Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, NC) Saturday, September 11, 1897, Issue 192, Col A.

"CAPT. BILLY McLAURIN," AS SEEN BY THE ENEMY

Laurinburg Exchange. In the News and Observer of August 26th under the caption, "Incidents of Spottslyvania." 
There is an article by Mr. Lindsey R. Jennings, in which an old Union soldier pays the highest tribute to the North 
Carolina troops and especially to our esteemed and honored citizen, Capt. W. H. McLaurin. It is with no little pride 
that we copy the following extract, for "Capt Billy McLaurin" was one of the bravest and most gallant of 
the faithful soldiers, who marched under Dixie's banner. When the war was over, Captain McLaurin came home and settled 
down to the quiet life of a farmer and citizen and his glorious achievements as a soldier are well balanced by his 
distinguished services to Richmond County as a loyal and progressive son. A man of marked intellectuality, strong 
character and deep patriotism, Laurinburg, in fact, Richmond County is no less proud of him as a citizen than he 
was as a soldier. His record on the battlefield is well known to our people; nevertheless, it can but be interesting 
to read this tribute to his valor from the pen of a foe:

"It was with an assumed feeling of arrogance and contempt of danger that I led my regiment to the attack on Lee's 
salient on the 12th of May 1864, at Spottslyvania court house. By the crack of dawn on that morning, before the Johnnies 
were fully awake, we were right in among them in a hand to hand encounter, capturing a great number of prisoners and 
quickly had possession of all, or nearly all of both wings of this famous salient, the breastworks of which faced the 
front and rear. We had Lee's army now practically cut in two, an advantage which, if it had been followed up promptly, 
would, as I have thought, have had the effect of terminating the war at a much earlier date. While we were engaged in 
arranging to hold our newly acquired position in the captured Confederate works, and in reforming the troops for a 
further advance, an attack was made on our flank and rear, which by its suddenness and vigor struck panic into the troops 
between the position held by my regiment and the attacking party, which sent them pouring pell mell back upon my men in a 
wild, confused mass. 

Every soldier knows of the demoralizing effect of an enfilade fire, such as the Confederates had on our line, and the 
further fact that a stampede of panic stricken troops is as uncontrollable as that of the herds of the Western plains. I 
was drawing out my line at an angle from their former position in order to check the Confederate advance, when I was shot 
down, receiving this wound in the hip, from the effect of which, in the opinion of nerve specialists, I will never fully 
recover. My own men, brave and tried soldiers though they were, caught up the contagion and joined in the head long flight, 
for before a proper alignment could be made, the Confederates were among them, sweeping by and beyond me as I lay wounded 
upon the ground and shooting to kill, as was evidenced by the large number of fallen Federals on the spot. I felt mortified 
and chagrined when I saw this small body of Confederates, for they did not number more than about fifty or sixty men, by 
brave and skillful management, put to rout many times their number of men. But I was particularly impressed with their 
youthful leader as he passed by where I lay, his countenance glowing with the enthusiasm of a school boy going out upon 
the play ground for a game of ball, shouting "Forward men!" rushing on with his little band like an avalanche to 
what seemed certain destruction. He reminded one of the pictures I had seen in my old school history in my boy days. I 
admire bravery even in a foe, and this I would call true gallantry, such as was seldom witnessed in either army in the 
many battles of the civil war. 

I am aware that some Virginia troops claim, by an attack in front of our position, to have regained their lost ground, 
but I know the fact that their attack was not made until after I had fallen, and to this young officer and his brave 
followers belong the honor of turning the tide of battle, and of possible saving Lee's army from direful defeat that 
morning. He was my idea of a soldier, and as I thought of him, could but reflect upon the honors so unworthily worn by 
myself, and wish they could have been the reward of such heroism as this. One of his men had fallen wounded within a few 
feet of where I lay, and after the heavy firing ceased, the Confederates having established their position, I was, though 
in pain, so much interested that I asked him who his leader was. Well do I remember his reply, as it came in a loud, emphatic 
tone, as if proud to speak it, "Captain Billy McLaurin, of the 18th North Carolina Regiment, one of the bravest men in 
Lee's Army!" I was fully prepared to believe what he said.

"It's a strange thing to me that those who write history are so full and profuse in their records of the achievements of 
Generals, to the exclusion of such praiseworthy deeds of the part of subalterns and privates who bore the brunt of battle."