“Solon,” Co. B, 17th Mississippi Infantry, Defends the Regiment

[Excerpt]

For the Mississippian.

Letter from Virginia.

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In Camp near Leesburg, Va,.
September 12th, 1861.

Ed. Mississippian: – […] It was with some degree of mortification that I heard the slanderous reports current in Mississippi relative to the actions of the 17th and 18th Mississippi Regiments and particularly the 17th. I was hurt to hear of the base insinuations of cowardice against Col. W. S. Featherston, than whom a braver or cooler officer was not in the engagement of the 21st, and am surprised that Mississippians should give such credence to the reports as to call forth an article from Cols. Burt and Featherston relative to the matter. The communication referred to will be published in the Spartanburg (S. C.) Express, through the columns of which paper the report first emanated. I need scarce request you, in common with other Mississippi papers to publish it in justice to brave men whose only neglect in not covering themselves with glory, was the absence of the chance; and it is a fact that these regiments occupied, on the memorable occasion one of the most critical positions. It excites our indignation to think that the character of these regiments and their brave officers should be impeached by a lickspittle lieutenant of another State, in order to extoll the virtues and acts of his own Regiment; and his assertion of base lies should consign him to the execrations of honest men. His own Colonel (Jenkins*) gives his letter the lie by subscribing to the mentioned communication.

We would remark that Mississippians are too proud to assume to themselves foulsome praise, and unless it is thoroughly merited seek not the plaudits of their fellow-citizens. Not so much as it seems with this epauletted ignoramus of the 5th S. C. Regiment. He must laud his own acts – to which we cannot object – but must needs make base charges of cowardice against equally brave men, in order, I suppose, that by contrast his laurels will shine the brighter. You need never fear that the proud escutcheon of Mississippi will be tarnished by any act of ours, and her honor is safe in our keeping.

But i have already, Mr. Editor, overstepped prudence in the length of this letter, and will close by the promise of something, more interesting, at a future time.

SOLON.
“Mississippi Rangers**,” 17th Miss. Regiment.

The Weekly (Jackson) Mississippian, 9/25/1861

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*Micah Jenkins, 5th South Carolina Infantry

**Co. B

Image: Capt. Albert Gallatin Brown, Co. H, 18th Mississippi Infantry

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Capt. Albert Gallatin Brown, Co. H, ,18th Mississippi Infantry, On the Battle

Battle of Manasseh – Governor Brown’s Narrative.

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The interest of our readers in the subjoined account of the action of Gen. D. R. Jones’ Brigade in the battle of Manasseh, will be heightened by the knowledge that it is from the pen of Ex-Governor A. G. Brown, and was written in a letter to Hon. W. P. Harris, only a few days after the battle. As Captain of one of the companies composing the 18th Mississippi Regiment, Gov. Brown was an eyewitness of the occurrences which he describes; and, though his letter was private, Judge Harris has permitted us to extract the following details, because they will deeply interest our readers who have friends in the 17th and 18th Mississippi regiments, and because he is assured, from numerous other sources, that this account is substantially accurate.

Gov. Brown states that, about half past 11 o’clock, on Tuesday before the battle, “the 17th and 18th Mississippi Regiments, and the 7th South Carolina Regiments, constituting the 3d Brigade, under Gen. D. R. Jones, were marched a distance of about two and a half miles from their encampment near Manasseh to McLean’s Ford on Bull Run, the point at which it was apprehended the main attack would be made.” After giving the occurrences of the several days intervening before the battle, the letter proceeds:

Sunday morning was ushered in by the roar of artillery. Our position was very nearly the same it had been from the beginning. The first gun was heard at a little after six by my time; and soon the rattling of musketry in long lines, and the loud thundering of artillery, assured us that both armies were hotly engaged. It was next to certain that the day of battle for us had come; and yet their was no blenching. Shells and heavy cannon balls came over us and about us only to excite the mirth of our men, so harmless had they come to regard them.

At eight or nine o’clock, we were ordered to cross Bull Run, and, in conjunction with Gen. Ewell’s Brigade, attack the enemy’s forces at Blackburn’s Ford in the rear. The men obeyed the order with alacrity. As we emerged from the wood, shells exploded over the very spot where we lay only a minute before, showing that the enemy had a last got our range. The boys laughed and said, “You are a little too late.” We advanced to the position we had been told to occupy, but Gen. Ewell did not come up. After reconnoitering the enemy, finding them in stronger force than was supposed, Gen. Jones ordered us back to our intrenchments. While we were thus marching and countermarching the battle raged with tremendous force along a line commencing within half a mile of us, and extending some six miles up Bull Run.

At about half past two o’clock, we were again ordered as we had been in the morning. It was now understood that the mistakes which led to our return in the morning, had been corrected, and that we were able to be led to the attack, sustained on the enemy’s rear by Gen. Ewells; while Gen. Longstreet was to engage them in front. Their strength was said confidently to be two pieces of artillery, supported by not more than twice our number of infantry and cavalry. Our men were thus encouraged to hope for a victory, though there was no attempt to disguise the fact that it was to cost some of us our lives. We had been shot at on our march over the same ground in the morning, the enemy’s balls striking close to our lines, right and left. Prompted in part by this fact, but mainly to prevent our being discovered until we should be in position to make effective the blow we were about to strike, we marched to the attack slowly and cautiously, covering our advance as best we could by a forest intervening between us and the enemy. We were discovered, however; and the enemy again fired across the rear of our column as it advanced, distant from their batteries, say three quarters of a mile on an air line. Our march was by a circuitous route; so that we passed over a line, I should think, of near four miles, to get within a quarter of a mile of the enemy. The ground upon which we were sent, no officer our soldier in the whole Brigade had ever seen before. We passed down a sinuous ravine with rugged bottom and uneaven banks until e were brought directly under the unseen guns of the enemy.

When we had reached the point where it was expected the forces under Gen. Ewell were to join us, we were again disappointed. Nothing was heard of him or his command. We had two pieces of light artillery, but they were left in the rear. We had also two detachments of cavalry, certainly not more than seventy-five men in all, perhaps not so many; and these, too, were left behind; so that in fact three Regiments, averaging not more than six hundred men each, and armed, with rare exceptions, with second class muskets, were thrown forward to sustain a conflict which had been appointed for three Brigades, supported by both artillery and cavalry. Instead of being sustained in front by Gen. Longstreet, and in the rear by Gen. Ewell, and on both sides by field batteries and a strong cavalry force, we were not sustained at all. Instead of attacking two pieces of artillery, and some three thousand infantry, in their rear, we were suddenly confronted by the muzzles of eight pieces of artillery, and not less than ten thousand infantry and artillery.

After a little delay, during which we received the enemy’s fire, our Brigade (Gen. Jones’) was pressed forward, and, in the very teeth of the enemy’s strength. made as bold a charge as was ever made by mortal men; and we continued to charge until we found ourselves on the brink of a precipice impassable to us, and where we were within range of the enemy’s guns, while they were without the range of ours. The 18th Regiment were in a hot place, as is evident from the fact that we lost, in this brief conflict, twice as many men as both the 17th Mississippi, and the 7th South Carolina Regiments; and as many as our entire army lost in the battle on Thursday, which lasted nearly five hours. yet many of our men did not see one of the enemy all day, so closely were they hid from our view.

The precipice being impassable, as I have said, the three Regiments abandoned their position and retired until we were partially covered by a hill, and undertook to reform our lines; but finding the ground impracticable for this purpose, we fell back; and the 18th Regiment first formed in a wood, within gun shot of the enemy. The 17th, and a portion of the 18th, had advanced some four hundred yards, or a little over, to an open field in a plain, and drawn up in battle array, where we soon after followed in good order. This was half a mile back of the field where we engaged the enemy, and was the first ground on which a Brigade could be displayed in line of battle. Here the line was formed, and every thing done that was necessary to be done for renewing the attack. The rolls were called, with what results in other companies I know not; but in my own, every man, with a single exception, answered to his name, or was satisfactorily accounted for. One had been killed, others dangerously wounded, and some had been sent back with their wounded friends.

I ought to mention that during our entire stay on Bull Run we had kept out strong picket guard day and night. Those of the 18th Regiment specially entitled to credit for discharging this dangerous and disagreeable duty, are the Confederate Rifles, Capt. Jayne, of Rankin; the Hamer Rifles, Capt. Hamer, of Yazoo; and the Burt Rifles, Capt. Fontaine, of Jackson.

It is apparent that for the failure of the movement on the right, the Regiments of Gen. Jones are in no way responsible. The error if there was error, was not in abandoning the position they took, but in being directed or permitted to take it at all. Under the circumstances retreat was an imperative duty.

Military critics will find much room for comment on the inactivity of the right wing of our army, since it is now apparent that better concerted and more active operations by that wing would have lead to more decisive results. Gen. Ewell’s report will doubtless explain the causes which paralyzed his command. In the mean while it seems that the well aimed attack by the main body of the enemy on our left was pressed with such success, in the early part of the day that our Generals were compelled to suspend or modify the plan marked out for the right wing. Gen. Ewell’s motions were doubtless materially influenced by orders from, or events occurring on the left wing.

The Weekly (Jackson) Mississippian, 9/18/1861

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Capt. Edward Fontaine, Co. K, 18th Mississippi Infantry, On the Battle

Letter from Capt. Fontaine.

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Camp near Leesburg, Va.,
September 6th, 1861.

Editors Mississippian: – I write this to explain the cause of the separation of a part of the Burt Rifles from the company during the battle of Manasseh.

The topographical sketch of the battleground sent with my letter some time since, will enable you to understand the explanation. It must be observed that the ground occupied by the 18th and 17th Regiments when the enemy opened their fire upon us, was of such a character that a line of battle could not be deployed upon it, except one of a very broken and irregular form; and before a single battalion was formed completely, the firing of the enemy had commenced. The bushes of a narrow and winding ravine, hid one half of the column from the view of the rest. The most of the companies were in four ranks and ready to form, as well as the nature of the ground permitted, when the first shot fell among them from the enemy, and the order to charge was given. In charging over the summit of a hill in crowded ranks the companies became mingled with each other. At one point I observed the men of several companies moving with my own in a dense mass six files deep. This was caused in part by the form of the ground, the contracted space, and the eagerness to be the first to reach our foes. When the charge was arrested unexpectedly by a steep wooded bluff, the wings of the company were widely separated by the intermingling of others. The dust and smoke caused by the bursting of shells, and the strokes of cannon, musket and rifle balls, and the fire of our own arms made all objects at times invisible at a short distance; and the noise of 72 or 75 discharges of artillery, from two batteries, the one about 400, and the other 600 yards distant, and the explosion of their missiles among us with the roar of our musketry made all orders inaudible for ten or fifteen minutes. At such a time the men on the left of the company could neither see me, nor hear my orders from the right.

When i ordered them to rally to the right, in order to extricate them, and form them to advantage, those who heard me, and could see me formed promptly, and I marched them to the right of the bluff I have mentioned and halted them in a ravine for a few moments until I ascertained the position of the enemy’s line of battle, and that of the part of the 5th South Carolina Regiment which had formed in advance of our right, and across Rocky Run, and under the hill upon which the enemy was posted. The firing from one of the enemy’s batteries and from all their left wing ceased at this time, and I saw them moving to the right of Col. Jenkins position, and I thought preparing to charge his right, on our regiments from that direction; and discovering at the same time an opening in the hills, and some paths descending from their position down to the creek at a crossing near his right, and seeing that it was entirely defensible by infantry and sheltered from their artillery; I marched the portion of the company with me to that point, and ordered them to use the bank of the creek, and the trees and other natural defences of the spot to hold the position. In performing this movement, I could neither see the rest of my company or be seen by them. The trees on the brow of the bluff in our rear where the charge was stopped by the impracticable cliffs hid me from their view. When the other companies of the regiments were withdrawn from the hill, unable to find me, they followed those with whom they had become necessarily mingled.

Lieut. Rines, of the Brown Rebels, and a number of privates of that and other companies, who had become separated from their proper commands in the same way, were with us. Those who were thus separated behaved with as much bravery and fought as well as those who kept their places. Every officer and private, with the exception of the few who fled to Manasseh, imagining that the withdrawal of the regiments from the hill was a retreat from the enemy, and who spread the report that the brigade was defeated, behaved with coolness and gallantry. Every man left the spot with his gun loaded, and ready and anxious to meet the foe. No man threw away his arms, or exhibited any marks of panic, with the exception of the few above mentioned unfortunate individuals.

Military men will be surprised to learn that any censure has been uttered against the commanders of the regiments for withdrawing their troops from a position from which the enemy could not be charged with the bayonet, or fired upon to advantage; and where they were exposed to a cross fire from two well directed batteries of 8 cannon, and several thousand minne muskets and long range rifles. An officer, who under the circumstances, held his command, without orders, and without an object, exposed to such a fire which could not possibly be returned with effect by common muskets, would certainly deserve to be censured by a court martial for his incapacity. He might not be a coward; but he certainly would be a fool. I heard no order to retire, or I should have obeyed it with alacrity. The regiments were reformed by Gen. Jones a short distance from the spot, at the junction of the McLean Ford and Union Mills Roads, to meet an expected attack from the direction of Centreville. The enemy retreated in that direction; and not knowing that the immense force we attacked was defeated, we supposed that the fight would be renewed at that point. There I found the rest of the Burt Rifles who were formed with the other companies of the 18th regiment and those of the 17th, apparently as ready to renew the fight as they were to begin it; but the enemy had seen enough of us, and were making the best of their way to Alexandria.

To accuse any of the officers and privates of the handful of 1800 rank and file who made a successful attack without the support of artillery or cavalry upon ten times their number strongly posted and with three complete batteries of improved artillery and a heavy corps of horse, of cowardice, exhibits a mixture of ignorance and malice which can only excite the contempt of chivalrous soldiers. I should have preferred having my proper command united; but feel satisfied that those who were displaced from their posts in ranks by the accidents of the day performed their duty heroically as independants, or under other officers as meritorious as myself.

I regret that newspaper correspondents have spoken of myself, and those of the company who happened to be with me, in a manner intended to be complimentary; but which places me in an invidious and false position. I have not authorized their statements, and am not responsible for them. For my actions on the 21st of July i feel that I did my duty, and care but little for what others think of them.

EDWARD FONTAINE

The Weekly (Jackson) Mississippian, 9/18/1861

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Image: Capt. Adam McWillie, Co. G, 18th Mississippi Infantry

Canteen carried by Adam McWillie in Mexico and at First Bull Run (From the collection of the Museum of Mississippi History, Mississippi Department of Archives and History)

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Lt. F. B., 18th Mississippi Infantry, On Capt. Adam McWillie, Co. G

For the Mississippian

Captain Adam McWillie.

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Camp “Bull Run,” Va.,
July 30, 1861.

Ed. Mississippian: – The hero and patriot whose name heads this article, fell before the enemy at Bull Run, Va., on the 21st instant, while at the head of his company striking a manly blow for his county.

When the first news reached headquarters of the 18th Miss. Regiment that Capt. McWillie had fallen, all hearts were filled with gloom. Profound sadness hung her sable mantle over a battalion of as brave hearts as ever formed a column. The big tears would make their way down the cheeks of his late fellow officers and soldiers as harbingers of the heaving emotions of generous souls which mourned for their late comrade as one of their brightest jewels.

The writer well remembers his acquaintance with Captain McWillie in connection with the 1st Mississippi Regiment during the Mexican war, under command of Col. Jeff. Davis, and bear testimony to the noble qualities which characterizes the patriot, and hero which he possessed; and amid the arduous struggles of that campaign his name was the watchword to fame. Ever honored be his memory; peace to his sleeping ashes. May Heaven’s messengers mark his resting place. Sighing pines sing his requiem, while the turbid stream will point the passer by to the tomb of the generous dead.

Lieut. F. B. Miss. Regt.

The Weekly (Jackson) Mississippian, 8/21/1861

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Image: Capt. Edward Fontaine, Co. K, 18th Mississippi Infantry

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“C,” Co. K, 18th Mississippi Infantry, On the Battle

From Our Correspondent.

The Battle of Manassas.

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Genl. Scott’s Late Headquarters,
July 25th, 1861.

The South has won a victory that entitles her to be crowned Queen of Nations. The destroyers of our peace have fled ingloriously. Justice, truth and the God of Nations and of battles, have triumphed over the ruthless invaders of our soil, and joy and gladness reign in every heart.

The fighting commenced Sunday morning about 9 o’clock and continued unceasingly until 6 P.M. – Gen. Johnson led the left wing, and Gen. Beauregard the right wing of a line of battle from six to eight miles long. Standing for a few minutes upon a high hill on the extreme of the right wing, I had a view of the whole line. It was a grand but horrific scene. The mountains beyond the valley seemed to bend mournfully their tall and rugged brows as clouds of smoke continually rose and curled around them. The beast and fowl of the forest fled from the pathway of a terrific and devastating storm. the earth shook beneath the roaring of cannon; rivulets and streams ran red with human gore; hills and hollows were lined with dead men’s bodies, and the air grew faint with the groans of the wounded and dying.

The result was a glorious but dear bought victory to us. The loss of the enemy cannot be estimated. They lost about five men to our one, and from the amount of guns, equipage, &c., that have been taken and brought in, they must have left everything behind. We took more arms and ammunition than we had in our whole army before the fight. Two million dollars will not cover the loss sustained by the Northern army.

The brigade of which Col. Burt’s Regiment was a part was ordered to take a battery on a high hill near McLains Ford. We went over in the morning to make the attack – but just before we got there the order was countermanded. We returned and waited until evening. About 4 o’clock P.M., we went over and made a most daring and reckless charge. The Brigade marched down a hollow in four ranks facing the enemy and his cannon. The South Carolina Regiment being in front were permitted ot form in line of battle. Just as the 18th Mississippi Regiment was forming into line – canister and grape shot, shells and minnie balls poured down on us like hail stones. The command ‘Charge’ being given by some one, the Regiment moved at double quick to the top of the hill about two hundred yards. Finding that they were not in sight of the enemy and seeing their way impeded by a deep ravine and a rocky bluff on the other side up which they could not climb – the regiment became confused, and after remaining there in the old field for half an hour – exposed to continuous volleys of shot and shell trying to rally and get a chance at the Yankees who were safe under cover of the brow of a hill and at the convenient distance of four or five hundred yards off – it was ordered to fall back into the wood and reform.

A portion of the Burt Rifles under the command of Capt. Fontaine and Lieut. Fearn – thinking that the regiment was retreating – and being near the South Carolina Regiment formed on its right wing. This brave and gallant band were the last to leave the field. Had the remainder known that this portion of our company was alive and where it was – with the permission of Col. Burt, we would have left our regiment while reforming in the woods and gone to them, tho’ each one met his death messenger on the way. We had pledged to stand by and with each other, and to the latter strictly would we have fulfilled the pledge.

The enemy, supposed afterwards from various accounts to be ten or twelve thousand strong, commenced retreating as soon as they commenced firing – consequently after reforming we had no chance to return by an available route and attack them. They fled before we hurt them, but Gen. Longstreet stationed us on the other side, pursued them and took many of them prisoners and nearly everything they had.

This was the closing scene of the greatest battle ever fought between the Atlantic and Pacific.

Many a brave and gallant spirit of the South took its flight to distant realms. Among them was that of the good and heroic little Eddie Anderson of the Burt Rifles. Peace be to thy ashes, Eddie! A nobler death thou couldst not have died. A better grave no man can covet.

Capt. McWillie, of the Camden Rifles, Lieut. Leavy, of the Brown Rebels, Lieut York, of the Mississippi College Rifles, and many others whose names I do not now recollect were killed on the field or being mortally wounded have since died.

Our army is in fine spirits, and all are eager to continue the march to Washington City.

C.

The Weekly (Jackson) Mississippian, 8/7/1861

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Unit History – 18th Mississippi Infantry

Organized June, 1861, at Corinth, Mississippi, recruited its members in Yazoo, Coahoma, Madison, Soto, and Hinds counties. Ordered to Virginia, the unit fought at First Manassas under D. R. Jones, then was engaged at Leesburg. In April, 1862, it contained 684 effectives and served in General Griffith’s, Barksdale, and Humphrey’s Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. The 18th participated in many campaigns from the Seven Days’ Battles to Cold Harbor including the operations at Chickamauga and Knoxville. It went on to fight with Early in the Shenandoah Valley and later around Appomattox. The unit reported 38 casualties at First Manassas, 85 at Leesburg, and 132 at Malvern Hill. Of the 186 engaged at Sharpsburg, forty-three percent were disabled. It had 18 wounded at Fredericksburg, 25 killed and 43 wounded at Chancellorsville, and 18 killed and 82 wounded of the 242 at Gettysburg. Many were captured at Sayler’s Creek, and only 4 officers and 44 men surrendered. The field officers were Colonels E. R. Burt and Thomas M. Griffin; Lieutenant Colonel Walter G. Kearney and William H. Luse; and Majors John H. Balfour, James C. Campbell, G. B. Gerald, and E. G. Henry.

From Joseph H. Crute, Jr., Units of the Confederate States Army, pp. 177-178

Pvt. William C. File, Co. G, 18th Mississippi Infantry, On the Campaign

The following private letter from a private in one of the Mississippi Regiments, was handed us for publication. Many of our readers are doubtless quite familiar with the author, as he was once a cititzen of this place. As it may afford some information to our readers, we give it publicity:

Camp near Fairfax, Va.
July 24th, 1861.

Dear Farther and all at Home:

If you received my last letter, you may not be surprised at getting this one. It is now one week since we left our camp at the Junction, shifting about from one place to another. We are now farther off than we have been yet. I will tell you what we have been doing the past week. About 10 o’clock A. M., last Wednesday, our whole Brigade was suddenly called to march. We got ready in a short time, taking nothing with us but our blankets, provisions, (raw meet and crackers) and marched out about one and a half miles to Bulls Run. Here we remained all day. The next day, three companies, (including ours) crossed the creek, lying in the bushes all day as scouts. About noon they commenced fighting in our rear, a mile or so off, and for about 3 ½ hours, cannon and small arms kept an incessant firing. We heard the cannon balls but were out of their range. The Yankees were routed and fled in confusion. We heard that our loss was 45 killed and wounded, that of the enemy, 7 or 800. At night, we had very thick bushes to cover us, and taking dry oats from a field near by, made a first rate bed, but just as we had got in a good way for sleeping, a little shower of rain fell, wetting our blankets and beds, so we had the pleasure of sleeping under wet blankets the balance of the night, but we managed to pass a tolerable comfortable night. – Next day we remained lying about in the bushes. At night we heard a good deal of firing. We crossed and re-crossed the Creek again, and took our stand in the pine bushes, lying on our arms all night. We were roused up several times during the night, by firing, but the enemy did not come. Leaning up against a pine, gun in hand, I slept until sun up. We remained here during Saturday. On the next day, (Sunday,) the enemy, some two miles distant, commenced throwing bombs but all fell over our encampment or exploding in the air, doing us no damage. Our Brigade then crossed the creek, and lay in the woods some 3 or 4 hours. We could from this time until in the evening, hear the roar of cannon and small arms, at Stone Bridge, some eight miles distant. Jeff. Davis and Beauregard were there, The Yankees were again driven off the field with great loss. We have heard they had some 60,000 engaged: ours only 18 or 20,000; their loss some 15,000; ours about 5,000. We took about 500 prisoners, some 30 pieces of their best artillery, and a great quantity of baggage, &c. But I wish to tell you of our little fight.

In the evening our Brigade advanced upon the Battery that had been playing on us in the morning. We advanced to a steep hill, and were forming a line of battle at its foot, our left flank exposed to the enemy’s batty, when suddenly they opened upon us and cannon balls and grape shot, fell upon us like hail. Some of the men in front commenced hollowing like the victory was won, and at one wild rush, the whole brigade rushed up the hill – all confusion – every one became his own captain – great many shooting at their own men. Our officers tried hard to rally them, but in vain. We were where we could not see the enemy for the bushes in front of us, while we were exposed to a severe fire all the time. I saw a great many shooting but finding they were firing at our own men, I did not fire my gun.

All then run to the foot of the hill, where we first formed, and ran to an old pine field in our rear, to rally. I followed some of our company to the pines, the balls whistling around my head, plowing up the ground all around me. As I crossed the fence I saw our flag-bearer fall, exclaiming, “I’m dead.” Our captain was found dead near by, the next day, also another of our company, with 8 or 10 others. I made my way to our Regiment again. We made the attack in a bad manner. We have the honor of taking the place. Col. Longstreet came up on the other side, as we were leaving, and they run without firing hardly a gun. Our company lost two killed, three wounded; our flag-bearer dangerously. The whole brigade lost 13 killed; I don’t know how many wounded.

On Monday we paid our last respects to our captain; it was raining all day, but we buried him with military honors, firing three rounds over his grave. Yesterday we came to this place. The enemy have all left the country; gone over the river, and I expect our troops have possession of Alexandria, at this time. But I must close. – Write soon and direct as before.

Remaining till death,
W. C. File

The Carolina Flag (Concord, NC), 8/2/1861

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