Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-08-13
A Story of the War.
[From the Dallas Herald

From the Dallas Herald.1
"Well, I'll tell you romantic fact
which verifes the old saying that truth
is stranger than fiction, remarked late
private of Hampton's cavalry to Her
aid reporter yesterday morning, as they
glided along over the Belt Line Railway.
sit is "Reminiscences of the late I'M
pleasantness in which there is true
heroine in the flesh.
"Gen. Sherman, having successfully
accomplished his march to the sea, was
preparing to cooperate with Gen.
Grant in Virginia, by marching through
the Carolinas, devastating their re-
scources, and by methods unauthorized
by usages of civilized warfare attempt
ing to break the spirit of these proud
old commonwealth. At this juncture
Hampton and Butler. two of Cardinals
! most chivalrous sons, were sent from
Virginia to oppose the conquering gen
| eral whose army was sweeping over the
Palmetto state like bosom of destruc-
ton. Two brigades of dashing cavalry
men followed the chivalrous Hampton
from Virginia to Columbia; one of
whose regiments, the famous old Cobb
legion of Georgia, received on the eve
of it's departure from Virginia the adj
dition of one to its gallant number in
the person of handsome young recruit
known throughout the command as
Charlie. Modest as a lady, yet bold
as the boldest of his battle-scarred COM
panions, handsome little Charlie en-
dured the fatigues, participated in the
engagements, suffered the privations of
the Carolina campaign with heroism
equal to that of veteran.
"In company with a boon companion,
he participated in the gallant charge
upon Kilpatrick's camp, releasing his
imprisoned comrades and carrying off a
large number of the enemy, the battles
at Cheraw, Avensboro, and Bentonville,
and in turn on picket vigil kept while
his companions slept. Soon after Ben
tonville came Charles last picket duty
as confederate cavalryman. The de-
tail for the night was composed of a
prominent official of Dallas County,
Charlie and companion with others.
The enemy attacked the picket, and
soon Charlie was seen weeping over the
manly figure of his companion, who had
yielded his life sacrifice for his coup-
try. Only "a stray picket had been
shot, and next morning all was quiet.
One more duty and Charles soldier life
ended. As guard she escorted squad
of federal prisoners to Raleigh, and
there for the first time were her COM
panions made aware of the fact that the
gallant, handsome Charlie was woman,
and the wife of their dead picket com
panion. Her discharge, OF course. fol-
lowed, and never again did she answer
to the roll-cal of the old Cobb legion.
Virginia, the mother of statesmen and
soldiers, has produced heroes of whom
she may well be proud, among whom
there is for virtue, patriotism, and hero
ism scarcely peer to Charlie, the gal
liant cavalryman. Her praises are I'M
sung by poet, and her name unknown
to the historian, and while her name
and identity are unknown to her former
companions, we trust that she has again
linked her destiny with some knight of
the gray, and around her knee have
gathered bright-eyed girls and boys who
will one day make her name illustri-
OuS."