The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1880-06-23
WAR REMINiSCENCE.
FATE OF CAPTAIN WILLIAM PARKER
A THRILLING STORY.

LINES, lfOtH tuc ptu VA " ~
,el in the Confederate service, the l.
is related: During the fali :
and Summer of 1864 Confederate
partisan soldiers had almost undis- G
putei control of the mountain Coun f
ties of East Tennessee. There were n
several commands, and among the p
foremost was that of Captain William Il
Parker. Captain Parker was me g
snecimen of mountain manhood, b II
feet 5 inches tall, and weighing III
the neighhorhooa of 225 pounds.
His many acts OF daring and his great
personal courage had earned for him,
from F.lerals and Conte'ierates, the
meri,cd sobriquet of brave Bill
Parker.
Captain Parker had alont seventy
five men, and lie held unaispute'l
sway over Johnson County, Tennes
see. Dan Ellis determined to drive
the command away, and, il possible,
CAPTURE the leader. With this view
he organized company of rangers
and proceeded to Johnson County.
When tie Federals under ELLIS ar
rived in the section of the country
where Captain Parker lived, they
proceeded to waylay the road along
which he Usually travelled for five
days and nights before they could
oct to see him. At length, on the
f fifth day, just before IL o'clock,
, small company of Confederate sol
diers passed along, and some distance
: hebin,, them rode brave Billy Parker.
Unconscious of danger the little troop
/, rode nobly forward to where ths, am
Il hushcd enemy lay.
S When they were nearly opposite
4 the Feaerals, a volley was poured IN
, TO their midst from both sides of the
r road, quickly succeeded by another
, which laid many brave trooper low
n and totally disorgauizcd the com
u mand. At the Fl st yolley Parker
q wac seen 10 reel in his, saddle, ant
1t his horse wheeled quickly and dashes
IS down tie road, matdened by bIlie
t. wound in the brain. The horse bor'
Ill Parker on for several hundred yards
er when, all at once, the animal fel
~ down in the road, and when Ellis
il, men went up to him lie was dead
H. but Parker was gone. They search
an ed a thicket near by, and found hi
at coat. which had several bullet hole
he in it, but could find no trace OF PARK
is err. They could not hunt for bill
it long, for his men got reinforcement
and came hurrying back. Whe
I'm they reached the scene Of the strul
ey gle they began tos beat the thicket Il
, their missing leaeer.
} a His followers continued to scare
Iif for him for several days, but the
Ter efforts to find him proved entire
ro- fruitless. A period of two montl
cir elapsed before his fate was 'ful
o a known, and then it .ras disclosed
ne. the following manner: The skeiet
any of man was found about three mil
ex- from the place where Ellis m
ner made the attack upon him. VIII
ave he was found he was lying with
7by face upon the ground, and the MI
ons of his clothes were still entire
and Whole. A notebook was picked
h of near the spot, in which the br'
viz: partisan soldier had scratched
uch feeble lincs-a diary of dark desp'
'eri- The pants pockets being search
tain the skeleton was found to be Parkt
body without any further doubt.
e at A quantity of chewed bark
1T he great wads of partly digested gr
,uch we're found upon the ground wi
yage his stomach had laid and rot
wish The knees of the pants were entl
ONE. worn through, plainly indicating
ID to he had crawled upon his knees I
Y will considerable distance. The ent
in his note book told the story Of
W he. Struggle with death. The fire
. at. Ellis men had wounded him in
stud eral places, and when bis B
$ new stumbled and fell he was pit
;, ~ ~ from the saddle into the thick
e ut. dergrowtb, which lined both sid
The the road. He fell on the right
press Of the road and lay for some
~ ~" unconscious.
! hor. When be partly recovered his
being he drae ged his bruised ana won
s, "to body deeper into the tlicket.
sec thought he was on the left hand
ofthe road, whereas he was O
= + ~ +
rotest, right. bis wounds were dang
gainst and nainful. and he determine