The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-29

In which the old brigade and the Tenth
Alabama bore a conspicuous part.
In this historic charge the confederates
recovered the four guns with which the
salient was armed, captured twelve
stands of colors seyenty-four officers
| including igader-General Bartlett and
staff, while more than 500 enlisted men
of the enemy, Cmostly negroes) were left
dead and Unburied in the trenches and
the narrow space between the lines
which at this point were scarcely
more than 40 feet. And here ihn ground
was literally covered with The dead Pc
gro soldiers, who had been pushed for
ward in the desperate undertaking #
holding the mine against the charge OF
the c1nfederates.
Daily Conflicts.
The summer and fall and winter were
passed with daily conflicts more or less
serious along the line. In one of these
conflicts, Colonel James e. Shelley fell
CALAMITY leading the Tenth in charge
on the enemy's line And there were the
affairs Of Jones Farm Reams Station,
and other sharp engagements during this
protracted siege, in which the Tenth par
ticipated, and would have been considered
important battles in the late Spanish
American war.
After the fall of Colonel Shelley the
command of the Tenth devolved on Lieu
tenant Colonel W. f. Smith, a most true
and gallant soldier, who was soon to be
commissioned colonel. As John II. For
ney was the first commander of the val
liant old Tenth it was the destiny of Will
liam f. Smith to be the last
Appomattox.
And, now came the advent of spring.
With four years of incessant war the
confederate army was fast becoming ex-
hausted in both men and material. IL
was without the means of recruiting its
thinned ranks or maintaining it's waning
strength. However reluctant to admit
such a fact, to the thoughtful mind II
was apparent, that in the present age,
with the advanced methods of warfare
other things equal, the party with the
greatest number and largest material re-
sources must ultimately triumph in ali
beligerant conflicts over the party with
fewer numbers and limited resources
For war in this advanced age of me-
chanical progress is but a conflict of ma
terial it is only question Of time when
the greater mass VIII exhaust and wear
out the smaller, And General Lee with
all his transcendent ability as a military
leader, and ferVid patriotism, was also Il
philosopher, and had recognized the hope
lessness of continuing the unequal con-
flict. Hence, when April 8, 1865, came al
ArpomattoX, he was prepared in his own
mind to surrender the army of Northern
Virginia on the best terms possible with
out the further sacrifice Of noble life
and the inevitable came TO pass.
The Tenth Alabama was accordingly
paroled at AppomattoX. when its veter-
ans, after nearly four years service. re-
turned to their former abodes in many
instances to find their homes ruined.
their property gone and destitute in all
save homer But they began the battles
of life anew, with the same courage ana
earnest purpose with which for years
they had fought for their constitutional
rights, and 1t is gratifying to know that a
large per cent, of them were more than
ordinarily successful in the avocations
and affairs Of civil life.
In Civil Life.
Following the fortunes OF the veterans
of the old Tenth into civil life, it will be
seen that many of them nave had honor
BILE prefer ment at the hands of an appre-
ciative public, some of whom may be
mentioned
Rufus w. Cobb. who went off with the
rank of captain, became governor of Ala
bama. serving two terms.
John II. Caldwell, another captain, was
elected TO the federal congress from the
Seventh district, and served two terms.
Taul Bradford holding the rank of ma
jor on the organization of the regiment,
represented the Fifth district In the
United States congress.
William IL. Forney was elected TO, ana
served in the United States congress nine
consecutive terms. as representative OF
the Seventh district.
Leroy f. Box served two terms as
state superintendent of education, then
became judge of the Seventh judicial cir
cult, which office he held at the time OF
his death.
Lon. w. Grant, for a time, adjutant of
the regiment, represented his district In
the state senate and for a period held
an appointment In the war Office. aiding
in compiling the records of the war OF
the rebellion, a position for which he was
well qualified
James Crook, another soldier of the
Tenth, became member of the first Ala
bama Railroad commission, and was SUBJ
sequently named as president of the COM
mission-an aggregate of service in that
body of eight years.
Many others were called to positions Of