Robert N. Clark

Age 16, from Charles City, he enlisted and mustered as Private in Parker's Richmond Battery, Light Artillery on 14 March 1862 in Richmond.

At Sharpsburg on the evening of 16 September 1862:

We were under a heavy artillery fire, and bullets also were too plentiful for comfort. Twilight was deepening into night, when a shot from a Federal battery passed through two horses, casting quite a deluge of blood and flesh upon Private Clark, who was holding them.

"Lieutenant, my brains are out!" he feebly exclaimed.

"Then you have the biggest brains I ever saw!" replied Lieutenant Brown. Little doubt was entertained at that moment, even by the Lieutenant himself, that these would be Clark's last words. You can scarcely imagine Clark's satisfaction, however, when the real source of the sanguinary baptism was discovered.

He was wounded in action at Fredericksburg, VA on 3 May 1863. He was detailed for duty with horses in January 1865 and captured at Harper's Farm, VA on 6 April 1865. He was held at Point Lookout, MD until released on 24 June 1865 after taking an oath of allegiance.

Service information from Musselman1 via the Historical Data Systems database. The quote above from Royall W. Figg in "Where men only dare to go!" or, The story of a Boy Company (C.S.A.) (1885); thanks to Andy Cardinal for the pointer to that volume.

c. 1846