National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-10-08
aIatiuuaI gepnblitan
a CONFEDERATE STORY.

THE LETTER THAT CAUSED A DESER-
TION-EXTRACT FROM A SOUTHERN
EX-GENERAL'S SPEECHIN ALABAMA.
At recent political gathering in Tuscum-
bia, Ala, Gen. Cullen A. Battle related the
following touching story in the course of his
speech:
During the winter of 1s6S-'64 it was my for
tune to be president of one of the courts-mar-
tial Of the army Of Northern Virginia. One
bleak December morning, while the snow COW
cred the ground and the winds howled around
our camp, left my bivouac fire to attend the
session Of the court. Winding for miles along
uncertain paths, at length arrived at the
court ground at Round Oak church. Day
after day it had been our duty to try the gal
liant soldiers of that army, charged with viola
tons Of military 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 dis
posed of, and at length the case Of ''The Con-
Tolerate States VS.. Edward Cooper" was
called-charge, deseTtion. A low murmer
rose spontaneously from the battle-scarred
spectators, as q young artilleryman rose from
the prisoners bench, and, In response to the
question, "Guilty, or not guilty % answered.
''Not guilty."
The Judge Advocate was proceeding to open
the prosecution, when the Court, observing the
prisoner was unattended by counsel, inteTpOsed
and inquired of the accused: who Is your
eounselP' He replied: 81 have no counsel"
Surprising that it was his purpose to represent
himself before the court, the Judge Advocate
was instructed to proceed. Every charge and
specification against the prisoner was sus-
tanned. The prisoner was then told to intro
duee his witnesses. He replied: ''I have no
Witnesses" Astonished at the calmness with
which he seemed to be submitting to what he
regarded as inevitable fate, l said to him:
''Have you no defence2 Is it possible that YOU
abandoned your comrades and deserted your
colors in the presence of the enemy without
any reason?" He replied; ''There was a rea-
son, but it will not avail me before military
court" I 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 actions"
For the first time his manly form trt mbled,
and his blue eyes swan in tears. Approach
ing the president of the court he presented 4
letter, saying, as he did so: "There General, is
what did it." l 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 Stonewan jackson through a
hundred battles wept like little children. Soon
as sufficiently recovered my self-pOssession, L
read the letter as the defence of the prisoner
1t was in these words:
Ny DEAR EDWARD: 7 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
die! Last night was aroused by little Eddie's
crying. / called and said: sEWhat's the mat
ter, Eddiel" and he said: "Oh, mamma, Pm
so hungryp' And Lucy, Edward, your dar->
ling Lucy, she never complains, but she is
growing thinner and thinner every day Aud
before God, Edward, unless you come home
we must die. YOUR MARY.
Turning to the prisoner, Iasked: ''What did
you do when you received this letter." He
replied: 81 made application for furlough,
and it was rejected; again made application,
and it was rejected; a third time made appli-
cation, and it was rejected, and that night as
wandered backward 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, was no longer
the Confederate soldier, but | was the father
of Lucy and the husband of Mary, and would
have passed those lines If every gun in the
battery had fired upon me. l went to NV
home. Mary ran out TO meet me, her angel
arms embraced me; and she whispered, FOI
Edward, / am so happy am so glad YOU got
your furloughP She must have felt me sh1d-
der, for she turned pale as death, and catching
her breath at every word, she said: Have you
come without your furloughl D! Edward, Ed
ward, 90 back! 90 back! Let me and nv
children go down together to the grave, but o,
for heavens sake, save the honor of our
namep And here am, gentlemen, not brought
here by military power, but in obedience to the
command Of Mary, to abide the sentence of
your court"
Every officer of that court-martiaI felt the
force of the prisoners words. Before them
stood, in beatihc vision, the eloquent pleader
for a husbands and a fathers wrongs; but
they had been trained by their great leader,
Robert Z. Lee, to tread the path of duty,
though the lghtning's flash seorched the
ground beneath their feet, and each in his turn
pronounced the yerdict-guilty. Fortunately
for humanity, fortunately for the COnfederacy,
the proceedings of the court were reviewed by
the commanding general, and upon the record
was written:
HEADQUARTERS, A. NV.
The finding of the court is approved. The
prisoner is pardOned and will report to his
company. R. Z. LEE, General.
During the second battle of Cold Harbor,
when shot and shell were falling ''liSe torrents
from the mountain cloud" my attention was
directed to the fact that one Of our batteries
was being sileneed by the concentrated fire Of
the enemy. When l reached the battery every
gun but one had been dismantled, and by it
stood solitary Confederate soldier, with the
blood streaming from his side. As he recog-
niZed me he elevated his voice above the roar
of battle and said, General, have one shell
left. Tell me, have saved the honor of Mary
and Lucy" 1 raised my hat. Once more q
Confederate shell went crashing through the
ranks of the enemy, and the hero sank by his
gun to rise no more.