A SINGULAR COINCIDENCE.—On Wednesday [July 27, 1864], Dr. O[tis]. F. Manson, Surgeon in charge of hospital No. 24, for the care of North Carolina troops, rode down to the lines below Richmond, carrying with him in his carriage Brigadier General [James H.] Lane, of Lane’s brigade [Lane/Wilcox/Third/ANV], wounded sometime since, but now convalescent, and returning to his brigade to assume command1. Dr. Manson had hardly reached the lines before Colonel [John D.] Barry [of the 18th North Carolina], commanding the brigade in the absence of General Lane fell severely wounded in a skirmish2 and the Doctor, returning to Richmond, brought the wounded officer back with him.3
Colonel Barry’s wound, we are glad to learn, is not dangerous. He is cared for at Dr. Manson’s residence where also General Lane was staying pending recovery from his wound.4
SOPO Editor’s Note: This article was transcribed by Jackie Martin.
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Source/Notes:
- SOPO Editor’s Note: The newspaper got it wrong. Lane may have returned to his brigade, but he did not assume command, at least not on July 27, 1864. Per Jimmy Price’s book The Battle of First Deep Bottom, page 78, Colonel Robert Van Buren Cowan of the 33rd North Carolina took over brigade command after Barry was wounded, at least temporarily that day. Lane himself, in a history of his brigade published in the Southern Historical Society Papers, writes, “During the time that I was absent, wounded-less than three months-the brigade, commanded successively by Colonels Barry and Speer, and Brigadier-General Conner, took an active part in the following engagements: Riddle’s shop, June 13; action three miles south-east of Petersburg, June 22; action in front of Petersburg, June 23; Gravel Hill, July 28; Fussell’s Mills, on Darbytown road, August 16-18; Reames’s Station, August 25.” ↩
- SOPO Editor’s Note: This “skirmish” was on July 27, 1864 at the First Battle of Deep Bottom. Barry lost two fingers on his hand that had to be amputated as a result of the wounding. See Jimmy Price’s book The Battle of First Deep Bottom for details on Barry’s wounding on pages 77-78. ↩
- SOPO Editor’s Note: As happens even today, the tale recounted above is just a little too good to be true. ↩
- “A Singular Coincidence.” Richmond Examiner. July 21, 1864, p. 2 col. 6 ↩