The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-04-26
KING GEORGE.
a Comparison Of Wars An Incident
Confederate Days.

a Comparison Of Wsrs-An Incident
Confederate Days.
King George County, va Aprll2l, 1907
In the press reports Of the war now
going on between Russia and Japan
there is one feature that strikes an old
Confederate soldier az very peculiar, and
that II that there should be- 80 littls bloo1
shed where so much powder n burned
nder D aiming headlines he reads ot the
terrific bombardment Ot Port Arthur,
and hnds no report of casualties except
'one man on shore badly bruised then
OF bloody engagement at AiJl ih
which one was killed and sixteen wound
ed The same feature marked the late
spanish war. notably one incl
dent reported AT the time a. q herre
nayal attack on Cuban Tort. wuich r.
suited in no spllling uf blood except that
Of a superannuated Matanzas mule that
had been turned out 70 graz around thr
iOrtficAtionS Such msager results make
strange reading Tor Confederate veterans,
especially when they consider the present.
day boast OF improved guns from which
balls fly thick and fast, Ike grains from
the tail Of all snte belium wheat thresb-
Pr. and then call 10 mind their oli muL-
zle loading q lucA muskets with when
they would sometimes shoot down a
hundred bue-coa's before sunrlse al
iourn an hour for breakfast sni then
resume the hight and lay out a thousand
or so before dinner Sucn results occur
ced in the first battles Of our war. ann
later on the record was improved alter
the enemy had been chased Out Of boots
enough 10 shoe the bar, footed and were
made 10 throw down, Ia their Hight.
enough Springfield mussets 10 replace
lhe fiint-lOcks
SPEAKING e those old trrlocks with
which Confederate soldiers were iirst
equipped. calls 10 mind 81 incident wblrb
illustrates. though in small part. the
great odds against southern soldiers in
nur civil war We shall c'ye the story
A. il wss related 70 u a short time ago
by our bachelor friend. Doctor Jlmbse. OF
stafford a4d King GrOrge On coun-
ties claim him because, while b. has done
al his voting in Stafford, the chief part
OF bis courling has been done IN this
county.
1T was iu the early days Of the war,
says the Daet0r. while IN the -rtiilery
service aud encsmped near Aqua Greek
With large detachment Oi Southern
troops. then under the command Of Gen
H.. was called 70 the sdjutsnt's tent
one morning and told that ! had been
detailed TO 20 20 fredericksburg on an
important mission: 10 tase with me a
guard Of one man Of my own selection.
that ! was 10 20 by rail and that a box
car with an engine would be ready Tor
me 10 thi-ty minutes that. when ready
10 start, he would hand me sealed di-
patch TO be delivered 10 the post com
msnder 10 town. He gave NE no intime
tion OF the character Of my mission but
being then young in the service ! wac
duly impressed and highly elated AZ the
idea Of being thus honoied by selection
inr secret and therefore - cially i'm
Dorrsnt duty. The thirty minutes D.
lowed me were utilized 10 making my
Oest toilet which includet. beslle- "a pair
Of old cloth CATERS brought from home.
a billed shirt and an old. but very stria-
ing blue cloth uniform. which wore only
on rare occasions
As this old coat will play "a conspicu-
Gus part ia the coming iines OF my story
mad as well describe IL iust her it y II
family heirloom handed down from sire
co son through several generations; sgr
not known, hu' certain earmarks points
to a vintage OF the eighteenth century
of the doubled breasted. swallow tail
variety. carrying bullet proof collar
that runs well up 70 the crown OF the
wesrer's head when turned down, and
when turned up affords a safe battery OF
protection against any ordinary shot
coming from the rear; hes three rows Of
brass buttons In front, and the reguls-
ton number behind and on the cuts
while the skirts carry pockets OF ample
capacity. Family tradition says II re
ceived its first baptism OF fire at the bat
tie Of Bunker Hill, where my grandfather
wore it. and again in 1914, shared the
perils OF war with my iathef at Lundy's
Lane
"Diked out with this dazzling display
OF war relics, ! boarded my car and made
the run to iericksburg, where de-
livered the sealed dispatch TO Major b.,
commander OF the post He frOwned az
he read. then endorsed and sealed IL, and
told me 10 take it TO the ordnance office
near the railroad depot The officer then,
after reading il, looked at me intently,
probably admiring my uniform, then
asked: Did you bring anything to put
them in? After assuring him | was ig-
nOrant OF the matter Of my mission, he
led me into an ad ,ining room, which
was dark and smet like cheese He then
told me the order was for one thousand
gun fiints, and ~ be had no bag or box,
[ would have to carry them in my pOck.
cts. and asked me to back up TO an old
cheese hox nearby. on the lid Of which |