The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-10-20
p 1Lk's RECORD AS 4soLDIER.
The Alliance Presidents Ausu.r to
Serious Charges.

Serious Charges.
RALEIGH, n. C., 0cs. 0.-Col l.. J..
Polk publishes a lengthy statement. In
which he says:
ut has been charged IN the newspa-
pers that L skulked the battle of Win
chester OF September 10, 1864: tbat i
was hidden behind a stone fence ON tbe
morning OF that day, when my regiment
a gone on III was engaged in battle
that Brig Gen Bryan Grimes saw me
there n had a conversation with me;
that claimed to have a chill; that Gen
Grimes called special attention TO the
matter and said with an oath that he in-
tended TO Court.martial me for it, and
would summon Devereux as a witness;
u Tor some reason L wa not Court
martlaled. but was allowed to resign.
II have in my possession the official
record ola Court-martial which proves,
on h sworn testimony of Gen Grimes
himself and fourteen other witnesses,
that the above charge contains no truth.
The Official record shows that the charges
were: 'Mlsbehavior in the presence of
the enemy and absence without leave.'
Gen Grimes makes no allusion, either
in the charges or specifications, or in his
sworn testlmoney, TO any lack of duty
on my part during the morning. Upon
my petition he was instituted to try the
case before the Court-martial OF Rhodes's
div ision, and thus was allowed to select
officers who should try the case. Brig
Gen w. II. Cox was appointed presi-
dent.
The record shows that upon to Sep.
tember IL, l was acting adjutant of the
43d North Carolina regiment, being then
lieutenant in Company L. On that day
L received a certificate from the sheriff
of Arson County showing that / had
been elected q member of the Leoisla
ture. That day L turned over my horse,
books, etc, to the proper authorities. pre-.
paratory to leaving for Raleigh on the
10Th. The commanding officer of the
regiment released me from duty, and on
the morning of the 10Th L had prepared
to start home having previously field the
proper application for release from duty.
Finding that a battle was imminent [
went to the c~ommandant of the regiment
and asked his opinion as to whether I
ought to 90 into battle. He said [ was
under no obligation whatever to go, but
suggested that L speak to Gen Grimes
about it. After the line Of battle was
fromed L approached Gen Grimes, and
asked his advice as a friend. He advised
me to go in, saying there might he talk
III did not remain In the fight.
II told him L would 90. l then took
charge OF Company II, it having no of.
ficer. We advanced and were halted
under q heavy fire Of skirmishers. The
order, forward, wa repeated. For some
reason the regiment did not advance un-
til L went in front and called to the colo,
sergeant to follow me. L led the charge
through open ground for two or three
hours under heave and destructive fire.
l was the only officer seen in front dur
ing the charge and remained in front
uuCll the line was ordered TO halt. When
ordered to fall back by Gen Grimes l
assisted him IN rail- ylng the regiment on
a n indicated by him, until the COM
mandant of the regiment, who was nv
former captain, was brought to me near
Gen Grimes, and, being. as he thought,
fatally wounded, implored me to take
him to the rear, insisting that I had no
business there and appealed to me as a
brother mason.
81 took him from the field to the hos.
pital. Soon after reaching the hospital
oho AOpobo III GltO OuI JluG ndu De6l
broken and the wounded should get out
If possible. L seized my pistol and
sword, and, going out, met some flying
cavalrymen. l drew my pistol on an
officer and halted and held him unit
u troops came up. The Court-marti
al, after hearing all the evidence, order
ed the following verdict to be sent me
I'm accordance with the Act of Don
gress. published in General Order No
53, Adjutant and Inspector General.
office, present series, I have the honor
to inform you that you have been hon
orably acquitted of the charges agains
yen. r.. C. Barper.
Major and Acting Judge Advocate"
THAT night l was aroused, pulled
from my bunk and placed on a stuml
n made speech to my friends of tn,
brigade, who had come to honor m,
with a serenade. 1t was on the eve O
my departure for Raleigh. l left tn,
next morning.