Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-07-09
A WAR REMINISCENCE.
Fate of Capt. william Pnrker-A
ThriIlinH SIOrY.


In an article entitled Through the
Lines" from the pen OF late colonel in
the confederate service, the following is re-
lated During the fall and summer OF
1864 confederate partisan soldiers had al
most undisputed control of the mountain
counties of East Tennessee. There were
several commands, and among the fore
most OF these WAS that OF Capt. William
Parker. Capt. Parker was fine specimen
of mountain manhood, feet 8 inches tall,
and weighing III the neighborhood of 225
pounds. His many acts OF daring and his
great personal courage had earned for him
from federals and confererates the merited
sobriquet, Brave Bill Parker. Capt. Par.
ker had about seventy FIVE men, and he
held undisputed sway over johnson conn.
ty, Tennessee. Dan Ellis de ermined to
drive the command away, and, if possible,
capture the leader. With this view he or
ganized a company of rangers, and proceed
ed to Johnson county. When the federals
under Ellis arrived in the section of the
country where Capt. Parker lived, they
proceeded 10 waylay the road along which
he usually Travelled for i've days and nights
before they could get to see him. At
length on the fifth day, just before 2
o'clock, small company OF confederate
soldiers passed along, and some distance
behind them rode brave Bill Parker. Un-
consci ous of danger, the little troop rode
boldly forward TO where the ambushed Ell
emy lay. When they were nearly oppo-
site the tederals, a volley was poured into
their midst from both sides OF the road,
quickly succeeded by another, which laid
many brave T. o Iper low and totally di.
organized The command. A the first vol
ley Parker was seen TO reel in his stddl,.,
and his horse wheeled quickly and dashed
down the road, maddened by bullet
wound in the brain. The horse bore Par
ker on Tor several hundred yards, when,
all at once the animal f,ll down in the
road, and when Ellis men went up to him
he was dead, but Parker was gone. They
searched a thicket near by and found his
coat, which had several bullet holes in it,
| but could fiud no trace of Parker. They
could not hunt for him long, for his men
got reintorcements and came hnrryIng back
| When they reached the scene of the strus
gle they began to beat the thicket tor heir
missing leader. HIS followers continued
to search for him for several days, but
their efforts to find him proved entirely
lrutless A period Of two months elapsed
before his fate was fully known, and then
it was disclosed in the following manner
| The skele on Of a man was luund about
les from the place where Ellis mel
made the attack upon him. When lie wn,
found lie was lying with his face ON the
ground, and the most OF his clothes wer,
entirely whole. a note book was pckrt
| la, fl
tIsan soldier had scratched II few feeble
liues-a diary Of despair. The pants pock
els being searched, the skeleton WAS lonnC
TO he Parker's without any further doubt
A quantity Of chewed bark and great wad
of partly digesied grass were found upor
the ground where his stomach had lail
and roIled. The knees OF the pants wer,
elurely worn through plainly indicating
that he had crawled upon lis knees for
considerable distance. The entries in hi
notebook told the story OF his terrible
struggle with death. The FIRE of El ss' mer
had wounded HIM in several places, snC
when his horse stumbled and fell he wa
pitched from the saddle into the thick un
dergrowth which lined both sides of til,
Dad. lie fell on the right side of the roat
and lay for some time unconscious. Whs
he partly recovered his mind he dragged
his bruised and wounded body deeper int
the thicket. lie thought lie was ON lh
lett hand side of The road, whereas he WA
on the right. His wounds were dangernu
and painful, and he determined to crawl L
the roadside and wait for some good Sa
marian to pick him up. Painfully h
dragged his way through the tangled cope
and every minute saw him going furhe
from he road. He was consumed with
terrible thirst, and when night came h
sucked the moisture from the grass an,
felt relieved. IL was not until the thir,
day that lie realized his situation, and tn
last entry In his hook, scratched so feebl
as to be almost illegible, were these words
God help me am lost The reade
can imagine the rest.
Capt. Parker was man of wonderful
strong constitution, and he must have live,
syveral days. II is possible his last hour
found him bereft Of reason. Dying of hun
ger aud thirst, wounded and weak, h.
dragged his mangled body along, chatter
ing, singing. shouting, praying, as maniac
do, until at last death slifiened his limbs
and the buzzards wheeling above the TIRE,
Iop', patiently awaiting his dissolution
slowly drscendgd. and, with beak and talon
tore great mouthfuls OF white flesh iron
his bones, plucking out rs dainty lit-bit
the sightless eyes, which had never quuilec
in the face Of danger.