The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-26
Private Mcdonnell, of oath
Michigan Brigade, at
Gettysburg.
THEY MET YESTERDAY
Col VIII. S. Burgwyn Brought Them To-
geiher Here Hundred Feet Apart When
Shot Was Fired, Lane in Front
With Flag.

WIN rag
There was a unique reunion of the blue
and the gray in the Marlborough Houss
yesterday.
Col. John r. Lane, of the famous 26tl
North Carolina regiment, met for the
first time the man who shot him almost
fatally On the field of Gettysburg, in that
fierce first days fight.
Col. w. II. S. Burgwyn brought about
the meeting, and how he came to know
that Mr.. Charles H. Mcconnell, of Chicago
was the man that shot Colonel Lane Is
another story, and will be told in this ac-
count.
Last night a News and Observer re
porter called on the three old warriors al
the hotel. There was the still powerful
frame, massive head and still dark beard
Of the famous colonel of the worst cut tC
pieces regiment in the history of warfare
There was the polished, gallant Colone
Burgwyn, and there was a strikingly
handsome man of splendid physique, with
gray hair. moustache and imperial, and
the rudy glow of perfect health. To him
the reporter was introduced as Mr.. Me
Cornell, of Chicago, the man who had
shot Colonel Lane. With Mr.. Mcconnell
was his charming wife, a handsome lady
of elegant presence and perfect manner.
Mr.. Mcconnell is president of the Iron
Brigade Veterans Association of the Army
Of the Potomac. He served as private
in the oath Michigan Regiment of IL
fantry at the battle of Gettysburg and
he came here from Chicago to make the
personal acquaintance of Col John T..
Lane, of Pettigrew's brigade. The story
is one of exceptional interest. and this is
h FIJI
of notes between the three veterans:
At the close of the first days fighting
at Gettysburg, Private Mcconnell and
seven comrades left out of his company OF
hfty-four men were the last of the Union
line. to stand in front OF the 18th North
Carolina regiment as it was forcing its
way up the hill through Mcpherson
wood, with Colonel Lane at its head,
colors in hand, he being the fourteenth
man to be shot down that day. Private
McConnells First Lieutenant commanding
the company called his attention to the
commanding figure of Colonel Lane with
his long black beard and magnificent
physique. To quote Mr.. Mcconnell:
Charley. can't you bring down that
Rebel color-bearer?"
al said: John, that's the man that Tn
laying for. I'm loading my last cartridge,
and I'm going to bring him down if i
know how to shoot l finished loading,
steadied my piece against small tree
perhaps six inches in diameter, encouraged
by my lieutenant, who said: That's
right, take sure aim. l blazed away,
and the color-be fell, apparently des-
perately wounded. He had just turned
around to encourage his regiment to close
upon the colors, and the ball hit him in
the back of the neck. We were not a
hundred feet apart when l fired"
The bullet passed through Colonel
Lanes neck into the mouth, crushing jaw
and teeth. He fell helpless to the ground
supposed to be mortally wounded. His
men kept on, and Mr.. Mcconnell, with
his comrades. silently fell back through
the town to the heights beyond.
Before the shot was fired. the oath
Michigan had been ordered to retire or
account OF being out of ammunition; but
Mr. Mcconnell and his comrades had not
heard the order. The fact that the regi
ment had retreated. and that Mcconnell
fired the only shot from the regimenta
line at that moment, seems to render il
beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was
the soldier who inflicted the desperate
wound on Colonel Lane.
Mr.. Mcconnell, before arriving in Ra-
leigh, was somewhat sceptical as to his
being the man who fired the almost fatal
shot, but he leaves here as fully satisfied
of the fact as are Colonel Lane and Col
onel Burgwyn. Colonel Lane himself has
no doubt whatever about it.
Now as to how the meeting was
brought about: In an address which Mr.
Mcconnell delivered in Chicago on the
battle of Gettysburg and the part taken
by his regiment in that battle, he had
occasion to investigate the losses OF the
troops opposing the Iron Brigade, ant
more particularly the losses sustained by
the 26th North Carolina, which fought in
the immediate front of the oath Michigan
He had established the fact that ms reg,
ment had sustained the greatest loss OF
any command on the Union side. amount
ing to 1913 out of 496, or over so per cent
In search of accurate statistics of the los
on the Confederate side. he wrote to Col
w. H. S. Burgwyn, of Weldon, whose
mel of the 26th North Carolina al
Gettysburg, and was killed leading bis
regiment, colors in hand. to be succeeded
by Lieutenant Colonel Lane.
This opened up quite correspondence
between Mr.. Mcconnell and Colonel Bur
gwyn. and at the annual encampment Of
the veterans of the Army of the Potomac
at Fredericksburg in 1899. Colonel Bur
gwyn, at the invitation of Mr.. Mcconnell
was present, and full discussion of tn,
incidents connected with the battle o
Gettysburg was gone into, and the above
facts were established to the entire salts
faction of Colonel Burgwyn, and in ordel
to have the matter settled to the satisfac
ton of all parties, Mr.. Mcconnell an(
Colonel Lane expressed the desire tina
they should have a personal meeting, a
which all the details could be discussed
on both sides.
After waiting for years for this oppor
tunity Mr.. Mcconnell came all the wa.
from Chicago to Raleigh expressly to NEE
Colonel Lane. who Joined him at the Var
borough yesterday morning, with Colone