Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-06-06

10 look for his supporting columns
and hasten them on when a rifle ball
struck him in the back of the head
Freed from the firm hand upon the
rein, his horse plunged a few rods
forward before its stricken rider fell
to the ground dead And 900 yards
away. the Confederate officer seeing
the fall, lowered the glasses he had
held TO his eye. and grimly said: Ben,
it did its work"
Ben Thorpe had been one of the hum
dred sharpshooters selected from the
Twenty-siXth North Carolina despite
the fact that he was but 16 years old
and the position assigned TO him was
in the top of a cherry tree which com.
manded the low ground or swale over
which the Union troops must make
their way TO reach McPherson's
woods, What followed is best told
in his own words:
Il had been in the treetop perhaps
half an hour when the Wisconsin regi-
ment came charging across the low
ground toward the woods, and had
made a couple of shots, when the party
of officers rode up on the little knoll
and halted.
Il was trying to make up my mind
which one l should try for when my
lieutenant appeared under the tree and
began observing the party through his
field glasses. A moment later he
glanced up and said:
Ben, do YOU see the tall. straight
man in the center of that group? He
is evidently an officer of some high
rank and is directing operations
which threaten our line Sight your
gun at 200 yards and see if you can
reach him.
Il did as he told me, but saw that
the bullet struck far short of the mark
" That was little short, Ben said
my lieutenant, and after another long
and careful glance through his field
glasses he said:
Sight her at 900 yards this time
and hold steady, for we must have
him.
carefully l sighted my long bar.
| relied rifle at the range given, and,
steadying it on a big limb took good
aim and fired. | knew before the re.
port died away, before l saw Gen.
Reynolds fall, that the shot had been
good one and would reach its mark.
II saw the horse plunge forward,
saw the rider sway and fall from his
| saddle and then heard the voice of
my lieutenant saying
Ben, II did its work. You may
come down now, it's time for us to
be moving
Not until long afterward did | learn
who it was my bullet had brought
down. and when l did learn. when |
heard and read of what great and
good man and splendid soldier | had
brought To death, | was genuinely sor.
ry. | have been sorry ever since aud
when the war was over | took occa-
sion to write to his, relatives informing
them of the facts and expressing my
SORROW and regret.
II have letters from them. splendid
letters, in which they tell me not TO
worry over 1t, that was the fortune Of
war and that they could hold no ami.
mostly or hatred against soldier boy
who had fought as he believed and
simply obeyed his superior officers or
ders. These letters are among my
most treasured possessions and no
money could buy them.
1T was, of course, the fortune Of
war, but | cannot help feeling even at
this late day that it was cruel for
tune which selected me- a mere boy,
to bring to his death this gallant gen
eral who had won fame and escaped
the enemies bullets on SO many fields
Il have read his history since He
was grand man on his record aud
from all | have otherwise heard, and
| only wish / could undo my work
now"