The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-09-01

At the request of friends l write an
explanation of an incident referred TO
by Judge Fillmore, of Austin, Texas
In his letter printed in last Sundays
Messenger containing an OF the
fight at Fort Fisher Judge Fillmore
with the atmosphere Hurled with ex-
ploding shells for two days and nights,
GU of the thickest of the fight Private
Smith emerged some what ~disigured
from q shot in the mouth; with a five
pound bucket of rich, fine yellow butter
which he generously divided among
his comrades the next day after the
caIture. How the shot in the mouth
failed TO kill him and how, when COM
races were shot down on. his right, left
and rear that bucket escaped are speci-
mems of inexplicable incidents, Of war;
Since the appearance of this letter in
The Messenger friends have requested
me TO give a full history of this Incl
dent in the columns of yOur paper n
tell how the bucket of butter escaped
destruction at the gate of Fisher amid
that most fearful and terrible scene of
destruction and death. Before the let
ter of Judge Fillmore appeared 1 referr-
ed TO this incident during the reception
Of veterans at the armOry Wednesday
night. August 18th, but for the benefit
Of those who We're not present 1 will
again relate the incident, so that all
may understand how it was that the
now historic bucket escaped destruc-
ton
Captain James L. Mccormick. the
beiOved commander of my company.
which was Company d, First North
Carolina heavy artillery was a native
of Robson county, and his home .riOr
to his enlistment in h confederate
army was with the Misses Mclean VINO
lived in a half mile of Red Springs. y
Jew days before the last fight at Fort
Fisher Miss Jennet Mclean, one of the
excellent ladies with whom Captain
Mccormick had boarded, sent him a box
fuI Of nice eatables such as We're we'll
calculated to please n soldier who was
fighting for his country. and living on
coarse corn bread and Nassau bacon.
When Captain Mccormick left Fort
Caswell with his splendid company FRI
day morning. January Is, 1865 to partic-
ipate in the last battle of Fort Fisher
he filled his haversack with good things
out of the box from home and also
brought a long in his hand the V
pound bucket Of fine, golden butter
such as only a good Scotchwoman could
make. Weary with carrying the bucket
iii his hand he attached it to his sword
EeIt.
On Sunday evening, January 18th,
when the enemy made the first terrible
assault at the gate l was there with
CAPTAIN Mccormick and a portion of
Company d. Between the first and
Sc cond assault he discovered the fact
hat his sword belt was broken in two.
Il must have been done by a fragment
of shell. for pieces of exploded shells
were flying in all directions and the
AR was darkened with shells-just like
the pass ThermOpoIae was darkened
by the Persian arrows. l was close
by the side of my beloved captain when
he found that his sword belt was badly
broken. Turning to me he said: Jim.
old fellow. your cartridge box belt is
strong. Please buckle this bucket of
butter on your belt and when the battle
is over we will share it's contents" 1
took the bucket and hung it on my belt,
and in a few moments the second fear
ful assault was made. L was shot down
at the gate. A few moments after
wards Captain Mccormick was killed
anC I was a prisoner in tho hands of
the enemy.
1t was not until 1 was carried with
the rest of my captured comrades
about a mile above the Fort that I
discovered hat the bucket of butter
ard the cartridge box with the bay
onet in the scobbard was still around
my body. My attention was called to
this fact by the hostile demonstrations
of ono of the YanEoa orIorHS Uhn va
a full fedged foreigner and, in the lam
guage of one of his officers, could not
speak United States" language. His
officer acted a S interpreter and in
formed me of the terrible fact tina
the guard was not quite sure that I
had surrendered simply from the fact
that the cartridge box and the bay
Onet in the scabbard was prima facie
evidence that 1 had no. made a full
and free Surrender. I at one COM
pretended the perilOus situation in
which I was placed n as quick as
thought I cut my belt and hurled car
fridge box. belt. bayonet and scab-
board at the foreigners feet with the
statement: Il hope you are now salts
fed" 1 did not. however. surrender
the bucket of butter. for I was in an
indignant o at the time of the in
cident and would have been tempted
~ NtS A"S oIA '4AA 49,
contents rather than to hand it over to
him as one of the trOphies Of war.
I had entirely forgotten the incident
until a year ago when Judge Fillmore.
in a personal letter from Texas. re-
minded ME of it.
I will close this article with the
statement that it was a, sad and
mOurnful hour with me the mex day
when I called lack Fillmore and 9TH
er comrades around me to share the
contents of that bucket. At that mo-
ment Captain James l. Mccormick
was in the cold embrace of death near
Fishers bloody gate n his last words
to me on earth were still lingering in
my ears. We will share its contents
when the battle is over"
Captain Mccormick was an ideal
soldier. He was a brave n gallant
officer He vas also a true and de-
Tout Christian man and was a cons1s-
tent membe of the Presbyterian
church and his ransomed spirit went
from the bloody gate of Fisher to the