Wounding of General J.E.B. Stuart.

 

Mr. Luther W. Hopkins,

            100 E. Lexington St.

 

Dear Sir:--

                        In response to your request I herewith give you my version of the wounding of General J.E.B. Stuart at Yellow Tavern on May 11-1864. The wound proved to be a mortal one of thich the General Died the next day. There are several versions of this deplorable event all differing more or less. But I was in a postion that enables me to give the exact truth concerning it. I was not only an eye witness to the events that lead up to the battle but I participated in it and was standing close by the side of the General and his horse when the former was struck. As your Regiment, the 6^th Va. Cavalry, took an active part in the battle and you were captured at the time, it gives me pleasure to again relate all the circumstances that I can now recall that it may become a matter of record. I hope you will publish another edition of your book "From Bull Run to Appomattox" that will contain the following narrative.

 

                        I belonged to Company "K" of the First Virginia Cavalry, Companies "K. and D." forming our Squadron, Company D. was made up of men from Washington County, Virginia, commanded by Captain Litchfield and Company "K" of Maryland men commanded by Captain / Mr. Luther W. Hopkins.       

                

Gus. Dorsey, the First Virginia on that day was in line of battle on the extreme left of Wickham's brigade with D. and K. forming the left of the regiment, resting on the Yellow Tavern road; just across the road was General Lomax's brigade, D. and K. were deployed along a line of fence in the woods, a position they together with the regiment, had held nearly the entire day. About 5 o'clock in the afternoon General Stuart came along riding slowly through the woods, whistling and entirely alone, and took a position directly between Fred Pitts (a young man from the Eastern Shore of Maryland) and myself with his horse's head extending over the fence. As we were dismounted at the time, fighting as Infantry, my left elbow was touching the boot of General Stuart's right leg. He had been with us in this position scarcely five minutes when some of General Lomax's mounted men made a charge up the road and were driven back by a regiment of Federal Cavalry, which, when they got to our line of battle, filed to the left along the fence in front of our command, passing within 10 or 15 feet of General Stuart. They fired a volley as they passed, one shot of which hit the General in the left side, I saw him press his hand to his side, and said to him, "General, you are hit", "Yes", he replied, "Are you wounded badly"? I asked, "I am afraid I am," he said, "but don't worry boys Fitz (meaning General Fitz Lee) will do as well for you as I have done." We were then taking him back, Tom Waters of Baltimore leading his horse, while Fred Pitts and myself, one on either side /

 

Mr. Luther W. Hopkins.                        

of him went back 100 yards, when Pitts and I left him in charge of Waters and some men from the ambulance corps and returned to our position at the fence, as it was of the greatest importance to hold this position to prevent the wounded General from being captured. This we did until General Stuart had been removed from the field, when our regiment slowly retreated. When Pitts and I left him, the General was still sitting on his horse. When he was wounded he was near the centre of Company K. with no other troops near him. He had neither a courier nor any member of his staff with him, who took him off his horse I do not know.

 

            Sworn to before me                                                    JR Oliver

this 19^th day of January,                                                         235 W. Preston St.

1917.   J. Elmer Weisheit                                                                   Baltimore, Md.

                        Notary Public

 

 

                        Sworn to before

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