112 Nortu Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

sions of this territory, when his scouts on or about 20 Novem-
ber, 1863, reported a small force as having crossed the peas
see line into North Carolina and advancing in the direction o

Warm Springs, Major Woodfin, with a hastily gotten macvioenss
detachment of his battalion, then at Marshall, sixteen miles
from the Springs, dashed with that impetuosity prein S
of the man, down the French Broad river, hoping to reach
that point before the invaders. But in this he failed, ant _
turning an abrupt angle in the road not far from cabs .
Leap”’ and in close proximity to the bridge across the riv e
leading to the hotel, he found himself confronted by a larger
force than he expected. Being several paces in advance of
his “troop,” he waved it to hold up, presumably with
the purpose of allowing him to take in more fully the situa-
tion, so as to intelligently direct further movements, but
unfortunately he had gotten into the outer circle of an am-
buseade, and was ruthlessly shot from his horse by a party
hidden ynder a small building near the road _ side. A
young man of Captain West’s company named Jake Davis
was at the same time wounded, and afterwards died. J. J
Ramsay, of same company, and Smith, of Harris
company, were also wounded. The detachment being out-
numbered and having lost its leader, fell back to Marshall.
A committee of citizens, headed by Esquire Albert T. Sum-
mey, of Asheville, went down under flag of truce to recover
the body of the much lamented citizen and soldier. They
found it stripped of all valuables, but glad to get the life-
less remains they brought it to his bereaved family and
friends, and with all the honors that could be paid a martyred
hero, he was laid to rest in the Methodist cemetery on Church
street and later removed to Riverside. In the funeral cortege
was his favorite charger “Prince Hal,” upon which he was
killed, fully caparisoned, being led by his trusted camp ser-
vant.

FOURTEENTH BATTALION,

The battalion, after the death of Major Woodfin, continued
in this defensive work for a time, acting rather independently
as companies; not a great while elapsed however, until there
united with these three companies three others, making what

Seventy-Ninto ReEGIMeEnr. 113

was afterwards known as the Fourteenth Battalion. The
additional companies were as follows:

Wiley F. Parker, Captain, of Buncombe; Joe Hale
Smith, First Lieutenant, of Buncombe, killed in 1865 by a

band of marauders; Wm. Eller, Second Lieutenant, of Bun-
combe.

E. Russell, Captain, of Haywood.

Jim Ray, Captain, of Madison; Whitfield Morgan, Lieu-
tenant, killed in 1865, by band of marauders; and —. —
Boone, Lieutenant.

Of this battalion, James L. Henry was made Lieutenant-
Colonel and Charles M. Roberts Major. Lieutenant-Colonel
Henry had been Adjutant of the Ninth North Carolina
(First Cavalry) under Colonel Robert Ransom, and when
the latter had been promoted Brigadier-General, had became
Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General of his brigade. After
the war he was judge of the Superior Courts from 1868-1874.
Major C. M. Roberts had also seen previous service. The
staff were A. M. Alexander, Quartermaster; Robert Farns-
worth, Commissary; Washington Morrison, Surgeon; Wil-
liam Murdock, Assistant Surgeon; S. V. Pickens, Acting Ad-

jutant; Aaron Wright, Quartermaster Sergeant, and W. L.
Norwood, Sergeant Major. The last has since been judge of
the Superior Court.

The writer, who had from 20 May, 1861, served as a pri-
vate in Company G, Ninth North Carolina (First Cavalry),
about 1 March, 1864, transferred to this battalion and be-
came its Adjutant. He found the command, officered as above
stated, encamped at Webster, Jackson County. The services
of Woodfin’s Battalion and of this larger battalion had been
manifold in guarding this section, picketing roads, fighting

bushwhackers, with occasional brushes with the enemy, but
the details are now irrevocably lost.

Major Roberts was fatally wounded in September, 1864, in
an engagement on Laurel, in Madison County, with Kirk’s
men, and other bushwhackers. He was a true and brave sol-

dier, beloved while living by the entire command, and

lamented when dead. His remains were taken by a military
escort, in command of the writer, and buried in his own yard

8