The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-08
GEN. HETH LOVED THEN
HE NEVER FORGOT THE ALMOST GOD LlKI
tER0lSM or TAR FEEL SOLDIERS.
He was Wont to Speak Of their Heoism at Get
tysburg and the Slaughter that Checked
but Never Terrified Them.

Washington, ID. c., Oct. death ha.
been knocking with an Impatient hant
at the door of General Harry Heth, anti
at last has gained an entrance. Tn,
grand old soldier held ON to life fof
others sake, it seemed Before he dice
he sent for his boyhood friend, the Bish
op of Alabama, who showed him tn.
way out of the world and gave him tho
consolation of the religion he had re-
spected and acknowledged during three
score years of hard service to his coun3
try and his family.
1t doesn't fall to the writer's pur
pose TO say anything of his military ca
reer further than to connect it with the
North Carolinians who served undel
him in the army Of Northern Virginia
Quite an extended acquaintance with
him gave opportunity to hear his informal
expressions of opinion as to the merits
of those who served in his commands
and it always increased and fresheneC
our State pride to hear his earnest
praise of their grand qualities as soldiers
mere was peculiar tension and quivel
of the mouth when he would speak of
their almost God-like heroism at Gettys.
burg and the unheard-of and never
equaled slaughter that checked but never
terrified them. 10 hear him tell iht
story to a great North Carolina sol
der, General John Gibbon, bosom
friend. il former foe, was an event
in life time They have met again now
no doubt where only what was good ant
true in them is known and thought ON
1t was good fun to hear him
tell of dinner at which
Gen. Burnside presided and al
which sat down some of the older set
Grant and Sherman, Thomas, LomaA
and Wright. They had all followed
one flag before Mexico and had faced
each other in Virginia and Tennessee
and Georgia, but were friends again
then. AS the evening was closing Gen
Sherman made some allusion to tbs
Rebels" when General Heth said dr.
the best of humor: Look here, Sher
man, if any two men ON earth should
thank God daily for the Rebels they.
are Grant and you. But for kus Gram
would now be tanning leather in Galena
and you small boys in the schools
Louisiana" General Grant enjoyed il
beyond measure and said, SHERMAN
acknowledge the corn. do.
He was very proud of the achieve
ments of the Southern boys in the Span
Isl war and delighted to- say, II heaI
no complaints about hardships from thu
regulars or the Rebel boys. They have
been better brought up" Them he would
tell of trip he took to Richmond N
the early days of the Civil War wher
he made it convenient to call ON Genera
Northrop and to aequaint him with tho
complaints of the soldiers about their
r;ltions. The commissary general saie
to him: Gen. Heth, you must remem
Ter that soldiers are carniverous animals
and that all carniverous animals grow
over their food for one cause or anoth-
er.
1t is necessary again to recall the OBJ
iect of these paragraphs. Tt is only Il
let his old soldiers how sincerely he
prized them. If they could have seen
him as the writer did not long ago The
gentle companion of his little grand
daughter and her little friend coming
home from long Sunday evening stroll
with the wild flowers they had gathered
i'm his arms the thought would have
come to them, as it did to him that h.
who becomes as a little child in genie
ness and unselfishness is sure to be OF
them and with them hereafter always.