The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-06-11

KIN the four years served In tn,
Army OF Northern Virginia y
said the old Confederate in {
reminiscent mood, Il saw more
men killed than I'd care to count. In
the course of the war. three out of the
four men who were terminates with
me were killed. Each one went down
within ten feet of me, one with his
mead torn away by shell, the second
with mimic ball that tore a great
hole in his jugular vein and the third
from an overdose of bayonet, when
we got at close quarters with the
Union troops one afternoon at Seven
Pines. My command lost ffty-eight
per cent. in one battle, and as we
usually came pretty near evening
things up with the other fellows 1
have been a witness at a pretty fair
share of violent demises.
In battle. after man gets over his
first scare at going into the line of
fire. the brute in him usually makes
him forget that he is coward When
he sees the fellow next to him fall, he
sorter feels sorry and has pretty
strong desire to come to close quarters
with the man that did it and let a
little daylight into him. Fighting as
We had to. l got so that 1 could see
man killed in battle with as little wor-
~ as II he had been partridge.
You know. near the close of the
war the poor. half-starved fellows got
10 deserving pretty frequently. 1t was
war and there was but one way to
remedy it-a wooden cross. the de-
-serter and the firing squad.
"One morning l left my command
and started over TO talk to some old
friends in Mississippi regiment. l
got about half OF the distance, when
ran into little body of men, Two
of them had their eyes blindfolded
and their eyes tied behind them. T1e
first fellow couldn't have been more
than twenty tive. He was tall, straight
as an arrow, with dark, curling brown
haIr, and his face was the handsomeSt
and the saddeSt l ever saw He
was walking quietly and steadily.
couldn't see his eyes. but not muscle
of his face was twitching and his feet
were planted fairly and squarely ON
the ground. l noticed that he wore
the uniform of n Captain.
The second fellow had to be held
up by four men. Every step he would
fall to the ground perfectly limp and,
1t seemed, lifeless. When the men
would get him up he would scream |
and cry like scared child. He was
a great. big, raw-boned man and his |
terror would have been disgusting If |
It hadn't been SO pitiable.
Il followed the little procession for |
1 hundred yards TO where the line of !
cf~
shot first. As they placed him with
MS back to the cross he said: Men,
fou know me. I've led you in thirty
lights, and you've never seen me shy
rom gun muzzle vet. have you?
ust want you to take this bandage of
ny eyes, and as long as I've got to die
ct me die like a man. I've given you
he order to fire many a time, and I'd
ike to give my last order, if you'll
ct me-. The Lieutenant hesitated. and
hen he said: Jack, I'll do it, if 1
Jet shot for it
They unbound his eyes. He
Enlightened himself for minute.
ook long look all about him. and
hen facing his men, said in as steady
voice as l ever listened TO, Ready!
Tim! Fire.
They fired, and he pitched straight
onward his full length, dead before
e struck the ground. Then they tried
D bind the other man 10 the cross.
ut he writhed and moaned and
visited away from it like a snake with
broken back. They gave 1t up. and
e was shot while he was crawling
long the ground, screaming out pray
RS for mercy .
Il heard afterward that the Captain |
caring that his old mother was dying,
ad asked leave to go TO his home.
-hich was only twelve miles away
We needed every man then, and the | I
ermit was refused. He slipped away.
ut before he got back Grant made |
ne of his attacks on our lines. The
company went into action
Or the first time without him at the
cad of it. He returned for court
lartial. DESERVING had become too {
,mmon for any excuse to be taken 1
,r it. and he was ordered to be shot I
lie next morning. BY some chance a {
etail OF his own company was Sc '
cted for the work. By another /
aance l happened to see him shot. [ S
'isb l hadn't"
Missionary's Peril. +
In the Introductory passages of I