Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-07-03
"Baptize me. doctor. ouick."


The clergyman delayed to remind him
Of that scripture which teaches that ''if
we from our hearts forgive not every
one his brother his trespasses, neither
viii our heavenly Father forgive our
Catching the idea of the minister, the
sinking man said, "Gen. Davis has Killed
me, but forgive him from my heart,
doctor, from my heart"
One of the gentlemen present had
provided water, and with the life blood
oozing slowly from his breast, and the
dark tshadows of the grave gathering
around him, the ''drops for the bright
new birth, - were sprinkled on the lion
like face of the dying soldier.
The sacrament of baptism having been
Nelson lay quietly gasping
his life out The surgeons and other
gentlemen gathered around him, and in
ten minutes his soul fled from earth and
his renown had become his country's
treasure forever.
EX CITEMENT IN NELSON'S AND DAVIS
OLD DIVISIONS.
Gen Davis was Immediately placed
under arrest, and ordered without guard
to keep his room. The excitement in
the city ran high. Naturally it extended
to the old division of Gen. Nelson, the
men of which, while they were loud in
their complaints of the rough manner in
which Nelson exercised his authority
over them, yet were always anxious,
when it came to facing the enemy in
battle. that "Old Bull, as they called
Gen. Nelson, should lead them. 1t be
came necessary to double the guards
around the troops, who for time felt a
disposition to avenge the death of their
leader. The friendship between the sol
diers and the rough but fearless general
had been formed amid the perils of bat
tie and cemented with blood, and their
common dangers. which the general
knew not to shun, had endeared him to
their hearts. On the other hand, Gen.
Davis old division had by this time ar
rived at Louisville, and were encamped
near the city. Gen. Davis was the idol
of his troops, and they were clamorOus
for his release, and having seen only the
worst phases in Gen. Nelson's character,
and having witnessed the exhibition of
none of the qualities which endeared
him tohis own command, they applauded
the conduct of their leader. and hated
the dead general, stiff and stark on his
bier Thus the soldiers of the two gen
erals took up the quarrel of their leaders
and for a time the appearance of things
did not promise peace. The bloody bat
tie of Perryville came on, and in the
fellowship of that fearful carnage the
friendship of the angry divisions was
re-established.
THE WRITERS INTERVIEW WITH GEN.
DAVIS.
Gen. Davis remained quietly in his
room. He was the recipient of every
possible attention from officers of the
army and the citizens of Louisville.
Many citizens of Indiana visited him in
his easy confinement. The writer of
this paper accepted an invitation, short
" after the shooting. and visited Gen.
Davis in his room. General Davis saw
fit to repose confidence in his visitor
who had long enjoyed the pleasure of
his acquaintance, and made him the de-
positary of his fDayisD version Of the
unhappy affair, by a recital of the facts
related above.
FUNERAL OF NELSON.
The body of General Nelson was pre-
pared for interment, and in a magnifi-
cent burial case, lay in state under a
guard Of honor. Rev. Mr.. Talbot
opened Christ's Church for the funeral
services. and the solemn and beautiful
service of the church for the burial of
the dead was celebrated in the presence
of the largest assembly ever gathered
for burial in the city. The body was
borne to the steps Of the chancel by
eight general officers.
MEDICATION OF GEN. DAVIS.
General Davis had been informed, no
doubt correctly, that Gen. Nelson had
said, after the first insult to Davis, when
those who knew Gen. Davis, told him
that he would require some reparation
for the wrongs which Nelson had put on
him, that he, Gen Nelson would not
meet him according to the code, because
Davis was his subordinate officer, and
because he ''wouldn not lose his command
in the army for a thousand Davises. .
However Davis might have disposed of
the first affront, when Nelson slapped
him in the face, there was no alterna-
tive left him but that of washing the
stain away by his own or Gen. Nelson s
blood. When Nelson left the office of
the Gait House, after striking him, and
went to his rooms, Davis thought that he
had gone to arm himself. and when he
returned with his hands in the position
before stated, he supposed that he was
ready for the meeting. When Davis
called to him to stop, and defend him
self" Nelson's coming on towards him
without speaking, though looking direct
ly at him, made him believe that he did
not wish to avoid, but rather came to
the conflict, and he fired. Briefly it is
this-Gen. Nelson had insulted him to
such an extent that he must either fight
Nelson or leaEe tic army in disgrace.
He had been informed that Nelson would
not meet him according to the code, and
his only alternative was to force a fight.
This he did when he thought Nelson
was armed to meet him. Looking at the
entire matter from an army standpoint
he could have done no less,
DEFENSE OF NELSON.
For Gen. Nelson it is to be said that
he was naturally imperious-nOt so much
to his subordinates as to his equals and
superiors that his natural inclination
in that direction was helped on by his
education (Nelson was a lieutenant in
the navy and was serving in the army
on leave of absence), and that his quar-
ter deck manner was more offensive to
landsman than it would seem to a naval
officer. 1t is also to be remembered that
Nelson was worn out by continuous ser
vice, harrassed with the duty Of protect
ing an imperilled and threatened city
without the necessary means of defence,
stung to the quic., by the taunts of a
disloyal element under his very eye, and
that some indulgence is TO be given to
the weakness of human nature in his
That he wished rather
to fight Governor Morton than Davis
that when he approached Gen. Davis
coming from his room, he was ON his
way to his own private apartments on
the second floor, and did not expect 10
meet Davis at all and finally that he
was unarmed when Davis shot him.
from the advance sheets Of w. FoFney's
Anecdotes of Public Menu
ON HandVritIngs.
1t is a great mistake to suppose that