Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-01-06
BANTAM IN THE ARMY
ONLY ROOSTER IN GEORGIA THAT HAS 4 TOMBSTONE OVER HIS GRAVE.

F "t2o WE ONEh FflS GkAVEs
 Enlisting at Culpeper, Va, He Served
 Under Major Williams In Many Battlea,
 A Sentinel In Q Tree-How He Bctrayes Jim Nessmith.
 While we were camped near Cul. peper Court House in the fall of 1S62,n
 said Major Tom Williams q became acquainted with family named Dow dy. Just before the battle of Culpeper I paid visit to the farm and found the ladies ill q panic, preparing to flee. They set before me such scant fare as they had left, and after had eaten a hastv luncheon Miss Mary Dowdy called to me and led the way to the back yard.
 There is the last of our stock of poultry, said she, pointing to a little bantam cock that was strutting about the yard. I haven't the heart to kill him because ho is Q pet If you want him, you can take him ard do as yon like with him.
 During tho campaign of 1863 he of ten sat on my shoulder through the long, weary marches and hurried re- treats, and l shared my rations with him Ca4a tight we had reached the flank of tho enemy's camp by forced march and lay down to sleep on our arms, expecting to be reused at the break of day for sudden charge. I had started of with General perched upon my nusket barrel, and sudderl change in the oraer of march had separated us from the wagons, so ] placed the roost- CT on tho limb of a sapling above my head, while I lay down to snatch few minutes sleep
 General did not utter single cluck ii' protest, although he must have been very hungry from long fasting, but quietly squatted on the branch while I flung myself on the grass and leaves and was soon fast asleep. I was so weary that l slept profoundly until was suddenly aroused by an unearthly screech i'll my ear. Raising my head, I took in tho wholo situation at glance.
 "General had dropped down from his perch and uttered a shrill crow right in my ear which had awakened mo, and as l opened my eyes saw the flash of guns as our pielsets fired and i'll an instant fell back upon us where VIC lay. The Yankees had turned tho tables on us, and, discovering our presence, the sur prising force became the surprised, and in ten minutes there was an unearthlY racket going on in that pine thielet.
 Right and left 0f my position the boys came out of cover and advanced with yells and cheers, moving cautious. ly and firing es they moved It had be- come sufficiently light for mo to find my few belongings, and I soon recover cd my hat and haversaes, which I had forgotten to pick up in the hurry of tha first surprise, and just at that time was salnted with loud crow just above my head, and looking up I saw General perched upon his limb, ho having flown back there when tho firing began, and with his head held On ono side he was sidling along the swaying branch, crow ing and elueking
 Tn spite of the banging of the guns and whistling of bullets General stuck bravely to his perch and never fluttered during the entire engagement When I told the story in camp that night, General YVES tho tcast of tho evening, and he was treated to all sorts of tid- bits in recognition of his gallantry on the field ofaction.
 "Ono morning, however, General played the camp detective in most alarming manner, which came near proving disastrous tJ c fellow soldier of another mess. All foraging had been strictly forbidden, and no man was al- lowed to leave the ranks under the heaviest penalty of military discipline. There was fellow by the name of Jim Eesslnith, who occupied tent not far from that of the captain of our compa- ny. About o'e clock the order was pass- ed along the lines for us to prepare to march
 General was perched on the limb of bush near me while sat munching my hard tack, and all of Q sudden he raised himself on his perch and crowed lpstily. Of course no cock i'll hearing could resist replying to such a challenge. and from within tho tent occupied by Jim Nessmith came the muffied crow of an old rooster. Jim made I grab at the bag and succeeded in choking him of, but the noise had reached tho ears of some of tho others, and the captain be- came apprised of tho fitet that Jim had been foraging. A nasty examination of his tent disclosed the body of the big | rooster, choIed to death by Jim ill his anxiety to put stop to his untimely growing.
 "Jim was ordered under arrest pcnd- ing m investigation, but just about that time tho order came to advance. and we moved forward. and by sunrise we were fighting, and tho unfortunate oficez who had ordered Jim to be placed un- der arrest was borne from the field corpse after tho fight was over. The af- fair was forgotten amid Che stirring scenes that followed.
 ''Seeing that the end was near. ! found an opportunity to send Generas to the rear, and placing him in cage started him on tho long journey to the t~>,,,r <1f z, Y,o,,I,ox.y in Eaopoia Ha had 1