The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-05-06
nent every member Of Mr.. Davis

uIono C'SiJ IuotnpeA W 1hi' D"'io
cabinet united in calling on him to
have these. prisons draw lots and every
tenth man shot, and that he then
notify President Lincoln what had
been done and why it was done. Mr..
Davis suggested that if he had known
of the orders under which these men
were acting, it would have been right
to shoot them down while they had
guns in their hands, but that he did
not think we should have unarmed
prisoners shot. The members of his
cabinet called attention to previous
violations of the laws of war and to
President Davis threat of retaliation.
And they insisted that retaliation
alone could arrest such practices, and
that the purpose of this raid, which
the papers showed was understood by
the whole command, and that the men
had volunteered for the purpose con-
templated, made it proper that we
should make an example by having
every tenth mar shot. After the
matter had been earnes''y discussed
Mr.. Davis ended the discussion by
declaring, in opposition to the views
of the cabinet, that he would not have
unarmed prisoners shot. But few, if
any, would have agreed with him then.
But now. since the passions Of war
have died away, we shall perhaps all
say that he did right.
A BLooDLEss BATTLE.
Descending, for a moment, from the
serious to the amusing, and having
reference to my promise to speak of
some things which had not gone into
history, I will give you an account of
a battle which the historians and book
makers have not noticed except that I
understand the Hon. S. S. Cox, of
New York, made reference to it in one
of his books.
On one occasion detachment Of the
Federal army, composed of calvary and
artillery, under the command of Colo
mel Grierson, I believe, but am not
quite sure, that that was the name of
the commander, unexpectedly ap-
preached Richmond from the north
west and opened fire on the city. The
shells, however, only reached the
neighborhood Of the government sta
bles on Bacon Quarter branch, and
did but little damage. On hearing his
guns and knowing we had no troops in
that quarter, MI. Mallory, the secre-
tary Of the navy, and l mounted our
horses and galloped out to learn what
it meant. The residence Of Col.
James Lyons, one Of the most promi-
nent and able lawyers of Richmond,
was in the suburbs Of the city, in that
direction. We had a line of earth
works which lay between the FEEDER
ais and his residence, but which were
not manned. When we got in sight Of
this line of earthworks we saw Colo
mel Lyons riding up and down the line
Galloping up to him we inquired what
he was doing. He answered: "Com-
handing the forces" and said: "Rea-
gan, you command the right and Nal
lory the left, and I will command the
center" We rode along the line of
earthworks, pointing and g%esticula-
ting as if giving directions to our
commands, for some time, while the
enemy's shells were flying over US, un-
til the firing ceased and the Federals
drew off in the direction of Chicka-
hominy, as we supposed, through the
fear that we had a force concealed by
the earthworks awaiting them. If
they had known it, there was nothing
to have prevented them from march
into the city. Though this was a
a bloodless battle, it was an important
victory for the capital of the Confed-
eracy.
While I am speaking of matters con
nected with the war which have not,
so far as I know, gone into history, +
desire to do an act Of justice to the
memory of Lieut. General. John c..
Pemberton. who was in command at
Vicksburg when that city was surren-
dered. He, with the balance Of his
command were paroled after their sur
render. The strategic Importance of
Vicksburg, commanding, as it did, the
river, and the loss of
which substantially bisected the terri
tory of the Confederacy by the line of
that river, was so important and was
so keenly felt by our people that it
caused deep regret and great dissatis-
faction. And many of the people
questioned the fidelity Of General
Pemberton to our cause. It is this
that I wish specially to speak Of in
justice to his memory. He was a citi-
zen of the State of Pennsylvania and
a major in the Federal army when the
war broke out. His mother lived in
Philadelphia and was wealthy. He
believed the people of the South were
in the right and that their cause was
just, and determined to enter the Con-
fcderate service. He notified his
mother of his intentions, saying to her
that he was a military man, and his
age would require him to participate
in th r, and that he could not af-
ford risk his life in a cause which
he believed to be unjust. His mother
protested against this course and
threatened to disinherit him if he
persisted in it. You may well under
stand what a trial it must have been
to refuse to comply with his mother s
wish and to separate himself from his
own section of the country, greatly
the stronger, and unite with the weak
er section, placing his life at stake
because of his conscientious convic-
ton of duty. On his merits as an
he rose to the rank of lieuten-
ant general in the Confederate SER
vice. And on account of the conf
lence of the President in his ability
and fidelity to our cause he was putin
command of the important military
position at Vicksburg.
pEMBERToN's RESIGNATION.
After he was exchanged as a prison
err and released from his parole, [ was
with President Davis in his office
when General Pemberton called on
him and stated that the discomfort on
account of the fall Of Vicksburg had
destroyed his usefulness in high com
mand, and made it proper for him to
his commission as lieutenant
It'll l. t.. II I'LL