The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1907-01-10
a WAR r EMINIs cENcE.
Facts About Ninetee nth Los Iisana Regiment and
Fifth Company, svashington Artillery.
ISouthern Watchr aan.l


EMBREE VALE, La, March IS, 1906.
Mr.. Editor: ENCLOSED you will find a
letter from General j. A. Chalaron, who
was First Lieutenant and Captain of the
Fifth Company, Washington Artillery, c.
S. A. General Chalaron was one OF the
best officers and soldiers in the Confede- I
rate Army, and the Fifth Company OF
Washington Artillery was just about the
hest Company in the Confederate States
Army. have seen them when compi-
mented on the field of Chickamauga by
Major Graves, the Chief of Artillery of
their battalion, just before he was killed.
have seen them when at missionary Ridge
with one old broken down piece Of artillery
and Major Austen's Battalion of Sharp
shooters and few stragglers, they held
in check the whole of Sheridan Division,
and saved the Army Of Tennessee from
utte- reute and defeat. Yes! | saw them
on the 18th of July, 1863, at jackson, Miss.
when, after hurting grape and canister and
shell into the Federals, killing eighty out
right in front of their position, and many,
many more ran into their breastworks for
protection, some hosting handkerchiefs as
flags of truce, that the firing might cease.
This was the first and only time ever saw
men run in a battery to surrender. Why?l
Because it was hot as hi out in front of
those guns and the Federals thought it
must be little cooler at the point Of firing.
Then what did | see next? The guns of
the Washington Artillery had scarcely
ceased booming and the minnies were still
buzzing and the smoke of battle was lazily
drifting from over the field Of carnage,
showing the many dead who SO short
time before had been alive with pulses
beating with the excitement incident to
battle, but now lay low, their last battle
fought, when one of the members of the
Washington Artillery candy Swayne)
seated himself at the piano that was in
their breastworks and played "You Shan't
Have any Of my Peanuts, When Your
Peanuts are Gone,'' most of the Company
| joining in the song.
Is it a matter OF wonder that such men
could and did fight? No! No wonder
General Dan Adams, the "Old Fighting
Pelican'' Of Louisiana, who stood nearby
with his hat on one side of his head, and
it at an angle of forty-fve degrees, with
4 a bullet resting on his brain, chuckled and
laughed as he stood and looked at them
and said "Ah! those boys, those boys,
fighting and then music" There may
have been in those days better fighters,
but it was not my good fortune to meet
them. What l have recorded saw, for
my Company, Company G, Nineteenth
Louisiana Regiment of Infantry, rested on
the bastion OF the Washington Artillery.
Colonel w. P. Winans, General Chalaron
speaks of, was my uncle. He was killed
at Missionary Ridge, shot thirty yards in
front Of his Regiment Nineteenth
Louisiana-and when taken to the rear,
near the foot of the ridge, he asked the
surgeon how long he had to live; the sur
geon replied; "Only a few minutes"
Then Colonel Winans said. ssMy Regi-
ment has acted CALAMITY. Oh! this will
kill my poor wife, and then what will my
little children do?' He had four little
girls. tbs thus noble spirits die On the
battlefield; first thinking of his Regiment,
and then of wife and children. know
there be many who died thus, and sleep on
the field where they fell with nothing to
mark the spot where they lie. But we
should erect monuments to the unreturned
brave. These shall commemorate and
keep forever alive the grand, the glorious,
| the holy legend, the richest heritage Of all
the ages now left US by those few who
still survive, and by those almost countless
thousands who now sleep on fame's eter-
nal camping ground :"
The last time saw General Dan Adams
was at the Gee Hotel in Selma, Ala, in
the fall Of 1854. He was standing in the
door. Istepped up to him and said, how
are you, General?" He said, how do you
i do? | am glad to see you,' but did not
call my name. | said, 6 General, don't
believe you know me?" He replied, 81
i don't know your name, but know where
you belong" Isaid, where do Ibelong?''
He replied, 8 to my old Brigade
Now, this is one of the greatest honors
he could have heaped upon me; that /
belonged to his old fighting Louisiana
Brigade, and that the old Pelican, = like
1 Napoleon, knew it. / had commanded
i Companies in this Brigade, and to-day,
f<x-~.