Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-07-30
"US AND GINERAL BRAGG"
An Ex-Rebel.
Esfrnif Erss prsgs

IF sou were too young when the war
broke out to shoulder q musket you may
not have heard that Of all the ginerals in
the Confederate army Bragg vast he hardest
on his men in the matter OF discipline. In
c. urse there has got to be discipline in an
army. There must be them to give orders
aid there must be others to obey but after
tie fust two years ofthe war we rebels was
so bus'ed up for arms, clothing and proyis-
ms that some excuse might have bin made
FIR lack of enthusiasm. Tell you what,
when a soldier sees his cause p~etering out
day By day and he is called upon to march
and fight and drill with empty pockets,
empty stomach, ragged uniform and a letter
in his bundle saying that the dear ones at
home are sick and suffering, he can't jist do
bis level beat and there's ne use talking.
"Well, | was under Bragg, and when our
cause looked darkest, and jist when our
rank and file needed encouraging the most,
the old man drswed the reins the highest.
He had the guard houses full all the time,
and he went so far as to stand deserters in
front Of cheap eofins and have them shot
6y a file OF men. We never had the discip-
line OF the Yankee army. When one of our
DO 8 skipped out and paid home a visit the
Cffense was over looked in case he didn't
.tay too long I've knowed ten men TO be
absent from a company at the same time
without leave, and nothing was said to any
ofthem when they returned.
when Gineral Bragg suddenly frightened
up on Us, things was looking blue all around,
and his action made matters wuss. In my
company was a young Teller named Ton
Lane. BE wasn't a day over Is years old,
ard so slim aud pale and girlhke that you
knew he had no business at the front. One
night Tom came to my tent with q letter in
his hand and a sob in his throat, and says
be:
"'Sergeaut Scott, here's a letter from
my sister Kate, up in the mountains of Ten
nessee. She says my old mother is dying,
but she can't 60 in peace till she sees her
boy once more ,
ats awful says /, but what's ODE did?
Bragg wouldn't give you a furlough if you
had a dozen poor old mothers dying
81 shan't AJAX him"
He sot there with the tears in his eyes,
an / sot and looked at him. pitied him
from the bottom Of my heart, and yet it was
only one case out of q score which could be
called up any day. l was trying to think
of somethin' to console him, when his face
crew white and, stern, and he turns and
says:
sergeant, I'm going homer
"'HoWg
Desert
You'll be shot
ave got to take the chances!
81 should have sought to discourage him.
Indeed, it was my duty to prevent him from
going. / had one poor old s. Confede ate
bill. | gave him that, filled his hsverssck
with the best l had, and he grippe1 my hand
and passed out into the darkness.
We'll, he was missed at rolEeall next
morning, and Bragg sends a squad Of
cavalry after him. Somehow the boy
lodges EN-, and after a weary time Of three
or four days gets to his mother door to find
the gang in ambush around the cabin.
They dropped him right at the door
with q bullet in his leg, but out comes
his sister Kate and carries him in.
There was the dead mother on one bed
aud the wounded boy on the other, and q
gal OF 20 years Of age getting ready to de-
tend that cabin sgiu I've men who had Or
ders to take the deserter dead OF alive. She
had a rifle and plenty of powder and bullets,
and the cabin was stoutly built and made q
good iort. Afore she had made q move to
dress Toms hurt the cavalry rushed up to
break down the door, and she killed one
and so tadly wounded another that he died
next day. That drew the cavalry of, and
49, - - u,4b ola wokor ord hanI
ages and fixed Tom as well as she could. 1t
was only q f~esh-Eound, though o bad one,
and she probably did as well as 3 surgeon
would have done st the front.
"Well in about half an hour the leader OF
the soldiers comes out of cover with q flag OF
t uceaGddemsnd s a surrender, promising ell
sorts Of soft things but Kate warns him OF
~ declars she Will never let Tom 60 back
Theuthe three meurushes in to carry the fort
and one gets q bullet in his brain. THIS
leaves only two out of the Eve who had
tracked the boy. They divides aud tries to
set the cabin on Gre at different places, and
sgin that deadly rife bsrks out and another
man turns up his toes and reduces Braggs
army BY one. This leaves only one OF the
SQUAD alive. he was afraid to 60 back to
Bragg and report and so be skips oyer to
he Yankee army and gets shut Of every
hing in q move.
"Tom2 Well, as soon IS he could be
moved Kate hid him away uutil the war
closed, and so he never came back to Us
Kats3 Well, l sot out after the Wal to hunt
Tom up, and Kate and | concluded that
the best way for US to keep that boy out Of
any future wars was fur Us to git married