Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-06-12
4 STRANGE BArrLE SCENE.
Whore General Toombs Encountered the
son of DANIEL Webster in a bloody
gsrh

Whore General Toombs Encountered the
son of DANIEL Webster in a Moody
Fight.
The battle was on, and the blue and the
grey We're at each other S Threats.
Ii was at Gainesville and the Federals
were getting the worst of the fight
The heat of an August sun beat tiercey
down upon the long lines Of glittering
steel melting away IN the fierce heat OF
the war.
On the right the earth trembled under
laundering hosts of charging cavalry; on
the left the men in blue heard their bones
crash under the Ieadeu ann ike glass in a
hail-storm.
Over all the sulphurous clouds helched
forth by the deep-throated guns whose
terrible roar shook the rockribbed hills
As the ranks OF the blue, shattered and
/ shaken by the shower of shot and shells
slowly rolled back, Federal Colonel
waved his sword over his head in the vain
attempt to rally his men, and then
staggered and fell on the blood-stamed
grass.
The fallen officer was a man of striking
( appearance. His grand face and form
! caught the attention of therushing legions
of grey, and the men uuc0nsclously
sweryed aside to avoid tramping him
I down.
| Desperately wounded the colonel pain
( fully crawled to q tree and he recIlned
/ against il with the life-current flowing
from the bullet-hole in his breast
I His anNious eyes looked into the stern
/ faces of the Coniederates as they charged
past him.
In another moment his face frightened.
Bob, he shouted bob, don't you
( know me?'
General Toombs, riding at the head of
/ his brigade heard the familiar voice.
He rode mp to the tree, and glanced at
/ the speaker
Good Godl" exclaimed the General,
lit is Fletcher Webster, Daniel Webster S
! son'
In an instant Toombs was kneeino by
the Colonel side He placed the helpless
man in Il more comfortable position, and
gave him water from a canteen.
He is my old friend, he saidto a staff
officer poor FIetch Webster Daniel
I Websters son stay here with him j
must go on to the front.
General Ioombs mounted his horse, and
charged on with his brigade to annlhilate
the rest of Webster's regiment.
The first hull in the fray brought the
Georgian back to Tie tree.
And so we meet as enemies, said
( Webster, returning the others sympa-
thetic hand pressure.
Never replied Toombs, Daniel S
son must be my friend. Just now we
must fight out our differences, but there
are happier days ahead for us both.
My wound Is mortal, said Webster,
sadly. Good bless you. old friend for
your kindness. Gentlemen, thank you.
| War is a bad thing.
Again the General took leave of the
| sufferer, and returned to the front, leaving
a surgeon behind him
The confederates cared for their captive
with brotherly tenderness but 1t was OF
no avail
Weaker grew the dying mans pulse
and more ftfu his heart throbs. Quietly,
and with smile on his face, he passed
away He whispered a message for his
loved ones and said;
Tel Bob loved him-God bless HIM!
Fletcher Webster was dead-the hope
, and glory of proJd father the ideal
soldier of New Engand-thl was his end
dead on the battlefield with the sor-
rowful faces of his toemen bending over
him
"A true man, and brave soldier, said
General Toombs that night, as he wiped
away a tear LET MS send him through
the lines with the honors of war.
1t was done Fletcher Webster dead
body was sent with an escort to the Fed
eral camp. A funeral cortege accompan-
led it to Boston. It lay in state in old
Faneuil Hall, and all New England
mourned his loss. Wallace p. Reed, in
A+l.rts Constitution