Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-02-07
A SOLDIERS SAD STORY.
Heart Rending Incident at Tullahoma.
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rtat AouisNhie 1fhuo HAtttfe.
] After the batile OF Stone River,
and the Confederate iOrcea had
fallen back TO Tullahorna, Tenn,
Gen. Rosecrans, then in command
Oi the Union army operating in
/ tennessee, proceeded 10 fOrtiiy
around MurfreesbOro, while the
! COnfedefates were engaged in
strengthening the defences at Tul-
Our army, which had done but
little lighting after the battle OF
Stone River, moved upon TuIla-
homa In July, 1868, expecting TO
find the "Johnnies" prepared 10 re-
ceiye them with open arms and
bloody hands,
ait was there that / witnessed
the saddest event OF the war;" said
veteran soldier 10 us while talk
ing of the trip from Murfreesboro
to Tullahoma, and he proceeded TO
relate substantially the following:
1.-The 39th Indiana was IN the
ADVANCE and moved cautiously
upon the town, and found that the
enemy had evacuated, leaving moth
ing but the rear guard &c cover their
retreat. The regiment then pushed
on into the heart of the place driv.
ing the remaining rebels out and
across a small river beyond, at
which our troops came to halt;
and seeing the enemy on the oppo-
site side of the river, they awaited
for our sharp-shooters TO come up
before yenturing across. -t.t., ..-
"The c0nfederates could be seen
riding around through the woods
and fields six or seven hundred
yards away, and just as they passed
through a gap in a fence near a
farm house, "A man was seen to cross
the road and enter the house, bat
soon came out again in plain view
OF our men. he Was too far away
to be reached with any common
gun and was not fired upon.
"It was not long before the sharp
shooters came up to the river with
their long range, globe-sight rifles.
The man could yet plainly be seen.
near the house, seeming to defy our
guns. One of the dead-Sii0t sharp
shooters brought his gun up % his
and fred. The IMAM fell
to the ground, and IN a few min
tes time woman and several little
were seen about the fallen
man. - ~ e.l
1.-The enemy had now disappear.
ed, and our troops crossed the river
and moved on down the road, feel.
ing their way. When they came
up to the spot where the soldier
had been killed, there lay in deaths'
emhrace--not a Confederate soldier
but an innocent twelve. year old
boy, and his poor, heart broken
mother and little brothers and sis
ters weeping over him, and praying
that God might bring him back TO
them again.
"The boy was engaged in putting
up the fence near his home thai the
army had thrown down 10 pass
through in their retreat and was
mistaken by our men for a Consetl-
crate soldier. . ra afe rfs f.a s
ut was truly a sorrowful event
but the soldier that killed The little
fellow would have laid down his
own life as sacrifice iff il would
have brought the boy back 40 life
again to comfort his mother, who
had already been robbed of hus-
BAND and an older son by the cruel
war. M .f
1.-The regiment passed on Ia pur-'
suit Of the flying enemy, and lett
he poor woman weeping and vail
ng over the death of her dear boy.
"Sevaral days afterwards, when
he soldiers Oithe 39th reglment.re-
urned 10 TullAhoma and passed by
he house where the sad affair Oc.
and saw a little mound in
he1runt yard near the road, a feel
ny of sadness crept over the hard
med veterans, and they could not
leep back the tears that chased
ZACH other down their bronzed
.heeks. st
"ThOugh twenty summers have.
.ome and gone since the death OF
he boy, that little mound near the
lO0r OF. his home, where he spent
many happy days, Is stll green In
he memory OF those who saw him
hot PHELIX ADAIR.