The Tucson citizen., 1902-05-06
AFTER THE BATTLE.
4 VETERANS STORY or A TAsSELEB
TURKISH FEE.


of Manassas-A Brave Boy and His
Dying Request.
"Whenever / see tasseled Turkish
fez," said Confederate veteran whose
attention had been attracted by a
smoking cap of that pattern in Canal
street window, II am reminded Of
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 q
few things that we badly needed and
for which the dead had no furtner use
-waterproofs, for instance, and sounc
canteers.
During the previous days engage
ment you may remember that a regi.
ment of freshly recruited New York
zouaves held the crest of hill and
were charged and almost annihilated
by Hoods brigade. They were moved
down like ripened grain and fell so
thickly that their corpses literally car
peted the earth. ! dare say it was as
awful a slaughter, considering the
number engaged, as occurred anywhere
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 q week before. and they were said
to be the most gorgeously uniformed
military troop ever organized. They
wore scarlet Turkish trousers, blue
jackets embroidered with gold bullion
braid and purple fezes with long pend.
ent tassels.
Being Just from the outfitters. all
this fne regalia was perfectly fresh
and new, and somehow or other II
added to the ghastllness OF the specta'
Gle on the hillside. The corpees were
Ia all sorts OF strange postures. and
their fantastic costumes gave them IN
air Of horrible grotesqueness that
couldn't begin 70 describe In words.
However, to come to my point.
had picked up a Sex to carry. away as
relic and was about TO leave the spot
when | happened to nottce o much
handsomer specimen on the head OF
little zouave stretched out. stiff and
stark. q few yards away. with q hand
kerchief over his face. | stepped up n
make q SWAP but had barely touche<
the tassei when q low, sweet toOe<
voice under the handkerchief said
Please dOa4T
For q moment" continued the veter
an, 'that unpleasant protest. ccninl
from what had supposed to be I
corpse. made my hair bristle ON m.
head. Thea Z lifted the handkeEchie
and was shocked to zee the delicate
refined featurea of q boy not over IL
He was pale a. death and evtdenu,
desperately wounded. but be looked q
me eAImiy. My God exclaimed
what aaa you are to be herey I'm
afraid ,rm dying unless have help,
As ssylfsd 'Ds ye4 think the-sargeon
Win 6s around prsfsy soonT -Ths Lors
kuo1sy | ssoaned. Tor the boys cour
see Touched me so the heart You
surxeons have all run away. and W
essay a16xe 4 few. wtth more wcunde'
than they Nan Hstend to- Then gues
all CO ~ is 20 lie here quietly an,
Siie,' be said IN the safne gentle voice
Can yea ees nae little water befor
you gor
IL took his canteen and hurried dowl
to q branch at the foot OF the bill
where the arst thing | saw. by th
way. was the corpse OF n zouave foa:
ing I'm q pool. l went up the stream fa
enough TO get out OF the horrible deati
zone, fiiled the canteen with pure ~ra
ter and was soon back at the boys aide
gave hisn q drink. and he thanked me
rs there nothing else can dor asket
> awkwariiy. because | knew our com
pany was under early marching order
that morning and that 1t would be i'm
possible for me to linger much longer
Nothing at all. thank you he replied
NO message to anybody No; moth
ing. thanks
'T turned away most reluctantly AM
had gone only a few yards when
heard his thin voice calling me back
Excuse me- he said. but want yo'
TO accept this as a present. and b
handed me his fine purple fez- No. no
| exclaimed. greatly embarrassed;
couldn't think OF taking It. When. y
started to q little while ago. though
you--you'-- Thought was dead. o
! course he interrupted. Well. | 500
will be, and that other fez will do M
3ust as well. Please put IL on my hea
and take mine saw that he woul
be hurt unless I did as he desired. SO
took the fe2 and went away.
"In less than half an hour our com
pany was on the march, and. needles
to say, never heard anything more
the little child zouave. He was badi
wounded and undoubtedly died wher
\ left him. | kept the fez a long time.
: added the veteran. ''but 1t was finall
lost. with other odds and ends. In tn
general confusion following the wal
I'd give some money for 1t today
Nar, nrlaans Tfmps- Democrat