Monument to North Carolina's Private Henry L. Wyatt, First Confederate Soldier Killed in the War

In the last post I wrote about the new book "An Illustrated Guide to Virginia's Confederate Monuments" by Timothy S. Sedore.

Sadly, this book will probably eventually have use in locating where these monuments and memorials used to stand.

An interesting memorial in the book is the one to North Carolina Private Henry L. Wyatt, considered to be the first Confederate soldier killed in action in the war.  His monument is located at the Big Bethel Battlefield in York County, Virginia.

He was Richmond-born, but grew up in North Carolina and "was shot and killed during an advance on Union troops."  His monument was placed "by the courtesy of Virginia" and "erected by the Authority of the State of North Carolina."

Pvt. Wyatt is memorialized also in North Carolina's Civil War motto:  "First At Bethel, Farthest at Gettysburg, Last at Appomattox."

The training camp near what became Fort Fisher at Wilmington, North Carolina was named for him as well.

--Old Secesh