The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-09-02

NAoAS w oAta ANCNoAa IA
Geatest Per Centange Lost
in Killed and Wounded. to
be Honored.
Charlotte News
A monument to American valor.
without distinction as to North or
South, which will be the finest me-
mortal on any battlefield in the world
is to be erected on the field OF Get
tysburg by c. II. Mcconnell, a well
known druggist. The monument
will cost $150,O00, according to an
announcement recently made by Mr..
Mcdonnell. In telling of his plans,
he describes what he says is the
most remarkable instance of valor
on record - the annihilation OF one
regiment by another.
''rhe first day of fighting at Get
tysburg has been slurred over in
the histories" said Mr.. Mcconnell,
who participated in the battle. "be-
cause it was n decided Union defeat.
In the first day the oath Michigan
faced the Goth North-farolina, Con-
federate. At the close of the day
the oath Michigan, my regiment. had
lost 400 of it's 800 men. The 26th
North Carolina had lost 700 OF it's 500
No such fighting was ever known to
the modern world. None like it has
been known since. The loss of the
famous Light Brigade. at Balaklava,
was 32 per cent. The loss of Roose-
velt's Rough Riders, at San Juan
was 2 per cent. The losses in the
late Russian Japanese war were
slight compared to the respective 80
to so per cent. loss of those two reg
iments which, in that great battle OF
the civil war, wiped each other out
OF existence. It's toglorify the Amer
lean valor represented by this little
known encounter that my monu-
ment is to be put up.
"The monument will be sort of
pantheon, with three domes. The
central will be gilded and will reach
toward heaven. 1t will face the East,
so that the suns ray will fall upon
it. The right-hand dome will be ded-
icated to the oath Michigan, the left
hand dome to the 26th North Caro-
lima. The central dome will contain
the names of all the soldiers of the
so-called iron brigade-the End, eth,
and 7th Wisconsin, the Oath Michi-
gan, the 14th Indiana and battery b,
United States artillery-whc partici-
pated in the battle. with the excep-
tion of my own name, which will be
omitted. twill call special attention
to the unprecedented fighting which
took place on the first day of the bat
tie, and will, of course, be put on the
first days field, where hardly any
body goes at the present day.
81 hope to have the monument
done in time for the fiftieth anniyer-
sary of the battle in 1913. Artists in
Europe and America are working on
he design now. In case should die
before it is completed, have left "A
provision for-it in my will"
This will be of interest to North
Carolina veterans. Mr.. Mcconnell
was IL color sergeant OF the Twenty
Fourth Michigan. Col. Harry K
Burgwyn, who commanded Twenty
Sixth North Carolina regiment at
Gettysburg, fell in the fight and Col.
John X. Lane, who died recently in
Chatham county, succeeded him in
command Col. W. II. s. Burgwyn
writes the Charlotte Observer that IL
was Mcdonnell who shot Col. Lane
as that gallant soldier, with flag in
hand, led his regiment on the last
charge which drove the enemy, in
Guiding McConnell's regiment, from
the field Writing further Of this in
cident, Col. Burgwyn says:
"The heroic conduct of the
North Carolina soldiers so impressed
the youthful imagination of this
brave young American soldier that
lie never ceased to dwell upon il;
and now. after nearly half a century,
he proposes to give expression tn
this admiration for his gallant foe
hy dedicating this costly structure
jointly To the memory OF Ills own
command and of the command that
fought and defeated him OH that field
of battla. Such generous
tribute to n defeated antagonist on
the part OF IA soldier i'm the conquer.
ing army. so far IA am aware, has
! no precedent and is only possible
between American soldiers. whether
enlisted under the flag OF the Starr
and Bars or under the flag of tlis
Stare and Stripes and Cross Of St
Andrew Mr. McConneti's patriotic
action is deserving OF record i'm ths
military annals OF his country"
Col. BurgwyD j. mistaken as to
this being the first incident. Not
long since the survivors OF II Federal
regiment erected a monument on n
Virginia battlefield and tablet oil
one side OF the monument was dedi
Gated to the Confedesates who op
posed them in that battle; and only
a few weeks ago a monument was
erected TO Tories who ieIi in tlis
battle OF Moore's Creek.
IL IL a matter of Stake-xide repre,