Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-07-27
A TOUCHING STORY.

Tt)l'Clll\E STORY.
.------
At recent political gathering In
TuscumJia, Ala. General Cullen A.
Battle related the following touching
story in the course of his speech: Dur
ing the winter of ls63-6i 1t was my
fortune to be president Of one of the
courts-martial of the army of northern
| Virginia. One bleak December morn
ing, while the snow covered the ground
and the wind howlcd around our camp,
| | left my biyouac fire to attend the scs
| sion of the court Winding for miles
| along uncertain paths, mt length ar
rived at the court-ground. at Round
Oak church. Day after day 1t had
| been our duty to try the soldiers Of that
army, charged with violation Of mill
tary law; but never had | on any pre-
vious occasion been greeted by such
anxious spectators as on that morning
awaited the opening of the court. Case
after case was disposed Of, aud at
length the case OF The Confederate
States vs.. Edward Cooper was called
charge, dcscrtion. A low murmur
rose spontaneously from the battle
Scared spectators. as a young artillery.
man arose from the prisoners bench,
and. in response to the question.
Guilty or not guity?' answered, mot
guilty.
The judgc-advocatc was proceeding
to open the prosecution when the court,
observing that the prisoner was unat-
tended by counsel, intcrposcd and in
qurcd of the accused. ''Who Is your
couuscl?" Ile replied: IL have no
COUNSEL SuppOsing that it was his
purpose to represent himself before the
court, the judgc-advocate was instruct
ed to proceed. Every charge and spe-
citicaton against the prisoner was sus-
tanned. The prisoner was then told to
introduce his witnesses. He replied.
81 have no witnesses. Astonlshed at
the calmncsS with which he seemed to
| be submitting to what he regarded as
inevitable f,tc I said to him ..Haye
,a,, a ,ia,nnsap L. {, ,oss;hIa ,b a. ron
~" Nv lo'''I ''"' ",
abandoned your comrades ana deserted
your colOrs in the presence of the enemy
without any r,ason?n He replied
,,T,. rooson ban, !, ,;lI mo-,
mere "'s '''Son, out WI, ~,
avail me before miiltary court.
| said: 'PrrhaDs YOU are mistaken; YOU
,rc chorp,d with the hiphest crime
L,,o,,, ,n n,;I;,,rv jo,y orT u 10 v,ur
kno"h 10 mi'i'ary law' anu IL Is your
uu,y 10 ',aho hnoMn we Sausts ,n". n.
.nnutnc'u .p''i ,' "u,,ot ,,iJ J' .no nt;' ti'
tlme MS manly iorln .reihoieu ana MS
Dl"e eyes swan, III tears. APProacn.pS
'hc prc''''el. Vi ''e coul' nc P,.Srn.eu
let'er' s"yi,,S a. nc ",u So hcie'
general Is "hat u'i It, ioPeheu m ,he
ieiter ana ih moment my eyes "'ieu
WIN tears: ~ was Passc' :, 'roni one W
aho'hrr Oh the court unll! al hhu seen
II. ana lnose stern warriors VINO hau
passed wiz, ot4hcWa'' 'achsol' ihrouS,
hun'te" pa't'Is Mop' iIhI niue cn'i,
urch' soon rs ! Suihcicnliy recovered
my sen-poS"cssI"h' l rean 'he ietlcr as
.he aelcn'' Vi '''e P'i'oi'i' ~ was III
'hcSe "or"S'
DEAR EnWAhn: ! nave always ,e neei
81 iw"i '.'In ~, hc,.n da, mi.
Of You than ever before. i would not have
before God, EIwarI. unless you w come home
we must die. Last night was aroused by
l!,,le h4aiG ciAing' r,,,ca cal'em "'iu aid said
"Uh m 'I, MAMMA, ~ m "I Tm So hmugryri h And I'ucv %
Edward, vour darling Lucy, she never com
plains, but she grows thinner and thinner
every day Ann before @ non' Eh"afh' uh
'e"S w" ''"'' ''''''' We '''"'S ym'In " M,,y
Trr,;rr ,o ,b. ,r;sonor ostad
..What niJ Won do when Won receive,
} This icr,rrp' H.. rrnliad. III made an
ulication for A furIough and it was re
iantad. ,r.i, | r,,dn ,rnlic,,ion and |;
yyos reiecinI. -, third time | made nm
plication and it was rejected: and tha
nicbt as | wandered backward and for
ward in the camp thinking of nv home
with the mild ewes of Lucy LOOKING M
! to me. and the burning words of Mar,
SINKING in NV brain. [ was no lonoe
the confcdnrat. soldier. but / was III,
father of Lucy and the husband q
Mary, and / would have passed thos,
line: il every pun in the battery ha,
been fired uDon me. Mary ran out I,
J meet me. her ANGEL arms embraced me
and she whispered: "Oh! Edward.
, am so b,ppy.l am 80 clad Won oo
=, =,
your furlOugh!' She must have fel
me shudder. for she turned as male n
dootb ,na oatohi,,, har broo,h q, .uor
/ word, she said: Have you come with
out your furlough? OH Edward, q
back! 60 back! Let me and the chill
drcn 90 down together to the grave
but, oh, for heavens sake, save tn