Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-04-09
War "reminiscences.

many melancholy happenings. The
four years were to me an unbrOken
chain of instances ofman's humanity
to man and of strange, and, in many
cases heart-rending condolences.
Thirty years of active business life
have, OF course, served to blot from
my memory many Of these stirring
panoramas, but there is one so wierd
and so full Of melancholy interest
that 1T Will remain with me as long
as life lasts" So spoke an old Con
federate soldier as he rested himse If
in a comfortable chair in a hotel
lobby here recently.
Glow was it, Colonel ?" inquired
several fellow listeners in concert.
"Tell us all about it,"
Well, it is a tale that man who
desires to preserve Intact a reputa.
ton for veracity can relate only tC
his friends. 1t is true as Gospel, bu,
is so strange and unaccountabIe thai
it sounds like reporters fake.
1t occurred way back in '6l. We
were camped near Lookout Noun
3 tain, Tennessee. 1t was the day be
} fore the battle of Missionary Ridge
In one Of the commands was ;
1 handsome young lieutenant from
Carroll county, Ga. | cannot for thu
, life of me remember his name, but
remember distinctly how he looked
} He was gallant, spirited, intelligent
fellow.
} On the afternoon before the battle
he received box from home. He
hn1
each of them had sent him some lit
tie remembrance. Among the con-
tents was neat suit Of clothes. The
lieutenant promptly and joytully en-
tered his tent and donned his new
suit. When he emerged with it on,
his face wore worried look, and, in
surprise, we asked the cause Of his
anxiety.
Boys said he, you all know
that L am no coward or sentimental
ist, but somehow, the moment | put
this suit on l realized that / would
never live to wear the creases out of
1t. L am as certain to be killed in
to- morrow's fight as that tomorrow
comes
We attempted to ridicule his no.
ton, but he continued SO serious in
bis belief that we desisted and left
him to figure himself into better
humor. His mind not having
changed by the next morning, the
company insisted on his not enter
ing the fight in the face of his strange
conviction.
The captain of his company was
absent, however, and the lieutenant
positively refused to stay out, say
ing an officer should lead his men
whenever his, duty called him. At
the head Of the company he plunged
that day into the thickest of the |
fight.
My company was near his.
Almost at the same instant each of
our bodies caught bullet. We
were carried to the rear and placed |
near each other under tree. II was |
evident the young lieutenant's pre-
diction was soon to be fulfilled. -
Twenty minutes after he was shot he |
died
But now comes the strangest part
of my story, the part which most af-
fected me, and which [ hesitate al !
ways to relate,' continued the Colo
mel. In the last moments of that
young soldiers life, while he was ly-
ing there dying, with his head in the
lap Of a cOmrade, heard him moan,
My poor wife and children! What
will become Of them?' He died
few minutes afterward--just at the
noon hour.
My wound was not serious and
was out again in couple of days.
AS l was limping around, the young
Georgia soldier In whose arms Lieut..
- had died, ran up to me and in
quired if l had communicated the
fact of the soldiers death to his wife.
l replied that had not that / dn't
even know the name or residence Of
the unfortunate man, and only had
few hours camp acquaintance with
him. Read this he said, handing
me letter directed to the dead lieu
tenant. 1t was written by the wife,
and expressed her intense anxiety.
1t was dated on the afternoon of tho
day on which the battle of Mission
ary Ridge was fought. The loving
wife wrote at noon of that day. AS
she sat musing miles away in Geor-
gia on the events of those stormy
times, she was startled by what she
thought was the voice of her husband
m oaning plaintively:
MY poor wife and five little chill
dren ! What will become of them p
The voice was, she said, so distinctly
that of her husband that she rushed
to the door, and, not finding him
there, searched about over the place
for him.
She wrote that she could not
reconcile the occurrence, and that it
had added TO her anxiety. She
begged her husband to hasten re-
ply, that she might know her fright
had been foolish one. 81 helped
the honest soldier write the melan-
choly letter, advising the loving
wife of her husbands brave conduct
and untimely death.
We told her all of the circumstances
that led up to it and sent her all of
his simple belongings and the gifts
he had received on the eve of the
battle, excepting the fatal suit.
That was burned by the sturdy
comrades of the unfortunate victim
as though it had been thing of evil I.
have never heard anything fur.
ther of the melancholy case, but
have often wondered how that good
Confederate widow was standing
the ravages Of this rough old world
| never meet Georgian but what l
ask IT he comes from Carroll county.
L have found some who claimed il
las their hOma hnt popa conId infnrDn