The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-20

During the days of 81 ana 62, from
the old Graded School building In Troy,
forty-one young men went forth to bat
tie, and less than one-third OF these men
ever reached home again.
Troy's part in the war between the
States can be best shown by giving, there
fore few character sketches of an hon.
ored soldier or two.
Dempsey G. Leary.
The war record of this man. Dempsy
C. Leary, was all brightness. How bright
it was cannot be shown. as Hawthorne
said of Colonial Governor. for there are
no shadows in the picture to be used as
a contrast.
Mr.. Leary was born in Georgia, but
was reared in Pike County
In the days when Southern settlers
rushed to Kansas to make of 1t a slave
holding State, j. Buford of Eufaula, took
colorists from Alabama there. and among
the men with him went young Leary.
OF course the Northern and Southern
men began fighting instead of farming.
In a skirmish Leary and five comrades
were captured, and by an informal court
martial were tried and sentenced to be
shot in four days. For this interim they
were placed in an old blacksmith shop.
Here these boys stood face to face with
dom to be granted them. On the last
day, two hours before they were to be
shot Leary saw through a crack In the
old shop away off in the distance q
white flag of truce come fiuttering over
the hill, and to the boys transcendant
glory, a glory, beyond compare, shone
around that flag like a halo for 1t brought
them hope. In a few minutes with not
one word of explanation the prisoners
were released. Leary afterwards learned
that the Southern leader. Colonel Jones,
came to make a proposition to Colonel
Lane of the abolitionists. He Gones)
would exchange ten Northern men for one
white prisoner, and in the event of a
refusal not an abolitionist would he leave
alive on Kansas soil to tell the tale, by
the rising of the morrow's sun.
Leary next went with the Southern men
to Leavenworth City, Kan, which the
abolitionists set on fire as they left Here
be gets up a subscription for a young
Northern school teacher to go to Geor-
gia, her all being in ashes in the hotel
ruins.
Leary returned to Pike County. and in
1861 went to Montgomery, and Joined
Company H Of the 9Th Alabama Infantry,
which year later became Company e.
In all the battles and general engage
ments In and around Richmond, Leary
fought. and to say that he fought 10 to
say that he was at the front. In the
first battle of Manassas, and also in Lee s
first campaign in Maryland. he was con-
spicuous.
On one occasion General Gordon intro
duced Leary to General Rhodes as THE
rough diamond of the 9Th Alabama
All this time ne was private, and
never wounded.
He was transferred to the army of Ten
nessee, and served under Wheeler, of
BEN. John T. Morgan's Brigade as a
private with a lieutenant's commission in
his pocket. He seemed to care not for
glory but for his cause.
Leary was always ready to help the
wounded and his tender heart would
cause him to crawl out between the lines
to give water to the wounded men, plac-
ing himself in imminent danger of death.
Many are the stories told of his kindness
to the prisoners in his hands.
From Pike County. in 1891, he passed
into the presence of the Lord God of
Hosts" with these words on his lips: II
am going to cross the river, but at the
upper ferry
His body was fittingly laid to rest at
the base of his company monument In
Montgomery.
Thomas M. Murphree.
Mr.. Murphree was in active service all
during the war, fighting in seventy odd
general engagements or battles. His
heart IL yet with the Confederate cause,
and 1t is his chief pleasure to tell of the
events of the war IN which he was so
valiant an actor.
The few incidents given here will show
the patience of the Southern soldier in
times of dire distress.
Young Mistis, you say you wan me
to spressify some bout Marse Tom Muir
phree in de war? La! chile, 1 amt got
de dictation to tell all dem Happenings OF
hisn for dey wuz monstrous many, sartin.
Once endurin' of de war, Marse Tom s
clo'es needed patchin mighty bad; dey
had been wore out in de service of de
country. Hit peared like he Jes bound
to hab 'em fixed Oar wuz a tailor long
wild him what hit 'sturb nightly to cook.
Marse Tom he ak dat man to scuffle
round and put a parcel of patches on
dem pants of his'n, and he'd swap sum
cookin' for de work. Dat man ha'f-soIed
dem pants wild patches from great coat
OBJ a Yankey capten in de shape OBJ a
heart. OATS why dey nitrate to name
Marss Tom de bigges hearted man in
de army" ell along OBJ dat fool tailor 6
wuk. Chile, I done hearn Marse Tom, fire.
quent. say how ragged de po soldiers
wuz, not knowing where he mex clo'es
wuz a-comin' from.
Folks wuz jes' natchelly tossi1ed in dem
days, de soldiers wuz special, to get