The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-26
Letters to The Editor
Two AIabamiana,

Editor Advertiser:
 I have often wondered what fate be- CT met. I met them under circumstan- ces tragic. Prior to the Civil War intercourse between the citizens of States was very limited There %eSSeie were few railroads between the North and South. the only line being the Louis vile and Nashville to the North. In 1862 was with my regiment, stationed on Green river at Munfordsville Ky. where the Louisville and Nashville railroad crosses Green river. Along bridge across that river. General Buell. was marching North from Nash vile upon one road, and General Bragg allei to the one upon which Buell. was moving. Bragg's objective point was to capture Louisville. then join forces with General Kirby Smith and move on Cincinnati. This movement was never consumated. General Buell. fore ed Bragg south of Louisville and the battle of Perryville was fought. after which Bragg again returned South. leaving Cincinnati alone.
 On a bright September day two or dinarily dressed young men came in- side our lines representing they were plain citizens. visiting camp. They inside our lines and fortifcations They efuded to S esve our G lines say For %mo some come reason I do not now recall, suspicion had been attracted to them on part of one of our officers. He placed the young men under arrest. Upon close examina- tion this officer concluded they were spies from Bragg's army He pre- ferred charges against them. court martial was held and the two men were condemned to be shot on the follow ing Monday morning, as the day for lowing their condemnation was Sun day. I talked with them and they to hn h1I side our lines for information They had obtained it and the evidence was and estimates of our Our number. They said they were not at all afraid to die I felt very sorry for these two fair haired young Southerners. But their situation was suddenly changed on Sunday, Gen. Pat Cleburne of Arkan- sas. in command of six thousand men. attacked us with great vigOr. After a fight lasting five hours Cleburne, seeing he could not assault and cap ture us. retired. On Monday we were considered under the enemys guns. as ments to 1rS cieSurne na TSese young men could not be executed. while the army holding them was under fire, so Mon day ,.,ss passed by; with some lighting; carly and with great vigor. our forces being surrounded now on three sides by the Confederates, yet we were able to PS1s'ANAN''' Dle q 6 ilolN army of forty thousand men appeared upon our front. and dema nded our sur render. The day was spent in picket firing, and efforts to induce our sur render. Night came, when we were notified that unless we surrendered that the next day Bragg's whole army of forty thousand men with one hun dred and forty guns in position. on all sides of our works would attack us. General Wilder now a resident of Tennessee was in command. He said to General Bragg's officers that if they would show him they had the guns in position as claimed and their force surrounding us that he would sur render He was taken hlindfold inside of the Confederate lines, and rode around the same. He returned after midnight of Wednesday and reported to q council of his officers that he had counted one hundred and twenty guns in position bearing upon us, and that Rragg's army was back of them. On Thursday our surrender was made We were ordered paroled and 10 be sent to Macon. Ga. ] went to see the two young men sentenced to beshot and they danced and cried. embracing each other. They were two of the happiost men one could ever expect to see. l often wonder what life had in store for them. after their narrow es- cape from death as spies
 Norlherner