The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-12
NORTH CAROLINA
CLAIM DISPUTED
Senator Dixon's Speech
Declared to Be
Inaccurate
v|RG|N|AN WRITES

He Denies the Statements Made by
Chief Justice Clark and Secretary
of STATE Grimes, and Would Have
North Carolina to Recede From
Many Claims Made by its Eminent
Sons of the Courage and Bravery
Displayed by Many of Its Sons in
the War Between the States.
To the Editor:-In your paper,
July IS, 1911, appeared a report by
Thos. J.. Pence of a speech made the
day before on the Senate floor by
Senator Dixon. on the part taken by
North Carolinians in the battle or
Gettysburg. l quote the language
used by the Senator, according to
Pence:
LAT this point in passing | want
now to correct a little error Of the
school text and newspaper history OF
this country relating to that phase OF
the@Civil War. The ordinary school
history and magazine represent that
heroic charge Of heroic men as the
charge of Pickett's Virginians. Cen
eral George Pickett was himself a
Nirginian, but as a matter OF cold
fact and actual history the majority
of the men who constituted Picketts
division hat charged across a mile Of
open ground in the face Of $50 Fed
eral cannon and $4,000 rifles were
North Carolinians."
This is the first time, I think, that
even a North Carolinian has made SO
bold a claim. I know that they
claimed nearly everything from the
Declaration of Independence down to
Last at AppomattoX,' but | did not
know until l read this amazing and
astounding statement by a great sen
ator. that Pickett's EirginianS were
in fact North Carolinians. The praise
given this charge by this historian is
all that even a Virginian could ask;
but he says the credit for the charge,
which Charles Francis Adams pro-
the grandest charge ever
made, and in speaking of which he
said THE vaunted charge Of Napo-
Icons old Guard at Waterloo did
not compare with that of Pickett's
men, and was as boys play beside
it, belongs to North Carolina. The
men who made that charge under
Generals Armistead, Kemper and
Garnett. 1 have always thought were
Firginians, and I think the world will
be slow to accept Senator Dixon's
assertion that Pickett's Virginians
were not V~irginians. but largely
North Carolinians. If it be true that
North C~arolinians were in Pickett's
division, I think they should let all
the world know it, and lain a share
of the glory won by the division.
Will you, Mr.. Editor, kindly let us
know what North Carolina regiments
were a part of Pickett's division; or
possibly you might give the name of
one single North Carolinian h was
a emb Of that immortal division.
A few days after this speech was
made, and after I had e Mr..
Fences report Of it in your paper, I
read, also in your paper, a statement
which nearly took my breath. Under
the heading Senator Dixon is fur
nished with Facts" I read what pur-
ported to nave come from the learned
historian, Judge Walter Clark. !
quote: Another controversy has re-
Gently sprung up in Virginia over the
supposed claim that Henry L. Wyatt
was the first man killed in the war.
The well-substantiated claim of North
Carolina is that Wyatt was the first
man killed in battle. Captain Mari
was killed a few days before. but not
in battle. He was in citizens clothes,
walking along the streets of Warren
ton. Va. with a cane in hand. when
the Federal Cavalry dashed through
the town. firing right and left. and
Captain MARI was killed by a stray
bullet" Judge Clark's statement is
as astounding as the one made by
Senator Dixon. and is as far from the
truth. if the testimony of those who
were with Captain Mari at the time
he was killed can be relied on. I
will ask you to get the Judge to give
his authority for his account Of Mars
death. / will give you now the vfr-
ginia account of it. and will quote au-
thority for all statements I shall
make below with reference to this
point and Others of which I desire to
write. The Judge says this contru-
Fersy mas recently sprung up. I
quote from an account written by 10
seph A. Jefrries. in Southern Maea-
zine. 1899. twelve years o Cap