Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1866-02-17
TIE TWIN

1t 10 said that fact is stranger than fc-
ton. How true this il, is exempli6ed in
the following true story Of two brothers,
twins, which occurred during the memoir
able siege of Port Hudson. Passing one
day through the streets of that little
town, we noticed two corpses lying upon
the gallery of the carpenters shop, await
ing their turn for the boxes digniied with
the title of collins, to consign them to
their last resting place. They were bod
les of tall stature, stout and we'll built,
betokening the hardy backwoodsmau of
the southwest. Over the face of each
was thrown a cloth, through. which the
blood was oozing, showing that they had
received their death wounds through the
head. 1t was no uncommon sight, during
the siege, to see death in every form, from
the body pierced by the simple bullet, to
the one shattered to atoms by the cannon
ball or fearful mortar shell. Yet there
was something in the appearance Of those
two bodies which riveted our attention
and Induced the inquiry as to whose they
were. A rough, grizzly, wcatber-beaten
Confederate soldier, was sitting by their
side, whose arm, tied up, showed that, for
the present, be was unfit for active ser
vice. The tears were trickling down his
cheeks, as he gazed mournfully upon the
dead before him, while his qnivering lips
told better than words, that they had
been more to him than simple comrades
Of the tent and field.
He related their story in q few words ::
"They were my sons," said he, i" and
enlisted in Arkansas. One of them join
ed the company raised in my neighbor-
hood at the same time l did. I thought
it no more than right to take up arms
in defence of my country when the inva-
der was upon her soil, and while ] was
still able to shoulder a musket and KNAPP
sack. Ny other son was absent at the
time, but when be heard that his father
and brother had joined the army, he came
to where we were and enlisted With u.s.
My sons, sir, were twins /; born at the
same moment, and never were separated
more than a week at a time during their
lives. Together we fought on many a
desperate 6eld in the Missouri campaign
under Gen. Price, and afterwards in Ten
nessee and Mississippi. My boys we're
among the first who scaled the breast
works at Corintb, and fought their way
into the heart of that little town. We
were compelled to retreat after gaining
great advantages, but whether Van Dorm,
or some one else was to blame for not sup
porting us, I do not know. 1t was 0
often Gen. Price turned bis back upon the
enemy. We came here with Gen. Beale.
aid have done our duty to the best of
our knowledge and | believe to the salts
faction of our officers.
This morning, sir, while at the breast
works, ont Of my boys, in order to get u
good aim at the sharp shooters outside,
thouhtlessly raised himself too high, when
a rifle ball pierced his brain and he fell
dead at my feet. His brother, seeing him
fall. sprang forward to pick him up, but
in so doing, exposed himself above the
line of defences, when he, too, received a
ball throu h the brain and be fell dead
upon the still quivering corpse of his
brother. As they came into the world,
so they went out of it-together. In re
moving their bodies from the breast
works, l got this wound which has shat
tered my arm. Would that l had died
with them, Sir, for l have no one now to
love upon this earth"
"And their mother-your wife Z"
Died, sill. in giving them birth"
One coffin received the remains of the
twins (; and q few days after, while sitting
in front Of his tent, an exploding shell