Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-12-02

fedrrate Officers.
Among the hardest fighters of all the
hard-tighting Confederate generals in
the civil war was Gen. ID. II. Hill. But
he had the gentle heart of chivalrous
soldier, as is shown by an anecdote
told to the writer by Major |. w.
Ratchford. a distinguished officer who
was Gen. Hills Adjutant-Gcneral.
just after the battle of Cold Harbor,
Gen. Hills brigade commanders, Gems.
Rhodes, Garland G. Il. Anderson and
Colquitt, came to headquarters to re-
port and get instructions. They met
Gen. Hill about o'clock in the morn
ing. entered Il vacant house. and were
soon busy with plans for the next day.
While they We're talking a wounded
Federal officer was brought in who had
been shot in the knee and captured.
He limpcd up supported on one side
by IL Federal prisoner and on the other
by one of his Confederate captors
Gen. Hill arose and turned around to
speak to him. AS the General turned
the captured officer let go his supports
and exclaimed: Hill, old fellow, how
are you:'
why, III. b., is this you?" asked Gen
Hill, and the two, whose troops had
been blazing away" at one another
all the day before, actually embraced
each other. Major Ratchford says:
My surprise at seeing these two foes
rejoicing over each other had not
passed away when Gen. Anderson
came forward and was as demons; ra-
tive over the Federal officer as though
that official had been his father. Gen.
Garland, too on being introduced, was
evidently affected, and shook bands
with a heartiness that showed some tie
between them, personal strangers
though they were
The Federal officer was Colonel, af-
forwards General, III. b. ClitZ, of the
Twelfth United States Regulars. Cen
Hill and Col. Clitz had been cadets at
West Point at the same time, had
served together in the Mexican war.
and were warm personal friends. Col.
Clitz had been an instructor at West
Point when Anderson was cadet
there, and Anderson had been one of
his favorite pupils. Clitz had also been
guardian for Garland'S wife, and as
Mrs. Garland had died only a short
time before this. Gen. Garland was
naturally touched by suddenly meet
ing. for the first time, his dead wifc'S S
friend
After a few minutes spent in pleas
ant social inquiries. Gen. Hill asked
Col. Clitz about his wound and pro-
posed to send him to the field hospital
TO have his wound dressed
NO. generously answered Col. Clitz,
'let others who need it worse have at
tention first
SO he stayed with Gen. Hill that
night, the two sleeping on the same
ovcrcoat-thc best bed obtainablc. Next
morning Gen. Hill gave his friend an
ambulance and said:
"tlitz, | must send you to Richmond
about fifteen miles away-but | will
not send you under guard You just
give me your promise to go there and
report to Gen. Windcr. And say, Clitz,
here is my wife's address. She Is my
banker now. If YOU need any money
while Il prisoner draw on her for it,
Just as the ambulance was about to
start some of Gen. Hills soldiers
brought in Gen. John f. Reynolds, IA
Federal division commander Cen
Reynolds had been fighting ard doing
picket duty until he was utterly worn
out. So. the night before. when every
thing seemed to give promise of quiet
he lay down to snatch few hours of
sleep. While he slept the sleep of cN
hauStion his men were driven back aud
he was captured.
Gen. Hill and Gen. Reynolds had
been together at West Point for three
years, they had been associated as
young officers at Fort Moultrc they
had gone out to the Mexican war in
the same company-a company that
had BraXton Bragg for Captain and
George ii. Thomas, John +. Reynolds
and ID. ii. Hill for LicutcnantS Bur
now when Gen. Hill advanced to shake
hands Gen. Reynolds would not lccog-
nizc him nor speak at all.
Gen. Hills military instincts led him
to divine the cause of his old comrades
depression and enabled him to sylnpa-
thiZc with brave soldiers chagriu 1T
being surprised and captured
So, going up to Gen. Reynolds with
extended hand, he said:
"RcynoldS, do not feel so bad about
your capture; it is the fate of war"
1T is not being captured" was the
Generals answer. that hurts SO, but
it is being captured asleep"
Cheer up, old fellow" responded
Gen. Hill, Everybody knows that YOU
are a brave and a good soldier, ana
everybody knows that you would do
all that human nature can do
Gen. Reynolds frightened up and
said: well, Hill, if you say that shall
feel better about the matter, for
know that you would not miSlcad me-
No mans good opinion Is more apprc-
ciatcd by me than yours and if you do
not condemn me, perhaps others will
not"
Then telling him the same thing
about Il guard and about money mat
tcl'S that he had told Col. Clitz, Gen
Hill put him in the same ambulance,
and. after Il cordial handshakc, the two
fricnd-focs parted never to meet again
Gen. Reynolds, after filling fun the
measure of an intrepid aud successful
officer, was killed AT Gettysburg Few,
even on his own side, remembered him
with more affection than Gen. Hill did.
TWenty-siX years after Gen. RcynoldS's
death, few weeks before his own,
Gen. Hill, in talking about some of his
old associates, said: "Rcynolds was Il
good fellow. always loved Reynolds" a."
Youths Companion.