The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-13
A WAR INCIDENT
Wounding of Lieut.. Nor
wood at Gettysburg.
His Capture and Escape. How a BeIiev-
er in States Rights Aided Him.
Breakfast With General

The following copy Of letter from
Lieutenant Cater Capt. Thomas Le-
noir Norwood eco. A, 37th Regiment,
n. c. Troops. d A. n. V, nephew of
Judge John w. howard, of Hillsboro,
and who was wounded at the Battle of
Gettysburg, is furnished us through
the courtesy of Judge Walter Clark.
As a contemporaneous document from
those stirring days of the War Be
tween the States, ii has a distinct in
terest. In note to Judge Clark ac-
companying the letter, the writer,
speaking of aCpt. Norwood, who died
in 1889. says:
AT the time this letter was written
he had been in service one year. ana
had passed his 18th birthday two
weeks before the battle of Gettys-
burg.
Capt Norwood believed that the
grave which he felt sure was that of
VIM. MickePs marked the spot where
North Carolina went .'farthest at Get
tysburg."
MARGARET NORWOOD.
Historian, c. b. Anderson Chapter L.
d. c.
Richmond, Va, July 10. 1853.
My Dear Father:-By the mercy of
God [ find myself WELL and comfort
In the battle of July 3rd, at Gettys-
burg, l received wound in the left
shoulder, the ball passed entirely
through without injury to bone or
leader, not impairing the use of the
arm.
But you must hear about my ad
venture. / was taken prisoner when
was shot being very near the bat
teries, and undertaking to retreat. 1
tainted from loss of blood and general
exhaustion. So the first thing / knew
| was picked up and hurried over.the
breastWOrkss and as soon as 1 could
walk l was carried about three miles
to the rear, where there were many
more unfortunates, and we remained
there till our army fell back We
were kindly treated. They did their
best for US, but it was not much.
Ihere were so many among whom 90
divide a little.
For my part l had lost everything.
and lay for two days and nights on
the ground with nothing on me but q
pair of pants, and half a shirt | lost
my blanket in that desnerata CHARGE
and my other clothing was ruined by
blood. 1t was raining all the tine
| TOO. put L stood 1T very well anC
cited the amazement of friend an
by my Indifference to my unple
situation.
When our army left the vicinf.
Gettysburg we were carried there -.
quartered in the big college bui
Ihat was tuesday, a week ago.
Thinking the prospect of pare
exchange gloomy one. and seeil
guard at the hospital l resolvt
escape. So the day after we got there
walked off on the Chambersburg
pike. the road by which our army
came, about two hours before sun
down with students cap and blouse
on.
4 walked on unmolested till about
o'clock when as / had almost reach
ed the top of South Mountain a man
came into the road from a by-path
and hailed me, and asked me where
| was going. l tried to bluff him with
short answer, but he would not be
bluffed, and soon asked me if / was
not a rebel. l told him plainly. Yes"
oh, then" said he, you have
found a friend, I am a States Rights
man. Come home with me. 1 will
take care of you"
So off | went with him about four
miles from the road into the noun
tains, going through torrents and oven
-ock5 ard cliffs in the pitch dark, till
! finally about twelve O'Clock we reach
ed his house right on top of the
mountain. He gave me supper or
rather his wife did. and a bed. Next
morning he gave me suit of citizens
clothes such as laborers wear there
He was smaller man than /. so you
can imagine the figure | cut i'm his
clothes, but [ set out on my journey
having nothing about me that apper-
tanned to the army
[ wandered about in hooks and dens
and caves of the earth till | got into
he road our army had taken in falling
back and pursued it till about two
hours bv sun in the afternoon, every
body taking me for a laborer looking
for harvest work, for that whole
country was turned out harvesting [
frequently fell in with their soldiers
and went along conversing freely, no
one showing the slightest suspicion.
About two hours by sun, as l said.
L came into Waynesboro; which is
twelve miles from Hagerstown. on the
Chambersburg pike. and here had
stumbled into the universal whole
Yankee army.
Just as / was beginning to think
my game played out. an old citizen
hailed me ana wanted to hire me to do
some work on toward the rebel lines.
in the vicinity of HaGerstoWn.
agreed to his terms and gave my
name as John Knauss. "Oh yes" he
said Il know all your folks mighty
we'll" So he, being we'll known there.
went and got me pass from the
Provost Marshal. / went with him. It
was signed by Brigadier General ana
, carried us through the lines; once past
the Yankee pickets 1 gave that Aboh-
ZIONIST the slip and made for our own
lines
Our pickets sent me to General
Johnston commanding the outposts, by
him | was sent to General Ewell, who
sent me to General Lee. / arrived at
General Lees quarters about midnight.
having walked a distance of forty
miles. Here | slept till morning. and
then went in TO see the General.
He received me very politely. got
from me the information / had about
the Yankee army which was consiG-
cradle for ] had successfully recon-