The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-04-16
CAPTAIN BOND QUOTED AS AU.
THORITY.

Washington Post Is quite compliment.
airy to Captain w. r. Bond:
Editor Post A writer In The Post
Of Monday last favors your readers with
his ideas Of what constitutes . military
Capture" Probably very few, if any,
of your readers are interested in either
an chronological or professional Discus
sion of that subject. But this writer
calls In question well-known history
when he asserts:
"As to the yellow journals sold to
Union Rough Riders by enterprisine
newsboys from the city (Richmond)-
we'll, that must be new or exclusive
history"
To carry on an intelligent discussion
based on war records man should
first know what he is writing about
himself, and next, what the one he
supposes he Is criticising is writing
about.
In Volume XXXvI, Part I, War
Records, page 791, Gen. Sheridan, I'm
hts report OF his engagement inside the
outer defenses of Richmond and re.
naming inside from 8 o'clock May IL,
1864, to 3 o'clock the next afternoon,
says: ~,
"This attack and repulse ended the
battle tor the balance Of the day We
collected our wounded, buried our
dead, grszed our horses, and read Rich
mond papers, two small newsboys hav-
ing, with commendable enterprise en-
tered our lines and sold to the officers
and men,"
Gen. Sheridan, in his memoirs, vol
ume I, page 1856, is more specific. He
says, after describing his night march,
within the intrenchment
"The rest OF the day We remained on
the battlefield undisturbed, and our
time was spent in collecting the wound
ed, burying the dead, grazing our
horses, and reading Richmond journals,
two small newsboys, with commenda-
BILE enterprise, having come within our
lines from the Confederate capital to
sell their papers. They were sharp
youngsters, and having come we'll sup
piled, they did a thrifty business.
When their stock in trade was all dis
posed of they wished to return, but
they were 90 intelligent and observant
that thought their mission involved
other purposes than the mere sale Of
newspapers, 60 they were held till we
crossed the Chickahominy, and then
turned loose"
This writer, who seems to treat his
tory which he has not happened to
hear of as "new" history, further says
"Histortans jealous of the tame Of
the Old North State, will tell you that
the dead soldiers of Pettigrews Diyis.
ion were found farther within the Un.
ion line than the dead of Pickett's Dr.
vision. If this be true, then the point
OF impact of the two lines was not &c
short after all, &c."
Capt. w. r. Bond, Of the staff of Gen
Junius Daniels brigade of North Caro-.
lima, in Rhodes division, is the accent.
ed North Carolina authority upon
Pickett's charge. In his analytical
discussion OF this subject, which has at.
tanned wide circulation, he says Of the
affair at the advanced Union salient:
TO give clear idea of the CLOSING
events Of this assault, It will be well
to mention several things not general.
" known. just at the point which
had been occupied, but was then aban.
doned by Webb's brigade. there was nc
stone wall, but . breast work made o,
rails coyered with little earth. Thee(
works jutted out into the field. Or
both sides Of this salient there were
stone walls. OF the one thousand mer
who reached these works OF rails and
earth only about fifty followed Armi
stead to tho abandoned guns. The other,
stopped there. Seeing this, all to the,l
right-More than half the column
did the same, and. having stopped
i Al ~