Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-07


said:
'''See the fat man there; how well he
would ornament this limb over here
Gwen, wen just hang the whole lot
Of bushwhackers up before morning,
remarked a third.
They went to Capt. Steel, reported
what they had heard and asked if he was
gong, to let them be hung.
''NoT WHILE I M ALIVE, -
answered that officer. "YOu are prison
ers of war, under my charge, and l will
protect you with all the force at my COM
mand. - ..
The gallant captain went to the print
ing Office, had the issue denOuncing the
prisoners as bushwhackers called in, and
the truth was soon in the hands Of the
people.
''They were soldiers, - said Capt.
steel, land such soldiers that 80 had
stopped COCO men for forty minutes, - a
statement that was borne out by Gen.
BlOunt.
After that the tide rather turned in
favor Of the prisoners, and the people
who came to see them looked upon them
with glaLces of admiration.
From Fort LeavenwoTth they were
taken on to the North, stopping at va
rIous points, until at last they were
thrown into the military prison
on JOHNSON's ISLAND.
Here a large number of Confederate
officers were confined, and as many OF
them had never seen an Indian, Capt.
Hamilton became at once an object OF
great interest They would crowd around
him, TO his great annoyance, and ply
him with questions until they nearly
drove him crazy.
One day Mai Heath found him sur
rounded by a great many of his fellow
prisoners, and seeing that he was much
harrassed, pressed in and linking his arm
in his, succeeded in getting him out. As
they walked away Hamilton said:
''White man d-n fool; crowd around
Choctaw like he one d-n horse. l can
lick any man in the crowd.
land he did lick a good many OF
them, too, - said the speaker. - Poor
fellow: he lived until winter and then the
bitter cold was too much for him. He
contracted pneumonia and died and his
bones now lie among those of thousands
of otIfer brave fellows who succumbed to
the rigors Of that frosty climate.
GEN. N CULLoUGH.
Gen. Mccullough said he thanked God
he and so many Of his hearers had lived
to meet together, and that he could see
those who wore the gray minglinR on
terms Of friendship and love with those
who wore the blue. During the war he
tried to meet them as a soldier should
they could say whether he succeeded.
he loved to meet the men who had
feifght him the hardest, for he knew they
were brave and true. He was glad to
see so many ladies. He regarded them
AS the salt Of the earth, the rose of
Sharon and the lily Of the valley.
He was glad TO be back under the old
flag, though he had nothing to take
back. His great grandfather had been
driven from England for rebelling against
oppression; both his grandfathers had
rebeled against it and fought in the
revolutionary war. He had fought
under the Lone star because he thought
the fight for Texas was right; he had
followed the Stars and Bars because he
believed they. represented the right.
The soldiers Of the North fought because
they thought they were right, and he
hOnOred them tor it. Now they were
alI again under one flag, and he was
glad of it.
AN ARMY INCIDENT.
Some one called on the speaker to tell
his experience with an Arkansas de-
serter. He replied that he couldn't tell
il without crying, and as he was an ugly
old fellow anyhow, and crying made
him uglier, he didn' t like to tell it.
But the audience insisted, and so he re-
lated it.
As he was riding through Arkansas at
the head of his command he came
across one of his soldiers in a turnip
patch. He called him, asked his name
and company, and reprimanded him.
The man replied that he had taken only
one turniD. Eyes, - said the general,
''but suppose each man in the command
should take one, there would be none
left for the owner.
The same man had asked for a fur
Tough, and had made a very strong case
for himself, but as furloughs were
strictly forbidden at that time, it could
not be granted him. 4 few days after
the turnip patch incident he deserted.
Some days later letter came to him
from his wife. He had evidently writ
ten her that if he couldu t get a fur
Tough be would desert She wrote, i'm
pioring him not to, and said:
IF you do, l viii never acknowledge
you as a husband. -
SHE KEPT HER WORD.
A few days afterward the man returned
and went TO the speakers tent with
kuaDsack and musket.
do you know me, generaI?'' he
asked.
''Ch, yes: you are the man 1 found in
the turnip patch. -
''Wel, - said he, CT m in heap
worse TX than that now. -
81 know. - sand the general. ''Your
name is marked on the adjutant's book
rs a deserter, and the punishment for
desertiou is very severe. .
Yes, but [ came back of my own ac-
cord Is that not a mitigating circum-
stauce?'
Eyes, it IS. -
''Aud what's more, - continued the
deserter, ''my vile sent me back. She
met me ut the gate and shook hands with
me. Have you furIough?' she asked.
No Then you can kiss me. There
are your children, you can 90 and kiss
them it you want to, but you can't kiss
me until you go back and. wipe from
your name the stain you have put upon
il. And so ] have come back. y
The colonel Of his regiment was called
in. and for his wife S sake he was taken
back without punishment. And he