Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 30.djvu/280

 I

272 Southern Historical Society Papers.

panics did good service also. Those engaged were the New Orleans Washington Artillery, Latham's Battery from Lynchburg, Imbo- den's from Staunton, Kemper's from Alexandria, Thomas's from Richmond, Pendleton's from Lexington, Rogers' s from Leesburg, and the Wise Artillery, Captain Arburtus. The Washington Artil- lery and Latham's Battery and Kemper's were in position to do most, but all his companies manoeuvred well and delivered their fires with great effect.

I do not believe that I have informed you in any of my letters that Colonel Cameron, of one of the Pennsylvania regiments, had been killed, and that his brother, Lincoln's Secretary of War, had sent a friend, one Arnold Harris, a lobby member about Washing- ton, to ask for his body. As he did not come under a flag of truce, General Johnston ordered him into custody and sent him to Rich- mond.

The Republican secretary chose to ignore the existence of our authority and the rank and position of our officers by sending a verbal message and without a flag, just as the Ministers of King George were wont to act towards General Washington and the Con- tinental Congress during the first revolution, and therefrom our officers chose to send the aforesaid Mr. Harris to prison. I have just heard that five more of Ellsworth's Zouaves Old Abe's pet lambs were captured to-day in the woods near Centreville, one of whom was Colonel Farnham, the successor of Ellsworth. He had been wounded and the other remained behind to take care of him.

" While on a visit yesterday to the Seventh Regiment I had the satisfaction of examining their flag. It has fourteen bullet holes in it and the flag staff was struck in four places. After Colonel Bartow's fall Lieutenant Paxton, of Virginia, asked leave, the color-bearer being wounded, to carry the flag. His request was granted, and he and W. L. Norman, one of the color guards of DeKalb county, were the first to place it upon the captured battery. There is an- other incident which deserves public mention, and which shows of what stuft the Georgia boys are made. William Dejarnette, of the Rome Light Guard, having been slightly wounded and left behind, con- cealed himself in the bushes. The Second Rhode Island Regiment passed by without seeing him, but Colonel Slocum, who commanded the regiment, and who came on behind, discovered him in the bushes. Attempting to draw his pistol, he said: 'Your life, you rebel !' For some reason he could not get out his pistol easily, and seeing Dejarnette level his musket at him, he cried out: ' Don't