The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-04-15

trial the proof could not be produce,
5 of the extension of his leave of absence
; as Col. Allison was in different com
Z mand then. Greatly to the surprise o
all he was found guilty. and unde
Bragg's idea of strict discipline. b,
was sentenced TO he sho. the seconI
day afterwards. As is customary il
military executions, the firing detail i
made from the company and regiment
of the condemned man, and W. NJ
! Shlres, Chris Shires, George Rummag,
and Sam Daimwood. of the Duck River
| Ritiemen. were of this detail to shoot
their companion. The execution was
, TO take place at four O'Clock in the
J afternoon: the grave had been dug
the troops of the Brigade and Division
were all in position on the conven-
tional three sides of hollow square
the wagon had driven up with the man
seated on his coffin; the firing squad
had taken position ten PAGES in front
of the doomed victim, who had been
blindfolded and placed at the grave.
when an officer dashed up, his horse in
a foam of sweat, with a reprieve from
General Polk.
Mat Reynolds had heard of this
strange trial and sentence at his home
in Maury county the night before He
had been an Enrolling Officer with
the regiment in Mississippi at the time
the leave of absence had been extended,
and knowing this mans innocence of
the charge. he had ridden all night
and well up in the day, nearly killing
his horse in the effort to reach Muir
freesboro. He had barely time to make
his statement to General Polk and for
the General to send staff officer with
the reprieve. The sentence of the
court martial was reversed, and an
honorable discharge granted, and today
he is living near Kedron, in Maury
county, highly respected man in the
community. He says he knows exactly
how dead man feels, for he consid-
cred himself dead man.
The Battle Of Murfressboro.
The Regiment went into the Battle
of Murfreesboro on the last of Decem
ber 1862 remaining in line until the
4th of January, and was one of the
last commands to be withdrawn on
the retreat to Tullahoma. 1t entered |
the fight with 81 commissioned officers
and 3l3 men, making a total of 344 |
electives; it lost Offices and s men
killed, and 5 officers and 80 men
wounded.
Lieut.. Joel L. Hardison was shot in
the face and killed in the first day
fight.
Willis A. Jones was killed on the Bird
of January.
Vim. I. Lee was wounded in the
collar bone and was sent home.
John Davis was slightly wounded.
Death of Col. Bratton.
Col e. L. w. Bratton had his left
leg shattered by a piece of a shell, or
grape shot, which passed on through
the horse, killing it, and wounding
the Colonel in the right leg. The limp
was amputated. and on the retreat he
was left at Murfreesboro, where he
died soon after. Bratton was the idol
Of the regiment. and had he lived
would undoubtedly have attained high
rank. Gen. Stewart paid him a de-
served compliment in the official report
Of the battle, ending his encomium by
calling him "a knight without fear
and without reproach.
Major Saml e. Shannon assumed
of the regiment, the Lieu
tenant Colonel being seriously wounded
On the 3rd of October, 1868, an order
was issued from the Adjutant and In
,pector General s Office at Richmond,
which, after explaining that the delay
n procuring medals and badges of dis
inction has been unavoidable, pro-
nulgated.
The Confederate Roll of Honor. :,
This was ordered to be read on Dress
Parade at the head of every regiment O
n the Confederate service. and on it W
vas placed the name of Willis A. a.
ones, of Company B, Twenty fourth
'ennessee Volunteers, for Conspicuous
Bravery at the Battle of Murfrees-
oro. :,
Some of his comrades, and his two :,
rothers now living in Maury county, q
ave told me of his conduct in this -,
attic. Although he had been wounded .,
n the ankle by a piece of shell in the -,
rst day s fight, and sent to the hos I,
ital yet on the third day he hobbled -
ack to the line; while handling his 7,
un, grape shot struck the lock, u
irving the hammer through his lung -,
18th fatal effect. 10
a Brave Yankee Colonel. M
A peculiar incident occurred in this ca
ght IN the CEDAR brake, tne ike Oh
Mich tends to soften the horrors of be
ar, and strongly illustrates the re- Lis
,ect that the true soldier has for er
-avery and gallantry, even if exhib- fr
ed by an enemy. dc
Colonel George W. Roberts, of the
orty second Illinois, was in command
the Bird Brigade. which, with the On
her troops under the command of fo
EN-. Phil. Ii. Sheridan. had been no
uted Colonel Roberts tried in vain "a.
stop the break in the Federal ranks M
used by this charge of the Tennessee
oops, and made effort after effort to IN,
form and restore the broken lines. On,
G was everywhere conspicuous for his be
avery an daring. and about eleven
clock he fell. killed by mimic ball.
lis Colonel Roberts was the Federal II
fficer who had given the Confederates nm,
CHI an april Fool nine months
fore at Island No. 10. on the Mssis- wo
,pi River With few small boats mn
d about so picked men, he slipped err,