The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-15
Cnptnln Psrlser's I'iety.

kecb are running, let US give thanks
The Captain replied. NO. ram that
she'll down and let 'em have 1t, and
VIZ will thank God after awhile" The
Colonel. who was near the gun, and
who was not at that time religious
Itian. went up to the Captain and put
ting his hand on the Captains shout
der said, Captain. was not that re-
ngrk rather disrcapectful to God?"
He replied, "You wicked man. would
rather have had any man in the South
ern confederacy have heard me make,
that remark than you" i was proud
OF my hoy company" but did not re-
lax In my drilling or discipline on the
and while 1 could see partial
change toward their commander,
coi,ls see that still had their dislike
and that they thought | was TOO par
tai to their company. and would pre-
fer that I would be more attentive to
the either three batteries Of the battal-
Ion. President Davis said OF Colonel
Lee In this battle. II have reason to
believe that at the last great con-
ntct on the field of Manassas. he
served to turn the tide OF battle and
conhummate the victory" It was not
Colonel Lee. but his splendid battalion
OF artillery. including the boy com.
pany." that turned the tide OF battle.
Not long after the battle OF the Sec
ond Manassas came Sharpsburg, for ore
day the bloodiestf battle OF the entire
war. Here, as at the battle OF the
Second Manassas. the battalion OF ar
tiIlery was In the thickest OF the bait
tie. near the bunker Church. close to
the bloody cornfieid and the '.bloody
anglo" The artillery was in the open
field. and besides facing the battle OF
the enemy In front. was enfiladed BY
heAyy Pafrntf A n
tam Creek. The battalion. OF Ave bat
teries was almost wrecked on the
bloody field. fully one-thirdS ; OF the
men and horses were killed and
wounded: over IS men and 100 horses
lying around the guns. The boy com.
pany' were real heroes: notwithstand-
ing 80 OF their number were dead or
wounded around their guns. they neve-
flinched. With difficulty the battalion
of artillery was relieved early In the
morning OF September 18th, and moved
a short distance to the. rear to refit
and replenish with ammunition. While
renting. my heart went out to the
brave boys. whose nerves I could see
could not be otherwise than shocked,
and ratified; after refitting I found
that only two guns out Of the four
carried into battle In the morning
could be carried Into battle again. I
addressed the hoy company" as fol-
lows: You are boys, but you have this
day been where men only dare to go
Some OF your company have been
killed and many have been wound.
ed, but recollect. that II Is q
soldiers fate to die! Now. every man
OF you who Is willing to return to the
field step two PAGES to the front!'
The brave boys responded at once. de-
scribed by another as follows: Weak.
almost dazed by the scenes Of horror
through which we had passed, stern
duty calls and we obey. The signifi-
cant two PAGES Is stepped and VOL
unteer section, led by Lieutenant j.
Thompson Brown. return and moves 70
confront the now exultant enemy"
Lasting Ties.
After the bloody battle OF sharps-
burg. Colonel Lee let up on the boy
company" He and they were ever af-
forwards friends The little fellows
loved their COMMANDER, and never.
failed to divide with him anything
they had gathered in foraging which
recipient OF fruit. eggs. and even more
substantial luxuries when there was
any among the boys Of Parker's Bat
terry. Now he treasures the precious
memory Of that noble company Of
boys, and the survivors love him. and
he also loves them as only men can
love each other who have been through
the scenes In battle OF great war. Re-
Gently at the Richmond reunion, he
met six or eight OF the hoy company,
who live In Richmond. and he was
oeeply touched as they came around
him. and put. their; hands and arms
about him and recalled the scenes and
Incidents OF the great battles Of Sec
ond Manassas and Sharpsburg. Not.
long after this Colonel Lee was pro-
noted and moved for service to the
West. He was assigned to duty at
Vlcksburg III. November 1853. but he
ever afterward followed with pride
tile gallant and true '.boy company;
tParker's Battery) which served to the
close of the war and surrendered ut
tue general collapse at Appomattox. 4
The boy compan my" tParker's Bat
stery) was but one Of many such com
panies OF boys organized during tho
great war, and will now mention
one company. composed entirely t,f
Mississippi boys, the captain OF which
was Captain W. A. montgomery. now
fof Edwards, Miss who was only about
| eighteen years Of age. This company,
/ after the fall of Vicksburg. served uJl-
CAPTAIN Mont gomery had about thirty
dare devil boys who lived almost all
The time Inside Of the lines OF Ii.
enemy. The were Invaluable as
scouts, The o,,;y trouble with their
was that they were always too anXin,,s
70 hght and follow their daredevil
ffcaptain In charge. They Hneve,
t-counted,the odds as a rule, but we're as
reckless as reckless boys could ne
| During the war ISlearnad TO trust boys
as soldiers as reliantly as men in bat /.
tie In fact. there was scarcely a.resi.
ment or company In the Confederate
+ Army towards the close oi the va
that did not have nearly a score ii
boy s under eighteen years III nge Il,
their ranks. 4 glory In the boys III
our Southland, for u earned this dur.
ling the great war, and they stand only
second to my love and yeneratiun# 10,
1.-The women of the South. Our splsudiS
\ Southern women, Confederate 'woIns,,
land their daug hters, never tire In theI,
patriotism. They are now alllover tn.
glerritory OF the ex- Cont odersIe States
l3plaolng monuments AT every count,
/ seat 10 commemorate tho valor,i, sd,
trtot ism and sacrifice OF the Con fedar
late so dler,vs In oVercO minG almost 1! tn
surnaopatable ditt1eulties they have