The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-07-29

isa.-'s,s -isss.-
Knew better, that his body was not
Jared for after his death-that it was
treated in q brutal manner, by both
Federal officers and soldiers. Now,
the truth of this part of the story is
just this: AS soon, as it could be
done, his body was taken to the rear,
placed i'm tent, his clothing, which
lSas besmeared with blood and mud
from top to toe, were taken of, his
body washed and dressed in suit of
clothes, consisting Of coat, pants, vest,
drawers and socks, all furnished from
my wardrobe. 1t was then placed in
a wooden coffin, the best Chat could be
had in that part of the country, sent
around to Lebanon under an escort
commanded by Lieutenant Sidney
Jones, now residing in Louisville,
and then replaced in metallic case,
and sent through the lines by way Of
the Louisville and Nashville road, to
his friends in Nashville for interment.
L am not positive that the metallic
case was furnished at Lebanon, but it
was obtained before sending the body
through. ..
ANOTHER VERSION OF THE sA,IR STORY.
In connection with the above, and
to show how utterly untruthfI1 are
the most veracious recitals of history,
we append a statement from tho st.
Louis Democrat made by the man
who shot General Fry's horse:Tf
We have always objected TO making
public illusions to private expressions
during the war, but the writer of this
has grown weary of the many state
ments cast broadcast by the Northern
press, all to the effect that General
Zollicoffer was killed by General Fry
at the battle of Mill Springs, Ken
lucky. The writer of this article was
upon the staff of that gallant soldier
and gentleman, General ZollicOffer, in
the battle in which he lost his life,
and the only one of hiE staff who was
Immediately with him when he was
"done to DEATH" the other members
being off on duty. We had been sent
forward to order a regiment which
had moved too far ahead to align it.
self with the remainder of ZollicOf-
fer's brigade on its rear and right At
that time heavy firing was going on
on the right of this regiment-the 10Th
Tcnnessee-also, firing irregnlarly, on
the enemy, who were advancing un-
der cover of skirmishers. Upon re-
turning to Gen. ZollicOffer, who was
at that time i'm rear ofthe line, he sug-
gested that 1--WE were firing upon our
men," We stated that the enemy
were in front, which the Gen. doubt
ing, started forward to ascertain. We
urged him to desist, as We saw the
Federal skirmishers. 1a At that time
both he and the writer were about
one hundred yards from the enemy.
He continued to move forward-the
Nineteenth Tennessee meanwhile re-
firing, according to the previous or
der. As we rode forward, we urged
Gen. Zollicoffer to return, represent
ing to him he would be killed-all to
no purpose. lie still declared, how
ever, that our troops were firing upon
each other, and, being near sighted,
continued to move on toward the ia
tai spot to ascertain. AT distance
of about twenty yards from the skir-
mishing line the writer halted, Gen.
Zollicoffer still passing on. Upon
reaching the skirmish line he was met
by Col. Fry, who had just ridden
down in a gallop, and to whom, as we
imperfcctly heard, Gen. Zollicoffer ad-
dress the inquiry, angrily: why do
YOU fire upon our mem" Col. Fry
seemed puzzled. Ut will be recollect-
ed that at that time Confederate gem
eral officers wore the same colored
cap worn by the Federals, and, to the
best of our recollection, Gen. Zolli-
Golfer had on rubber cap) Fry's
answer was lost in the roar of battle
to our left, as was also Gen. Zollicof-
fer's reply to him, whereupon Colonel
Fry pointed out the General to two of
his skirmishers who stood to his right
within ten feet of him. One or both
of these Immediately leveled their
guns at the General, who having per-
ceived his mistake, was about to re
turn to his line, and by one of these
skirmishers he was killed. His horse,
having been directed to the rear, con-
tinued his course at gallOp, during
which time, and within thirty yards
from where we stood, Gen. Zollicof-
fer fell on the left Of the road, looking
toward the Confederates. The writer
was the party who shot Col. Fry's
horse, as we were afterward informed
by Col. Harlan, commanding Ken
lucky (FederaD regiment. The fact
of Col. Fry's galloping down to the
front, q portion of the language, and
the manner of both himself and Gen.
Zollicoffer, the action of the skirmish-
ers and Col. Fry's return after the
shooting of Zollicoffer by these Skin
mishers, is all as plain to our eye now
as then. About that time Lieutenant
Baltic Peyton was yielding up his
noble spirit at the head of his COM
pany on the right of the battle.
This statement is made with no de-
sire for publicity, hut simply to cor
rect an error which. in the absence of
authoritative denial, is being general
ly received as true. Certain il is
that General Fry did not shoot Gen.
Zollicoffer. -ts...l .v-i =