In that memorable battle, whilst we were charging a battery of sixteen pieces of artillery, when great gaps were being made in the lines by the rapid discharge of grape and canister, when the very grass beneath our feet was being cut to pieces by these missiles of death, and it looked as if mortal men could not possibly live there; Capt.  W.Z.  Leitner of our town was shot in the midst of this deadly shower at the head of his company.  When his comrades were about to remove him from the field he said, “Men I am ruined but never give up the battle.  I was shot down at the head of my company, and I would to God that I was there yet.”  He refused to let them carry him off the field.  Dr. Salmond, then Brigade Surgeon of Kershaw’s Brigade, learning that his friend Captain Leitner was seriously wounded, abandoned his post at the infirmary, mounted his horse and went to the field where Captain Leitner lay, amid the storm of lead and iron, regardless of the dangers which encompassed him on every hand.  He placed Captain Leitner on his horse, and brought him off the field.  The writer of this was wounded severely in this charge, and while he was making his way as best he could to the rear, he met the Brigade Surgeon on his mission of mercy to his fallen friend, ordering those to the front who were not wounded, as he went along.  Brave man, he is now dead.  Peace to his ashes.  As long as I live, I shall cherish his memory and think of this circumstance.

A Member of the Old Brigade.

Taken from Kershaw Gazette of February 26, 1880.

Judge Pope gives me several instances of devotion and courage during the Gettysburg campaign, which I take pleasure in inserting.

* * * * *

“Did the negroes wish freedom?”

I have listened to much which has been said and written as to the aspiration of the negroes for freedom while they were slaves, but much that I saw myself makes me doubt that this aspiration was general.

Let me relate an instance that fell under my immediate observation.  An officer had lost his bodyservant in May, 1863, when he mentioned the fact to some of the gentlemen of the and regiment, the reply was made:  “There is a mess in Company A or I of the Third Regiment who have an excellent free negro boy in their employment, but they must give him up and no doubt you can get him.”  I saw the soldiers they referred to and they assured me that they would be glad if I would take the servant off their hands.  The result was the servant came to me and I hired him.  Soon afterwards we began the march to the Valley of Virginia, then to Maryland and Pennsylvania.  The servant took care of my horse, amongst his other duties.  Having been wounded at Gettysburg and placed in a wagon to be transported to Virginia this boy would ride the horse near by the wagon, procuring water and something to eat.  As the caravan of wagons laden with wounded soldiers was drawing near