The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-20

our muskets. In this campaign, Judge
Houghton's brigade was foraging in
southeast Virginia. sweeping 1t of all sur
plus supplies for the army. When COM
mssary and quartermaster supplies had
been accumulated to such an extent that
the army need not fear starvation for
time, Longstreet turned his face north
ward to unite with Lee, the great com
mander, near Charlottesville. There, the
great army, the mightiest the south ever
sent to the field, turned northward to
Gettysburg. In the great battle of the End
of July, Comrade Houghton, standing to
his waist In the pool of cold water in
the bottom of Devils den, exchanged shot
for shot with the foe who fired from
above down on him and his fellows. When
Lee retreated from the fatal field our
comrade came back with the retiring
army and shortly after with Longstreets
corps, he engaged in the gigantic strug-
gle on Chickamauga creek, the river of
death.
Following this campaign Judge Hough-
ton made the battle against the severe
winter and the ever present enemy. He
was in the failure at Knoxville. When the
winter was over his corps in May went
to the Rapldan to join Lee in resisting
the advance of General Grant. In all the
terrible battle from the wilderness to the
investment and through the long seige
resisting the attacks of the enemy, and
always 1t was the enemy that gave way.
Stirring Scenes Recounted.
Perhaps there were no more brave
struggle than that made by few Con-
federates at Fort Harrison, when an
overwhelmingly force of the enemy was
held at bay until relief came. This IS
where occurred the splendid story as told
by him of the death of the champion
Corporal Dick, put forward by his negro
associates to climb the parapet of the
breastwork and by force of his strong
arm force back the thin resisting line
of Confederates and when struck by
Confederate bullet, the cry of the de-
feated negroes, Oar now, done kill Cor
poral Dick" was for them the death
knell of their courage. 1t was during
this campaign that his greatest work as
scout was performed, some of the
most striking incidents of courage ever
given in the life of any brave man. In
one of these scouting expeditions. he and
a fellow scout just before dawn met
with about twenty of the enemy, chal-
lenged them to surrender, and when there
was hesitation called to an imaginary
support to advance to the attack. Hear
ing this order, the boys in blue obeyed
an order to lay down their arms ana
when only two audacious grey men adj
vanced to accent the surrender there was
fierce grumbling and denunciations of the
sham, but the drawn pistols or the
scouts soon commanded respect. The cap.
tured federals were marched to camp.
On the retreat to Appomattox, he was
again on scout and frequently within
range of the enemy's fire. When the or
der to stack arms was made ana the
surrender was occurring. he escaped from
the surrounding enemy and was making
his way southwark when he was sur
rounded, captured and paroled.
In all that great and terrible war, none
was drawer, none was more faithful
none more freely offered his life for the
cause that was lost and for all he had
no reward, except consciousness of duty
well done. Returning home with heavy
heart, only the past glorious. and the
future all black with gloom made doubly
dark by the encirclng political gloom. he
went to work to build from the very
earth. Having begun the practice of the
law, about the year 1870 he went to
Hayneville, in Lowndes county, and
there very soon by his sterling worth.
and great industry, he not only acquired
a practice and property. but gained the
esteem of the best citizens. They always
knew where to find him when questions
of high morality and lofty principles
were involved After few years resi-
dence he married Miss Streety, the daugh-
fer of one of the best families in Ala
bama. OF that marriage was born
daughter who died when two years old
and a son Harry Streety Houghton. now
engaged in the practice of the law in
Montgomery. Ala. His wife soon died.
Career in Birmingham.
Coming to Birmingham about eighteen