The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-12-19
ONE OF BARKSOALE'S MEN
Writes Of the Battle Of fredericksburg. Dec.
ll-i3, 50
To The Free Lance.

To The Free Lance.
Your paper OF Nov. 14th ult. Is before
me by hand marked In feminine charac-
ters, and thereby hangs a tale. | am
one OF Barksdele's men, Co. b, 18th
Mise, the Mississippi Rangers, as we
named our company In April 81, when
We organized ct my native burg, Holly
Springs, Mss.
The marked article sent me refers TO the
monument erecte To Humphreys federal
brigade, commemorating the gallant,
but vain assault, repeated time and
again, on our position at Marye's
Heights. Dec. 13, ca, and what the fed
ersl papers named the slaughter Pen, "
at the time, for the holocaust Of dead
federals left on the plateau, after their
repulse ia front OF Marye's Heights.
Many OF the dead lay three deep.
The morning alter the battle the
ground was solid blue. the second
morning 1t was white. We boys had
lust returned from the Maryland cam
paign, where we made history at South
Mountain, HarpeI's Ferry and last at the
terrible Sharpsburg-Antietam they call
IL. from the creek, the centre OF their as
sault-and were out OF clothing and as
40 many OF our friends, the enemy, had
lust been fitted out for winter wear and
lay on the plain before Us. not needing
theirs any more, this Is why the ground
was white the second morning.
Meaghsr's Irish brigade (Nsher) was
the one given the credit as haylnggotten
nearest the suDken road; some OF those
celtic braves lay. next morning 10 lew
feet Of the fatal stone wall. Ny COM
mand was posted to the right Of Marye's
Heights at the foot OF the hill and bent
outward towards the enemy and this
enabled US to behold this awful slaughter
without being participants, except a
sprinkling VI shell from the enemy at she
opening.
On the Telegraph road we could see
Meagher rsllying his Hi0ernians after the
second repulse aud tearing away the
cedar branches, distributing them to his
children OF the Green Isle as emblematic
Of the shamrock, by which he summoned
up their blood to die with ould Ireland's
sacred symbol es feathers In their caps.
And so they died, only remnant OF this
command being left to tell the tale tell
to you.
The dead 10y 80 thick that the job ol
lnterment was greater than Gen. Lee
thought right TO impose on his boys, so
he sent q dispatch over to Gen. Burnside
20 send over a detachment to bury his
dead still exposed TO the winter blasts 10
front OF the sunken road.
l. n
Irish bridge. They made a long trench
the width OF O dead man and seyere
hundred feet 10 length and deposited the
brave fellows, or what remained, In this
long grave,
We boys, as victors, stood around
locking on and an occasional light re-
mark would issue from the lips oil the
gray boys, bordering on fun, though the
occasion was q solemn one, In tact awiu
In It's sublimity, for death stalked ovei
this bloody plain without resting biz
foot on the earth. Presently brace ol
sons OF Erin brought up a headless body
to deposit there, when our orderly ser.
Qeant lightly remarked: There's Yank
with head shot off " "Yes, sor," said
Pat land he's got his clothes shot Oh
too, don't We Sc ?' This was getting next
to US and enforced a respectful silence
thereafter. This was comedy In death,
but comedy and tragedy go hand In
hand.
The saddest sight was the fslthfulness
OF a large Newfoundland dog, which
had remained this, the third day. with
his dead master-eyidently an officer.
As they bore the remains TO the trensh,
the dog followed mournfully on, the sim
cerest mourner on that fatal field.
The morning was foggy, as the Kappa
hammock can ever engender at a mo-
ment's notice, and the heavy fog-drops
stood In large beads on bis shaggy coat,
The countenance OF this best friend oi
man showed grief and distress, human In
its intensity.
Your paper names us as "ex" Conled.
crates a misnomer. Ex means out oil
the memory OF those glorious days OF de-
tense OF home and freside. This never
fades out OF the memory OF true Conied-
crate soldiers.
c. C. Cummings.
Fort Worth, Texas.
Historian Texas Division United Confed-
crate Veterans.