NC Captain Marsh Describes the Death of Captain Thomas Blount at Gaines Mill

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Confederate soldier’s letter written by “W.T. Marsh who enlisted on 5/16/1861 at Beaufort County, NC as a Captain, and was commissioned into "I" Co. NC 4th Infantry. He died of wounds on 9/24/1862 at Sharpsburg, MD. The letter is 4pp., datelined Near Richmond, July 29, ‘62. In part, “In the late battles our regiment did not suffer so severely as others. in this charge we lost one of our best officers, as brave and gallant a man as there ever was. Captain Thos. M. Blount .... Our Brigade being ordered to charge, one of the regimants seemed to hesitate or did not move forward promptly as he thought it should, riding up to the standard bearer he siezed the colors of the regiment and called upon it to follow them, spurring his horse forward dashed among the enemy far in advance of any of our forces this act of rash gallantry cost him his life as he was instantly shot from his horse, pierced by several bullets. No man belonging to our regiment has fallen whose death has been more generally lamented. ... I can well conceive of the condition Washington and New Berne are in. I have seen several places after the enemy had been driven from them ... The series of battles on the Chickahominy which resulted in such signal success to our armies were upon that day inaugurated. they commenced the evening of the 27th, the enemy were routed and commenced retreating ... I have been so often under fire with the missiles of death falling around me, seen so many friends and companions slain that my sensibilities have become callous. ... The battle of Seven Pines in which our regiment suffered so severely ... the battle of Willimasburg, was fought May5th ... Our friend Perry met a brave death ... He fell in the midst of the battle ... it would al,ost seem that our best and bravest men are the first to fall ...”

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