Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1907-08-06
Escaped Execution at the
Hands of Notorious, Gen.
Stephen Burbridge.
ENLISTED AS A BOY.
Charlton G.Duke, who Fought
AS & Private Under Gen.
Adam R. Johnson.
CONFEDERATE SKETCH No. 8.

CO@'N AAAJ141NElI ANOs ~
twas charged in the closing
years of the civil war, that the Con-
federacy, hard-pressed for men, was
wont to rob both the cradle and the
grave in filing the gaps in the deple-
ted ranks. Many old men, whose
stalwart sons had been slain, enlisted
in the desperate struggle to protect
their homes and many boys, mere
lads when the struggle began, grew
large enough to bear arms before it
ended. Belonging to this class was
Charlton G. Duke, who was but Ia
years of age when Fl. Sumter was
fired on. By April 1864 he had
grown to be lusty lad Of II and en-
listed under Col. Lee A. Sypert,
from Caldwell county, where he lived
at that time. Col. Sypert's regi-
ment was attached to Gen. Adam r.
Johnson's command and the young
soldier soon saw some very active
service. Taking part in the opera
tons around and about Morganfeld,
KY, in the summer of 1864, he was
in the fights at Geiger's Lake, Chap
ell, Blues Pond, Bells Mines, Old
Salem, and Grubbs' Cross Roads,
near Cerulean Springs. 1t was in
this hot skirmish that Gen. Adam
R. Johnson had his eyesight destroy
ed by a shot that put out both eyes.
He was taken to the home of Col.
Fenton Sims, in Cadiz, and recover
ed his health but remained totally
blind to the end of his life. After
wards Gen. H. B. Lyon succeeded to
the command of the forces in West
ern Kentucky.
From Grubbs' Cross Roads, Cald-
well county, the young Partisan
Ranger followed Col. Chenowith,
who assumed command, in the run
ming fight tina; finally led him to Par
is, Tenn.
From Paris he was sent by Col.
Sypert, with his brother, John. C.
Duke, and his cousin, Capt. Lindsey
Buckner. back into Kentucky to gath
er up some of the men who had been
unable to cross the river with the
command. While thus engaged,
they were captured by Federals, who
were over-running the whole country
by that time, and sent to Louisville
to a prison that had became known
as verilable slaughter pen." An
incident hat occurred during Mr..
Dukes Imprisonment is best told in
his own words, taken from a paper
prepared a year or two ago and
read at meeting of the Daughters
of the Cohfederacy at Bowling Green,
KY,
81 will not speak of the many in
dignities heaped upon our men while
in this prisor but pass on to a period
which | can never recall without
emotions of deepest sadness. We
had been there about three or four
weeks when we were coolly inform
ed one morning that Capt. Lindsey
Buckner, B. p. Wallace, John Duke
and myself would be shot the follow
ing day,by ord-r of Gen. Burbridge in
retaliation for 1 mail carrier, who
had been killed by band of guerril-
las, supposed ID be Sue Mundy's
gang. We did rot spend that day
with any degree II pleasure, for the
thought of dying an ignominious
death at the han Is of our enemies,
instead of a glorious one on the bat
tlefeld, was indie l., depressing; but
we determind to meet our fate like
men.
We were greatly surprised the
next morning when several nicely
dressed men in 'ue uniforms, one
of whom we rec uized as Mr.. Ed
Baker, from on me at Princeton.
Kentucky, can the prison, and,