The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-10-10
"LAST OF THE TIGERS"
Some Good Stories of the Louisiana "Ter-
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EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The refer
enee by Comrade Doyle to the Louisiana
Tiger killed by boy near Stevensburg, and
to the two who were shot to death for re-
ssting an officer" reminds me of some IN
cidents related by Louisiana reb in 1862.
which / recently found on a stray leaf of an
old diary. Speaking of Wheat's Battalion,
he said it originally consisted OF four COM
panies-the Crescent Blues, Catahonla Guer-
rillas, Rapides Guards, and Tiger Rifles The
latter were called Tigers.
At that time there was prevailing opln-
ion among the Texas, Louisiana, and Gulf
State troops that the Virginians, Tennesseeans
and Tar Heelers were inferior people, ana
not much account for fighting, and L re-
member hearing that opinion expressed oy
Louisiana man as late as the Fall of 1864.
Soon after the two Tigers were shot
Virginia soldier peddling whisky In the
camp of the Catahoula Guerrillas was arrest
ed aud unceremoniously bucked-and- gagged.
A crowd of soldiers gathered around him,
when the Catahoula Captain walked up, and
pointing at the whisky peddler, said:
Gentlemen. this is the kind of people we
left our Louisiana homes to come here to
fight for-these conveyed Virginians."
Ny informant told story about the con-
duct of the Louisiana Tigers at the first
battle of Bull Run, showing that the last
of the Tigers" was officially reported "a
wears ago, before the Solomon Tiger referred
to by Comrade Doyle.
He said that an officer IA Virginian) on
Longstreets staff while the battle was in
progress, was sent to communicate with
Beauregard or Jackson, and passing through
ria of woodland n rnan w Iph
in diagonal direction in rear of the battle
line, he met a dozen Tigers looking quite
ccestfallen. On. asking them why they were
not in line with their company, one of them
replied:
"Ah, sir, the company is all cut to pieces;
we are the last of the Tigers"
Fifty yards further the officer met another
squad to whom he put the same question,
and was answered:
Dot goompany vas all gut NIT pieces We
vas de last of dem Tigers"
Riding along he met still another squad,
and his question was answered:
!" Be Jases. there is no company; sure they
are all dead but US, and we are the lasht of
the Tigers"
The spokesman of another similar squad
replied:
mon Dieu! Capitaine, re company is all
wipe out; vous see re last Tigal es here"
Before the staff officer got out of the woods
he met the entire company (save four who
had been killed in battle) skulking in
squads, and each squad, like Solomon,
claimed to be the last of the Tigers"
The Virginia officer circulated the story,
as stated, and it was understood that he was
soon after challenged and killed in a duel
by the Captain of the Tigers.
Going into Winchester, Va, in the Fall of
1864 with prisoner, who said he belonged
TO the 9th La, as we approached an earth
work about mile south or southwest of the
town, the prisoner said TO me:
1--WE had a nasty little fight right there
year or so ago. My brigade charged and
drove a brigade of your men out of that fort"
We went up into the fort, which was
pierced for eight or 10 guns, and noticing it's
advantageous location, | questioned the
veracity of the prisoner, and intimated that
he and his brigade perhaps fought better
with their mouths than muskets. But he
declared he was telling the truth, and went
on TO relate how jackson, at first, selected
his old Virginia brigade TO take the fort. but
they were repulsed and came running back
like sheep. You can't depend on these
Virginians as soldiers. jackson then
brought up another brigade of his Vir-
giniaDs and they also were repnlsed. Then
he ordered up our brigade, commanded by
Gen. Harry Hays and we took the fort"
The prisoner pointed out just where he
came over the works on the south side, and
gave other minor details; but knowing that
1000 men should hold such fort against
five times their number, / concluded that
there was probably regiment Of our men
in the works and that it required an entire
division of rebels 10 dispossess them.
Later on i was told that a Maryland
(rebel) brigade took the fort, and that it was
unsuccessfully defended by a Maryland
(Union) brigade. As | can find nothing in
print about it, will a comrade who was in
the fort write up some "reminiscences con-
corning the fight, and tell just how the thing
was done; that u.s. if it was done in anything
like The shape described by the Louisiana
rebel. To the best of my recollection, the
fort was on the highest ground about Win
chester.-H. G. WHITAKER, Co. A I'd N. Y.
Cav, Friends Station, Tenn.