Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1883-05-31
INGENUITY.
4 Confederate's Effort 10 utilise Lame
Men aud Crippled Guns.


al never will forgive the Confederate
Government" said Col. Wastick, when
asked to relate a war rcminiscence. i
started out with / ripe determination of
doing everything in my power for the
cause. but men who had more authority
than had pulled against me, and conse-
quently stepped aside. They even went
so far as to court-martial me. Now, ftherc
is anything in military life that takes 4
mans appetite it is to be court-martialed
It's pretty bad in civil life to be tried before
Justice of the Peace but that isn't any
thing to compare with court-martial, and
especially when he knows full we'll that he
has done nothing to merit such severe
handling"
Why were you court-martialed, Colonel,
asked one cf the company.
Fer the simple discharge of my duty.
Just about the time it behooved the Con-
federacy to make every edge cut that
could l was sent into a community to press
guns and to draft and arm every available
man. Well, L went to work and discharged
my duty in accordance with my construct
ion Of the order. At one place We seized a
large number of double-barrel shot-guns.
In examining them we found many that
were damaged SO greatly hat only one bar
rel could be used. l told my men not 70
throw them aside, but to keep them, that
they would come in handy. In this COM
munity there were great many saw mills
and family feuds, and consequently the.e
were great many one-legged men. One
day issued On order that all the one-legged
men to he found within radius of % miles
should be brought into camp. The order
was strictly obeyed, and within two weeks
We had 70 cripples. Forming them in line
one day; | ordered the disabled shotguns to
be brought ont, When | took up a gun
whose hight barrel was useless | would give
it to q man who had lost the use Of his
right leg, and so on until the seventy-fiye
men wete armed. This was strictly appro-
plate, for we had no other use for the Grip
pied guns, and the country certainly had no
other use for the crippled men. / wanted
it to make aname wanted each man to
feel proud of himself. They elected a
captain, tall fellow, who lost his left leg
while rafting logs. We presented him,
attended ~ disabled ceremony, with a
broken sword and double-barreled pistol,
with one hammer gone. 1t would have
tickled you to death to have seen
them on dress parade, and their
( qUick-time would have made Napoleon
pull off his hat and grin. Well pretty soon
l had occasion to use them. The enemy
came upon me Unexpectedly, and in the
hurry incident upon such occasions, pla-
ced the one-lcgyedi company in the warmest
part of the field The battle lasted several
hours, and was draw fight. Ny one-leg-
ged company suffered greatly The Cap
tains peg was shattered by ball, and dur
ing the fight he sent an orderly into the
woods to make him another leg. Other
members of the company were similarly
served, and. Sir, the amount of splinters on
the battle ground was simply astonishing.
The enemy had fred low, and three out Of
six wooden legs were disabled. Before com
plete repairs could be made my General
came along, and not being able to under
stand why so much kindling wood should
be scattered over a battlefield, asked the
reason. explained, expecting him 20
compliment me on my ingenuity, but the
unappreciati7e fellow had me couTt-mar-
tailed ! left the service, and during the
remaining time of the war aided the cause
by capturing mules from the Union men
and burning cotton that might have fallen
in possess. on of the nemy."