Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 19.djvu/378

 372 Southern Historical Society Papers.

[From the Richmond Dispatch, June 7, 1891.]

FORT DONELSON.

Reminiscences of the Fifteenth Virginia Infantry Death of Captain Dabney Carr Harrison The Virginia State Flag.

CHASE CITY, VA M June 5, 1801.

People appear never to weary in reading incidents of the late war. I recall some never published, and may be interesting to some of your readers.

It is well known that the battle of Fort Donelson continued four days in February, 1862.

On the morning of the second day of the fight my regiment (the Fifty-sixth Virginia of Floyd's brigade) was in the trenches awaiting an attack expected as soon as the light of day broke upon us. Cap- tain Dabney Carr Harrison, a Presbyterian minister, commanded a company from Henrico county, Va., in that regiment.

AN IMPRESSIVE SCENE.

He called his company to attention just as the first streak of morn gleamed upon us and repeated in a calm and impressive manner the 2yth Psalm, commencing: " The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear ; the Lord is the strength of my life ; of whom shall I be afraid ?

" When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, come upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

" Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident," and continued to the end of the chapter.

All the men around him listened with heads uncovered and bowed on that solemn and still, cold winter morning. Some repeated after him.

A STRANGE DISPENSATION.

But soon there was a strange dispensation of the Almighty. In a few hours Captain Harrison was mortally wounded while gallantly leading a charge on the Federal lines. Strange to say, only one other man of his company was killed. Captain Harrison was a true