Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-07-19
TASsELED TURKISH FEz
6reWsome Incident at the Second Battle
of Manassas.

OF Manassas.
Whenever l see a tasseled Turkish
fez, said Confederate veteran, whose
attention had been attracted by a
smoking cap of that pattern in Canal
Street window. 81 am reminded of a
curious and rather greWsome incident
OF my campaigning days. 1t was on
the morning after the second battle of
Manassas he continued, in response
to request for the story, land several
of us from my company had gone over
to the field in the hope of picking up
few things that we badly needed and
| for which the dead had no further use
l-waterprOofs, for ins tance, and sound
| canteens. During the previous days
engagement, you may remember that
a regiment of freshly recruited New
York Zouaves held the crest of a hill
| and were charged and almost annihi-
lated by Hoods brigade. They were
| moved down like ripened grain, and
fell SO thickly that their corpses liter
ally carpeted the earth. dare say it
was as awful a slaughter, considering
the number engaged, as occurred any
where in the course of the war. Well,
we hadn't gone very far when we came
to this hill. and began to get among the
dead men. The poor fellows had been
mustered into service less than a week
before. and they were said to be the
most gorgeously uniformed military
troop eyer organized. They wore scar
let Turkish trousers, blue jackets en-
broidered with gold bullion braid, and
purple fezes with long, pendant tassels.
Being just from the outfitter s, all this
fine regalia was perfectly fresh and new,
and somehow or other it added to the
ghastiness of the spectacle on the bill
side. The corpses were In all sorts of
strange postures, and their fantastic
costumes gave them an air of horrible
grOtesqueness that couldn't begin to
describe In words.
However, to come to my point. |
had picked up fez to carry away as a
relic, and about to leave the spot, when
happened to notice much handsomer
specimen ON the head of little zouave
stretched out, stiff and stark, few
yards away. with handkerchief over
his face, stepped up to make a
swap but had barely touched the
tassel when low, sweet-toned voice
under the handkerchief said: Please
don tt
For moment" continued the vet
eran, that unpleasant protest, coming
from what l had supposed to be a
corpse, made my hair bristle on my
head. Then l lifted the handkerchief. I.
and was shocked to see the delicate,
refined feature of boy not over fifteen.
He was pale as death and evidently de-
sperately wounded, but he looked at me
calmly. MY God!' exclaimed, what
lad you are to be here?' I'm afraid
I'm dying unless l have help, he re
piled. DO you think the surgeons will
be around pretty soon?' The Lord
knows groaned, for the boys cour-
age touched me to the heart. Your
surgeons have all run away, and we
only have few with more wounded
than they can attend to- Then l
guess all can do is to lie here quietly
and die, he said, in the same gentle
voice. Can you get me little water
before you go?'
81 took his canteen and hurried down
to a branch at the foot of the hill,
where the first thing saw, by the way,
was the corpse of zouave floating in
pool I went up the stream far
enough to get out of the horrible death
zone, filled the canteen with pure wat
er and was soon back at the boy s side.
I gave him a drink and he thanked me.
'Is,there nothing else l can do? l ask
ed awkwardly. because | knew our
company was under early marching or
ders that morning and that it would
be impossible for me linger much long
er. Nothing at all, thank you.' he
replied. No message to anybody ?
| 'No-nothing, thanks
81 turned away most reluctantly, and
had gone only afew yards when | heard
his thin voice calling me back. Excuse
me- he said, but l want you to accept
this as a present, and he handed me
his fine purple fez No! nor L ex-
claimed, greatly embarrassed: 1 could
not think of taking it. When l start
ed to, little while ago. | thought you
l-you-" You thought l was dead.
of course, he interrupted. We'll, l
Isoon will be, and that other fez will do
| me Just as well. Please put it ON my
head and take mine. l saw that be
would be hurt unless l did as he desir
ed, so took the fez and went away. Ii
less than half an hour our company was
; on the march, and, needless to say.
never heard anything more Of the little
child zouave. He was badly wounded
and undoubtedly died where l left him
l kept the fez long time" added th'
veteran, "but it was finally lost, will
other odds and ends, IN the genera
confusion following the war. I'd Civ
some money for it to day. New Or
leans Times Democrat.
1
Il Teacher-You are painfully slOV