Most of us are familiar with the importance of stones in the ancient world. The Rosetta stone offered parallel versions of a decree Ptolemy V issued in Memphis, Egypt. That stone provided the key to unlocking ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. A huge stone bears the Code of Hammurabi, one of the oldest codes of written laws that exist.
Stones served as reminders and as educational tools. Joshua 4:6-7 reads, “…In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.”
On March 10, 2018 – the 153rd anniversary of the Battle of Wyse Fork, many of us gathered to dedicate a stone of our own, a memorial marker bearing the names of 350 soldiers who fought on that field. I cannot begin to go into the details of the battle. If you want the details, talk with Dennis Harper or Wade Sokolosky, who literally wrote the book on the Battle of Wyse Fork.
The Wyse Fork memorial marker cost $9,000 – all paid by private donations from those, North and South, who believed these men deserved to have their memories commemorated.
If you have been keeping up with the progress of this marker and its dedication, you are well aware one of the men in gray was Tom Dula of the 42nd North Carolina. Most people know his name better as Tom Dooley. He gained infamy after the war for allegedly murdering Laura Foster in Wilkes County and being hanged for the crime. The Kingston Trio made a fortune off the song that tells one version of the story.
I doubt few know that Tom’s brother, Pvt. Edward Dula, was also at the battle. Edward was captured by Union troops and sent to the prisoner of war camp at Point Lookout, Maryland. Edward died at Point Lookout. He was one of the 4,000 Confederate soldiers who died there, according to official Maryland sources. The number I have heard for Point Lookout dead is much higher.
Also on that battlefield was Sgt. John Parker Miller of the 66th North Carolina. He led his company against lines of the 174th Ohio – three times. Sgt. Miller was the great-grandfather of Wilbur King. I am sure Wilbur could share photos of this soldier with you.
Pvt. James O’Keel of the 17th North Carolina came to the Battle of Wyse Fork after fighting in some of the bloodiest battles of the war. He wrote to his wife:
“I escaped the attack today unharmed, but it was the worst place I ever was in my life.”
Cpl. John Wilhelm of the 42nd North Carolina was not so fortunate. A cannon ball struck a large tree that fell on him. This wounded soldier was captured in the attack. He was sent to Point Lookout. Just last year, a Mr. Steele, one of his relatives, visited the Wyse Fork battlefield. Steele was part of the Our State magazine tour.
Pvt. Taylor Whitley joined the 42nd North Carolina in 1864. He was only 15 at the time he enlisted. He was wounded in the left thigh during the battle and captured. Even though his captors took him to Foster General Hospital, the Stanley County youth died from his wound on April 13, 1865.
I have shared tidbits from the lives of six of the soldiers who fought on just one part of the Wyse Fork battlefield. The memorial marker bears the names of another 344 men. Each has a story. All of them saw the horrors of battle up close and personal. Some lived to tell the tale, but others died on that field or in hospitals or in prisoner of war camps.
When our children ask us, “What does this stone mean?” will we be ready to tell them at least some of the history this marker represents?
Mike Parker is a columnist for The Free Press. You can reach him at email@example.com or in care of this newspaper. Thanks to Dennis Harper for providing me much of this information.