Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 35.djvu/22

 8 to hear what was being said about the war. After seeing others whose names I do not now remember, and getting some refreshments, I started back to camp, feeling assured that every man was needed there.

Among those I noticed already on their way out was Mr. William C. Bannister, whom I remember well, as on that fateful day, erect as a Mohawk chief, with rifle in hand and blanket slung across his shoulders, he seemed the personification of the Southern cause. In company with (I think) Mr. George B. Jones, he marched steadily out to the fray. Mr. Bannister was full of patriot fire, and no man fought or fell that day whose devotion to the Confederate cause was more conspicuously displayed than his.

On the way I met two Confederate soldiers. From them I derived the information that an attack already had been made and repulsed. I asked them why they didn't stay to help; they gave me as a reason that it was not their company that was engaged. I suspected that, being old veterans and probably foreseeing the result, the real reason was they had no stomach for the fight.

Further on as I reached the cedar lane leading from what was known as the Ragland House, to the Plank Road, a few hundred yards in the rear of the works, I saw galloping towards me a youth mounted on a fine-looking mare, and leading by the bridle a large heavy-built, dark horse, with foreign-looking accoutrements. The contrast between the spirited animal he was riding and the other lumbering, clumsy animal, was quite striking. This, I understood afterwards, was gallant young Wales Hurt, lieutenant in Captain Jarvis' Junior Reserves, on his way for reinforcements. As he passed he shouted that they already had had a brush with the enemy, and the horse he was leading was one which had been captured from them. This was the last I saw of him. After fulfilling his mission, and no doubt returning to participate in the affray, he fell in with the advancing enemy and was slain, his body being found afterwards in the road, where they had ridden over him. Colonel Archer states in his