The National tribune., 1908-12-17
THE @LAST BATTLE"

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THE 9LAST BATTLE"
The Affair at CoIumbus, Ca, Was q Me.
mentous Event, hut Net . Battle
Editor Nationa, Tribune: Everythins
hits Los Angeles from Gen. Adna r
Chaffee to Private McGinnis and from
ELI Perkins to Bob Burdette. Washed
up by the waves Of unrest and home.
hunting Is an ex-Cghfederafe Majoi
from Georgia, who saw strenuous ser.
vice from Genesis to- Appomattox. and
quit the proposition with nothing but
drinking water and pair of spurs
Maybe God Almighty has made bigger
souled men and better companions thar
is this ex-Confederate: but, If SO. the
writer has never met them. He tell:
ye scribe that bevy Of patriotic wo.
men are foye-knotting and memorializ-
ing Columbus, Ca, as being the site OF
the last battle" of the civil war. Wei,
such feAIty to home and mother 4
glorious and praiseworthy, only that
misnomer that affair by calling it q
battle" r5 ~s. .s--
The shot time at Columbus, Ga, or
the 18th of April, 1865, was not a bat
tie; 1t was a fortunate surprise and
capture without battle. We admit
that there were 1.200 patentees of the
rebel yell, 52 double-shotted cannons
q Confederate ram carrying six seven
Inch guns, backed up with the usual
stolid determination and Southern live
wire valor, to give US battle: but. hon
est Ingfn, girls, IL didn't come Off.
We (the enemy arrived on schedule
time just opposite yedr city. took q
peep at the town from The crest Of the
river hills and were Immediately driven
back by some artillery practice tina,
would have discounted WifHam Tell and
the Pippin. We hid and huddled be-
hind the ridges until hssfitEal1, and then
somefhing happened Orders were
siedthed along our lines that there
was to be a night attack, and this was
the whenceness Of the howo
A legion OF armed specters echeloned
of TO the right; another column OF
Spencer-carbined spo0fes os.ffqued away
to the left, and in due time two rock
cts went UP from divergent points on
your river road, which was the signal
for SOME more belted nixHt.rfders to
start straight across the b0ttom land 70
the river. bridge. Just IN three shakes
of a powder-horn II was all over, and
we had captured your fighting men, the
wicked cannon, q job lot OF irate Con-
.rifie-pits, as also that memorable bridge
with its stomach filIed with cotton and
Iturpentine TO burn quickly in our faces
should we dare to try to crass., The
next day we took an invoice and found
we had 1900 prisoners, So guns. a for
riatdabIe Confederate ram ready for sea.
navy-yard, arsenal, factories. Is loco
motives. 200 cars, and 1f5,000 bales OF
cotton.
Ask your uncies and grand-u acies
about siie casualties at Columbus, and
they will smile and hitch at their trou-
sers and tell you there was no call for
starting National Cemetery there
abouts. One of the heads that helped
to plan that night attack also planned
and wrote "Upton's Tactics" a book
that had your authorities. studied care
fully they would never have tried to
stop f2,000 Yankee cavalrymen by
placing cotton and turpentine in the
bowels ora wooden bridge.
No Need for National Cemetery.
After we had captured your model
city the wonder grew why Lees veter-
ans should be wadfng around In the
red mud of Virginia with exposed ell
bows and naked knee-caps, with your
factories fairly bulging with bales upon
bales of Jacket cloth and trouserings.
Your arsenal, too, was a surprise to
US; rick after rick of shells piled in
pyramid form exploded when we fired
the building, and I dare say there are
good, patient grandmas- yet alive in
your city. who inveluntariIy place their
hands to their ears, when they suddenly
remember the din and crash of those
exploding pyramids. IL your turpen-
tine merchant is yet alive, tell him that
Pasteur always Used 1t on the guinea
pig first, and waited results before
burning his bridges. Columbus was a
crucial point, fortunate capture and
n vrnaF h Ia ant Il
but 1t was not battle" The real
battle of that campaign was fought at
Selma, which shall be subjeet-matter
for another letter in The National Trib-
une which we have been requested to
write. Patriotism and loyalty to ones
own town and city, people and country
cannot be commended too highly, and
naturally enough you love the good gray
palladins that, never were conquered,
but only overborne;;" howbeit, you
should feel thankful, as the writer is,
and his Confederate chum, on this
Thanksgiving Day. Nov 25, 1908, that
no sanguinary conflict osook place
al" Columbus, and in Jorder to quickly
realize and acknowledge these prem
ises read the followingIentry in the log-
book of events prior to the time your
enterprisins tactician Iturpentined the
bridge: -s71 All
'The rebel war clerk's entry for Jan.
81. 1865, is: Clear and eoldest morning
of the Winter. Onlyr theT spectators
have supply of food and fuel =
My wood house was broken into last
night and two of the nine sticks of
wood taken. Wood is selling at IS a
stick. The thermometer aH zero.' =
Mrs. Chestnut writes,1Jap. II, 1865:
Hood came yesterday He is staying
at the Prestons' with lack. They sen;
| for us. What 8 heartfeIt, greeting he
gave us! He can stand well enough
without his crutch. but. he does very
slow walking. How plainly he spokf
out dreadful words about my defeat
and discontinue; my army destroyed
my losses Isabella said. Maybe you
lattempted the impossible and began
lone Of her merriest stories. Jack Pres.
ton touched me on the arm, and We
tslipped out. He did NOT near a WORD
she was saying. He had forgotten Us
an. Did you notice how he stared in
the FIRE, and the lurid spots which came
out In his face. and the drops Of per.
spiration that stood on his forehead :?
Yes. he is going over some Sittor scene
He sees Willie Preston. with hfs hear
shot away. He sees the panic at Nash.
tville, and che dead On the battlefield
Hat FFanklfn.' That aeowv IN lifs fact
Ecomss again and again. said. tender.
hearted Jack eanv keep him out o.