The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-19
THE FIELD OF WAR.
BY j. LAwLER DARBY.

There is no need for me to praise the confederate soldier. His sufferngs and deeds, have made his name imperishahle. The bodies of men are mortal, and mar ble erumbles. but thought is eternal.
 Not many years ago. an old army surgeon was visiting in Mobile. As he would enter his hotel a man sitting in an easy chair, would fix his eyes upon him. This gazing got to be disagreeable to this doctor. He asked the stranger why he was so impolite. Replying he said, T did not intend to be so. Please tell me if you were at chiekamauga when the woods caught on fire that night. 'Yes,-why do you ask?' Look at this wound my neck and tell me, fl you are not the young, and slender surgeon that cut piece from your saddle blanket, stopped the flowing hood, and saved my Iife?" "I am the man.
 Last summer when the cottage com mittee were at work-and through the lberaity of the citizens of Jefferson, built home at Mountain Creek-this same surgeon was telling his Battle House story A comrade, as if being stirred by some vague memory, or familiar voice, i looked and listened. Springng to his feet. he exclaimed, "I am the man that held the soldiers head while you tied on the piece of blanket" And so was in- spired that tender and beautiful poem Just Thirty-nine Years Ago, Today
 published in The AgeHerald last Sun day morning, and signed, "Chickamauga. Samuel l.. Robertson.
 At Houston, two comrades were sit ting on a bench, another one passing by joined them. The first two, had left, each limb, on the battlefield. Henry, as far as l can learn, only you, Charley Hunt and myself, are left out of the old company. Don't you wish we could see | him once more?" Strange as it may seem. in almost a moment Charley Hunt stood | on his crutches before them. They kiss, l they hug they cry-one falls, the strong CT lifts him gently up and he is crying | child again. In the shadow of the sun set these aged men rejoice in meeting once more, and the twilight seems to ] finger oyer the scene, while good-byes are said, and then each one goes his way.
 I have a friend here, E. T. Taliaferro, who in '61 was living in Alexandria, Va. He belonged to the rifemen of that old | town He was there when Jackson killed Ellsworth as he attempted to take down a confederate flag that foated over his l hotel These were the first to be killed l in the war During the confusion that l followed all of the confederate troops left the city for Manassas The trunk i of the soldier was left at his boarding house. Four years and six months after | wards he returned, found his trunk as he had left it. and the joy at once more having white shirts, and good clothes, | fine shoes and a pair of pumps, was great Mrs. Lay, the faithful guardian | of the trunk, was true to the old state, i and the confederate cause to the last
 The 26th of the present month, will be | Memorial day. There will be many such men in line as I have mentioned. They ! will come from Shilo, Franklin, Gettys- burg Wilderness, and many other bloody fields, where they left thousands of their | comrades. You can't be there to scatter | flowers, but you can join with us here in this beautiful custom The ceremonies will be Sunday afternoon at o'clock at Oakhill They will be short, but inter- esting. and impressive. All are invited. i We want the children there. The chair man of the committee will have the programme published. Come and show l your esteem and love for these old men. The memory of their exploits will be told l by an eloquent tongue, a recital by cultured daughter, and music led by a sweet-voiced songster.