The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-21
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE
OF THE BURIALA)Y LATANE
Details Of the Last Hours and Death Of the Gal
liant Young Confederate Whose Funeral
Services Were Conducted by Women
of the CnnfederacY
Of the Confederacy.
d ~. II. H. Matthew'S, OF Breathed's Bat-
tery, in the LcesburE Mirror.

OF the CO1
j ~ H. II. Matthews, OF Breathed's Bat
tery, In the Lcesburg Mirror.
Having been requested by ladies' OF
Leesburg. Va. for publication, the full
\ account OF the death and burial OF the
gallant Capt. Latane. commanding
Troop F (the Essev Light Dragoons).
Ninth Va. Cavalry. commanded at that
time by Col. w. n. F. Lee (Runy). I
most cheerfully do SO. as no nobler
band OF women, no more loyal. devoted
women to the cause for which the
starry cross" stands for than those
who are on the roll OF the Loudounl
Chapter. u. D. c.. OF Loudoun county.
The magnificent raid OF General ]. E.
b. Stuart, commanding the cavalry Of
the Army OF Northern Virginia. had
for the object the discovering OF the
weak point in the line of battle OF
General Mcclellan's grand Army OF the
Potomac. This expedition started from
their camp near Richmond. Pa. on the
Williamsburg Road. marching via the
Brook Turnpike, camping that night
June IL. 1ss2--near Taylorspille. Han
over county. On the morning OF the
18th. Stuart again took up hls line or
march in the direction OF Hanover
Court House. reaching that point about
8 A. NJ of the 18th A small body OF
the enemy.s cavalry was in posses
sion OF the village. but upon the APP
- -
OF stuarts riders they took to their
heels and moved in the direction OF
aechanicsville. Hearing nothing In
our front to impede our advance we
moved cautiously by Taliaferro's Mill.
and Enon Church TO HAYES SHOP.
where we encountered the enemy's
pickets. the main body being at "Cld
Church" The Federal command. COM
posed OF two squadrons OF the Fifth
United States Cavalry. under the COM
Inand OF Major w. 3. Royal. advanced
from Old Church to meet General
Stuart's column. The Ninth Virginia
Cavalry was IN the advance, as q
great number of men OF that regi-
ment were from that section OF Vlr-
ginia, Captain Corbin Crutchfield's
squadron of the Ninth Cavalry. COM
sistinE OF the Mercer troop. Company
E, from Spottsylvania county COM
rnanded by Capt. Crutchheld and the
essex Troop by Captain LAtane. Cap
tain Chutchfield being absent, In con-
sequence of an accident, the command
OF the squadron developed upon Cap
tain Latane. Royals squadron and
lgthe squadron OF the Ninth Cavalry
under Latane met near the approach
Y of the bridge spanning the Totopot-
omy Creek, Major Royal and Captain
Z ;Latane met and had hand to hand
encounter. in which the gallant sol
tdier, Captain Latane fell, but not un-
til he had Indicted severe wounds upon
the body of Royal. The contest was
an unequal one. Royal was armed with
pistol and sabre. while Captain Latane
had only sabre to defend himself
with. The Federals were driven back
and General Stuart continued his ride
around McClellan's army. reaching our
1tnes on the early morning OF the 18th
OF June. having met with no resis-
lance OF any Importance and mo- cas-
ulties except the deatl, Of Captain
Latane. Stuart's command consisted
Of a detachment OF the First Virginia
Cavalry, commanded by Colonel Fitz
Lee; the Ninth Virginia Cavalry, by
Colonel w. II. F.. Lee; the jeff Davis
Legion. OF Mississippi, by Lieutenant
Colonel w. T. Martin. The detachment
from the Fourth Virginia Cavalry wa S
Colonies Fitz and w. n. F. Lee. We
were four days IN the saddle on the
56i march G with little to eat and no rest
OF any kind. After Captain Latane
fell mortally wounded the command
passed on. leaving the body In the
care Aof John Latane, a. brother Of 1.-THE
dead of{icer. I omitted to state that Q
G section Il Of the Stuart Horse artillery
4 under the command of the gallant
4, Breathed. accompanied this expedition
but did not have occasion to Are the
guns. Just before the engagement ir
which Captain Latane was killed. the
Il s,ox team from the residence OF Mrs
Katherine Brockenborough3h had beer
II dispatched to the mill with bags OF
corn. The driver was turned back BY
the gflhting. and was retracing hi:
steps when he came upon a group .oi
II men standing nearBthe roadside. They
were clustered about a Confederate
8 seated upon the ground. the brothe,
OF Captain Latane,& up whose lar
was pillowed the head OF the dead
off1cer stopping the Ii cart and ascer-
II tanning the owner. The men removed
the bags, and concealing them in the
Il bushes. lifted the dead iofacer into the
4 cart, NJ Il III
ia ',Me anwhile," Mrs. Brockenhorrougl
says, II was In he back yard attend,
s Ing to the summing OF some wool. M
driver was the coo $ son, nd 1t wal
his habit on the return trip from tht
mill to collect for her the oxen 5rail'
q from the fences thrown q own by thu
soldiers. and Of Their pieces Of t1reNYoot
which came his way. Seem g hin
drive through the sat d q and sstop a
the Kitchen u supp ed he had trough
the usual j Dad s h en- one of he Ter
wants ran towards me ScryinG out tina
q There was = q dead ian In the cart
WITH limbs trembling benea nth me Isl
went forward to see "a ma n In the uni
PORN OF Ia Confed erate so diers 8 tretchet
St full length across tn 81 Velli Gle, sDl
fecting the negro to drive ito the
back door, had ~ the body brought
ssss ntoS the house and aid snlaonl 80