Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-10-16

ed the following touching story in the
course of his speech:
During the winter of lSG3-G4 it was my
fortune TO be President of one of the courts
martial OF the army Of Northern Virginia.
One bleak December morning, while the
snow covered the ground and the winds
howled around our camp, I left my bivouac
fire TO attend the session of the court.
Winding for miles along uncertain paths,
I at length arrived 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 previous
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 MUIR
mur rose spontaneously from the battle
SCARED spectators, as young artilleryman
rose from the prisoners bench, and in re-
sponse to the question, "Guilty, or not
guilty2" answered, "Not guilty"
The Judge Advocate was proceeding to
open the prosecution, when the court, OBJ
serving that the prisoner was unattended
by counsel, interposed and inquired of the
accused, "Who is your couusel?" He re-
piled, 81 have no counsel" Supposing that
it was his purpose to represent himself be-
fore the court, the Judge Advocate was in
structed to proceed. Every charge and
| specification against the prisoner was sus-
tanned. The prisoner was then told to in
troduce his witnesses. He replied, 81 have
no witnesses" Astonshed at the calm
ness with which he seemed to be submit
| ting TO what he regarded as inevitable fate,
| said to him, "Have you no defenseH Is
| it possible that you abandoned your COM
rades and deserted your cOlors in the pres
ence OF an enemy without any reason ?'
He replied, "There was a reason, but it
| will not avail me before 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 influenced your ac-
tions." For the first time his manly form
trembled, and his blue eyes swan in tears.
Approaching the President of the court he
presented letter, saying as he did so,
the letter, and in moment my eyes filled
with tears. 1t was passed from one TO an
other of the court until all had seen it, and
those stern warriors who had passed with
Stonewall Jackson through a hundred bat
ties wept like little children. Soon as l
sufficiently recovered my selEpossession,
l read the letter as the defense of the pris-
oner. 1t was in these words:
MY DEAR EDWARD: have always been
| proud of you, and since your connection
| with the Confederate Army | have been
| prouder OF you than ever before | would
not have you do anything wrong for the
| world; but before God, Edward, unless
you come home we must dieI Last night
l was aroused 10y little Eddies crying.
called and said Whats the matter, Ed
dief" and he said: "Oh, mamma, I'm so
hungry" " and Lucy, Edward, your darl-
ing Lucy, she never complains, but she is
growing thinner aud thinner every day.
And before God. Edward, unless you come
home We must die. YoUR MARY.
Turning TO the prisoner, l ask ed "What
did you do when you received this letter ?"
He replied: 81 made application for fur
Tough, and it was rejected; again made
application and it was rejected; a third
time made application, and it was reject
ed, and that night, as l wandered back ward
and forward in the camp, thinking of my
home, with the mild eyes of Lucy looking
up to me, and the burning words of Mary
sinking in my brain, l was no longer the
Confederate soldier, but was the father OF
Lucy and the husband of Mary, and /
would have passed those lines ifevery gun
in the battery had fired upon me. l went
| N m hnOna fn
her angel arms embraced me, and she whis.
pered, 'ol Edward, l am 80 happy! 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
you rfurloughH OF Edward, Edward, &C
back ! go back Let me and my children
go down together to the grave, but o, fol
Heavens sake, save the honor of oui
name" And here am, gentlemen, no
brought here by military power, but il
) obedience to the command of Mary, t
abide the sentence of your court"
Every officer of that court-martial fell
the force of the risOner's words. Before
them stood, in beatitic vision, the eloquent
pleader for a husbands and a fathers
wrongs; but they had been trained by
their great leader, Robert L. Lee, to treac
the path of duty, though the lightning''
flash scorched the ground beneath thei
feet, and each in his turn pronounced thu
verdict-guilty. Fortunately for humani
ty, fortunately for the eConfederacy, the pro
ceedings of the court were reviewed by tn,
, commanding general, and upon the recorC
was written
HEAD QUARTERS, A. N. V.
The finding of the court is approved
t The prisoner is pardoned and will repor
to his company.
, r. e. LEE, General.
During the second battle of Cold Harbor
! when shot and shell were falling "like tor
rents from the mountain cloud" my atten
tion was directed to the fact that one of ou
batteries was being silenced by the concen
trated fire of the enemy. When 1 reached
q the battery every gun but one had beel
, dismantled, and by it stood solitary Con
federate soldier with the blood streaming
from his side. As he recognized me he el
evated his voice above the roar of battl
and said, General, have one shell left
d. Tell me, have saved the honor of Mar
3 and LueyH" 1 raised my hat. Once NOR
n a Confederate shell went crashing throug
the ranks of the enemy, and the hero san
I by his gun to rise no more.
n Barry Cornwall, whose death is announC
n