Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-09-25
A PATHETIC STORY Of
ATTACKS DEVOTION
By RI L. E. H

Inc following paper was written
by Mrs. Il. E. Fisher of Flat Rock and
by Captain j. w. Wofford before
tie Watt Bryson Camp OF Confederate
' eterans at their meeting held at the
court house in HendersonvilIe on Sep
TENDER 5th, 1873.
Upon verification of various facts
therein set forth by certain of its
r'embers who spoke from personal
knowledge or general reputation, the
Camp went on record as endorsing
and approving the application of
George Mills, ex-slave, for the Cross
nj Honor bestowed by the Daughters
of the Confederacy upon those rem
Gering honorable and faithful service
to the Confederate Army and govern
Iaent.
A Story of Black Devotion.
Not since the days Immediately fol-
lowing the subsiding of the waters of
the hood, when Noah, in his anger,
~propounded the decree, "A servant
shall he be-" has there been a more
beaut. full, a more tender example of
devotion to master, and a cause
espoused by master than that of which
l shall tell.
1t was near Mill Spring, on Green
River, in Polk County, N. c., in April
1874 that a little kinky head first
rested on the black bosom, and drew
the milk of life from old nanny Ma
riah, and the word went out that his
name shall be called George"
George Mills" it must needs be for
these little eyes opened in the be-
ginning under the shadow of the big
House" of Mr.. Ambrose Mills, a rich
land owner and slave holder. Through
three negotiations this self same
George found himself at the age of
thirteen, separated from his black
"Marse William Bryson," of Hender-
Young Marse Walter" dashing young
medical student, of twenty years,
Four years, spent in loving personal
attention to his 'debonair young mas
T.; ter, sped by as the years are prone to
! do, and great, black, threatening
/ clouds of war lowered, and then set
! Il d upon the beautiful south land
the cl me and mother soil of gallant
young ''Marse Walter" and his devo-
ted black George.
| Marse Walter had just borne home
from Charleston his diploma bidding
him spend the years in alternating the
pain and suffering to which man is
heir, when the first bugle call of his
: country was sounded. Forgetting
! self, forgetting everything else save
his country, and her patriotic call, he
I enlisted in her service, giving himself
10 Judge Shipp, of HendersonVille,
who raised, and marshalled the first
company of volunteers, who went out
from Henderson county in 1861.
Marching orders carried "Marse
Walter" to Raleigh for army drill.
and left aching hearts in his fond
: family; and there was yet another
aching heart left behind and that
uivered in the black body of his de-
voted George. Six weeks of separa-
; ton sufficed George to make up his
! mind that he wanted to follow "Marse
Walter" through the shot and shell of
war. "Old Marse w liam" granted
the request, and "Marse Walter" was
advised of the decision, and was al
| lowed to return home for his faithful
, servant.
After several changes during the
preparation for active work "Marse
Walter was transferred to Co.. G..
35th Regiment N. C. Infantry-Ran-
SONS Brigade of Lees army; and a
little later was elected captain of his
company.
Trudg' ng along by the side of his
young master, carrying his knapsack
and implements of war, handing wa
ter to satisfy the parched lips, pre-
pairing food to sustain strength in
the fatigued body that it might per-
form better service for it's country,
George went through the fire, and
hail of bullets at Big Bethel, Ma
masses, Seven Pines, Fair Oaks, NAL
vern Hill, and helped save Richmond
from the Yankees, as he now often
expresses it. In many skirmishes
and battles did Capt. Walter and his
loyal black southerner engage; but
the, summit of Georges story is not
reached until "Antietam" is inscribed
Oh the page in letters of blood, and
breathed in the ears with admiration.
After helping to take Harpers
Ferry, and it's IL, 500 union men, and
vast stores of provisions, arms, and
ammunition, TRAPPING feet and duty
roads told of the journey to Antietam
Creek, where on September 18th, 1862
two great armies faced each other in
a grand double line three miles long
-McClelland with $1,000 strong and
Lee with less than 100000. The night
preceding that awful meeting was
spent near the scene of the next days
battle. The blackness of that night
must have p%ortended to Capt. Bryson
the flappings of the wings of the
death angel &s it started on its journey
to soar the Yankee bullet and dip
down into the blood of the next
days carnage and bear him away.
Fo rthat night, as officers were plan
ring and men were praying, he called
his trusty George to his side, and put
into his keeping $4,000 in money and
his valuable gold watch saying take
these George, and take them to my