I came across the following information on another website, and wondered if anyone can give me the name of the black sniper mentioned. Here is the comment (not an exact quote) I am referring to:
The first northern officer killed in battle was Major Theodore Winthrop. He was killed by a black sniper of the Wythe Rifles of Hampton, Virginia. (This was credited with being from an article printed in the "Knoxville News Sentinel" (Feb. 27, 2005).
Just curious if anyone knows the name of the sniper referred to in the article.
Here is also another website that says the same, http://www.jamesriverjournal.com/news-archives/15896-the-battle-of-big-bethel.html The problem with these websites is they do not list a source and present conflicting information. According to this last website a Captain Ashe verifies his servant Sam Ashe fired the shot that killed Winthrop. The only Captain Ashe I can locate in either the Virginia or North Carolina troops is --
Richard J. Ashe (First_Last) Regiment Name 1 North Carolina Infantry. (6 Months, 1861.) Side Confederate Company D Soldier's Rank_In Captain Soldier's Rank_Out Captain
I am not certain this unit would have been in the Battle of Big Bethel>GP
I am also concerned with the amount of information I find on various websites, concerning the subject of blacks in the Confederate Army (officially or unofficially), that is unsubstantiated. It makes it extremely difficult to learn just what percentage of blacks had any involvement with the Confederate Army. I'll check-out the sources you so graciously supplied in your responses.
No problem, glad I could help and the research also gave me another name of a Black Confederate.
The problem I have with some of these other Black Confesderate websites is the fact they are mostly cut and paste jobs. Then of ciourse, as you said, most of the infor is unsubstantiated even back to the website from which it was copied. I expect our website will start being copied before long.
On this website I have tried to note any books, or publications, letters or sources of informatiion where I locate the names. Right now at the present time I am Using Footnote to locate names. In a couple of weeks i hope to go back and transcribe some letters that only provide numbers.
For some reason I am having some difficulty finding my last posts, or even this thread. LOL. Please excuse my fumbling around here, but I'm certain that I'll eventually figure it out. Thanks again for your assistance.
I checked-out the website on troops and volunteers that you suggested re: the black sniper, and found that there were three additional witnesses to the fatal wounding of Maj. Theodore Winthrop. These names were listed in a footnote on the report re: the Battle of Big Bethel, and are the following: Pvt. G.W. Buhman and Pvt. Steve Russell of Co. H and, Pvt. McIver of Co. C. Thus, Captain Richard Ashe was not the only one to verify the black sniper...possibly named Sam Ashe. I found this to lend credibility to the Captain's claim that it was his slave that killed the Major, and not just the Captain's use of "bragging rights" so to speak. Also, since the Battle of Big Bethel took place on Virginia's soil, I don't think it is unreasonable to find Virginia soldiers participating in the fight. So it is probable that the Wythe Rifles of Hampton, Virginia were there. JMHO.
I think we have just corrected a history glitch. If I read the account correctly, it is North Carolina troops. Sam Ashe , assuming he was in the same company as his master would have been in the 1st North Carolina, Co. D, Orange Light, Infantry- Stephen Russell, Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry, I can verify using the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors system @ http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm. Buhman is misspelled it should be --- From the CWSS ---
Gustavus W. Buhmann (First_Last) Regiment Name 1 North Carolina Infantry (6 Months 1861) Side Confederate Company H Soldier's Rank_In Private Soldier's Rank_Out Private
I also read the account if each man is claiming to have fired the shot that killed Winthrop.
I am not sure how anyone in the Virginia's Wythe Rifles claims to have fired the shot, I will do more reserach on it in the next few days. Interesting subject, thanks for bringing it up.
