The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-10
EsEs ass,TxDN sJEsTgE'EET

Battle related the following touch
. ing Story in the course Of his speech:
During the winter 1864 it was
Iny fortune to be president Of one
Of the courts>martial Of the Army
Northern Virginia. One bleak De-
cember morning, while the snow
covered the ground and the wind
howled around our camp, l left my
oiVouac fire to attend the session OF
court. Winding for miles along IN
certain paths, / a. length arrived at
the court ground, at Round Oak
church. Day after day it had been
our duty to try the soldiers Of that
Amy, charged with violation of mil
itary laws but never had on any
previous occasion been greeted by
such anxious spectators as on that
morning awaited the opening OF
court, Case after case was disposed
of, and at length the case OF tAe
Confederate States VS.. Edwaid
Cooper was called-charge, deser-
ton. a low nurmer rose spcnta-
neously from the battle-scarred
spectators as the young artillery
man arose from the prisoners bench
and in response to the question,
"GuiiJy or net gu,iJy?' answered
"111oc eui'ty.:'
The jadge-advocate was proceeding
to open the prosecution when the
court, observing that the rrisoacl'
was unattended by counsel, inter
poso,; and inquired OF the accused
Nv 10 your counsel!' He repIie.,:
Il have no counsel" Supposin.::
that it was his purpose to repres:H;
himself before the court, the j1d e
advocate Was instructed TO pcoceci.
Every charge and specification
against the prisoner was sustained.
The prisoner was then told TO lntCo~
dnce his witness. He replied: /
have no Witnesses Astonishod ;-5
the caInness with which he seemed
50 be submitting to what he regard
ed IS inevitable fate, l said to Lim
Have Eou no defencee Is it pos
sible y!1.,y you abandoned your com
r:32s and deserted your colors III
the presence Of the enemy without
any reason?' He replied: "Ihore
vas g reason, but it will not aYuii
me before q military court I sail ::
''pahaps you are mistaken; you are
charged with the highes: crist.a
known to military law, and it is youl
,3cty to make known the causes the:
Influenced your actions" For The
first time his manly form trcmbled
and his blue eyes swan in tears. Ap-
preaching the president Of the court
he presented letter, saying as he
did 50, '.Tlere, General, is what
did it," I Iopened the letter, and in
a moment ny eyes filed with tears
It was passed from one to another
Of the court until all had seen it,and
those stern warriors, who had passed
with Stonewall Jackson through a
hundred battles, wept like little
children. Soon as [ sufficiently res
covered my self-possession, real
the letter as the defence Of the pcis-
oner- It was in the words:
Dear Edward: | have alvey
been proud Of goa; siace your con-
nectioa with the Confedarate army
[ have been prouder Of you than ever
before. I wouil; rot have you Do
anything wrong for the world; bat
before God, Edward, unless you
come home, we must die Last night
was aroused by little Eddie's c;|
ING. called end SAID, 'Wh"5 is gl.e
matter, EjI;e?' and he said f.: 'uh.
mamma, I'm so hungry And Laey,
Edward, your darling Lucy, size never
complains, but she grows thjn"er
and thinner every day. And before
Cod, Edward, unless you come home,
we must die
Your Mary"
Turning to the prisoner, ! aske ::
'Ys= hat did you do when you re-
ce:vod this lctter97 He replied: :.
made application for q farlongil, and
twas rejected third time | ma1o
application and it was rejected a,ua
that night, as I wandered bac!zwarl
and forward N the camp thinhing @tt
nv home, the mild eve Of Lucy loo'z~
ing I'D to me, and the hurn;::.s
words of Nary sinking in my brain,
vas no longer the Confedeate So,
disr. bot was the father of Lucy
and tie husband of Mary, end /
would have passed those lines if cr-