Louisiana capitolian., 1879-06-21

Il J
coffee would make him sick unless
it had come out of Yankee COM
missary. @
His ambulances, chests, sad
die, bridle, blankets, wagons, arms
everything were all booty Of war,
except his beautiful mare Nellie Bly,,
who was foaled in the old Kentucky
home, and was Of the purest blood
that made Broad Rock and Fairfield,
in old Virginia, the most classic
ground in all America.
On one occasion, when desperately
wounded, he called his chaplain to
give him spiritual comfort.
"Old fellow" says he, in faint ac-
cents, while tears coursed down the
rough cheeks of the soldiers, "wrap
me in U. $. blanket, put me in q
captured coffin, take me to my grave
in captured ambulance, and | think
] shall sleep we'll"
"Well, Colonel" says the chaplain,
who wore a rebel cross in his hat
with "sassy" feather, "this is a new
Confederate ambulance-we will carry
you in this"
Saint this a captured one'" says
the dying Colonel.
"No."
OH and ID" cried the guer-
rilla chief, jumping up in the ambu-
bulance; "that's what's the matter
with me ~
He was at once transferred to a y.
s. carriage and soon recovered. His
sword was SO hacked in battle he had
to handle it like q hand-saw He
rarely took prisoners, and was alto
gether fierce fighter; and yet this
terrible palladin could be as soft and
gentle as any woman. He has been
seen to shed tears when a wagon
train escaped him, and would cry
like "a child when he ssaw that rich
commissary stores were too heavily
guarded for him to attack. :
Such was Colonel Gobler, who was
the very last man to set q rebel flag
in a stricken field; and with all his
faults, and despite some deeds which
cannot be defended by his most ad-
miring friends, still his stark courage
and his devotion to duty must forever
challenge the admiration even of his
enemies.
As the news of the surrender of Lee
and Johnston spread sadness over the
South, the guerrilla chiefs were the last
to come in and give themselves up,
and it was generally without any Of
the formallties of military ceremony
that the scattered bands delivered
themselves prisoners at the different
posts most convenient, and received
the parole with the privilege of retain
ing their private arms. The terrible
Colonel Gobler was too well recorded
not to be especially marked, and
though no special orders had been
given in his regard, yet it was sup.
posed that he would be treated as al
outlaw, not entitled to the forbearanct
accorded to prisoners Of war. On the
day of Lees surrender he had retired
to the interior mountain districts t.
recruit his command, and a month
later had rode gayly forth at the heat
of thousand desperadoes, freshly
mounted, and painting for blood ant
plumber, and ignorant of the Confed
crate surrender.
"Colonel," says a girl on tic roat
side, as the gallant cavalryman paus
ed to take a stoop Of buttermilk from
the maiden's hand, "the Confederac.
is gone up--surrendered under al
apple tree, and the boys is all a comm
home. You'd better go and get you
parole right away"
"Parole," says the Colonel, "per
haps, my dear, you don't know In
the widest man in the world" ant
rode on, followed presently by nu
merous citizens, beseeshing him t
surrender. The report at last becam
absolute certainty, and the question
before Col. Gobler's mind was whethe
he could, with one thousand guer
rillas, represent and revivify the dea
Confederacy against some half a mil
lion of soldiers. The odds were to
great, and he sat down on the side G
the road, sadly thinking what sort c
o farmer he would make, and how h
could ever sleep in house. Tha
wild life of danger and exposure
picturesque and fascinating beyon
description to those who love it, an
Gobbler was born for it. He had II
, home-the Yankees had burned hi
fathers roof-tree, and he had swor
, by its smouldering ashes to know II
> law but vengeance. His kindred wei
| all dead except those con the otht
7 side. he had heen too rOurh and hr