The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-10-21

cd and corrected, these six articles have
been unanimously adopted by the com.
mittee as a true and modest statement
or the matters therein severally treated
and they are herewith published as part
or this report.
BETHEL.
Major Hale. who was at Rethel-and
indeed, continually in service through
out the war and saw IFS close al Appo-
mattox-teils co~nyincingly the story of
me hrst battle OF the War. North Car
olina can well claim to have been First
at Bethel" for this first victory for
our arms was won by her sons. Not
that n had the only troops there. Such
has never been her claim, but more
than two thirds of the soldiers present
over 500 out of the 126o-were hers and
without them the battle would not have
been fought. The moral prestige of this
nrSt success was very great, and this
state justly claims credit for her
prompfness in placing her troops upon
Virginia soil and repulsing the first ad-
vance OF the enemy. The first soldier
killed in battle was Henry L Wyatt OF
the "Edgecombe Guards" Co. A. LIST
n. c. Volunteers Cater designated by
a special Act Of the General Assembly
The Bethel Regiment") who fell at
Bethel 10 June, 1861. There is no claim
that he was any PRAYER than hundreds
n thousands who fell ere the red cur
tain of war was runs down, but his
death shows that at the first onset h
men of this state were ready unto death.
Neither is it denied hat Captain Mari,
of Virginia, was killed a few days be-
fore at Warrenton, Virginia, but that
was not in battle. Wyatt was the first
to fall in open fight, when troops met
for the first time in battle array.
GETTYSBURG.
That the soldiers of this state went
somewhat farther al Gettysburg than
any others in the third days battle is
so succinctly and dearly shown by
Judge Montgomery and Captain w. r.
Bond in the articles by them that it is
not necessary to recapitulate. The con-
troverted point assigned us was only
as to that charge, else We could lave
referred to the u~ndisputed fact that on
the evening of the second day Hoke'S
Brigade commanded by Colonel Isaac
E. Avery (who lost his life IN the as
sault), together with Lo~uisianians from
Hays Brigade, climbed Cemetery
Heights, being further han any other
troops penetrated during the three days.
The following inscriptions placed by the
Federal Park Commissioners upon tai
lets locating the position and stating
the. services of Hoke's brigade or the
second day and Pettigrew's on the third
day amply vindicate the justice of our
claim. (The tablets also record their
glorious services upon the other two
days which are omitted here).
"HOKE'S BRIGADE.
2 July. Skirmished all day and at s
p. m. with Hays brigade charged East
Cemetery Hill. Severely enf1laded on
the left by artillery and musketry it
pushed over the infantry line in front,
scaled the Hill, planted its colors on the
lunettes and captured several guns. But
assailed by fresh forces and having no
supports it was soon compelled to re-
linquished what it a gained and with
drew. Its commander, Colonel Isaac
: f. Avery was mOrtally wounded leadins
the charge"
'iPETTIGREW'S BRIGADE.
July 8. In Longstreet's assault this
brigade occupied the right center of the
division and the course of the charge
brought it in front of The high stone
wall north Of the Angle and so yards
further East. 1t advanced very nearly
to that WI. A few reached it u were
captured. The skeleton regiments re-
tired led by Lieutenants m the bril-
gade by a Major, the only field officer
left
Judge Montgomery and Captain w. r.
/! bOllu were DOIn present DIT ISlly SDuIS
and the former has recently revisited
the battlefield. Their array of PROOF
as to the North Carolina Troops is fur
Their sustained by the map of the battle
| field made by the Federal Commission
erS, after years of study of the ground
! n hearing the evidence of participants
| from both armies and all parts Of the
country. A cop Of that map is publ
| lished with their articles. Two other
Y mans herein throw further light lDOn
that historic field.
Without trenching on the ground
covered by Judge Montgomery and Cap
tain Bond and merely as testimony OF
what troops went where the red rain
of battle fell heaviest, it may be we'll
to recall the following facts from the
official reports: At Gettysburg 1852
C~onfederates were killed and 12,707
wounded. Of the killed 40 were from
North Carolina, 435 were Georgians,
399 Virginians, 25S Mississippians, 21i
South Carolinians and 204 Alabamians.
The three brigadeS that lost most men
We're Pettigrew's N. c. Q90 killed.; Da-
WIS., Miss. Csc killed. which had in 1t
one n. c. Regiment, and Daniels N. c.
Q65 killed.. Pickett'S entire division
had PA killed. No brigade in Pickett
division lost as many killed and wound
ed as the 26 North Carolina regiment,
whose loss vas Sc killed and 502 wound
ed, the heaviest loss of any regiment,
on either side, in n battle during the
war. In the first days fight there were
16 Confederate brigades of which z Were
from North Carolina. In Longstreet'
Assault, which has been miscalled by
some "Pickett's charge" there were Is
Virginia and 10 North Carolina regi-
ments besides troops from other states
CHICKAMAUGA.
Judge A. c. Avery, who was a partic-
ipant in the battle of Chickamauga, has
lately revisited that battlefield with a
view to writing his very graphic article
which will have a peculiar interest be-
cause the deeds of North Carolina SOL
diers in the Army of the West are less
widely known among us than the dar-
ing of the Veterans In the Army OF
Northern Virginia in which the greater
part Of troops from this state served
Judge Avery clearly shows that the SO
5S and so N @. the one on the first day