The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1902-08-21
SOLDIERS STORIES.
"REMINISCENCES
OF THE WAR
Graphic Account of Stirring Scenes
Witnessed on the Battlefield and in
Camp-Veterans of the Rebellion Re-

Witnessed on the Battlefield and in
cite Experiences of Thrilling Nature.
Il alone. sire. am the rear guard OF
the Grand Army" exclaimed Marshal
Ney as he fired the last shot at the
Cossacks on the banks Of the BeriZina
This melancholy feature of Napoleon's
disastrous Russian campaign was
doubtless recalled by few survivors
of the last battle of the civil war when
they heard OF the death of Gen. Egbert
Brown.
When a line of Confederate cavalry
was slowly retiring from the field on
the plains of Brazos Santiago in Texas,
where the blue and the gray had met
in deadly encounter. for the last time
soldier turned in his saddle and after
repeating the words of the great French
marshal. he threw his gun TO his shoul-
der and fired. 1t proved TO be the last
shot of the last battle. and 1t was GER
tainly the last shot of the long war.
Fortunately. as a matter favorable to
the truth of history, the man who
achieved distinction in connection with
this memorable event is a perfectly re-
liable man. His name is s. III. Barton.
He was a captain in the Confederate
army. and he was held in high esteem
by his superiors and dearly loved by
the brave Texans whose dangers and
privations he shared on the march and
in the trenches where balls fell like
hail. Promotion sought him many
times after the smoke of battle had
cleared from a red field and soldiers
were talking of his dauntless courage.
but he preferred to serve with the COM
rades of his boyhoOd.
He now lives at Del Rio. in western
Texas, where he owns one Of the most
desirable small ranches in the State
and considerable valuable town prop
erty. Everybody knows Capt. Barton,
and those who have known him long
and intimately speak of him In the
highest terms of praise. He has late
ly purchased the Del Rio Record, and
doubtless will some day tell the public
all about the last battle Of the war.
There are others still living who can
bear witness TO the fact that Capt. Bar
ton fired the last shot at BraZos San
tiago. and. strangely enough. among
these is an old soldier of the name of
Ney. who claims that he Is descend
ant Of the famous French marshal who
fred the last shot at the Cossacks.
A reliable citizen of Del Rio. in dis
cussing this matter. said: Capt Bar
ton is sure that he fired the last shot
at the close of the last battle of the civil
war. and believe him. for he Is per-
fectly truthful man, and he would not
a matter of that kind in
the least. not even to have his fame
spread over forty pages of history"
The story of that last battle. which
was fought on the 18th of May. 1865,
after the war was ended and peace de-
clared. has escaped the attention that
1t merits, for it was an affair of no lit
tie Importance.
Gen. Egbert Brown. who recently
died at West Plains, No.. was in COM
mand of the Federal troops in southern
Texas. and he was doubtless well in
formed concerning the termination of
hostilities. Gen. ]. E. Slaughter, who
the Confederate troops en-
camped at Brazos Santiago, had heard
of the surrender of the armies
by Lee, Johnston and other
generals, but he had received no Off
,ial notice of these facts from the war
department.. Gen. Brown. under n
dag of truce. Informed the Confeder-
ltes of the state of affairs about
and Richmond. at the
same time inviting them to come in
md lay down their arms. as the war
was certainly over.
Gen. Slaughter refused to act in an
lffair of such Importance until he was
better informed. Thereupon Col. Bar
-et. at the head of a considerable force.
was despatched to break up the rebel |
amp. A hot battle ensued and, curl |
,usly enough. most of the fighting was
lone on the old field OF Palo Alto,
where Gen. Taylor achieved a victory |
,yer the Mexicans nearly twenty years
,efore The French soldiers encamped |
m the southern shore of the Rio !
irande We're in sympathy with the
and they kept Gen. Slaugh-
er and Col. Rip Ford posted as to the
of the Federal troops. Sey-
raj spirited encounters occurred and
he loss sustained by some of the negro
egiments must have been severe.
While the battle ragged the Confeder-
ties were frequently informed by some
'oId cavalryman in blue that the war
vas over. One daring fellow shouted:
Lee surrendered a month ago. The
var is ended. Why don't you go home:"
When the engagement was hottest
len. Slaughter received dispatches and
he French sent him bundle of news
apers. Fully satisfied that the cause
or which they were fighting was for
yer lost, he ordered the firing to cease.
It that particular moment neither side
ould have claimed any advantage over
he other. but both armies began to re-
re from the field at the same time.
AS Capt S. H. Barton, in command of
ne rear guard, was slowly riding away
stray ball struck young man by his
de, and he fell from his saddle. That
as certainly the last man killed in the
ing war. Capt. Barton was unable 30
acall his name. but he has it in note
ook which he will publish some day.
thought that was hard luck" SAYS
lie old soldier. 1.-The young man Lad
rived four years and never got a
,ratch. The last bullet that came our
.ay killed him. Prompted more by a
Dite at fate than bitterness toward the
nemy. turned in my saddle and fired
ward 4 dark blue line, which hope
as out of range. That was certainly
lie last shot of the great war."-St.
ouis Globe-Democrat.
She Said Nnfb;uD