Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-25

Il
Iz~WA' Representative Joe
~ @2 Savers Of Texas 1t
W was who made the
answer set forth
above. Mr. Sayers
and The Star writer were in the appropria-
lions committee rooms at the time. and the
former. released from active work in the
House for that afternoon by virtue of
list CT funeral orations due that day to the
memory Of a dead Representative, had
time to be reminiscent.
LAS I look back over my war expert
Gnces," observed Mr.. Sayers, retrospective
ly. Il don't recall but one real good oppor-
thnity to shoot anybody which came per-
sonaliy my way. We lad blundered upon
a brigade of Yankees and got into a fight
Neither side was out looking for the other
and it was more or less of surprise to
both. l was detailed at headquarters at
the time. and employed during the two or
three hours of fighting in carrying dis
patches from one point to another
Il was going to the extreme left of the
fight ON one occasion. When the Yankees
went into action they had their knapsacks
and blankets their backs. They had
taken them off. and left them in one long
VIM ow. lying on the ground. The surge
of the battle had driven them back from
this line, and it so fell out that as 1 rode
along l was skirting this ridge of KNAPP
sacks and blankets. 1t was good deal of
personal property to leave lying around,
but both the Yankees and we were pretty
busy that day. and none Of us had time to
look after 1t as We would have liked
AS l cantered along the line of KNAPP
SACKS wasn't looking for the enemy. The
battle was going on half mile away, and
as the Yankees had been forced back from
their first position the confederates were
between ME and the foe. This being the
ground plan of the situation, l was, as you
may well believe, trifie astonished, even
discouraged, when big Yankee suddenly
srrang up from among the knapsacks and
81 apped his Enfield at me. The gun didn't
go of, which may account for my being
the chairman of the appropris tions COM
mittee. Before 1 could make the slightest
return to the point blank civilities of nv
friend OF the opposite party. he cast his
gun 10 the ground with a wrathful curse
and turned and ran away like a deer
My six-shooter was by that time in my
Eand. and l spurred after him in hot in
ssneuve pursuit. l ran up within six feet
OF my man, and, pointing my pistol at the
gentleman in blue. called on him to sur
rer Ger. He only made some disrespectful
observation, and ran the faster. without
even turning his head This, of course.
was my cue to shoot, but somehow / could
not 90 1t. The business looked too much
like butchery. Butt felt the military neces-
stty OF capturing my man. That was what
we were there for. to kill, wound or can
tGre each other. and couldn't regard NV
self as having done my duty unless was
ahle to report success as to one of the
three propositions.
But do my best 1 couldn't make II.
Time and again l rode fairly up to my
Yankee until the nose of my horse stuck
over his shoulder. l called. on him to stop
a ana become captive a dozen times. In
fact. carried on a long conversation with
him. only he didn't say anything more
relevant to the business in hand than a
string of profanity. Four or five times 1
wasn't built to shoot people in the back
Once concluded to hit him a rap with
my pistol; mat was toward the last of the
chase l did strike at him, but missed,
and in my enthusiasm came mighty near
leaving the saddle to stand on my head.
- pulled up then and asked myself
what's the use? 1 concluded to let nv
friend run on if he wanted to- If 1 shot
him down it wouldn't end the war It
would go on just the same and last lust
as long. One Yankee more or less wouldn't
cut any figure. He was running toward
the north. too. running in the right direc-
ton; SO after watching him skip along like
an antelope awhile turned my horse and
kept on with my dispatches. I've often
wondered since what became of my run
away Yankee who would not surrender,
and whether he went safely home at last
when l was In command of a battery
there were several months during which
which were recruited in Arizona They
were a gentlemanly set of people; superb
card players and it was a current bit of
gossip in that part of the confederacy that
every soldier in these two Arizona COM
panies had killed his man in private en-
counter. They We're commanded by Mai.
Herbert, cousin, think, to Secretary Her
bert; good soldier and an elegant gentle
man. Older Washington folk will readily
recall this Maj. Herbert Just before the
war, In the very late sos. he was MEM
Der OF Congress. It unfortunately CHANGED.
too, without the slightest fault on the side
of Maj. Herbert, that he shot and killed
man in WIZARDS Hotel The shooting took
place in what Is now the long reception
room; it was then the dining room
"These men of Maj. Herberts were pro-
found card sharps, as I say They got to
gambling with my men: and not only won
all their money, which I didn't care about.
but they won half the sabers and six
shooters my men were armed with. had
great row getting them back, and
wouldn't have succeeded then except for
the vigorous commands of Maj. Herbert to
| his men to produce. Then 1t was they sui
ienly brought in the pistols and sabers;
they had wrapped them in blankets and
buried them. to keep me from finding them
l verify believe If hadn't interfered those
Arizona people whom Herbert had with
him would have won my whole battery.
l understood afterward that one of my
| men tried to open jack pot with my No
3 gun: but others of the detail wouldn't
| have it.
Maj. Herbert was extremely proud of
his men, as. indeed, I was of mine. This
almost led to a serious misunderstanding
between US. We were in northern Lousi-
ana at the time, and, being stationed there
| for some months. Herbert became acquaint-
ed with a family who lived near at hand.
They were wealthy planter folks, and
! Herbert became a great favorite with
| them. 1t was he who introduced me at the
| house, and we put in many a pleasant
evening with our friends of the plantation.
zone day Herbert sent his orderly to my
| tent to ask If I wouldn't come over to
| his quarters at once When I got there
1 found Herbert in high wrath and 1ud-
Geon.
maj Sayers,' he said. some of your
men were over last night to our friends
| home. They have stolen six bee gums,
| sir. I feel very deeply in the matter, sir;
| the more SO that 1 introduced you at the
| house, sir, myself. 1 want you to search
| your battery and find the miscreants and
| punish them to the limit, sir. It is a great
| outrage and shouldn't be allowed to go I'M
| noticed a moment. Your men should be
| taught to behave themselves, sir
| Il was only twenty-five years old and as
| ardently loyal to my men as a boy of that
| age naturally would be. I flushed up in
l