Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-11-23

ment, affirm that it was quite common for
| the Northern soldiers in the front ront rank
to embarrsss the firing of the Confederates
by their eries-"We are friends, while
their rear ranks poured CALLING fire upon
our men. j. w. Bigham, I. E. Atwood and
j. w. Best, of the same company, bear tes-
tlmony, that near the bend of the river, the
Northern soldiers, on one occasion, most
earnestly and emphatically exclaimed
''Dont fire in front. We are friends. Fire
on the right" "The right" at that time
was occupied by soldiers of the 18th Mis-
sissippi regiment.
Ii should be known, too, that, by signs as
well as by words, throughout the Fl ght, the
Northern soldier sought to deceive the Con-
federate.
At enc time he would turn his back upon
our troops while loading and seem to be
stepping with Us against oar enemy, or,
while facing his own troops, he would turn
around and, swinging his cap in the air, ex-
claim to US, ''eome on boys, come en."-
But, as soon as his weapon was loaded, he
would face to the right about, skulk behind
some sheltering tree and discharge the con
tents upon our advancing men.
When the gallant 9Th Virginia Regiment,
and the equally gallant companies of the
18th and 18th Mississippi, had exhausted
their ammunition and ultimately obtained
liberty from Col. Hunter, to charge the enc
my-not at ''double quick but at full speed,
they rushed over the old field toward a line
of soldiers drawn up across their path in or
der of battle. Capt. Berkley of the 8th
Virginia, arriving earliest on the enemy's
front, with revolver in hand ordered them
to surrender. at this moment not a solita-
ry soldier stood by their cannon-their col
ors were wrapped about the staff and lower
of f0 fha oround NJ bn e
their officers were reverse and arms of their
soldiers trailed-and they seemed all to lift
their hands to their heads four Manassas
sign,) and to say, ''We are friends" Capt.
Berkley three times commanded his men
not to fire, insisting that the enemy had
surrendered, and returned his revolved to
his pocket.
d Near one end of the Northern line, it
EGRed that lusty negro, with brazen
A0d armed in the ranks. This was
our men could bear, and gun
discharged at him. The firing in
sJ0d became general on both sides, when
the enemy as quickly fred The prevailing
opinion now is that this whole procee eding
on the part of the Northern regiment was
ruse. They were all fresh troops Just fer
ried ver,from the Maryland shore not a
man threw down his arms, though the order
to surrender was reiterated three times.
Some Of the men along the line held up their
arms cooked and ready 10 fire, and three of
their muskets were knocked down with the
attendant exclamation, 'sdon't fire yet" Ii
is believed, therefore, that the Federals had
no honest purpose to surrender, but de-
signed to restrain cur fire until the body of
our advancing troops, still hid by three
bushy trees, should stand fully exposed to
their shot, or until, from a more perfect
view of our force, they could moro wisely
decide whether TO fight or yield.
Near the close of the battle, within sixty
yards of the river, Captain Watson of the
18th Massachusetts regiment, man of gi-
gantic stature, prowess and power over
men, was ascending a ravine closely fol
lowed by column, four abreast, trailing
arms. Captain Jones, of Company Il, 18th
Mississippi Volunteers, upon whom they
were directly advancing, ordered his men TO
fire. Col. Featherston, hard by, observing
that all the Northern soldiers raised their
left hands at the command to fire, counter
manded Captain Jones order, and said,
''they are friends mistaking them for
portion of our 18th Regiment, returning
from their charge toward the bank of the
river. Capt. Jones now called out to the
Yankee Captain not thirty feet distant, ''f
nj are friends, say se." While Jones yet
you!' utterly perplexed by the Yankee Cap
tain and his men, he was suddenly unde-
ceiyed. Captain Watson, springing upon him
and seizing his throat with his left hand and
the hilt of his sword with his right, fero-
oiously shrieked, ''who the HI are your"
His Northern followers instantly attempted
to fire, but the Mississippians were too
quick for them. They shot down thirteen,
wounded others, and drove the remain
der. Nor was their Captain more fortunate.
For, though his wounded men in our
hands bear witness that Watson weighed 800
pounds, and was immensely powerful, Capt.
j ones hurled him to the earth and held him
there, until one of his men beat his brains
out with his musket. Colonel Featherston,
Capt. Jones and his company witnessed the
scene described. On the slope of the wild
ravine, just where Watson and his followers
fell, their common grave may now be seen,
and, regret to add, so indecently covered
by their Northern fellows soldiers that vul-
lures and hogs have already disinterred
dark, hairy arm, so huge that, at little
it is commonly mistaken for low
CT limb. Duplicity, like every other sin in
variably works out its just punishment in
the end. Rest assured, indignant purpose
to put no trust in such unfaithful men bore
its part with the diinness of twilight and the
OF OdJblc, IN the Sn0Otlng down OF
three successive flags of truce-one, la
ment to say, in the hand of an unrecognized
Confederate prisoner.
That many valuable lives were lost during
the Leesburg fight, in consequence of the
of our men to detect at once the
ingenious duplicities ef the Federal soldiers,
no member of this brigade will question.
Let it be borne in mind, first, that the dis
position of our men to come to close quar-
ters, and of the Northern troops to avoid
them, must drive many of our fights into
the woods; and, again, that the overwielm-
ing numbers of the foe may often protract
the struggle after the sun has set These
two causes must favor the Federal practice
of deceiving the Confederate soldier. have
the facts recorded abeve, to pre-
sent forcibly, if possible, two serious sug
gestions to the military and civil authorities
of the country:
/. Should not the officers of our army be
to eBjoin it upon their soldiers to
hold their aim steadily upon all who utter
doubtful professions of friendship. upon the
until they verify their words by
obeying the command to s.groHnd arms and
march TO the rear 81
q Oar ssimpossible military costumcl'-