Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1885-06-18
4 case OF DesertfoR in the Confederate
Army.

During the winter OF 1910 IL ""9 my \
fortune to be president Of one of the court
martial of the Army Of Northern Virginia.
One bleak December morning, while the |
snow covered the ground and the winds |
howled around our camp, left my bivouac
FIRE TO attend the sessions Of the court
Winding for miles along uncertain paths,
at length arrived at the court ground at
Round Oak Church. Day after day it had
been our duty to try the gallant soldiers OF
that army charged with violations Of mill
tarv laws but never had on any previous
occasion been greeted by such anxious spec
tators rs ON that morning awaited the open
inc of the court. Case after case was dis
nosed of. and at length the case Of The
confederate states vs.. Edward Cooper was
ealled-charge, desertion. \ low murmur
rose spontaneously from the battle-scarred
spectators as young artilleryman rose from
the prisoners bench, and, in response to the
question. Guilty or not guilty. answered
@not guilty" The Judge-AdyOcate was
proceeding to open the prosecution when
the court observing that the prisoner was
unattended by counsel, interPOsed and IN
ouired of the accused, who is your coun-
SELF" He replied, 81 have no counsel
Surprising that it was his purpose to repre-
senthimself before the court, the Judge-Ad-
vocate was instructed to proceed. Every
charge and specification against the pris-
oner was sustained. The prisoner was then
told tointroduce his witnesses. He replied,
"I have no witnesses" Astonished at the
calmness with which he seemed to be sub
hitting to what he regarded as inevitable
fate. I said 10 him, Have you no defence?
Is it possible that YOU abandoned your COM
rades and deserted your colors in the pres
ence of the enemy without any reason?P
| He replied. There was reason, butitwill
not avail me before military court" l
said. Perhaps you are mistaken you are
CHARGED with the highest crime known to
military law, and it is your duty to make
known the causes that influenced your ac-
tons" For the first time his manly form
trembled. and his blue eyes swan in tears
Approaching the president of the court, he
presented letter, saying as he did so,
Sc there. Colonel, is what did it, opened
/ the letter. aud in a moment my eyes filled
with tears. II was passed from one to an
other OF the court until all had seen it, and
those stern warriors who had passed with
Stonewall Jackson through hundred bat
ties wept like little children. Soon as l
sufficiently recovered my self-possession l
read the letter as the prisoners defence. 1t
was in these words:
lh Dear Ed,rard-I have always been
| proud of YOU, and since your connection
with the Confederate Army | have been
prouder of You than ever before. l would
not have YOU do anything wrong for the
world: but before God, Edward, unless you
come home we must die Last night | was
arousod bv little Eddie crying. called
and said. What's the matter EddieT and
/ he said, Oh, mamma, | am so hungry !"
And Lucy. Edward, your darling Lucy, she
never complains. but she is growing thinner
and thinner every day. And before God,
/ Edward, unless yOu come home we must all
/ die. Your MARY
Turning to the prisoner, 1 asked, what
did YOU DO when YOU received this letter ~
He replied, d" l made application for a fur
lough and it was rejected again made
application and it was rejected; a third
time I made application and it was rejected,
and that night, as I wandered backward
and forward in the camp, thinking of my
home. with the mild eyes of Lucy lookingup
to me, and the burning words of Mary sink
ine i'm my brain, 1 was no longer tie Con-
federate soldier but I was the father Of
/ Lucy and the husband of Mary, and would
/ have passed those lines if every gun in the
battery bad fired upon me. went to my
home. Mary ran out 20 meet me her an
gel arms embraced me. aud she whispered,
90. Edward, am so happy am so glad
YOU got your furlough " She must have
feltme shudder, for she turned pale as death,
and catching her breath at every word, she
said Have YOU come home without your
furlough? O. Edward, Edward, 90 back
go back. Let meaud Ry children 60 down
TO the grave, but O, for heavens sake save
the honor of our name And here I ana.
gentlemen, not brought here by military
power, but in obedience TO the command of
Mary, to abide the sentence OF your court"
Every officer of that court martial felt the
force Of the prisoners words. Before them
stood in beatifc vision, the eloquent plead
er for husbands and father's wrongs; but
they had been trained by their great leader,
Robert t. Lee to tread the path Of duty
though the lightping's fash scorched the
ground beneath their feet, aud each in his
turn pronounced the verdict Guilty. For
tunately for humanity, fortunately for the
Contederacy, the proceedings Of the court
were reviewed by the Commanding-Gener-
al. and upon the record was written:
Headquarters Army Northern Virginia
The finding of the court is approved The
prisoner is pardoned. and will report % his
company. i. L. LEE, General
During subsequent battle, when shot
and she'll were falling, like torrents from
the mountain cloud my attention was di-
rected to the fact that one of our batteries
was being sileuced by concentrated fire of
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