The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-04-12
The MitraiEieIse a Confederate In
veEti0n.

veEti0n.
This article is from the pen of the
gallant Colonel r. A. Aston, late Ad-
tjntant- General of General John Nor
cams cavalry, and now assistant and
corresponding editor of The Plantation
an agricultural paper published at At
lanta, Georgia:
One night during the month of No.
vem6er, 1864, Generals Breckenridge,
DUKE and ColSton, met at Lynchbnrg,
Virginia, to hold a consultation about
the expected attack of the enemy on
the Lead Mines, in Southwest Virginia.
The conference broke up about two
O'Clock in the morning, and learning
that General Humphrey Marshall was
at the hotel. it was proposed to have a
supper prepared and invite the Gener
al tor the pleasure of hearing him talk
for which he is gifted as'few other men
are. The supper was announced: the
guests took their seats, and very soon
the conversation turned ON the war,
and the different campaigns in the val
ley. AT suitable pause in the con-
vcrsation an officer said to General
Marshall
"Sir, l. desire to ask you a question.
l hope you will not deem it imperti-
nent; for do not so intend il, but !
really ask for the information. Is it
really trne that the Union women stole
!yonr artillery on your last trip into
kentucky"
The General quietly laid aside his
knife and fork, and drawing himself
up in an inquiring and dignilied atti-
tude, to discover if the inquiry had re-
ally been made in earnest, commenced.
Every one at the table ceased to speak,
and all gave their strictattention. Said
he:
"1nnng man, you arc just entering
upon life. am going off. and can
therefore give you some sound advice,
which if you will heed, may be of Use
to yon. 1t is this: stop lie! Stop it
in time, sir, or it will ruin you; for he
assured your destiny in tits world de-
ponds more on what people say of yon
than on what yOn door really are. Now
sir, as see you are reilly desirous to
be enlightened, l will give you the
facts connected with that lie. had ar
ranged campaign Tor Kentucky, and
had decided to take no artillery, rs the
road expected to follow rendered it
impossible. A short time previous to
this there came n fellow here with an
old gan which he wanted me to adopt.
l examined it, and did not think it
would he Of any service for the follow
ing reasons" And here he went into
a very interesting description of this
gun, for General Marshall is one of the
few who can digress from an interest
ing narrative and be SO entertaining
that you do not grow impatient for him
TO return. "rhis fellow got to play
ing cards with my men. and of course
lost all his money, and the npshot was
that he had to borrow two hun
dred and fifty dollars from Col. Tom
Johnson to pay his expenses to Rich
mond. He lett the gun as collateral
with cold Tom" and when 1 was
about to start to Kentucky he came to
me and proposed, if l would furnish a
| file of men, he would furnih the horses
and carry it along on his own respOB-
sibility. Accordingly, l detailed Ser
geant Lail and ten men to report to
Col. johnson, and thought no more of
the matter. When / got to where
what is known as the Rebel Path
| DIVORCES from the main road, Sergeant
Lail could follow no longer, and he was
accordingly instructed to keep the
main road. and rejoin me at Piketon
The first night after he left me he put
up at house occupied Ivy the wives of
nf tcie lr I'm Ii In
while he slept the women stole all OF
his ammunition. The next night they
unlimbered the gun aud stole that also !;
and the third day e came driving up
to rejoin my command with only the
fore wheels of the gun-carriage. /
thought it a good joke on old Tom
Johnson, and laughed at him abont
having as security for his two hundred
and fifty dollars, the fore wheels of an
old gun.
"The next day I heard the boys
laughing about 'the women stealing all
OF our artillery : and after little
while the members of my staff took it
up and said, General, this will be a
good joke on us when we get back
81 had not been long in Abingdon,
after my return, before l got several
letters of coincidence from my friends.
The next thing was letter from jeff.
Davis, stating that he regretted my
misfortune, but added he had expected
better things from me as soldier, and
the next thing was an order peremp-
torily removing me from the command
of my department; and all on account
af a ID old gun, sir, that l had M
more to do with than you have with
one of our mems six-shooters."
The gun referred to above is the
famous Mitrailleuse. The Confeder-
ate officer referred to sold his patent
to a Frenchman and he introduced il
: into France. CONFEDERATE.
DEATH OF THE HERMIT OF THU
/ HUDsoN.-Daniel Williams, the hermit
of Hudson river, who has lived, for
many years in seclusion in little log
hut which lie had constructed upon the
eastern bank OF the river, near Kidney
Creek, in the town of Easton, Wash.
ington county, was found dead in hi:
shapty a few days since. The reclus.
never left his hut for the haunts of MAJ
! except when his necessities required
that lie should go out and barter will
the world for provisions to sustain life
Absenting himself beyond the usna
f time, several of his neighbors visited
his dwelling and on kicking the doc,