The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-01-27
A CONFEDERATE STORY.
The Letter that Caused q Deserti0n.

At a recent political gathering in Tus
cumbia, Ala, Gen. Cullen A. Battle re-
lated the following touching story in the
| course of his speech:
Dufing the winter of 1868 81 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, at length arrived at
the court ground at Round Oak Church.
Day after day it had been our duty to
try the soldiers of that army, charged
with violations OF military law; but new
er had l 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 Con-
federate States v. Edward Cooper" was
called-charge, desertion. A low mur-
mur rose spontaneously from the battle
SCARED spectators, as young artillery
man rose from the prisoners bench, and
in response to the question, '..Guilty or
not guiltyw answered, "Not guilty."
The Judge Advocate was proceeding
to open the prosecution, when the court,
observing that the prisoner was unat-
tended BY counsel, lnterposed and in
quired of the accused, "Who is your
oounselp" He replied, 81 have no o0un-
SELL" Supposing that it was his purpose
to represent himself before the court, the
Judge Advocate was instructed to pro-
ceed. Every charge and specification
against the prisoner was sustained. The
prisoner was then told to Introduce his
witnesses. He replied, 81 have no wit
hcta ioh of 70 no m ac a
with which he seemed to be submitting
to what he regarded as inevitable fate, l
said to him, "Have you no defense? Is
it possible that you abandoned your COM
rades and deserted your col0rs IN the
presence OF the enemy without any rea-
son?" He replied, "There was reason,
but 1t will not avail me before a military
court" l said: "Perhaps you are mis-
taken: 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 trembled, and
his blue eyes swan in tears. Approach
ing the President of the court.he pre-
sented 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
|
had seen it, and those stern warriors,
who had passed with Stonewall jackson
through hundred battles, wept like
little children. Soon as l sufficiently re-
covered my self-possession, l read the
letter as the defense of the prisoner. 1t
was in these words:
"AlY DEAR EDwARD-I have always
been proud of you, and since your con-
nection with the Confederate Army l
have been prouder of you than ever be-
fore. i would not have you do anything
wrong for the world; but before God, Ed
ward, unless you come home we must
diel Last night was aroused by little
Eddie's crying. called and said:
WHATS the matter, Eddiep and he said !;
'Oh, mamma, Pm SO hungryP And
Lucy, Edward, your darling Lucy, she
never complains, but she is growing thin
ner and thinner every day. And before
God, Edward, unless you come home we
must die. YOUR MARY"
Turning to the prisoner, asked: :
"What did yon do when you received
this letter." He replied: 81 made appli-
cation tor a iurlough, sand it was re-
jected; again made application and it
was rejected; third time l made appli-
cation, and it was rejected, and that
night, as l 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 sink
ing in my brain, l was no longer the Con-
federate 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 my home. Mary ran out to meet
me; her angel arms embraced me, and
she whispered, 'Oh, Edward, l am so
happy! l am SO glad you got your fur
loughv She must have felt me shudder,
for she turned pale as death, and CATCH
ing her breath at every word, she said,
Have you come without your turlough?
Oh, Edward, 60 back! go back! Let me
and my children go down together to the
grave, but oh, for heaven sake, save the
honor of our namep And here l 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-martial felt
the force of the prisoners words. Before
them stood, in beatitic vision, the elo-
quent pleader for a husbands and a
fathers wrongs; but they had been train
ed by their great leader, Robert E. Lee,
to tread the path of duty, though the
lightning's flash scorched the ground be-
meath their feet, and each in his turn
pronounced the verdict-guilty. Fortu-
nately for humanity, fortunately for the
Confederacy, the proceedings Of the
court were reviewed by the Commanding
General, and upon the record was writ
ten:
HEADQUARTERS, A. N. V.
The finding OF the court approved. The
prisoner is pardoned and will report to
his company, r. E. LEE, General.
During the second battle of Cold Har.
Dor, when shot and she'll were failing
sslike torrents from the mountain cloud,''
my attention was directed to the fact
that one of our batteries was being 81.
fenced by the concentrated fire OF the
enemy. When l reached the battery
every gun but one had been dismantled
and by it stood a solitary soldier, with
the blood streaming from his side. AS
he recognized me he elevated his voice
above the roar Of battle and said, "Gen'
eral, have one she'll left. Tell me, have
| saved the honor of Mary aud Lucy r.
l raised my hat. Once more shell went
crashing through the ranks OF the enemy
and the hero sank by his gun to rise nc
more.
4 Reform in High Places.
We have hailed with genuine satisfac.
tion every attempt that has been insti
tuted to effect reform in the Civil Ser.