Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-12-12


 surface of the ground in such a manner that tho tread of an unwary foot would cause instant explosion For a half mile or more the timber about Blakcly had been felled with the tops of the trees poip ting from the works and with their sharrened extremities the branches stood ready to greatly impede the advance of an attack ing force.
 But through there and amidst a shower of shot, shell, canister and bullets, the Federals made their way to and over the Confederate works.
 The principal part of the assault had been borne by division of colored troops belonging to General Steele's command These men, it was reported on every hand, bore themselves most gallantly.
 Passing into Blahely early on the morn. ing of April 10, it having bee n surrendered at 5 p. m. the day previous, an opportunity was given to sec things pretty much as the Confederates had left them. One thing that interested the writer greatly was some captured haversacks containing Johnny'S rations. The meat was such as our men would never have tasted unless reduced to the verge of starvation, and the bread seemed indescribably poor, end of such character as a Northern farmer would hardly feed to his hogs. It seemed to have been made from meal of which more than
 
 small dodgers. ."-had been appar- ently cooked in the ashes and given about the appearance that two or three days sun-drying would bestow.
 That men would consent to live on such food, and with scarcely any pay, da ly en- counter the vicissitudes of army life, and, when occasion called, cheerfully risked their lives in battle, IS a high tribute to Southern hardihood, pluck and courage.
 aR k1,aA 70 h@kkn Il ready been disposed of, but the body of one man is specially remembered. He was a Texan Captain, tall and slender in per. son, with long black hair and whiskers His clothing was much better than that worn by most persons in the Confederate army, and it is remembered that he had on his feet neat, clean cotton socks that seemed to be similar to what are now known as "British hose" The probability Is that the clothes he had on were nearly all of British manufacture and had been secured when Mobile was a favorite port with blockade-runners. Drawn over the Texan's face was 0 white, broad -brimmed slouch hat, so that his form, features and dress gave evidence of the typical South erner of the better and wealthier class. Already there had begun to gather aboua the dead Texan a romantic history of the way he met death, and all the forenoon there was clustered around him a group of Federal soldiers, reciting and hearing re- cited this history:
 When the Federals entered the works the evening previous all the Confederates gave themselves up as prisoners of war but the Texas Captain, who refused to sur- render under any circumstances, and when importuned by the Federals said: stNo sir, surrender's not my name," an l ''showed | hght'', as they used to say in army circles. Whether his efforts at resistance were such as merited death, or whether in the l excitement of battle and triumph, his life | was taken in mere wantonness, is moi known; at any rate just above one ear was great bullet hole, and after Lee had | signed the papers surrendering the Army of Northern Virginia to General Grant, one | more name was added to a terrible death. roll already frightfully long.
 The writer listened to the recital of the | dead Texans story from the lips of a sol | dier standing by, who, when he finished added, pointing to another soldier standing | . little to one side: There is the man that shot him." The man pointed out was as meek and innocent appearing as can be | imagined, and with down-cast eyes admit ted firing the fatal shot, and confirmed the | story as narrated.
 The Texan was the last dead Confed crate seen upon @ battle field by the writer. The first was seen two years be fore, on the battle field of Fort Gibson ir the Vicksburg campaign. He, 1like the Texan, was tall and 8 are, and thus fal seemed g typical Southerner, but he wa: ! attired in the coarsest of the crude dress of the Southern army, and nothing abou him gave any evidence of wealth or re | finement. F.
 But both lay where they fell OF a fielG of battle taken possession of by thu |