The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-04

ceased, and then added; III you want 10
see where the last shot fired by Lees
army was sent crashing INTO the union
troops / win show you the place
he took me 10 q little farmhouse on the
crest OF the slope that uescends from the
west towards the ApFomatfON stream, and
a most courtly Virginia gentleman came
from the house as we approached. He
smiled pleasantly when I said that ! was
anxious 10 See the spot where the last gun
from Lee army was fired, and he said
1t was my doorstep that had that honor.
ana II was shot fired. too, BY mistake.
ihere came from over yOnder brigade.
quarter o. a mile away toward the south
west The woods suddenly were filled
with the Yankee troops
AS ne pronounced the word y dnkee' he
turned 10 me. and with a most graceful
gesture, said.
You must excuse me: don't use the
word Yankee with any disrespect, but
only, Of course. as matter of habit Wen.
there was a brigade Of soldiers coming
as nearly on the double quick as they
could rom that direction, and L thought
mat they were bent on capturing Gen.
Lee ana MS staff, whom / knew were in
yonder field.
Il dld not know what 10 do but Just
as 1 was thinking what course TO pursue
there came up a little company of confed-
crate artillery with two small guns. They
brought the guns directly UP TO this door
step, Tor there the range was perfect. They
We're numbered and loaded. and l re-
member that 7 dtd not think about the
70 be destroyed in moment by the fire Of
i W.u call them the union trOOps-but
] wondered how IL was possible so quick
~ 10 unilmber, place IN position, load and
IRE those cannon. There were only two
shots fired, one right after the other. The
hrst shot went over the trees, and, be-
lieve, did no harm The second plainly
made its way into the first group of sol
diers who were emerging from the woods.
The artillerymen were preparing to load
Tor another hre when suddenly they saw
White flags waving, and then stopped.
The commander Of this federal brigade
was Gen Chamberlain, I was told, and
he was very angry. claiming that our
army had violated its own flag of truce.
But i'm a moment a staff officer from Gen.
Lee came to him and told him that the
firing was mistake, part or the army not
being aware that IL was proposed to sus-
pend hostilities.
Then Gen. Chamberlain burst our cry
ing. 'OhF said he. why could that last
shot not have been avoided? 1t did injury
to only one man. II took off as with the
cut of a saber the head of young officer
whom l love, and he lies there dead, not
knowing what had hit him, and it was
the last shot OF the war "
Then the Virginia gentleman, who
seemed himself to be deeply affected By
the tale told them to bring the body TO his
house, so that such respect as possible
could be paid to the memory of that sol
der. and he said that this was done and
of all, that the young man had gone
through the entire war from Bull Run to
Appropriations, in every battle and in the
thick of IL, without ever having received
as much as a scratch, and, that while all
his companions believed that his charmed
life would preserve him always, never
theless his nearest friends knew that he
was convinced that In some battle he
would be instantly killed so swiftly that
he would pass from the instant to the time
of eternity.
did you hear from what state this
young man was from?" 1 asked the Vir-
ginia gentleman.
Yes; they told me that he was from
Maine, and that he was the gentlest man
out Of battle and the most fearless in it
of all the brave soldiers whom they knew. -
When this was told me l was convinced
and have always been, that the young SOL
der of whom Gen. Walker spoke was
the Identical one who was killed by the
last shot fred by Lees army.