The Russellville Democrat., 1893-10-05
NEVER SHOT A YANKEE.
Es-eorsrnOr Sayers, of Texas, Relates
 Some War Experiences,
Too Wuch Exploitation of His Deeds in fhe New Orleans Papers Made tbe Confederate officer Fear
 Butler Would
 Hang Him.

Governor Savers, the new chief of the appropriation commit tee, is a short, stout parsonage, AO- rid as to face, gray as to hair and mustache, says The Chicago Times. Governor Savers, however, has es- capped the bald spot which is such success in the landscape gardening adopted in reference to the heads of some other law makers.
 The governor has had considera- ble war experience. The other day, in accounting some of the accidents which befall the soldier, he went on to say:
 "The time when was really frightened during the war was down in Louisiana. l was mighty young then. l was full of ardor and en- thusiasm, and was strongly in for the side of the South. ] came up ont of Texas with a company. One day we captured a battery of six guns. They were brass and the most beautiful things, 1 think, 1 ever saw in my life, at least l thought so then They gave the battery to me au6 l was as proud as a boy of a pair of new boots l put in most of my spare time hauling it around and trying to get into trouble with 1t. l took two guns and waded and pushed through the swamps and morasses to the Missis- sippi Here, after considerable lying in wait, managed to involve my self with a g'iuboat. By a series of fortunate shots l sunk the boat.
 "Most of her people got away, and afterwards appeared in New Orleans. At that time Butler had possession. These people gave terrific account of their experience, and told what a horrible creature and utterly bloodtbirsty citizen l was. They went on to say that l fired into their gunboat after they had surrendered. This was not true. 1 would not be guilty of any such outrage anyhow, and aside from that l didn't have the ammuni- ton. However, their account of the fight was published in the New Orleans papers, then under control of Butler, and 1 was set forth in all sorts of disgraceful colors in both the headlines and the articles them selves.
 GOT REAL TROUBLE AT LAST.
 "Some time afterwards l got into all the trouble I needed. Even 1 was satisfied. We got into tight one afternoon. There were about 12,000 men on the Confederate side and perhaps thousand or two more on the Federal 1 was over on the right of the battle. l was so sue- cessful that l managed to attract the attention of six Yankee batteries all at once. And the way they pumped shot and shell into me cer- tainly made the affair very thrill ing episode in my career. Just to show you how hard and close these Yankees were shooting l want to say tha. in forty minutes they dis mounted two of my guns and killed or wounded at least forty five of my sixty six men. You could plant corn where my battery stood, it was so plowed up and narrowed and raked by that cannonading.
 "That was the time when l was so frightened which 1 referred to in the beginning. l was standing near the No. l gun. A man by the name of Thompson was aiding in reload ing the piece. He had just stepped forward with the rammer when a shell tore his breast open, and he fell over on tbe gun like wet towel. I ordered another man to the place, and he got there just in time to catch a minnie bullet through his mouth. It came out back of his ear. This man af- terward got we'll, however. 1 or dered the third man to the place, and something seemed to reach down out of the atmosphere-a piece of shell, 1 reckon-and hit him on top of the head. 1 then took the place myself. l had not been there more than a minute when my leg seemed to give way and fell to the ground. 1 could not tell what had happened, though l remember thinking l must be hurt. l could not feel anything, and the question of what was the matter was mystery. Just at this time shot from the Yankees blew up my ammunition wagon. l had 2000 rounds of ammunition in a big army wagon about 100 feet to the rear of my battery. This all went up at once, and it is no profane ex- pression to say it seemed to me as if hell had broke loose in my rear. It was a good thing, however, for the thick smoke, heavy as a blanket, swept down over my battery and covered it up. The Yankees must have thought they had blown us of the earth, for they ceased firing. l still lay wondering what was the matter with me. At last one of my men came down and pulled me out to one side.
 "What's the matter, captain i' he said
 II don't know" l replied "I reckon I m hurt
 COULDN'T FIND A SCRATCH.