The Opelousas courier., 1893-03-11

SNAAA ~ ~ AHDAS 49,
tives, yet when Beauregard, with his
eyes flaming and his gaunt face ablaze
with enthusiasm, dashed among them
and Selling the colors of the nearest
regiment called upon the men to follow
him, they rallied amid the terrific fire
and swept forward to victory.
REVIEWED BY JEFF DAVIS"
Jefferson Davis made his second in
formal visit to the front in October,
1861, when the Confederate army was
encamped in the neighborhood of Fair
fax Court House. After holding a levee
in the little old fashioned farmhouse
that constituted headquarters, q formal
review of a portion of the army took
place. | only recall this because it
is one of the lesser incidents of the
war that has not passed into history,
and vet preserves a part of the picture
that ia fading into obscurity.
It was about the hour of noon and
the Immediate divisions under review
were in line. Directly there was q
burst of music and then appeared at
the front a dIgnifed, soldierly figure,
keen-eyed, agile, and riding with easy
grace, his hat raised to every saiuta-
ton, the man on whom the eyes OF the
civilized world were fixed as the
representative of the Southern people.
Just behind him in full Confederate
uniform of gray, with head erect and
a face that seemed macadamized in its
hardness, rode Gen. Joseph E. Johns
ton. By his side vas Beauregard, to
whom the trenchapt Daniel, then
editor of the Richmond Examiner,
applied the sobriquet 'Beauregard
Felix" because among the Romans
that term signifed happy, fortune and
favored of the gods; Beauregard, the
hero of Fort Sumter, Beauregard the
superb, whom the boys remembered at
Manassas but q few months before
shouting in his inspiring voice amid
the dense smoke of the battle field,
Il salute the Eighth Georgia with my
hat off! History shall never forget
you!" -.
Attired in blue, with few or no mill
tary adornments on his person except
a red, gold bound cap such as was
affected at the time by officers from
New Orleans, who more or less COPIED
their %stylaufrom the French, it was
easy to see that he was the pet OF the
army. His smooth, handsome face
was bronzed by exposure to the sun,
and there was that about his dark,
alert eve, his magnificent horseman'
ship and poise as q cavalier whlct
marked him as chief in the admiration
of the men.
BORN TO COMMAND.
Another noble figure, but dressed IL
the garb Of a civilian, was that OF zen
Gnsfavus w. Smith, who had jus
been appointed a General. There wa
something about him, Too, even deVol'
of the trappiugs of war, that showed
he was born to command, and he at
tracted not a little attention from I'd
men in lice who had learned to crit
else genuine manhood. A little late
thew knew him better, for although h
had but recently come from New York
where he had held Office as a stree
commissioner, they found out tina
Mcclellan over yonder had been III
, second lieutenant in the Mexican wa
, and that, with Beauregard, Bragg
| Johnston and a score or more OF otncel
in the Union Army, he had enJoye
, high honors in old army circles.
The correspondence between Ge'
r Beauregard and Major Anderson Wne
the latter was beleaguered I'D 70
Sumpter, was of the most courteot
t character. He was permitted to sen
his boats to Charleston and procul
fresh meat and other supplies for u
: garrison until the 9TH of April, $50
| when the privilege was cut of, IL
object being, among 9th er things
. preyens the fort from receiving OF
without which no signals could /
: made to the expected feet. Moreove
without oil, the wheels of MAJ. AndeI
: sons guns, then clogged by the san
drifts in the fort, could not ba kept
/ order for immediate and effective us
q On one occasion, when | visited u
fort under flag of truce, Capt tafte
f ward Major General) Foster joking
q remarked 81 fear those young re
# lows (referring to Lieuts. Me:ad al
Spyder) will content themselves "l,
walking the parapet and looking nc II
e excursion boats, for they have loS
. since given up their Hayanas." "
sympathies being excited, We ask
3 B~eauregaFd's permission on our retn
/ TO take the officers a few cases OF WI
and boxes of cigars. Of course it W
readily granted, and when we ne
e visited the fort L Informed these get
d men with a quiet wink that they won
i find in my boat certain articles GIL
d were ~contrabanh of war, but VIII
d they might use for themselves. III
Il they were not slow in doing.
u BEAUREGARD's COURTESY
, On the day following our General
ceived from Major Anderson ii form
letter notifying him that a grave brea
If of military etiquette had occurred
" our violating a flag of truce by int
ducing certain articles into the to
is Beauregard in a. polite letter express
his regret and we were supposed TO
le ysry seriously reproVed mentl
b. the fact to illustrate the kindly feeil
il that prevailed at the time on bt
sides.
in Another Incident likewise lllustra
.ts this spirit of courtesy. When Ma
v Anderson surrendered, Lieut.. (af'
1y ward GENERALLY Jefferson c. Davis,
Mt the Federal army, had "a young Oil
o. at school in Charleston. He reques
Is. me to obtain permission from Gene
ed Beauregard to allow him TO go III
--AE -.