The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-10-30
ONE SHELL LEFT"
A Confederate stony, with its Close at
Cold HarbOr.


At recent political gathering in Tus.
cumbia, Ala, Gen. Cullen A. Battle re-
lated the following touching story in the
course of his speech:
During the winter of 1854 it was my
fortune to be president of one of the
courts martial of the army of northern
Virginia. One bleak December morn
ing, while the snow covered the ground
and the winds howled around our camp,
left my blvouac fire to attend the ses-
sion OF the court. Winding for miles
along uncertain paths, I at length ar
rived at the court-ground at Round Oak
church. Day after day it had been our
duty to try the gallant soldiers of that
army, charged with violations of mill
tary law; but never had / on any pre-
vious occasion been greeted by such
anxious spectators as on that morning
awaited the opening of the court Case
after case was disposed of, and at length
the case of "The Confederate states vs.
Edward Cooper" was called-charge,
desertion. A low murmur rose sponta-
neously from the battle-scarred epecta-
tors, as young artillery-man rose from
the prisoners bench, and, in response to
the question, " Guilty or not guilty ?"
answered, - NOG guilty.
The judge advocate was proceeding to
open the prosecution, when the court,
observing that the prisoner was unat-
tended by counsel, interposed and in
quired of the accused, "Who is your
counsel ?" He replied 81 have no
counsel" Supposing that it was his
purpose to represent himself before the
court, the judge advocate was instructed
to proceed. Every charge was sus-
tanned. The prisoner was then told to
introduce his witnesses. He replied,
" have no Witnesses" Astonisheo at
the calmness with which he seemed to
be submitting to what he regarded as
inevitable fate, I said to him, "Have
you no defense? Is it tpossib'e that you
abandoned your comrades and deserted
your colors in the presence of the
enemy without any reason?" He re-
piled, "There was a reason but it will
not avail me before a military court"
l said: Perhaps you are mistaken
you are charged with the highest crime
known to military law, and it is your
duty to make known the causes that in
fuenced your actions" For the first
time his manly form trembled, and his
blue eyes swan in tears. Approaching
the president of the court he presented
a letter, saying as he did so, "There,
general, is what did it." I opened the
letter, and in moment my eyes filed
with tears. 1t was passed from one to
another of the court until all had seen
it, and those stern warriors who had
passed with Stonewall Jackson through
a hundred battles wept like little chill
dren. Soon as sufficiently recovered
my self-possession, read the letter as
the defense of the prisoner. It was in
these words
My DEAR EDwARD-I have always been
proud of you, and since your connection with
the Confederate army have been prouder of
you than ever before. 1 would not have you
do anything wrong for the world; but before
God, Edward, unless you come home we must
die Last night was aroused by little Ed
dies crying. / called and said: whats the
matter, Eddie ?, and he said: oh mamma,
I'm so hungry!" And Lucy, Edward, your
darling Lucy, she never complains, but she Is
growing thinner and thinner every day. And
before God, Edward, unless you come home
we must die. YOUR MARY.
Turning to the prisoner, I asked
" What did you do when you received
this letter ?" He replied "I made ap-
plication for furlough, and it was re-
iected again I made application, and
it was rejected third time made APP
plication, and it was rejected, and that
night, as wandered backward and for
ward in the camp, thinking of my home,
with the mild eyes of Lucy looking up
to me, and the burning words of Mary
sinking into my brain, I was no longer
the Confederate soldier, but I was the
father of Lucy and the husband of
Mary, and I would have passed those
lines if every gun in the battery had
fred upon me. I went to my home.
Mary ran out to meet me, her angel
arms embraced me, and she whispered,
Oh Edward, l am so happy! I am SO
glad you got your furloughp She must
have felt me shudder, for she turned
pale as death, and, catching her breath
at every word, she said, Have you
come without your furlough? Oh Ed
ward, Edward, go back go back Let
me and my children go down together to
the grave, but o, for heavens sake, save
the honor of our name 7 And here
am, gentlemen, not brought here by
power, but in obedience to the
command cf Mary, to abide the SEN
tence of your court"
Every officer of that court-martial
felt the force of the prisoners words.
Before them stood, in beatiic vision,
the eloquent pleader for a husbands
and a fathers wrongs; but they had
been trained by their great leader
Robert E. Lee, to tread the path OF
duty, though the Gghtning's flash
scorched the ground beneath their feet,
and each in his turn pronounced the
Fortunately for hu-
manity, fortunately for the COnfedera,
cy, the proceedings of the court were
reviewed by the commanding general,
and upon the record was written:
HEADQUARTERS A. F. V.
The finding of the court is approved. The
prisoner is pardoned and will report to his
r. Z. LEE, General
During the second battle of Cold
Harbor, when shot and she'll were fall
ing like torrents from the mountain
cloud" my attention was directed to the
fact that one of our batteries was being
by the concentrated fire of the
enemy. When 1 reached the battery
every gun but one had been dismantled,
and by it stood a solitary Confederate
soldier, with the blood streaming from
his side. As he recognized me be ele-
waited his voice above the roar of battle
and said, General, have one shell
left. Tell me, have saved the honor
of Mary and Lucy p / raised my hat
Once more a Confederate shell went
crashing through the ranks of the ene-
my, and the hero sank by his gun to
rise no more.
Chinese Students.