The National tribune., 1897-10-14
A JOHNNY REB IN BLUE.
He and His insignificant Mule Raised
a Serious Question.

IbiIOk NAIIONAL Tribune: An OfflccR
who commanded regiment in Sherman'f
Meridian expedition relates that ''on tho
morning of Feb. ,, 1854 we were assigned 10
Gen. yeatch's Division. and marched al tn,
head of it to Clinton, Miss but our particf-
patton in the Meridian expedition was nearly
ended. Gen. Veatch walked me at o'clock
next morning to say that Cen Sherman,
having found the bridge over Pearl River al
Jackson, Miss, practically uninjured, had
determined to send his pontoons back to
Messengers Ford, on Black River As my
regiment belonged to Gen. Tuttle's Division,
which was to remain at Black River Bridge,
he had ordered that a cavalry company from
the 4th Iowa be added to the SD Mo, and
the two should return with the 81 pontoou
wagons to Messengers, lay the bridge and
cross 10 the west side of the river
The bridge was then to be broken and
left under charge OF the cavalry company al
Messengers while the SD No. proceeded to
join Gen. futile at Black River Bridge
. At daylight we started, having the pom
tOon wagons and our own baggage train Ia
protect Loring, with a considerable force,
was said to lie north of US, and his cavalry
was seen at intervals all through the MORN
ing, but we made such display they no
doubt considered our force much larger than
it was, and did not seriously modest Us until
after noon
AT that time we arrived at the Davis
plantation, a short distance cas-! of the school
house, where the roads forked, the south ons
going to Messengers.
ION the lawn and among the shrubbery in
front of the Davis Mansion was quite body
of men in blue uniform. whom our men took
to be n detachment of cavalry coming out
frOf,, pLrcbu
however, they opened fire on our 4th Iowa
Cav. company, which had the advance.
''Our Iowa boys went ut them with rush
and soon routed them from cover and drove
them from the field. In moment the va
can't dwelling was seen to be in flames. It's
walls were stuffed with cotton between the
studding Ia common device in the South to
make the house cooler and created smoke
enough TO make one believe the whole world
was afire. 1t was but few minutes before
the once beautiful and eommOdious dwelling
was in total ruin.
I'm the skirmish q long legged Albanian,
mounted on very diminutive mule, was
rendered h0rS de combat by the killing of his
mule, which rolled on top or him, and, small
as 1t was, sufhced to pin him effeetually to
the ground He was, therefore, captured
unhurt, except for few bruises. He had on
a full suit of our uniform, even to the over.
coat and hat.
When asked what he was doing in our
uniform he said that Loving's command, to
which he belonged. had but a short time be-
fore captured a lot of our clothing, and as il
was the fust chance he had seen to git de-
cent suit of clothes since the war begun be
had Jist erawled into EN-
AFTER tie excitement attending the skir-
mish was over, the officer in command of the
cavalry company came to me, saying his men
demanded that the Albanian be delivered
to them, as they wished to deal with him
according to Gen. Rosecrans's order
The order was that rebel soldiers found
wearing our uniform should be considered
spies, and shot without quarter That looked
very cold blooded. Of course, if killed dur
ing the fight nobody would have given it
further thought, but to take him out now in
cold blood and shoot him like a sheep-stealing
dog sayored of barbarism. / declined to give
him into the hands of the cavalry, remarking
that if they didn't want him treated as q
prisoner of war they should not have brought
him to me at all
= soon found there was general feeling
of dissatisfaction. The treaeherous conducs
of the enemy in using our uniform to draw
our men into close range and then fire on
them, was thought to justify the severest re-
taliatiOn.
s. But having determined to treat the capt
ured man Is a prisoner of war, l thought ii
wise to hurry him off to Black River Bridge
and turn him over to the Provost Marshal.
Accordingly, as soon as we made camp at
Messengers, sent him, under strict orders as
to his safe delivery, to that point
The next day the regiment marched down
TO the bridge and reported to Gen. futile, and
was ordered into camp. In relating tie incl
dents of the return trip at Division Head
quarters, the story of the skirmish and capture
of a prisoner in our uniform was told, and I
found the sentiment was strongly against my
action in refusing to have him executed.
The Rosecrans order was again quoted as
ample authority for summary action.
= Being curious to know what my critics
would have done had the responsibility rested
upon their shoulders instead of mime asked
them: If yOu had been in my place would
you have shot him or turned him over to be-
shot by somebody else?' Promptly the an
swer came from one and all:
Most assuredy he richly deserved
death
- Would you shoot him or have him shot
now, if he was in your hands?' / asked.
Certainly, certainly; it is no more than
right. We should teach the Johnnies les
son, came unanimously from all present.
Very well, gentlemen L said; bring
him out and have q little matinee of your
own. He is now in your guardhouse, and
has been since yesterday
1T is perhaps unnecessary to say that
among all that blood thirsty party there was
no one found to be the poor creatures execu-
toner, and the result was he was sent North
with other prisoners.
Il spoke with him at the train, and told
him what Il narrow escape he hal made, but
he seemed quite Indifferent about it. He
was far more solictoIi5 about god supply
of terbacco to solace his coniinement in
Alton than about things that were past and
gone.
The trivial accident of piece of lead
striking u small mule instead of the large man
it was intended for had raised {, constitu-
tonal question about clothes and their colors,
and where and by whom they were to be,
worn.
a. rejoiced them and many times SINCE.
that | was able to shift the responsibility of:
this mans fate to broader shoulders than
mine.
The distinguished citizen thus saved to,
the Commonwealth of Alabama went North
to imprisonment in the same blue clothes he
was captured in and created unusual interest
wherever he was seen on his journey, as q
rebel prisoner caught in the very act of vio-
lating the Rosecrans order, and still alive"