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.