Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-06-17
GENERAL LEE WAS MERCIFUL

Pardoned Desertar Who Went Home t
/ Starving Family.
The late General John b. Gordon
gave this story to the narrator only ;
few months before he died.
A few days before Christmas, 1868
when the army of General Lee was suf
fering its greatest privations there
was dramatic scene in the tent of the
Judge Advocate General. The morn
ing was cold, the wind was bleak and
and the ground was covered with snow.
The wood fire seemed only to make
1.-THE cold more penetrating.
| Edward Cooper, wearing the gray
uniform of private soldier in the
Confederate army, stood before court
martial charged with desertiOn. The
facts had been stated by the prosecu
tion and the prisoner was asked to in
troduce any witnesses he might have
for his defense. He calmly replied: II
have no Witnesses
AstOnished at the calmness and dig
nifty OF the soldier and the Indifference
with which he seemed to be submitting
to an inevitable fate General Battle
said to him: Have you no defense
whatever? Is it possible that you
abandoned your comrades and desert
ed in the presence of the enemy and
without any reason ?"
''There was a reason, replied Cooper,
"but 1t will not avail me before mill
tary tribunal
''Perhaps you are mistaken" replied
the general. ''You are charged with
the highest crime known to military
law, and it is your duty to make
known the cause or causes which in
1uenced your action
Thereupon Cooper approached the
president of the court and presented u
letter, saying as de did so: ''There,
General, is what led me to CO." The
letter was offered as the prisoners de-
tense. 1t was in these words:
"Dear Edward: Since your connec
tion with the Confederate Army have
been prouder of you than ever before.
would not have you do anything
wrong for the world; but, before God,
Edward, unless you come home we
,of oct nioht
by little Eddie crying. I called to him
and said: What is the matter, Eddie p
He said oh, mama, l am 80 hungry =
And Lucy, your darling Lucy, she
never complains, but she is growing
thinner and thinner every day. Be
fore God, Edward. unless you come
home We must die.
"YoUR MARY"
Turning to the prisoner, General
Battle said: "What did you do when
you received that letter ?' Cooper re
Piled: 81 made application for fur.
Tough. 1t was rejected. Again made
application and it was rejected. That
night 1 wandered around our camp
thinking of my home. the wild eyes Of
Lucy looking at me and the burning
words of Mary seethlng in my brain. 1
was no longer the Confederate soldier;
l was the father of Lucy and the hus-
band of Mary. If every gun in the
battery had been fired at me / would |
have crossed those lines. When
reached my home Mary flung her arms /,
about my neck and sobbed. "Oh, my
dear Edward! l am so glad you got |
your furlough." She must have felt |
me shudder, for she turned pale as |
death, and catching her breath at ev
cry word she said: 'Have you come
without your furlough? Go back, Ed.
ward; go back Let me and the chill
dren go down to the grave, but, for |
heaven sake do not tarrish the honor
of our name"
Every officer on that courtmartial
was visibly affected by the defense, but
each in turn pronounced the verdict
guilty-"Guilty." The proceedings of
the court were reviewed by General
Lee, and upon the record was written:
Headquarters A. N. V.-The find
ing of the court is approved. The pri-
soner is pardoned and will return to
his company.
''R. E. LEE, General"
The courtmartlal could reach no 9th
er conclusion than to find him guilty
of desertion. The commanding gem
eral could pardon him, and did pardon
him. Edward Cooper was afterWard
a brave Confederate soldier. The Of
licers raised some money out of their
slender means and sent relief to the
wife and children.-Philadeip Press.