St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-04-18

1
war. 1t was pity that we fought
it, for Mcclellan was already badly
| whipped, and we couldn't do any more y
1T was not long after that" said
another, when + saw the most sick
ening sight that my eyes witnessed
during the war. You remember that
| Joe Johnston was wounded at the bat
tie of Seven Pines or at Fair Oaks, as
the Yankees called it. Well, the dead
were buried very hastily, and in shall
lower trenches than ever saw. 1t
had been raining for some time and
the water rose in the trenches before
we could get them two feet deep and
we had to tumble the boys IN any
how. About a month after that our
wagon trains had to cross that field,
not in one road, but in a dozen, and
everywhere we crossed those trenches
the pressure of the wheels would force
up n leg or an arm or a head, and you
could see scores of them sticking out
after we had passed. It was an awful
sight"
well, / don't know what was the
most impressive thing" said another.
'The scene in q field hospital after
battle was about as bad as any thing.
shall never forget the night scene
under the willows after the first battle
of Manassas, when DR.. Miller was in
charge and worked on the wounded
boys all night long. 1t was close by
little branch and reminded me more
of hog killing at home about Christ
mas times than anything else.
watched him cut off arms and legs and
probe for balls until I was sick and
had to turn away, and every time he
got through with one man he would
look around for another and say tNext!'
just like q barber. What was wonder
full to me was the courage with which
those wounded boys endured the pain
of the knife and saw. There was no
ether or other anesthetic used, but
they never uttered a groan."
The most pleasant memory have of
the war is of seeing Stonewall Jackson
asleep. I never saw him awake. On
the morning of the sixth days fight be-
fore Richmond left that city about
daylight with some official document
that had to be delivered to Gen. Lee
without delay. rode hard for IL miles
to his camp, near Meadow bridge. He
and his staff were at breakfast under
cover Of large square tent. The
adjutant left the table and came to me
before I had time to dismount. AS he
read the papers saw a man lying down
on the straw in the tent and one end OF
the breakfast camp table was over his
head and shoulders.
He was lying on his left side, his right
hand was on his sword and his uniform
was faded and soiled. A slouched hat
was over his face and evidently he was
asleep, while Gen. Lee and his staff were
hastily taking their morning meal.
My curiosity was greatly excited and
/ said to the adjutant: "Who is that
man 90
"Stonewall Jackson he replied. "IIe
came in about daylight and pretty soon
tumbled down and fell asleep. He is
very much exhausted and Gen. Lee
would not let him be disturbed and had
u
alight?" I said no and thanked him.
AS ! rode away I looked back at the pic
ture. would give anything for a
photograph or a sketch of that scene.
1t was the only time I ever saw the blue
light elder whose name and deeds are
known all over the world. No wonder
the poet, Palmer, was inspired to write
of him at the battle of Antietam:
1--WE see him now-the queer slouched hat
cooked DER his eye askew--
The shrewd dry smile. the speech so pat,
so calm, SO blunt, SO true.
The blue light elder knows 'em well;
Says he; That's Banksi he's fond of shell;
Lord save his soul--well give him'--well,
That's Stonewall Jackson's way.
'Ah, maiden! wait and watch and yearn;
All. widow, read with eyes that burn;
All, wife, sew on, pray on, hope on
Thy life shall not be all forlorn;
The foe had better ne'er been born
That gets in Stonewall's way
Another one of our party told Of an
event at Centerville in 1862, when two
New Orleans Tigers of Wheat's battal-
ion resisted an officer who was trying to
arrest them for leaving camp one night
and abusing q farmers family. They
knocked the lieutenant down, and when
finally subdued were tried by court mar
tial that afternoon and shot next morn
ing at sunrise. "And here is Durrant,' 2
he said, "who murdered that poor girl
in the belfry. and that scoundrel Jack
son., who murdered Pearl Bryan, and
that fellow Holmes, who killed hall
dozen women and children, can get
their cases put of and put off for
months and years and perhaps escape
at last. And that is what is the matter
with the people and why SO many Of
these lynchings take place all over the
country There is really no just or
oyerpowering reason for the wide diff
ference between martial law and
civil law. One may be too swift, but
the other is certainly too slow and too
uncertain. Those Tigers hardly had
time to write home and say their
prayers-martial law is almost as swift
as lynching; the evidence no better and
the death penalty is for crimes less
brutal and outrageous. Frank Davis
nas hung at Pulaski, Tenn, during the
war-hung as a spy because he would
not betray the union soldier who gave
him the information. The noble boy
said he would die first, and die he did.
There is no nobler record in the annals
OF the war than his; he was hung like
a felon. They are raising money ,w
to build monument to him, and Mr..
Thomas, Of the Nashville, Chattanooga