HENRY LAWSON WYATT

HENRY LAWSON WYATT,

THE FIRST CONFEDERATE SOLDIER KILLED IN BATTLE.

It is somewhat remarkable that North Carolina, which was the last State to leave the Union, should have furnished the first soldier to the grim monster who during the next four long and weary years was to claim such a host of victims.

            This soldier was Henry Lawson Wyatt. He was born in Richmond, Virginia, February 12, 1842. In October, 1856 he accompanied his father to North Carolina, and ultimately settled in Tarboro, Edgecombe county.

It became evident in April, 1861, that North Carolina must secede or fight the southern States. Private parties, anticipating the action of the State, were organizing and drilling troops for service. One of the first of these companies was the " Edgecombe Guards " of Edgecombe county. It was organized April 18, 1861, and on that day Henry Lawson Wyatt enlisted in it as a private soldier.

The battle of Big Bethel was fought Monday, the tenth of June, 1861, at Bethel Church, situated on the Yorktown road, nine miles from Hampton, Virginia.  (The battle sits is located only a mile or so from my house on Compton Court just off of Big Bethel Road).

A strong column of Federals consisting of Massachusetts troops crossed over the creek and appeared on the left flank of the Confederate line. The Union troops made a rush hoping to get within the Confederate lines. They were met by a cool and deliberate fire, but were concealed in part by a house. Volunteers were called for to burn this house. Corporal George Williams, privates Henry L. Wyatt, Thomas Fallan and John H. Thorpe, of company A, advanced to perform the duty. Their duty was to charge across an open field, two hundred yards wide, in face of the enemy's lines and commanded by his sharpshooters. They behaved with great gallantry, but had advanced only about thirty yards when Wyatt fell pierced through the brain by a musket ball. The other three were wounded and remained on the earth until a shell from a howitzer fired the house and helped to route the enemy.

excripted from an article by: Stephen B. Weeks.

National magazine: a monthly journal of American history, Volume 17

Pages 55-59

"My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"

Matthew 27:45-46 - "Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

Prior to 1599 (the Geneva Bible) the Bible was not broken down into the common chapter and verse we have today. If you wanted to reference a scripture you had to quote a portion of the verse. The only book in the Bible that was broken into sections was Psalms.

What was Jesus saying as he died a painful agonizing death upon the cross. Was he begging God to rescue him? Was he crying in vain realizing he had made a horrible mistake trusting in God? Was he expressing the grief of knowing that he was dying for an impotent God that he trusted in to save him? NO!

While the death of the cross was more agonizing then anything we can every imagine. The suffering of Jesus was so great that I can not even comprehend it. The sin of the world was on his shoulders and He took on the wrath of God for us. But God did not forsake him any more then he forsakes us when we sin.

Jesus is quoting Psalm 22, which begins, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?".  Jesus quotes Psalm 22 to draw the attention of the Aramaic speaking Jews to Psalm 22. This Psalm is a Messianic prophecy and the events of the crucifixion are fulfilling the Prophecy. Jesus is aying to the crowd. I am the Messiah. His last words on the cross "It is finished" echo the last words of Psalm 22 "He has done this."

Compare: Psalm 22:7-8 to Matthew 27:43
                Psalm 22:12-15 to Matthew 27:34, 48, John 19:29, Luke 22:36
                Psalm 22:16-18 to Matthew 27:35-37
                Psalm 22:25-31 to All of the Gospel
Jesus was making a final declaraton of his being the Messiah before his death.

and to the republic...

You hear it constantly from the media, you hear it from your fiends, you hear it from the teachers in public schools, you even hear it from our elected officials. “America is a democracy.”

No, it is not. That is a falsehood that is so prevalent that nobody ever questions it.

We are a Republic. So what you might say. You’re just parsing words. I don’t think so. There is a fundamental difference between a democracy and a republic. Our founding fathers did not want the mob rule of democracy. In a democracy the people vote on the governing of the country and 50% is all that is required to pass, the mob rules.  In a republic the people elect representatives to govern for them. This is a significant difference because now a few govern in the place of the many so that the mob rule effect is diminished. The founding fathers did not stop there, they added a second layer to check the representatives, the Senate. The Senate was envisioned to represent the States interests not the interests of the people of the State. The people did not elect the Senators, they were elected by the State legislatures. Each state had equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House. 

Now we come to a long forgotten out of date document that the government disregarded a long time ago; the Constitution. This ancient document was intended to set the parameters of the Federal Government. It listed specific obligations and responsibilities of the Federal government. Each branch was broken down and their respective scope of powers were laid out. Next we have the Bill of Rights, or the first ten amendments to the Constitution. These were adopted immediately and the Constitution would not have passed with out them.

Amendment 10: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

What does that mean? It is plain language, not some 2000+ page monstrosity that even a lawyer would have trouble understanding. It simply says that the Federal Government can do only what the Constitution says it can. All other powers are reserved to the States and the people. What article of the Constitution spells out the scope of the Department of Education? Where do I find the article giving authority to the government to regulate firearms? Where is the ‘Separation of Church and State’ defined? Where can I find the authority to grant a privately owned entity the power to print and regulate money? Maybe I am dense, maybe I am obtuse, maybe I am just an uneducated right wing extremist. Please enlighten me.

Our founding fathers took great pains to ensure that the founding documents could be easily read and understood by any one with an education equivalent to a High School diploma. Compare the wording of the Declaration, or the Constitution to just this one little snippet from the healthcare bill:

(1) IN GENERAL- The Administration shall be headed by a Health Choices Commissioner (in this division referred to as the `Commissioner') who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

(2) COMPENSATION; ETC- The provisions of paragraphs (2), (5), and (7) of subsection (a) (relating to compensation, terms, general powers, rulemaking, and delegation) of section 702 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 902) shall apply to the Commissioner and the Administration in the same manner as such provisions apply to the Commissioner of Social Security and the Social Security Administration.

Huh? What? This is two small paragraphs of a 2000+ page law. The whole constitution is less the 40 pages with all the amendments and the Declaration of Independence!

God Bless America, and with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Romans 10:14-15

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!””

ROMANS 10:14-15 (NIV)

As many who know me already know, I have been called to serve and I am being prepared for this ministry. I do not know exactly where or how I am to serve yet. I feel a strong heart calling to the mission field and I am exploring that at this time. Please pray for guidance for me and my family in our service.

Greatest Mission tool ever

Many of you have probably seen the movie “End of the Spear" or at least heard the story of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and two other missionaries killed in the jungles of Ecuador. Steve Saint was adopted by the people that killed his father and has a heart for missions. He is also a genius. Check out the video at right. 0-60 in 3.9 seconds! And it flies. I want one for Christmas.

The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List

While I am not a "Bitter" homeschooler I found this article to be very funny and it clarifies many of the bad stereotypes about homeschooling.

The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List

by Deborah Markus, from Secular Homeschooling,

1 Please stop asking us if it's legal. If it is — and it is — it's insulting to imply that we're criminals. And if we were criminals, would we admit it?

2 Learn what the words "socialize" and "socialization" mean, and use the one you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you're talking to me and my kids, that means that we do in fact go outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we've got a decent grasp of both concepts.

3 Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to socialize.

4 Don't assume that every homeschooler you meet is homeschooling for the same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know.

5 If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a "reality" show, the above goes double.

6 Please stop telling us horror stories about the homeschoolers you know, know of, or think you might know who ruined their lives by homeschooling. You're probably the same little bluebird of happiness whose hobby is running up to pregnant women and inducing premature labor by telling them every ghastly birth story you've ever heard. We all hate you, so please go away.

7 We don't look horrified and start quizzing your kids when we hear they're in public school. Please stop drilling our children like potential oil fields to see if we're doing what you consider an adequate job of homeschooling.

8 Stop assuming all homeschoolers are religious.

9 Stop assuming that if we're religious, we must be homeschooling for religious reasons.

10 We didn't go through all the reading, learning, thinking, weighing of options, experimenting, and worrying that goes into homeschooling just to annoy you. Really. This was a deeply personal decision, tailored to the specifics of our family. Stop taking the bare fact of our being homeschoolers as either an affront or a judgment about your own educational decisions.

11 Please stop questioning my competency and demanding to see my credentials. I didn't have to complete a course in catering to successfully cook dinner for my family; I don't need a degree in teaching to educate my children. If spending at least twelve years in the kind of chew-it-up-and-spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left me with so little information in my memory banks that I can't teach the basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there's a reason I'm so reluctant to send my child to school.

12 If my kid's only six and you ask me with a straight face how I can possibly teach him what he'd learn in school, please understand that you're calling me an idiot. Don't act shocked if I decide to respond in kind.

13 Stop assuming that because the word "home" is right there in "homeschool," we never leave the house. We're the ones who go to the amusement parks, museums, and zoos in the middle of the week and in the off-season and laugh at you because you have to go on weekends and holidays when it's crowded and icky.

14 Stop assuming that because the word "school" is right there in homeschool, we must sit around at a desk for six or eight hours every day, just like your kid does. Even if we're into the "school" side of education — and many of us prefer a more organic approach — we can burn through a lot of material a lot more efficiently, because we don't have to gear our lessons to the lowest common denominator.

15 Stop asking, "But what about the Prom?" Even if the idea that my kid might not be able to indulge in a night of over-hyped, over-priced revelry was enough to break my heart, plenty of kids who do go to school don't get to go to the Prom. For all you know, I'm one of them. I might still be bitter about it. So go be shallow somewhere else.

16 Don't ask my kid if she wouldn't rather go to school unless you don't mind if I ask your kid if he wouldn't rather stay home and get some sleep now and then.

17 Stop saying, "Oh, I could never homeschool!" Even if you think it's some kind of compliment, it sounds more like you're horrified. One of these days, I won't bother disagreeing with you any more.

18 If you can remember anything from chemistry or calculus class, you're allowed to ask how we'll teach these subjects to our kids. If you can't, thank you for the reassurance that we couldn't possibly do a worse job than your teachers did, and might even do a better one.

19 Stop asking about how hard it must be to be my child's teacher as well as her parent. I don't see much difference between bossing my kid around academically and bossing him around the way I do about everything else.

20 Stop saying that my kid is shy, outgoing, aggressive, anxious, quiet, boisterous, argumentative, pouty, fidgety, chatty, whiny, or loud because he's homeschooled. It's not fair that all the kids who go to school can be as annoying as they want to without being branded as representative of anything but childhood.

21 Quit assuming that my kid must be some kind of prodigy because she's homeschooled.

22 Quit assuming that I must be some kind of prodigy because I homeschool my kids.

23 Quit assuming that I must be some kind of saint because I homeschool my kids.

24 Stop talking about all the great childhood memories my kids won't get because they don't go to school, unless you want me to start asking about all the not-so-great childhood memories you have because you went to school.

25 Here's a thought: If you can't say something nice about homeschooling, shut up!

Issue #1, Fall 2007

Lead, follow or get out of the way!

Thomas Paine was one of our founding fathers, a great statesman, orator and one of the greatest thinkers of his generation. He was asked what needed to be done to further the cause of liberty in the struggle tyranny. His simple reply was: “Lead, Follow or get out of the way”

      One of our greatest generals of all time, General George S. Patton echoed this when he was criticized for his often controversial hands–on leadership style. He replied; "We herd sheep. We drive cattle. We lead people. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way."

      Over the course of the last several years, there have been a lot of changes in our economy, our country and the American way of life. Some of the changes have been positive and worked out well, others not so well.

      People are naturally resistant to change. It is in our nature to be comfortable in the way something has always been done. Some people resist change passively while others resist actively.

      When change comes suddenly we often feel anxiety. We can feel anger if we are not consulted first or if we feel our opinion is not respected. Often we see it as an affront to us and we resist, even when we do not know all the facts or the reason for the change. As a result we often grumble and complain about the changes while offering no real solutions to the problem that precipitated the change.

      I find myself doing this often. I hate change. I can be very arrogant and prideful sometimes. I like things the way they were or at least the way I want them to be. When I was in the military I was the leader. I was used to making decisions and having my directives followed. When I told the Sailors that served under me to do something it had better have been done and done right. After retirement when I started in my new career I started at the bottom, the adjustment was hard.

      When change comes to your life you have to choose how you are to handle it. There are several options:

 - You can embrace the process, get involved in it, and lead the charge to make it happen.

 - You can agree to go along with the change and see what happens while following the leadership of others.

 - Or, if you disagree, Offer a valid and practical alternative and take the initiative to convince others of the need for a better plan. If not then just get out of the way and let others take over.

 - Finally, there is the last option that should never be taken:

That is to obstruct the change, back-bite and complain while offering no acceptable alternative, simply resisting the changes without a valid reason.

      If you see something that needs to be changed, suggest a change. If there is a better way to do something then step up and lets us know. If someone else has an idea that might work, then follow their lead. If you are just a road block to a fixing a problem and you have no other ideas, then get out of the way.

      Change is hard sometimes but it is a fact of life and we must all decide how we are to deal with it. I say “Lead, Follow or get out of the way.

Do you know who I am?

Third Day has a song entitled ‘Who I am’. To me the song is the plea of a sinner that can’t fathom his own salvation. Every time I hear it I envision Saul/Paul singing it as he stands blinded on the road to Damascus.

It starts with the lines:

“I need to be someone who's a lot like you

Easy to see that I sure need something new

Though I try to live life my way

I think it goes to prove

that I need to be someone who's like you”

This plea is like most of us have had. ‘Help me Lord. I can’t help myself’. Next come the lines of acknowledgement that God is God and he is in the business of saving us lost souls.

“And I know that you want to change me
Wanna  rearrange the way I feel inside
And I've heard that you take
The broken hearts of lonely souls
And you make all things right”

Then what follows is the disbelief. Can God really save me, even me? Why would Gad ever even want to look at me, a wretched vile evil sinner?“But, do you know who I am
Have you seen the things I've done?
Do you know who I am?
Have you seen the things I've done?

The things I’ve done”

We ask this question and we agonize over it. We beat ourselves up with it and we make excuses for God to reject us. But I say to you brothers and sisters; if you are not asking this question then be afraid, be very afraid.

If we cannot come the grips with the fact that we ARE wretched vile evil sinners; if we do not see it for ourselves; then why good sir, do you need a savior? What exactly is your crime that is deserving of punishment that you need a pardon for. Are you guilty of only a few misdemeanors, or high crimes and treason? God is Holy. He is separate from all sin. ALL SIN! It does not matter if it is a “big sin” or a “little sin” it is a sin. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.(James 2:10 NKJV)

We are all Law Breakers and deserving of death. Yes, we are deserving of death, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NKJV). So, are you too bad for the Saving Grace of God through faith in Christ Jesus? You are not but you should feel as if you are.

The song concludes with the following word and the chorus repeated until fade out.

“Never before, no there's never been a time
That I would implore you to take what's yours and mine
And use it in the way you will
In any way you find
Never before did I realize”

Do you know who you are? But more importantly, do you know who Jesus is?

Lead Me

    Have you ever heard a song on the radio and said to yourself, “Hey, that song could be about me.” Sometimes the song brings back fond memories of a youthful relationship. Sometimes we are returned to our “Glory Days” like Bruce Springsteen. Sometimes it takes up back to our childhood in small town America like “Pink Houses” by John Mellencamp. Then sometimes it is a painful memory like “Independence Day” by Martina McBride or an inspirational song that makes us feel good.
    A few weeks ago my wife asked me to listen to a new song by the group ‘Sanctus Real’. It was the most personal, painful and gut wrenchingly soul convicting song I have ever heard.
    One of my biggest failings as a Husband and a Father is my failure to lead. 1 Timothy 3:5 asks an important question: “(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)”
    Men, what can we say to this?
    I am undone. There is no acceptable answer that I can give. When my wife asks me to teach her or to explain a section of scripture to her I am more than willing to, but unless she asks, I rarely do. I spend 15 minutes a night at the dinner table leading prayer and discussion, but watch TV for an hour. What is wrong with me that I would neglect one of the most important obligations I have. The head cannot survive if it neglects the body. The same goes for my children. Deuteronomy 6:4-8” Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
    I alluded to the song ‘Lead Me’. There is hope. We can change, the last verse of the song is a prayer for guidance and strength for husbands. I pray that I can change and be the leader at home that I need to be. We often neglect the ones that are closest to us. How can I teach Sunday School, teach Bible Study, lead a prayer group and yet fail to lead in my own family? The Bible teaches that my responsibility is to God first, then my wife, then my family, then the church, then others and last of all self. Why do I place anything but God ahead of my wife and family? I rush out the door in the morning to get to work. I spend hours a month cleaning my boots and ironing my uniform. Then I neglect looking at the picture my 7 year old drew for me or in instructing them on righteousness and teh word of God. What are we doing?
    Men need to step up and be MEN. We need to stop pretending that we are men while we act like boys. Women need to allow us to be men and accept the God given freedoms granted them. We all need to look to the Bible as our guide for living. Not society, not culture, not tradition and not religion. We have the blueprint for living, we have the Holy Spirit. What more do we need?

Behave Like a Christian

Romans 12:9, 18-21 NKJV Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good ./ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ( NKJV)
    A recent news event has captured the world’s interest. A Pastor of a small church in Florida plans to burn copies of the Koran. During the debate many have expressed agreement with him, that Islam is an evil religion and therefore we should burn their books and fight them any way we can. Others have said that while he has a constitutional right to burn the Koran, it is not the right thing to do because it could stir up more terrorism. Others said it was wrong to burn the Koran because we need to reach out with love, and Jesus would not destroy any books of other faiths.
    What are we to believe? How are we to behave? Should we burn the Koran or the Book of Mormon, or any other religious books? Romans 12:9 clearly teaches that we are to love without hypocrisy, abhor (to regard with extreme repugnance or aversion; detest utterly; loathe; abominate) evil, and to cling to what is good.
    I am of the opinion that all apostasy and false teachings need to be confronted with the truth in love. No false doctrine shall be allowed equal standing with truth. Evil exists and it is every child of God’s duty to stand against it.
    So do we burn the Koran? Do we shout from the roof tops that all sinners are going to Hell? NO! As verses 18-21 clearly state; we are to live peaceably with all men, let God take care of their salvation. If our enemy is hungry we are to feed them. If he is thirsty we are to give him a drink. We are to pray for them, minister to them and let the Holy Spirit change their heart. We are engaged in spiritual warfare not physical warfare. Confront all men with love. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, " ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”( Matthew 22:36-40 NKJV)
    But do we roll over and let evil have free reign? NO! We are to expose evil where ever it exists. Saying that a sin is a sin is simply stating the truth. When we confront the believer or the heathen with their sin we are not judging the person, we are judging the sin. Confront the sinner with love and hate the sin. Confront evil with love yet abhor it.
    Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.(Romans 12:10-17 NKJV)
    Love others more then we love ourselves. Serve everyone with all diligence, just as we serve the Lord. Pray for and with others. Rejoice when they rejoice, cry when they cry. Gather together with like minded believers and keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. You are a sinner and no better then any other man. God has chosen you; not the other way around. You are His through no works of your own. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV). You did not do anything to earn your salvation. You do not deserve your salvation. You have received your salvation through Grace (the freely given, unmerited favor and love of god) alone. Do not puff yourself up or let others puff you up. Finally do what is right in sight of all and give no evil to none.

Purpose of this blog

Purpose of this Blog


Greetings, I have decided to start this Blog to post some of my thoughts and to interact with others to further my knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ. I am a diligent student of the Bible and freely admit that I am constantly learning. As my knowledge and wisdom increases I my occasionally have to revise or recant previous rants and ramblings. Please feel free to comment on anything you may find posted here. If you would like to dispute a point of dogma or doctrine please back up you points with scripture and references. To all from other faiths, please fell free to participate as well but be aware that I am coming from a Reformed Christian world view and regard The Holy Bible as the only rule given by God to direct us in how we may live our lives and Glorify Him. Please keep all comments civil and do not use any derogatory or profane language. Treat all with respect and enjoy. Thank you fro reading my Blog.