The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-30
THE HBROISM OF A WOMAN.
The Honor Of Her Husbands Name Greater
Than All BlSe.

was on trial before Military court
for desertion. His name was Ed
ward Cooper, and when he rose to
plead he answered Not Guilty. ."
Tue judge advocate asked, "Who is
your counselS" He replied, III have
no counsel" Supposing it was
Cooper's purpose to represent him.
self before the court, the Judge advo-
cate was instructed to proceed. Every
charge and specification against the
prisoner was sustained.
The prisoner was then told to in
troduce his witnesses. He said, II
have none" Abtonished with the
calmness with which he seemed to be
submitting to what he regarded ss
inevitable fate, the Judge advocate
said to him; "Have you no defense ,
Is it possible that you abandoned
your comrades and deserted your col
ors in the presence of the enemy
without any reaeonr" He answer.
ed, "There was reason, but it will
not avail me before military court"
The judge then said: "Perhaps you
are mistaken, you are charged with
the highest crime known to military
law, and it is your duty to make
known the causes that Influenced
your actions" For the first time
Cooper's manly form trembled, and
his eyes swan in tears. Approaching
the president of the court he present
ed letter; as he did &c, "There gen-
eral, is what did it." General Bat.
tie opened the letter, and in a mo.
his eyes filed with tears 1t was pass
ed from one to another of the cour;
until all had seen it, and those stern
warriors who had passed with Stone
wall jackson through a score Of
battles, wept like children. As soon
as the president recovered his self
possession he read the letter as the
defense of the prisoner. 1t was in
these words:
Dear Edward have always
been proud Of you. Since your con-
nection with the Confederate army I
have been prouder of you than ever
before. | would not have you do
anything wrong for the world, but
before God, Edward, unless you
come home we must die! Last night
[ was atoused by little Eddie's cry
ing, %, mama, I am 80 hungryp
And Lucy, Edward, your darling
Lucy, never complains, but grows
thinner and thinner every day, and
before God, Edward, unless you
come homo we must die.
your Mary"
Turning to the prisoner, Gen. Bat
tie asked, "What did you do when
you received this letter." He re-
piled: 81 made application for fur
Tough, and it was rejected. I made
another application and it was re
jected; third time made applica-
ton and it was rejected, and that
night as wandered backward and
forward in the camp thinking of my
home, the wild eyes Of Lucy, looking
up to me, the burning words of Mary
sinking in my brain, was no long
or the Confederate soldier; was the
father of Lucy, and the husband Of
my Mary, and I would have passed
those lines if every gun of the bat
terry had been fired on mo. When
arrived home Mary ran out to meet
me, and embraced mo and whispered:
%, Edward, l am 30 happy; am 80
glad you got your furlough' She
must have felt mo shudder, for she
turned az pale as death, and catch
ing her breath with every word she
said: Have you come without your
furloughf o, Edward, go backl Go
back! Let me and the childran 90
down to the grave together, but for
heavens sake save the honor of your
name, and here I am, gentlemen; ;
not brought here by military power,
bnt in obedience to the command of
Mary to abide the sentence OF your
court"
Every officer Of the courtmartial
felt the force of the prisoners words.
Before them stood in beautiful vision
the pleader for u husbands and a
fathers wrong; but they had been
trained by the great leader, Robert
E Lee, lightning fash scorched the
ground beneath their feet, and each
in his turn pronounced the verdict
"Guilty." Fortunately for humanity
the proceedings Of the court we're re
viewed by the commanding general
and upon the record WAS written:
"The finding of the court approy