The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-02
SOME WAR STORIES.
REPREsENTATIVE SAVERS or TEN.
As CHATS OF HIS EXPERIENCES.
Incidents of Field and Camp-A
Water Famine and the Eject on "a
Battcry-A Gallant Youth.

from the Washington Star.
Killed man? No. I've ordered my bat
terry to fire, and have fought it from day
light until dark, but personally. and with
my own hand. neYer, so far as I know,
Killed or wounded a yankee"
Representative Joe Sayers OF Texas Il
was who made the answer set forth above.
Mr.. Savers and the Star writer were in the
appropriations committee room at the lime
and the former, released from active work
In The House Tor that afternoon by virtue
OF list of funeral oratons due that
day TO the memory Of a dead representa-
tive had time to be reminiscent.
AS | look back over my war expert
ences, observed Mr.. sayers retrospective
~, Il don't recall but one real good oppor-
tunity TO shoot anybody which came per-
sonally my way. We had Numbered upon
a brigade of yankees and got into a night.
Neither side was out looking for the other.
and Il was more or less OF a surprise to
both. l was detailed at headquarters at
the time, and employed during the two or
three hours Of lighting in carrying dis
patches from one point TO another
Il was going 10 the extreme left OF the
fight on one occasion. When the yankees
went into action they had their knapsacks
and blankets on their backs They hal
taken them of, and left them in one long
winrow. lying on the ground. The surge
of the battle had driven them back from
this line, and II so fell out that as 1 rode
along l was skirtng this ridge of KNAPP
sacks and blankets. 1t was a good deal Of
personal properly TO leave lying around,
but both yankees and we were pretty
BUSY that day, and none of us had time to
look aIter II az we would have liked.
As l cantered along the line Of KNAPP
sacks l WASH looking for the enemy. The
battle was going on half mile away, and
as the yankees had been forced back from
thelr hrst position the confederates We're
between me and the foe. This being the
ground plan of the situation, | was, "a
you may we'll believe, a trlne astontshed
even discouraged, when big yankee sud
denly sprang up from among the KNAPP
sacks and snapped his Enfield at me. The
gun didn't go on which may account
for my being the chairman Of the appro-
pfiatlons committee. Before 1 could make
the slightest return to the point blank
civiuties of my friend Of the opposite
party he cast his gun TO the ground with
Wrathlui curse and turned and ran
MY sir-shooter was by that time In my
hand, and | spurred after him In hot in~
stnctiye pursuit, / ran up within six feet
OF my man. and, pointing my pistol at the
gentleman in blue, called on him to sur
render He only made some disrcspectfni
observation, and ran the faster withoua
even turning his head, This, Of course
was my cue 70 shoot, but somehow / could
not do it. The business looked too much
like butchery. But ! felt the military me-
cessity Of capturing my man. That was
what we were there for. to Kill. wound or
capture each other, and ! couldn't regard
myself as having done my duty unless
was able to report success as to one or
the three propositions.
But do my best / couldn't make IT,
Ilme ana again | rode fairly up to my
yankee until the nose OF my horse stuck
over his shoulder. / called on him to stop
and become "A captive a dozen times In
fact, earfTed on a long conversation with
him, only he didn't say anything more
relevant TO the business In hand than
string OF profanity Four or five times /
thought Of shooting, but II was no use.
WASH built TO shoot people In the back.
once | concluded to hit him rap with
my pistol, that was toward the last of the
chase | did strike AZ him, but missed.
and IN my enthusiasm came mighty near
leaving the saddle to stand on my head,
II pulled up then and asked myself
What's the user ] concluded to lei my
friend run on II he wanted to- III / shot
him down IT wouldn't end the war 1t
would 80 on just the same and last just
as long. one yankee more or less Wouldn't
cut any figure lie was running toward
the north too, running Ia the right diree-
ton; scatter watching him skip along like
an antelope a while 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 al last
When was Ia command Of a battery
there were several months during which
! was supported by a couple Of companies
which were recruited I'm Arizona They
were a gentlemanly set OF people. superb
card players, and ii was a current bit OF
gossip in that part of the confederacy that
every soldier In those two Arizona com
panies had killed his man In private en-
counter. They were commanded by Mai.
Herbert, cousin, think 10 Secretary Her
bert; good solder and an elegant gentle
man. Older Washington folk win readily
recall this Maj. Herbert. Just before the
war I'm the very late COS, he was a mem
Der of congress. 1t 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; 1t was then the dining room
These men of Maj. Herbert's were pro-
found card sharps, as ! say. They got TO
gambling with my men; and not only won
all their money, which didn't care about,
but they won half the sabefs and six
shooters my men were armed with. / had
a 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 IL was they sui
lenly brought in the pistols and sabers;
they had wrapped them IN blankets and
buried them, to keep me from finding them.
] verify believe II | hadn't interfered those
Arizona people whom Herbert had with
him would have won my whole battery.
] understood afterward that one of my
men tried to open jackpot with my No.
gun; but others OF the detail wouldn't
have It,
Mai. Herbert was extremely proud of
his men, as indeed, / was OF mine. This
almost led to q serious Misunderstanding
between us. We were in Northern Louisi-
ana al the time, and, being stationed there
for some months, Herbert became ac-
quainted with a family who lived near
at hand. They were wealthy planter folks
and Herbert became a great favorite with
them. IT was he who introduced me at the
house, and we put in many a pleasant
evening with our friends at the planta-
ton
zone day Herbert sent his orderly to my
tent to ask II ] wouldn't come over to
his quarters at once. when / got there
] found Herbert in high wrath and dud-
geon.
Maj. Savers he said some Of your
men were over last night to our friends
home. They have stolen six bee gums,
sir ! feel very deeply in the matter sir;
the more so that | introduced you at the
house, sir, myself l 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 70 years old, and as ardently
iOyal to men q boy Of that are T.