The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-15

one, the others, fearful MS they were for
the time, were only local In nature. atid
temporary II, their effects, The map Of
the grentest country and nation oh NE
face OF the globe was not rlntiged ny
these results. Only once did ! thus tnlk5
to the DID veteran. It was like tnlK'hgs
against d. cyclone, SO violently ana mega.
lively did he shake lila denr, honest Old
head. I almost regretted my remarks
and even pleaded my ignorance OF ter
rible Iuogonont M
It was at sangaitnry 1luogoi,ont his
right hand was mutilnted by British
tnusket bali, and his head received q Sc
we're sabre cut. He remained III the flgllt
Until grape shot shattered his left leg,
only leaving the field when Carried from
II Some hours af,cr his badly defeated
emperor had cried: "sauve ut1l peut'
and hurriedly gnllopcd away.
lie once requested me to tell MN
something about the battle Of Fredericks-
burg ana famous Mayre's Heights, where
the Federals made their t'ravest, most des-
perate fight OF the war; told him OF
their terrible slaughter and defeat on
Our left at Mayre's 1llll then briefly
described to him the fighting Of, our
right wing held by General "stonewall"
Jackson with 10000 men; told him Of the
several bloody repulses, and final de-
feat Of General Meude's fine division OF
General 11rankin's grand division left
wing OF $4,000 mon; / explained to him
how it was by far the grandest sight
one never to be forgottcn-thnt Witness
ed during the war; my command not be-
Ing engaged, how was on hiilslde
near nm elngnnt rifle gun, one OF Dat-
terry eager to open fire at easy range
on this marching host OF the Federal
army, NIL in full view below us, rapidly
advancing along the wide plain adjon-
Ing the rivct, and soon to fercely attack
General Jacksonfs forces Of our right
wing that quietly but impatiently wait
ed with shot and shell and deadly
musketry to deci1nte the ranks OF that
proud array at close and fatal range;
for n few minutes preceding the terrible
fighting we adfnlringly. excitedly looked
on the superb human panorama all In
active movement, and most inspiring,
imposing display, partly filling with life,
and color and sound, the broad plain be-
low us: this splendid division OF many
thousand men going to certain disaster
and partial distinctions:
with all their baners bravey spread,
And all their nr1nor flashing high"
on they came most gallnntly with brave
hearts and high hopes soon to&te dashed
to earth by the fearless, determined men
who quietly waited for them only to
and torn, In shattered ranks they with
drew from their desperate venture leav-
ing several thousand of their dead and
wounded.
The old fellows eyes fairly sparkled in
excitement when I told him how the
fight opened on our right wing under
General Jackson when battery with its
youthful commander Ohe Gallant
Pelham') galloped out of our lines into
the open PLAN, all unsupported then
hurredly unlmbered his Whtworth
coming host and at once rapidlyslf firing
pouring shot and she'll at short range
and deadly precision into their steady.
deep, serried ranks. There was little
wavering, and only brief hating in tho
advance by Doubleday's, division. that
kept their formation well quietly received
and accepted this initiatory part as tho
prelude OF the fierce, dramatic perform
nnce soon to begin after the grave bat-
terry had returned into our lines. having
inflicted all the damage possible to this
left wing Of F'ranklln's grand division;
then ere long the battle was on In dead
earnest when Jackson's veterans pro-
ceeded to close tho bloody drama in de-
feating the enemy. That thirteenth day
Of December, 1862, from my perch on
the hillside by lovely twenty-pound
Parrot gun I saw this sight Of surpass-
Ing splendor vanish--this magnificent arr
ray three times hurled back badly bait
tered and broken, and then with their
glory departed they returned no more.
That night In December 1t was well known
to Confederate and Federals that the
Army Of the Potomac commanded by
General Burnside had received its most
bloody and humiliating defeat
l.. the lives of most men with expo
rience above the commonplace there is
at least one great event that Is ever
abiding, that comes up at will when the
mind long years after the event still
WILDLY recalls 1t as 1t left its first i'm
1ncSsion of greatness and grandeur. And
now after tho lapse of more than two
score years readily call up distinctly
faithfully all the pomp and circum-
stance of that grand panorama on the
low lying plains Of historic old Freder-!
icksburg.
A dozen years after the death of my
old friend l again visited Paris. the day
following my arrival l called on the
commandment Of Dcs 1nvalldes, who kind
ly showed me the grave OF my Waterloo
V, teran. he then quietly observed-I
thought with some touch Of sadness
that the last Waterloo man gone on the
long march. where there was no sound
VI Duble, ms anu uEulIIi nv SdllyillS VI
rations, knapsacks and weapons of dead
~ strife; neithor wars, nor rumors of
war. In a room devoted to relics the
commandment pointed out q very old and
lcuch worn pair of crutches, he kindly
permitted me to handle them. noticed
a metal tag with the inscription: Jules
Gerard, Waterloo, June 10. 1S15-1S775-1SS5
Dear old Jules Gerard has Leen dead
a score Of years, but our appreclatlvo
4 - r i
are still kindly recalled and remembered.
During my last visit to Des Invalides
made inquiries ABOUT the death Of my
Waterloo friend, ! was told that fond
memories OF his loved Emperor fingered
dearest and longest in the old soldiers
dying thoughts; as the light Of earth
faded In his dim eyes he uttered his last
audible words: "Vive lempereur!
Na-po -le-on! Na-po-le-on!"
A u