New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-11-11

specIs' to tie New Orleans Crescent


Mr., EdV0r-As have been your regular cor
respondent at Columbus, Ky, since the occupa-
ton Of that place by the Confederate forces, your
readers, or some of them, may be tempted to eX-
pect from me letter descriptive of the late great
battle at that point Should any be, disappointed
at not seeing such a letter, their disappointment
will be very small compared with mine, in not
having been at Columbus to see the fight and to
write about il, after having staid there and
worked there so long in expectation OF it.
But it is not for the purpose of making eXpiana-
tons or excuses that sit down to this writing II
is merely to take the occasion, whist mere, OF say
ing few words about some 81 the brave Louisiana
soldiers who according to teegraphic reports,
contributed their best blood and their dear lives to
the purchase of that victory in which we all so
much rejoice
The telegraph has informed us of the death Of
Major E. G. W Butler, of Marks Eleventh Loulsl-
ana Regiment. My position in the regiment did
not bring me personally in contact with MN: yet
it is in my power to do him the full honor winch he
had earned as gentleman and an officer. his So
cial standing in this community, the honorable
fighting family which he represented, bis ambluon
and his promise as officer, and the deep grief
that his untmely death has spread in Louisiana,
are themes which shall be left to ahler pens than
mine. | shall only speak OF him as saw nm. AS
| soon as he joined the regiment at camp Moore, ne
entered zealously upon The discharge OF his duties
| drilled the regiment frequently; and though ms
| youth as an officer was sometimes apparent, his
energy and evident lesire to get his men ready tor
the battlefield won the respect and confidence OF
| all. When the regiment went on and encamped at
Cnlumbug he was taken seriously SICK and thus Tor
| a long time was prevented from getting better aC-
| ouainted with the men of his regiment. When
left week or so ago, he had just got fairly we'll,
and had reappeared on the MI to attend 70 ms ms
| lurIes And now that hear of his death, | can
| remember with the greater distincneSs, (and so,
doubtless, do all the boys OF the tAeVenth) the
| manner in which he drilled US all at Camp Moore
| especially when he made the battalion charge
| oDjrk
shout" aud explained the object OF the shout-hls
desire to see how nearly men on drill could come
to the actual charge in battle. Little thought was
there then that, sOOn and in the very hrst aetna
charge to be made, the gallant young officer should
be among the first to receive his ueath-Wound
But such are the tates OF war.
| A peculiarly melancholy interest," attaches 10 tle
| dpath of Lieut.. Robert j. Alexander, Of the Can
non Guards, in the same regiment. Intimate as
was with him before the war and since, can speah
of him as one who knew him well. Capt. Austin ;:
dispatch to his father announcing the loss OF h'
| :" First Lieutenant, the young and gallant RobeT
| Alexander, )" fell like cannon shot upon the hosts
Of his friends in this city, and upon none more thar
myseIf who had so lately left him, with errands t
his relatives here. The peculiar interest which
characterizes this death is the fatality of the pure
and noble friendship which existed between tn
deceased and his predecessor on the red road t.
glory Charles D. DreuX. Before the war, Charlie,
| Dreuy and Bob Alexander were two lnseparables
always together when possible, and more lik
twin. brothers than friends. After the war set IN
they were the same always together, and amon
the very first in the war. Everybody remember
t when the Orleans Cadets left-the very first com
panv to leave Louisiana for the war-and unde
| what demonstrations of applause and public fee
ing they left. Charley DreuXs subsequent career
up to the time of his death in Virginia, was that
Bob Alexander; Charley was Bob's commander
but that was nothing; they were the same oil
friends, whether on or OH duty.
+. Everybody remembers how the town receive
;, the news of Charleys death, and what honors we.
Rp a
$ when he so suddenly and sadly fell, accompanie
the body to this city sticking to to the very las
S and right at this desk where now write, Bob 81
d and related the particulars OF Charley death,
e his visit to the widow, and on, with emotiC
l. which might have been childish under other CT
/, cumstances The truth was, he loved him from
e soul.
+, ought now to say Alexander perhaps Or somethir
|. more stately Or respectful than Bob, but all WI
5. knew him will and must with me hold on to Il
n old nick.uame-Bob, | say, accepted the Fir
J. Iieutenancy of the Cannon Guards, and went on
t, kentnckv From this time forth | was much in i
=, company, and many time, when we were IN
whole party together, and the social glass W
| naesinr Rob never failed in his own briet bat tGt
10 ing manner, to honor the memory OF Charl
le | Dreux RI hope none will accuse nle OF egotIsm
al 80 mueh setting myself forward in this narration
70 nv only wish is to properly set forth TRAIT
- | R6b's character which al his other friends kne
e' well, and which everybody now has the right
n, 5nowl need not say much more. | LETT M
en- but few days before the battle, in the flush of
A. health and young ambition, loved as man by
IN his immediate friends, and respected and esteem
as an officer by his brother officers of the regime
mt On Friday the echoes of tile bloody battle a
of the brilliant victory reached and thrilled New
e, leans; but first among the reported dead was
~ Alexander. On Saturday the town shook har
W. and drank to the glorious news and to the irwin
MS bility of our great cause. 1t was pretty da
his all things looked gay, smiling and pleasant
he the pleasantest thing to me was the sound OF
ho funeral tappings on the bell of Louisiana HI
nv Company showing that in the death OF the g
he liant soldier on the field of battle, the former brf
and daring foreman was the more freshly rene
Tho bered and that Bob Alexander was not forgot
~ | have heard many one say, since this ne
oy -" Poor Bob =" but don't say it. He was yol
IAN man of purpose end of courage, and deathdety
ne, spirit: Of that kind Of blood, without which
no. tTee Of liberty would never flourish, and patriot
Ao cease to be a name. If his released spirit CO
nc survey the battlefield and recognize his own
md body of EARTH it would only say, " 1 do not req
tie it was only doing my duty
az As Charley Dreux was the first Louisianial
~ sacrifice his life to the cause of Southern IL
But pendence, go was his nearest friend and comli
bic Bob Alexander, the frat sreman of New Orle
an. to fall on the Battlefield, They felLin the s.