The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1889-08-15
SOUTHERN WAR STORIES.


Gathered in tho South bya Cinoinnatian
The Ex-Confederates Telling Tales OF
the Great War-A Budget of Mighty
Good Stories.
Washington Special to Cincinnati CONNER
cial Gazette. s5
During the JEFF Davis progress across.
Alabama and Georgia recently, the
private car OF Manager Gabbett, was
the scene OF q great deal OF war gossip
and "reminiscences, and in the genial
party and in gatherings at Montgom-
cry, Atlanta and SAVANNAH a great
many good stories Of the war, well
worth preserving, were told.
At one time there were in a party,
spinning old war yarns, eight persons.
Six OF them had been in the southern
army, and two in the northern. Ev-
cry man had been wounded. There
We're two arms and one leg and one
foot missing from what should be the
regular quota oflinbs for party of
eight, and there were plenty Of ugly
scars.
Colonel Tom Jones, ofMontgomery,
the Colonel of the Second Alabama
Regiment, which includes the famous
Montgomery Grays and True Blues,
told OF his experience: II went into
the war with no idea that there
could be any other side of the ques-
ton. had been reared in the belief
in State rights, and theidea that my
State could not 60 out of the Union if
she pleased was preposterous. The
action OF the North seemed to me the
most monstrous and wicked ever
known on the face of the earth. I
thought the Yankees a horde of
brutes, and I fought for my State and
people and every thing sacred, as the
Romans fought against the Cloths and
Vandals.
I'm an early enga cement a prisoner
was taken and brought to my tent. I
recognized him at once as a Pennsyl-
vanian who had been at school with
me. said to him What do you mean
by coming down here wearing that
unlform?' He asked in return what
do you mean by wearing that uniform
and fighting against your Govern
ment?' 81 tt10 tE@ - is @...,-...7, -
II replied My State went out of the
Union and l went, with her. 8
-! ""'Well, said he, my State proposes
to stay IN the Union and l am Shaving
with her. 49,. >
: '"Ehe answer was like a block to me
and had to acknowledge to myself
that he had replied to me on nv own
ground of state rights. It was nv
first idea OF another side of the cues
ton; we are fighting to destroy the
Union, they are fighting to preserve it.
l did q great deal Of thinking after
that. How strange to think of the
change and the result OF that war we
entered upon for the right to leave
the Union. Now / am a citizen of the
Union, an officer OF Union militia, and
in my state constitution is a clause
forever denying to a state the right to
secede.
:. Another. thing occurred that made
g deep impression on me. Two letters
We're given me-one found on the body
OF a young Union soldier, the other on
a young confederate. They were both
written by their mothers, and were so
near alike in language and sentiment
that it was wonderful. Each told her
boy that he was fighting in a just and
holy causes ard told them to be brave
and true; to give their lives if need be
for their country, and called Gods and
a mothers blessing upon them. Near
those two brave boys, cold in death,
with those two letters in my hand, I
sat for a long time in deep thought"
Another gentleman said: II will
tell you an incident that occurred in
our town: Old Judge B. had two sons,
and when the war broke out he made
a speech defeating them both, along
with himself, to the cause. He was a
fierce secessionist, and when one Of the
boys (who was in a military schooD
Joined the Union army he publicly dis
owned him, and visited fathers
curse upon him. Both boys were
killed. After the war he brought home
the body ofthe son who fell on the
Confederate side, and buried it in the
family lot. The name OF the Other he
never mentioned or allowed to be
mentioned in his presence.
"a few years ago he disappeared and
returned with the body OF the other
son, which had been buried in the
National Cemetery at Chattanooga,
and buried it beside the brother.
Then he put up a plain marble monu-
ment over the two graves. Upon it
are inscribed the names and ages OF
the two boys, one killed at Fred ericks-
burg, the other killedat Mission Ridge,
and below is the inscription: God
knows which was right"
"One of the oldest Incidents YOU
can imagine took place in our town."
said a gentleman from Northern
Georgia.
eve got up a sham battle at one OF
the State encampments and divided
by lot into 'Yanks' and .Johnnies,'
the one dressed III blue and the other
in gray. It happened that an old
Union soldier became commander of
the confederate side and an old Con-
federate soldier commander Of the
Union side. The fact turned the fight
into more than a sham; it was roar
ing farce, for when the men saw an old
Union soldier riding up and down and