Friday, July 22, 2011

More of their thoughts on Manassas...

This piece comes from the Fayetteville Observer, July 29, 1861:

LATEST - This morning's mail brought no Richmond or Petersburg papers-no mail north of Warsaw.
   But we have a letter from Raleigh which gives some deeply interesting particulars. the body of the brave and lamented Col. Fisher has arrived at Raleigh in charge of some of his officers, from whom (we infer) the following facts were obtained:-
     Col. Fisher's regiment suffered a great deal. They were engaged in the battle with the New York Zouaves whom it is said only two hundred escaped. Lieut. Col. Lightfoot of Fisher's regiment was wounded by a ball passing through his thigh. the Major (whose name we have not heard.) is missing. Originally, Dortch was Lieut. Col. and Lightfoot Major, but on the resignation of Dortch, Lightfoot was promoted and we have not seen the name of his successor as Major. it is said that 250 of Fisher's Regiment were killed or wounded.
   300 of Col. McRae's regiment were in the battle, (we do not know what companies) and are said to have suffered dreadfully - not enough men left alive or unwounded to make a respectable company. Col. McRae was not in command (owing to his lameness of course). lieut. Col. Jones doubtless commanded.
     Col. Kirkland's regiment arrived just as the enemy gave way, and possibly in time to engage in the pursuit.
     We learn that there was still another North Carolina regiment in the battle, but which it was not known to our correspondent.
     It has been reported in Raleigh that Capt. Yorke of Fisher's regiment, was killed, and his wife came to Raleigh yesterday morning to meet his body.  Instead of that she met friends bringing Col. Fisher's body, who told her of the safety of her husband and of his narrow escape, as follows: He was knocked down and stunned by the windage of a cannon ball. One of the enemy seeing this, rushed upon him to bayonet him; but he revived in time to seize his pistol and shoot the yankee. He seized the yankee's musket and rallied his men to the charge. Mrs. Yorke was yesterday the happy recipient of a letter from her husband and of the said yakee musket. Capt. Yorke is a small man, quite young, had been a teacher in Wake county, (we think he is a native of Randolph,) and he and every member of his company had been Union men up to Lincoln's Proclamation. We have often heard of him as a glorious fellow.
     Appearances seem to indicate, we think, that North Carolina did her full share of the work, and suffered her full share of the loss, in the glorious day at Manassas. if so, she does not appear, so far, to have received her full share of the credit.

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