Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/557

 An Incident of the late Col. Carlos Tracy. 547

An Incident of the late Col. Carlos Tracy, of South Carolina, at •' Walthall

Junction."

The late Colonel Carlos Tracy, a volunteer aid of General Hagood, at the time of the battle of " Walthal Junction," while following his General into the field, became separated from him by some interven- ing obstacle. His attention was then directed to a scene which aroused all the soldier within him. A man (wounded) bearing the colors of one of the regiments, was walking with the flag of the regi- ment trailing on the ground. Our left was clearly turned, and as far as he could see, or know, there was not a soldier to be thrown in the way.

Seizing the colors of the regiment borne by the man. Colonel Tracy (then Captain Tracy), rushed forward some distance on his large cream colored mare, a conspicuous mark for the shot of the enemy, and endeavored, by every possible exertion to rally the men. After fifteen or twenty minutes, having succeeded in getting some of the regiment to form in a line with him, an officer of the regiment, bravely and gallantly claimed the flag — to whom, of course, he bowed and yielded it.

It was for this gallant conduct Captain Tracy was promoted to the rank of Colonel of Cavalry, and assigned to the court of General Ewell's corps, as one of the three Judge Advocates. This act of Colonel Tracy's was one which few survive, the like of which one finds scattered here and there in the histories of the past — the rela- tion generally ending with the account of the death of the actor therein.

Our friend, although in imminent peril, was providentially saved. And his exertion probably turned the fate of the day in our favor.

SUDELEY.

A Sketch of Debray's Twenty-Sixth Regiment of Texas Cavalry.

By General X. B. Dkbk.w.

Paper No i.

In the summer of 1861, General Van Dorn, commanding the Dis- trict of Texas, made a requisition on the Governor of the State for six companies of cavalry, to be enlisted for the war, to report at Gal- veston, and to be employed in patrolling the coast.