The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1894-08-03
TENNESSEE STATE NEWS.
A Story OF the Var.

T,imble, July 26.-Lieut. Fred Per-
kins of this place has in his possession
a bullet or rather two bullets COM
pressed into one, which has very in
teresting history. Though lieutenant
now, in 1863 Perkins was but private
in the Sixty-fourth Tennessee infantry.
On beautiful May morning in 1868 Per
kins' company was slowly and wearily
vending it's way into Somerville, Fay
cite County. While passing pretty
little vine-covered cottage about four
miles from the town a girl of ten,
beautiful child with blue eyes and
golden hair, ran screaming from the
house and running up to one of the sol
diers. whose name was Burbank, cried
piteously: "Oh, papa, come into the
house quick Mamma is dying and
wants to see you'll" With blanched face
and trembling form the grief-stricken
father and husband hurried to Col. Dun
ton, who was in command, and with
tears streaming down his rough,
weather-beaten cheeks, asked leave to
see his wife before death claimed her as
distressed soldier to visit his dying wife.
and ordered him to his place in the
ranks. Burbank could not bear the
thought of his wife dying unattended
by himself, and he resolved to go to hel
regardless of the consequences. He
stepped aside as though to re-enter the
break in the ranks, made so by his alb
sence, but when his place came to him
he did not fall in, but allowed the en-.
tire command to pass. Then turning he
ran into the house to his loved and dy-
ing companion. Ere the sun sank to rest
that evening the pure, gentle spirit OF
the soldiers wife drifted into that coun-
try where wars are unknown.
The following day Burbank saw his
wife laid to rest in the grave, and after
leaving his little daughter in the care OF
a ueighbor pressed forward, with break
ing heart, to his command, which he
found encamped few miles the other
side of Somerville. Upon his arrival
at camp he was at once arrested, tried
by a drumhead courtmartial, and SEN
fenced to be shot for disobeying orders.
Eight men-Perkins being one of the
number-Were detailed to take the cul-
prit out at sunrise and shoot him to
death. Promptly at the appointed time
the bugler summoned the soldiers to as.
semble; the prisoner was led from the
guardhouse, blindfolded and set upon a
plain pine box, which was to serve for
his coffin; the band played the dead
march, and all was ready for the cold
blooded murder, made legal by war.
Burbank requested that the bandage be
removed from his eyes, so that he could
meet death like soldier, but his re-
quest was not granted.
Perkins says he did not have the heart
to shoot man whose only crime was
visiting his dying wife, and determined
to take no part in the murder. He took
dead aim" at the paper which covered
Burbanks' heart, but when the signal
was given to fire he jerked his gun uE
so that his ball would entirely miss the
doomed man. At the discharge of the
guns Burbanks fell over-partly in the
coffin-dead. A few hours after the
shooting, while walking between the
executioners' stand and the place where
Burbanks met his death, Perkins
picked up two minnie balls firmly
welded together, which convinced him
that at least another of those who had
been selected to shoot Burbanks had
shot to miss, and the two bullets had
met in midair and fallen to the ground.