Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1862-04-26
HOW A PATRIOT DIES.


Fort Donelson was the Rev. Dabney
C. Harrison, promising young
Presbyterian clergyman, who had
!!been chaplain Of the University o.
Va, and Professor in the Virginia
Theological Seminary lie wsi
captain Of company, and fell while
leading it in JEU thickest Of the
fight. From u long sketch of bis
life in the Petersburg Express we
extract the following interesting in
cidents Of his death
When the sun rose on the morn,
ing Of that bloody Saturday, it IA "
him already in the thick OF the bat,
tie. Through seven hours of nor,
tai peril he wrestled with the foe
With dauntless heart no cheered on
his mon. They loved him as faith.
er, and eagerly followed wherever
he led. Their testimony is, that he
never said "go on" but always,
"comc on while ever before them
flashed his waving sword. At length
they saw, with fear and pain, that
his firm step taltered, that his erect
form wavered and was sinking.
They sprang forward and bore him
from the field to die. He had
warred good warfare, ever holding
faith and good conscience"
With reverence l have taken in
my hand the hat he wore in the
battle; with tears and a swelling
heart have | gazed upon it. 1t is
pierced by four balls. Three whis-
tied partly through and did him no
harm. The fourth, partly spent,
marred that beautiful brow. But
these were as nothing. He calmly
fought on A more fatal aim sent
a ball into his left breast, above his
heart, quite through his body. His
men did not know it. lie still
cheered them OIL Another deadly
aim drove a ball through his right
lung; just where, cannot be told.
His face was to the foo, and his step
onward even where, from loss OF
blood and exhaustion, he began to
sink.
Yet he did not die till the next
day. Like his brother, seven months
before, like his sister, seven days
after, like the little one to whom
we had given his name, he was to
die on the Sabbath, with the calm
Of the eternal Sabbath filing his
breast. He was carried to Nash
vile, and tenderly nursed by faith
full men.
Only two incidents of his dying
hours have reached us. Calling for
one of his manuscript books, he
took his pencil, and with Il tremb-
ling hand teebly wrote these words
"Feb. 16, 1862, Sunday, / die con-
tent and happy, trusting in the mer-
its of my Savior Jesus committing
my wife and children to their Faith
er and mine. Dabney Carr Harri-
SON" Precious legacy of love and
prayer Precious testimony of faith
and blessedness
When he felt that death was just
upon him, he gathered up his re-
naming strength for one more eff
fort. Resting in the arms Of one of
his men, and speaking as if the
company, for which he had toiled
and suffered and prayed so much,
was before him, he exclaimed,
Company X, you have no Captain
now; but never give upl never sur
render !"
Thus was his last breath for his
country for the young Confedera'
cy, whose liberty, honor and right
eousness were inexpressibly dear TO
him for which he wept and prayed
and made supplication in secret;
for which he was CONTEXT TO "enduro
hardness as good soldier" and
then checrfully TO die.
These dying woFas peau'hunJ
connect themselves with shcse or
his brother Peyton on the aeid OF
Manassas, and, taken together, they
have special fitness to OF. coan-
try's present need.
Wien the second Virginia Rogi-
ment, fighting on onr left At Aahas-
sas, was broken by asaaden and
destructive flank FIRE OF the enemy,
and by the unfortunate command Of
its Colanol, peyton and iew ON
90, - ~ . - .osl.o,t a .-n-sfpu