The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-10-15
W. F. BEASLEY.
Sept. 80, 1908.
BALTIMORE, Sept. 28th, 1903.

Col. w. F. BEAsLEY,
My DEAR CoLUNEL:-In reply to
your favor would say that l was a
member of Co. A, Edgecome Gurads,
and was at the battle OF "Big Beth
er' and saw Wyatt when he was shot
down. The facts are these:
Our company was deployed as
skirmishers on the left front, and
first engaged the enemy. During the
battle we were ordered to the ex-
treme right front to occupy a re-
doubt. Soon after we reached that
point Col. D. H. Hill, afterwards
General, came up and on observing a
Yankee soldier enter a small frame
house Immediately in our front, said:
''There goes sharp-shooter into
that house, who will volunteer to
burn it?" Wyatt, in company with
three or four Others, volunteered,
and started on their mission. After
going a short distance Wyatt fell,
pierced with a minnie bullet near
! the middle of the forehead, and the
rest OF the squad returned to the
works. The house was afterwards
burned by shell.
Who killed Wyatt? General Xii,
patrick. About four Or five years
ago was collecting data in reference
to the battle of Big Bethel. unex.
pectedly came across the biography
OF General Felix Agnus, editor o.
the Baltimore American. Being anx.
ious to learn how that gentleman won
his spurs induced me to read it.
learned that he was a Zouave pri
vate in Captain kilpatrick's compa
ny, afterwards General, and that he
had distinguished himself and was
promoted to a lieutenancy and ga
zetted for rescueing his wounded
Captain from the battlefield.
called on the General and got the
following story from him: Wher
they were on the retreat he missed
J his Captain, and on ascertaining that
he had been wounded and left on thu
battlefield, resolved to go back aftel
him. After proceeding some distanc,
he saw his Captain waving a handker
chief from small frame building. HI
found his Captain, wounded through
the thigh and unable to walk. Oh
looking out the window he saw {
squad OF Confederate soldiers coming
towards the house. He said, eth
Rebs are coming Can you shoot?'
The Captain said, eyes, hand m
your gum" The Captain fired ant
: the squad ran back. 1 said to hin
) Immediately after he finished hi
story, General, your Captain kille'
Wyatt, the first Confederate sOldie
: killed in battle" He was both SUI
, prised and grieved at the informa
; tion as he was not aware that an,
one was hurt by the shot. l the
handed him a sketch of the battle
field drawn by General CASTOR Lewis
He Immediately pointed out tn
house, the direction of the squad, tn
, track he took with his Captain O
his back, and the woods under cove
of which he made his escape.
II Permit me in conclusion to sa
! that Wyatt could not have bee
r killed in any other way but by tn
: shot from the house towards whic
he was going, as he was wounde
e nearly in the middle of the forehead
1 Could not have been killed by an
: one else as there were no othe
e Yankee soldiers on the field at tha
time but Agnus and Kilpatricl
Therefore, Agnus was the man Hi
saw go in the house, Wyatt's squa
b were the "Rehs" Agnus saw runnin
towards the house Fitzpatrick fire
D the bullet that killed Wyatt. Fro1
D the facts surrounding the case Il
other deductions logically can |
Idrawn. l remain,
u Very truly yours,
I'll (Signed.l NJ. A. GOTTEN.