The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-03-15
II CONFEDERITE STORY.

Brave Soldier to Desert--A Touching
:. Incident OF the War.
At recent political gathering in
Tuscumbia, Ala, Gen. Cullen A.
Battle relates the following story in
the course of his speech
During tho winter of 1864 it
was my fortune to be president of
one Of the courts martial Of the
Army of Northern Virginia One
black December morning, while the
snow covered the ground and the
wind howled around our camp, i
left my bivouac fire to attend the
session Of :, the court. Winding
along for miles, through uncertain
paths, l at length arrived at the
court at Bound Ok Church.
Day by day it had been our duty
to try the gallant soldiers of that
army. charged with violations of
military law but never 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 Confederate States VS..
Edward Cooper" was called-charge,
dcsertion. A low murmur arose
spontaneously from the battlo-
Scared spectators as a young artil-
leryman rose from the, prisoners
bench, and in response to the
question, "Guilty| or not guilty g.
answered "Not guilty.
' The Judge Advocate was proceed
ing to open the prosecution, when
the court, observing the prisoner
vas unattended by counsel, inter
posed and inquired Of the accused,
"'Who is your counsdl?' He replied:
81 have no counsel" Surprising
that it was his purpose to represent
himself before tho court, the Judge
Advocate WIS instructed to proceed.
Every charge and specification
against the prisoner was sustained.
The prisoner was then told to
introduce his witnesses. He re-
piled II have no witnesses.
Astonished at tho calmncss with
(which he seemed to he submitting to
what he regarded an inevitable fate,
L said to him. "Have you no defence
Is it possible that you Abandoned
your comrades and deserted your
colors without any reason ;" He
replied "rherc is u reason, but it
will avail me nothing in q military
court" said: "Perhaps you arc
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 trembled, aiad his
blue eyes swan in tears. Approach
ing tue president of of the court he
presented letter, saying as he did
so, "There, General, is what did it. y
1 opened the letter and in moment
any eyes tilIel with teArs. 1t WIS
passed from one to the other Of the
court until at last all had seen it.,
and those stern warriors who had
passed with Stonewall Jackson
through hundred battles wept like
children. Soon as I sufficiently
recovered my self~possession, I read
the letter as the defonce of the
prisoner. 1t was in these words !:
"My Dear Edward Il have
always been proud of you, and
since your connection with the Con-
federate "rmyI have been prouder
of you than ever before. I would
not have you do anything wrong
for the world but before God,
Edward unless you come homo we
must die Last night I was aroused
by little Eddie crying, I called and
said What's the matter, Eddie 2
and he said oh, mamma, I'm 80
hungry. And Lucy. Edward
your darling Lucy--she never com~
plains, 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 I asked:
"What did you do whom you received
this ?" He replied ~ made appli~
cation for furlough,, and it was
rejected again 7 made application
and it was. rejected !; a third time
made applications and it was reject
ed, and that night as I wandered
back and forward thinking of my
home, with the mild eyes Of Lucy
looking up to ne, and the burning
words of Mary sinking in my brain,
+ was NO longer the Confederate
.sOldiar bY1t ,yna tho fnthar of T,1cy