The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1892-04-30

Wept IKE little children. AS soon as I
had recovered my self possession | read
the letter as the defense of the prisoner,
1t was in these words:
My DEAR EDwARD-I have ALWAYS been
proud u you, and since your connection with
the Confederate army have been prouder of
you than ever before. | would not have YOU
do anything wrong for the world; but, before
God, dear Edward, unless YOU come home we
must die Last night was aroused by little
Edgars crying. called out and said, what
Is the matter, Eddie?'' and he said, "Oh, mann
ma. I'm SO hungry!" And Lucy, Edward, your
darling Lucy. she never complains, but she's
growing thinner and thinner every day And
before God. my dear Edward, unless you come
home we must die Of starvation
Your MARY.
After reading the letter | turned to
the prisoner and said:
what did you do when you received
this letter? Did you apply for leave
of absence to the proper officers?"
81 made application for a furlough
and it was rejected again | made an
application and it was rejected; third
time | made application and they re-
fused to grant it. That night as wan.
dered backward and forward in the
camp thinking of my home, with the
mild eyes of Lucy looking toward me
and the burning words of Mary sinking
deep into my brain, was no longer the
Confederate soldier, but was the father
OF Lucy and the husband of Mary, and
would have passed those lines if every
gun in the battery had fired upon me. ]
went to my home. Mary ran out to
moot
and she whispered:
oh, Edward, | am SO happy! am
so glad you got your furloughr
''She must have felt me shudder, fol
she turned as pale as death, and then,
catching her breath at every word, she
said:
Have you come without your fur.
Tough? Oh, Edward, Edward, go back!
Go back! Let me and my children 20
down together to the grave, but, oh, fol
heavens sake, save the honor of your
namer
Il at once returned, and here | am,
gentlemen. not brought here by military
power, but in obedience to the command
of Mary, to abide the sentence of you1
court"
Every soldier Of that court martial
felt the force of the prisoners words.
Before them stood in beatifc vision the
eloquent pleader for husbands and
fathers wrongs, but they had been
trained by their great leader. Robert E.
Lee, to tread the path of duty though
the lightning's flash scorched the ground
beneath their feet, and each in turn pro-
nounced the verdict-guilty.
But fortunately for humanity. fortu-
nately for the Confederacy, the proceed
ings of the court were reviewed by the
commanding general. and upon the rec
ord was written:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY NORTHERN!
VIRGINIA.
The finding Of the court is approved. The
prisoner, Edward Cooper. is pardoned. and
will report to his company for duty.
r. E. LEE, General.
During the second battle Of Cold Har-
Dor, while shot and shell were falling
"like torrents from the mountain cloud"
my attention was directed to the fact
that one of our batteries was being
silenced by the concentrated fire Of the
Union forces.
When | reached the battery every gun
but one had been dismantled, and by it
stood solitary Confederate soldier,
with the blood streaming from his side.
AS he recognized me he elevated his
voice above the roar of the battle and
said:
General. have one shell left. Tell
me, have saved the honor of Mary and
Lucy?"
| raised my hat. Once more Con-
federate shell went crashing through the
Federal ranks. and the hero sank by his
gun to lise no lnore.-General Cullen A.
Rattle in Dralza's Mapa1ina