Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 12.djvu/187

Rh lung inflicting a mortal wound. Rev. Dr. Moses D. Hoge closes a beautiful sketch of this noble Christian soldier as follows: "A little while before he died, he slept quietly for a few minutes. In dreams his soul wandered back to yesterday's conflict. He was again in the battle. The company for which he had toiled and prayed and suffered so much was before him and he was wounded dying on the field. But in dreams he had not lost Starting out of sleep, he sat once more erect, and exclaimed: 'Company K, you have no captain now; but never give up! never surrender!' The arms of his faithful attendant received him as he rose, and now supported him tenderly as his drooping form grew heavier. With his head pillowed on a soldier's breast, he sank, peacefully as a babe, into that deep sleep which no visions of strife shall ever disturb."

Col. William Johnson Pegram was widely known and widely honored as "the boy artillerist," who by skill and heroic daring fought his way up from private to colonel of artillery. Capt. W. Gordon McCabe, who served on his staff, thus closes a beautiful sketch of him:

On the first day of April, just as the earth was beginning once more to grow glad with flowers, came to him the last of many fights. The brilliant artillerist, the pride of his corps, who during four years of active service had never lost a gun, was to fall at 'Five Forks,' with all his wounds in front, fighting such odds as had never yet confronted him. For two days previous to the battle he had undergone immense fatigue; in the saddle day and night, with slight intermission, for forty-eight hours; wet, hungry, no blankets; engaging almost continually the cavalry of the enemy. On the very morning of the fight his breakfast consisted of a handful of parched corn, which he generously shared with a comrade. In the center of the line of battle were posted one gun from his own battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Hollis, Ellett's battery, and a section from Braxton's battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Early. Further to