The National tribune., 1893-02-16
PERSONALS EcoLLECTIoNS
Comrade Lee tells how He met Sena. or Pasco
under Flag of Truce.

was after the terrible charge Mt Jackson,
| Miss, in July, 1868, that our old Colonel
- Isaac c. Pugh,q called OIL Us to 90 over
to the battlefield the next day after the
| charge aud take u, flag of truce and see II we
coul,l not get perm ission from the Con federates
to remove our wounded from the field and
bury the dead. We were only too glad to do
| this, and in company with Uncle John Fletch-
| err our old mail carrier, Robert W. Richard
and james d. English, field bearers, we started
| On our mission. ices ,
We had always thought that it was against
| the laws of civilized warfare to fire OH a flag
| of truce and felt no alarm while carrying this
emblem of peace. We went down to the woods
| where we had been when we made the charge,
| and instructed the field bearers to stop in the
| timber until we went forward and secured the
consent of the Coufederates to get the wound
ed Just as we stepped out in the open field we
| saw three Coniederatcs OH their post. They
jumped up and grabbed their guns. We waved
the white flag at them and got on stump
about foot high, 80 that we would be in full
| view OF the enemy. We were just on the eve
of calling to them and explaining our mission
| when one of them raised his gan aud fired at
Us. the ball passing just to our left. We made
leap and fell OH the ground and i E that johnny
thought lie had silenced one Yankee he was
badly mistaken, for we still live: although it
was a very close CALL Old Uncle John Fletcher
called TO us to come and get ont of there, aud
they sent ball after him. but did not hit him.
We were boys then, and this was our first ex-
perience in the flag of-truce business
The next day Gen. w. T. Sherman sent a
flag of truce to Gen. joseph E. Johnston, and
there was cessation of hostlities all around
the lines until the dead who Tell in that terri
bic charge were buried. They had lain there
for three days, and were almost beyond recog-
milton. ] was wounded in the right hand and
shoulder. but made my way over on the battle
Geld where tho Confederates were hnrying
the dead. They received me very kindly and
gave me all the information they could about
the killed and wounded, our loss having been
fearful. There was the remnants of four old
regiments, the 2Sth, 41st. and SD ILL.,, and the
Sd Iowa. and one section of The 18th Ohio bat
terry, and over two-thirds Of the number who
went into the charge had been killed or
wounded
While on that field met the men who lid
the burying of the dead. They were of the
Cd and Sd Fla. Con federate regiments. Among
them was Mr.. Samuel Pasco, who was men,
Der Of the Sd Fla, and lived at Monticello.
Fla. He had formerly lived at Cambrdgeport,
Mass, and all his relations were living there.
He asked me to do him favor, to write to his
parents and family at Cambridgeport and let
them know that he was alive and in the army.
l told him that would and requested that he
wri lite few lines on leaf of his day book and
sign his name. which he did and gave to me,
which iDclosed with my letter.
When the bugle sounded and the sipnal-gun
was fired we had to separate each one to go to
his own side. l bid him farewell, aud when |
arrived at camp | sat down and with my left
hand wrote letter to his family. / could not
use my right hand as it was torn up by
minie-ball. The two armies separated, and his
went off into Tennessee, while ours went back
to Vicksburg, Miss
In reasonable time received a letter from
his sisters who were very glad to hear from
their brother aud sent letter for me to send
to him, but carried that letter until almost
the close of tho war, but never had any oppor-
tuuity TO deliver it,. Time rolled on, the war
ended, and we returned home, forgetting our
old friend Pasco never expecting to meet him
again on this earth; bnt when the National
Democratic Con vention met in Chicago in 1884
aud the National Committee was made up, |
saw among the names that Of Samuel Pasco, of
Florida. i wrote him to know if he was the
same man had met. on that battlefield at Jack
son. Miss. 81 years ago. He replied that he
was the same man, and gave me brief history
of his army life. After meeting me there. his
command had been sent to Tennessee, and he
had taken part in the battle of Missionary
Ridge and was wounded and left on the field,
and was captured and taken North, where he
remained until near the close ofthe war, when
he was exchanged; and at tho close of the war
he went back to Florida, and had married and
has raised family. We have kept up our
correspondence and net for the first time at 4
the Southern Hotel at st. Louis in 1883. Mr..
Pasco was elected President of the Constitu.
tiopal Convention of Florida, and was elected
to the United States Senate in 1857 where he
is now serving his State. He is gentleman
who is well liked by I'LL who know him. Such
are some Of my personal recollections of the
war for the Union.-E T. LEE, dist ILL.,, Mon
tieelo, Ill