Huntsville gazette., 1881-10-29
H0nOred BlOOd-A Dramatic Incident
of the War.

Eighteen years ago, says the Little
Rock Gazette, one of the most dramatic
incidents of the late war occurred at
Fourche's Dam, few miles below this
city. Gen. Price and his army were oc-
cupying this city. Gen. Steele was ad-
vancing. The whole country was in a
terrible state of excitement. A battle
was expected. Every one had conf
dence in the bravery and military skill
of Gen. Price,, His achievements were
heralded, his praises sung.
One night, before the dawning of the
10th of September, 1868, a Confederate
officer on duty with his men at an out
post, having received direct information
from q man who had been in the enc
my's camp, lay down by fire, and on
a leaf torn from an old account-book
wrote a dispatch to senior officer, be-
ginning: "The ball opens tomorrow,
and giving a statement as to the num-
ber of men in the enemy's ranks, show
ing that his force was inferior to Prices
army. The officer wrote I" Respectfully
forwarded" and dispatched man to
Little Rock with instructions to deliver
it to Gen. Price.
The General could not be found. He
was playing cards at private residence,
and only became aware that the time
for action had come when the booming
of canon, just at daylight, aroused him.
The soldiers down the river fought des-
perately. They were compelled to re-
treat. Falling back to Fourche Dam, it
was decided that a final resistance
should be made. Gen. Newton, who
had been sent back to form the men as
they arrived, was executing that order,
when Gen. Marmaduke, who had been
arrested for killing Gen. Walker, and
who had just been relea sed, dashed up
and exclaimed:
"We must make fight here to cover
Prices retreat"
"Cover Prices retreat?" exclaimed
Newton, in surprise.
eyes; for his army is in full retreat. !"
Nothing but fight was left. The ene-
my charged, but were repulsed. Jeffries
was ordered to take his Missouri brig
ade across the creek, and feel of the en-
emy. He crossed, and not only felt of
the enemy, but, following the prompt
ings of an impulsive nature, charged the
section of a battery supported by caval
ry. The cavalry, from the suddenness
of the attack, was thrown into confu-
sion and retreated, leaving the guns un-
supported. The Captain of the battery,
a young man from Chicago, stood by
one of his guns, with revolver in each
hand, firing rapidly. He was complete
surrounded, but refused to surrender.
The Confederates, in admiration of his
bravery, stopped firing and cheered
him. He was repeatedly told to surren-
der, and as often refused. He continued
to fire, and had wounded several men.
"This thing is gittin' tiresome,
Cap'n," yelled lank Missourian, SAN
if you don't behave yourself an quit
your kylarkin' you'll git hurt.''
The brave fellow, with disdainful
ge ,ture, exclaimed:
81 told the people of Chicago that 1
would never surrender this battery, and
by all the demons in hell I'll keep my
word," and he leveled his pistol at the
Missourian. But the lank man was too
quick for him, and throwing up his pis-
tol he fired. Capt. Reed fell across his
gun, shot through the heart. "Brave
man," said the boys, as they laid
him on the ground preparato-
ry to removing the gun. "Brave
man. 1t is pity we had to kill him."
The gun, with it's death-mark of life's
blood, was drawn away by the Confed
crates, and used in a dozen different
battles, but no one ever washed off the
blood. Once when an officer asked one
of the men why he did not wash his gun
the soldier +, lated the circumstance Of
Reeds death. "Let the blood remain"
said the officer; sit is a mark of respect
to the memory of brave man."
Just before the close of the war Capt.
Reed, the name applied to the gun, was
dismounted by cannon-bal. After
the battle the soldiers tenderly buried
the heavy iron. Neither the rains of
heaven nor the hands of man had washed
off the blood.