Birmingham state herald., 1897-02-06


 gan on the 2sth day of April. 1863 Gen. Lee met Gen. Hooker at every point of assault. The fighting was desperate on both sides, but in numbers. you see, the advantage. The federals had it. It was the skill of Lee and Jackson that enabled them to repel the sixth attempted "On- ward to Richmond" Like the other five northern commanders Hooker utterly failed. But we lost "Stonewall' Jackson, He was cut down at Charlottesville, and the saddest reflection is that he was shot by mistake from his own lines. At the fight, 18th December 1862, Wilcox s brigade was on the extreme left of the army and took no part in it, but was in linesall day. The ground was covered with snow.
 While both armies were quietly spend- ingstthe winter of '62 confronting each other on the opposite banks of the Rap pahannock, we had some leisure and 'fun5t Our quarters were oh pr. Taylor s farm He was one of the F. k. V.'s- clever and handsome, and always dressed we'll Wore a silk hat. '''Come down out of that hat" T know you are in it." "I- see your nose" He made complaint to Gen. Wilcox. "I can't stop them, doc tor. They holler at me" The boys would steal corn out of his cribs. He set some Steel-traps. One of them caught Tom Martins hand. We cut some polss and locked the thing up, and got some files and sawed his hand out + "" ''-'..s z
 My father was born and brought up in Fredericksburg and Orange Court House. We had relatives thsre. had a pleasant time with then1 and plenty of something good to eat. One day at the dinner table Gen. Wilcox said: q love my country, but not we'll enough to die for it." He was. a good officer and brave man. We were sorry when he was made major general. Among other old places I visited was the tomb of Gen. Washington's mother. The minnie balls had played havoc with the monuments. My father sent me a substitute. We were camped in the woods where there had been fighting. The trees were parked sand1 HI at once the man got badly .dis- eased. Pains struck him. He was llke "a fellow in Taliadega. He was conscript- iaed, and his wife put rotten egg In his eear (don't smell like nice perfumes), The stuff was running out. The doctor said: t'tMan, get home quick you are gong to die" That was woman's trick, They are right cunning, and red fox couldn't lbeat that. "
 Now go along with me to Pennsylvania. We will make the trip quick, noticing only two incidents onr the way. At the old Tavern at Charlottesville there was g. very large ice house or pit. Great many of the federal dead were buried in there. 7 When we passed it was smoking !lke e., a big tar kiln. The other incident, is the hanging of a spy by order of Gen. Long street Gen. Evans, of, South Carolina, had it done. He had just caused the killing of some of Gen. Longstreets men, I saw an Irishman cut him down. pull off his boots and put themAon. 1NoW, < all I wish to say about the battle of Gettys- burg is this: There is not an intelligent soldier living that was with Gen. Lee during the war. but what knows that he was not himself at Gettysburg. He was sick, and had been for a long time He tNJl taIrA hn arly i'm why he was not supported, to stop weep ing. that he was to blame for it all. Read in Gen. Loring's "reminiscences of Lee, his letters to MT, Davis. We were not whipped at Gettysburg, 1t was a reverse. We stayed there and buried our dead and sent away all of the wounded that could be moved. The Hoods of rain had filled the Potomac We were ip line of battle there two days and nights Meade came up with all of his army in full view of us, and If we were whipped and they flushed with victory and the deep and wide Potomac behind us. why didn't he end the war right there? The closing words of an order issued to the army by Gen. Lee there are: Your gen. eral begs you to be true and faithful to him once more and he will be found leading you to victory or death."
 If the armies had met there in mortal combat, when the carnage and slaughter would have been over not many of us would have been left to have told the tale.
 If I was asked to name the ablest gen. eral that was in immediate command of the federal forces in Virginia during the war, would say Gen.. Hooker, True, Gen. Meade was at the head of the army at Gettysburg, and Hancock was there. too. Afterwards Gen. Grant was behind Meade, and he was one of the greatest military men of any country or any age. He was big and broad and kind hearted. Without consulting any one he gave us our liberty and let us go home and up to the time of his death, he was friendly and forgiving. Bereft as we were of, friends and fortune, our battle flags Ngone, we came back to the flag of our fathers and sunshine or cloud there is no star on it that will twinkle brighter than Alabama. We would not be men, but more than brutes, if we didn't cherish and love the memory of our dead. Braver and better men have never lived. Yes. we do love to think of them, and those of the living, too, but we are a part of the nation. and to it we intend to cling. The portion we live in is a goodly land. Come down from your snow-clad mountains and frozen plains and enjoy our sunshine, and bring your folks You will find hap piness, health and comfort. - LAWLER DARBY. |