The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-08-08


yankee army was going through the streets.
The captain of one of the companies halt
ed right III front of the house. He
leaned on the fence and began talking to me.
He wanted to know how l felt. A bullet
had shattered my right arm and l was
not feeling well at all, but answered that
| would be able to get out after awhile.
He asked if | had seen General Grants
army and wanted to know what L thought
of it.
The yankee captain was surprised at
the reply. 1t was in effect that if the
general had torpedo and could blow the
entire army up he would do it in wink.
The general does not tell all Of it now
but tradition has it that there were some
expressive words accompanying the remark
and that they consigned the blue coats to
Il place which IS supposed 10 be kept at
high temperature all the year round.
The landlady, who overheard the fiery
response, rushed in, eXclaiming: For
heavens sake. general. do not talk that
way to that man. The yankees will come
in here, kill you and burn my house,
Il would not bring harm TO single of
your roof, said the general. and he had
nothing more to say to the captain on the
outside and the latter had not Il word 70
SAY to the wounded general.
This incident being repeated to some of
the state house officials who had called on
the secretary of state to congratulate him
yesterday, Colonel Nesbitt, of the agricul-
tural department, said:
General. the difference between you and
Stonewall jackson was that he prayed be-
fore battle and you swore before it. dur
ing and after it was over"
This brought up another incident. Dur
ing retreat in Virginia messages would
come fifteen minutes apart to General Cook
to keep the rear PROTECTED and take care of
the baggage train. The army was moving
toward river. A man who said that he
was a wounded cavalryman came over the
hill and told the general that Il detachment
of the enemy was crossing another ford and
would attack him from the rear. General
Cook sent the man ahead with an aid to
report and have assistance ready in case
of an attack. Within fifteen minutes the
attack was made. General Cook opened the
ranks and marched regiment down on
either side of the train. He rode on some
the leg and did not wear Il sword and did
not have Il pisotl He came up suddenly
on yankee soldier arguing with driver
about surrendering. General Cook galloped
up to the man and ordered him to give up
his gun and the order was in the gener
ais emphatic language. Instead of needing
the command the yankee turned his car
bne on the general and blazed away with
in six feet of his head, but the instant
before he fired sharpshooter named Smith,
who lives now in south Georgia, sent
bullet through his head and the enemy's
bullet flew over the generals head.
The attack was repulsed and the wagons
were carried off in good order. Bob Ran
som. a brother of Senator Ransom. had
captured Il yankee wagon train during the
morning When the attack came on the
rear Ransom's men abandoned their booty
and got out of the way General Cook
took charge of the plumber and divided
it among his men. The next day he had
a requisition duly signed for some wagons
which Ransom had captured and which Gen
bD1 anDrpurl1tpt General
replied that he had captured Il train from
the yankees and had divided the booty
among his men and that they would keep
sons. he stated, and he gave nothing up.
That sharpshootcr says that the way
General Cook was talking to the yankee
in the road was as exciting as anything
he ever heard The only thing that saved
the general was the strap by which the car
bne was slung over the soldiers shoulder.
1t caught for just an instant and delayed
him and in that moment the sharpshOoter
GOT in his work.