my
made a spirited attack upon the troops in front. We were hurriedly
rushed forward, put in line of battle, advanced through an uneven
piece of ground, and met the enemy posted behind a hill in front. They
opened upon us at close range, killing and wounding quite a number,
but as soon as our brigade made the first fire, they fled to a brick
wall, running at an angle from the turn-pike. General Connor fell at
the first fire, badly wounded in the knee, from the effects of which
he lost his leg, and never returned, only to bid his brigade farewell
in the pine regions of North Carolina. Colonel Rutherford being next
in command, advanced the troops to the top of the hill and halted. In
going out in front to reconnoitre in the direction of the stone wall,
a party of the enemy, who had concealed themselves behind it, rose
and fired, mortally wounding the gallant and much beloved Colonel. A
charge was made, and the enemy fled to a thicket of pine timber and
made their escape. This was a bloody little battle for the brigade,
and some of its loss was irreparable. We halted after driving the
enemy away, and at night withdrew to Fisher's Hill and camped for
the night. Fisher's Hill is a kind of bluff reaching out from the
Massanutten Mountain on our right; at its base ran Cedar Creek. It
is a place of great natural strength. In the presence of some of his
friends Colonel Rutherford passed away that night, at one o'clock, and
his remains were carried to his home by Captain Jno. K. Nance. General
Connor had his leg amputated. The brigade was without a field officer
of higher grade than Major, and such officer being too inexperienced
in the handling of so large a number of men, Major James Goggans,
of the division staff, was ordered to its command. While some staff
officers may be as competent to handle troops in the field as the
commanders themselves, still in our case it was a lamentable failure.
Major Goggans was a good staff officer, a graduate of West Point, but
he was too old and inexperienced to command troops of such vigor and
enthusiasm as the South Carolinians who composed Kershaw's Brigade.

We remained a short time on Fisher's Hill, throwing up some slight
fortifications. Kershaw's Brigade was encamped in a piece of woods on
the left of the turn-pike as you go north.

* * * * *

COLONEL WILLIAM DRAYTON RUTHERFORD.

Colonel William Drayton Rutherford was the son of Dr. Thomas B.
Ruther