina. dspite the fact t Esf' 10
assigned to him was in the t top Of sserPn
.m tree " hkI G sH the low ground or
What followed is beat told IN his own words;
hour nH %e 1eef ahs NJ erhaps half
charging across the low ground toward the
woods. and had made couple OF shots. when
snd Pha atsd p' officers rode up on the little knoll
one vas sbo s.y5irs to make ma up my mind which
ing the party through, his tjRd plaaaes A
moment omen. later he glanced up and said:
in the ng 9 99 tb see the TALL STRAIGHT man
an omcer or some high rank and Is directing
operations which threaten OR line sight
E NSnr gun at 700 yards hnd zee II YOU can reGch
I'D, II Gid as he told me. but saw that the bullet
''r"fk afr snort q att The mark mark col,
r se and after another long and careful
s'ao !siv tthr1 b Ms field glasses he said:
steady for we must have have him i'm ''"e anu ''0''
ia esTefully ! sighted my long barrelled |
f se e. ts ta 1apss given and stead wing il on
CO. d Sat s'ESsf been
Vooa one and would reach its mark.
n and o S his s0 ssds .na ,hs ss
hear 9TH the voice Of my Lieutenant saving:
it n Mst until Long after wnrd did learn who
! did learn, when heard and read. Of what a
great and good man and splendid soldier I |
had brought to death. ! was genuinely sorry. |
nave been sorry ever since and when the |
war was over took occasion to write 10 his |
relatives informing them of the facts and !,
expressing my sorrow and regret |
! nave letters from them. splendid letters |
Y which they tell mo not to worry over It. |
mat WAS the fortune NJ wnr and that they |
could hold no luminosity or hatred against |
soldier hoy who hid fought as he believed |
ana simply oboyed his superior officers |
orders Those letters are among my most |
Treasured possessions and no money could |
buy them.
II was. Of course. the fortune Of war but |
!. cannot help feeling even at this late day !
mat 1t was cruel fortune which selected. me.
mere boy to bring to his death this gallant |
General who had won fame md escaped tho
enemies bullets on 40 many fields.
] have read his history sIpce. He was n
grand man on his record and from all 7 have
my work now.
The letters from the relatives Of Gen. Rey-
, ,nlds spoken OF were shown and the above
part which made the Thorre plantation
y, ~ M, party were, John ,Schnll; nephew
n H. Hrig -ien: Schall' Charles I. SNYDER and
mmnnrry Foy, ~ this city. William j. Moore, Of
'rnrh'z md MIR, Trout on Spring Lake. N. j.
,,,iahe farmer boy .sharpshonter was much
-, I,rr>'"h In Inscription Of the burial ground
81 'rncIster, Pa, whcr" Gen. Rrvnclds and
~. brother. Admiral william Reynolds. are
nLri"i side by side. and Of the manner In
InlF IL NJ. 10 x1~ j