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Sgt Alexander Hamilton Compton, Co. C, 8th Virginia Infantry. Wounded at Gaines’ Mill and captured at Pickett’s Charge. Via Virginia Confederate Images.

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The First Battle of Bull Run, which is also referred to as Battle of First Manassas, was fought on July 21, 1861. The battle was the first major battle of The American Civil War. (The picture above depicts the fighting that went on during the battle.)

Among those who fought in the battle was Chatham Roberdeau Wheat, a major in the Confederate army. Born in Virginia, raised in Louisiana, Wheat was an experienced soldier. He had experience in the Mexican-American War, as well as traveling to Cuba and Mexico for various expeditions and military ventures. At the time of war breaking out in the United States, Wheat was overseas in Italy, serving under famed Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi.

Wheat formed a unit in New Orleans of 500 men. Known as “Wheat’s Special Battalion”, later the “Louisiana Tigers”, the unit became known for its “hard living” group of men. Despite being on the lower end of the New Orleans’ social scene, the men were incredibly loyal to Wheat.

“Wheat’s Special Battalion” arrived just as the fighting began to start at First Bull Run. The men fought bravely. Wheat, however, was shot in both lungs. A surgeon informed him that he will shortly die.

“I don’t feel like dying yet,” Wheat told the surgeon.

“There is no instance on record of recovering from such a wound,” the surgeon replied.

“Well then,” Wheat said, “I will put my case on record.”

To much surprise, Wheat survived. He rejoined his unit in September of 1861. In June of 1862, 11 months after surviving being shot in the lungs, Wheat died at the Battle of Gaines’ Mill. As he lay dying on the battlefield ground, he told two men from his unit, “Bury me on the field, boys.”

The next morning, he was buried on the spot of his death. Today, his body lies in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.

(Source)

Major Chatham Roberdeau Wheat

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Savage Station, Virginia. Union Field Hospital After the Battle of June 27

A makeshift field hospital with wounded soldiers sitting and lying on the ground while some receive care. Includes the straw-hatted Sixteenth New York Infantry who fought at Gaines' Mill on June 27. Most were captured when Confederates overtook the area during the battle of Savage's Station on June 29. (Source: Bob Zeller, Civil War in Depth, v. 1, p. 34) Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-cwpb-00202 (digital file from original neg.)