The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-06-13

Toasted Acorns Tell the Sad Story Of
Heroic Soldiers.

Toasted AcOrns Tell the Sad Story Of
Heroic Soldiers.
Dr. Robert j. Burdette, the IA
nous humorist, lecturer and writer,
was a valiant Federal soldier. To
the Sunday School Times he is CON
trTbuting series of articles entitled,
Lights and Shadows of Soldiers
Life, = and in the issue of May 10
describes vivid1y the fierce battle of
Corinth in October, when $4,000
Confederates under Gen. Van Dorm
hurled themselves for two days
against Forts Robinette, Williams
and Richardson held by Gen. Rose
Grams and nearly an equal number
of Federals. The night after the
bloody battle he and others went
over the field to succor the wounded
and bury the dead DR.. Burdette
says:
We found a dead Confederate ly-
ing on his back, his outspread fin
gers stretched across the stock of
the rifle lying at his side. He was
one of Rogers Texans. Fifty-seven
of them we had found lying in the
ditch Of Battery Robinette. ] COW
cred his face with the SLOUGH hat
still on his head, and took off the
haversack slung to his neck that it
might not swing, as we carried him
to his sleeping-chamber so cool and
quiet and dark after the savage tu-
multi and dust and smoke of that
day of horror
Empty, isn't it? asKeu the soldier
working with me. / put my hand
in 1t and drew forth handful of
roasted acorns. showed them to
my comrade That's all, said.
And he's been fighting like til
ger for two days on that forage" he
commented. We gazed at the face
of the dead soldier with new feel
ings. BY and by he said:
II hate this war and the thing
that caused 1t. I was taught to hate
slavery before was taught to hate
sin. love the Union as / love my
mother better. | think this is the
wickedest war that was ever waged
in modern times. But this and
he took some of the acorns from my
hand this is what I call patriot
ISM
"Comrade,'' l said, "I'm going to
send these home to the Peoria Trans
script | want them to tell the edi-
tor this war won't be ended until
there is a total failure of the acorn
crop. want the folks at home ITO
know what manner of men they are
we are fighting"
That was early in my experience as
soldier. 1t never changed my opin-
ion of the cause of the Confederacy
| was more and more devoted to the
Union as the war went on but \ never
questioned the sincerity of the men
in the Confederate ranks. realized
how dearly man must love his own
section who would fight for it on
parched acorns. j wished that his love
and patriotism had been broader,
reaching from the Gulf to the Lakes,
"a love for the Union rather than
for State. But | hated his attitude
toward the Union as much as ever,
but admired the man. And after
Corinth ] never could get prisoner
halfway to the rear and have any
thing left in my haversack.
Oh, too have suffered the pangs
of hunger for my dear country, as
all soldiers have done now and then.
But not as that Confederate soldier
did So the Southern people
loved the States for which they suf-
fered. AS Professor Sloan writes OF
the French nation: mo people ever
made such sacrifices for liberty as the
French had made. Through years of
famine they had starved with a grim
determination, and the leanness of
their race was byword for more
than a generation" That was why
they held Europe at bay in their bare
feet and with empty stomachs. Amy
cause for which we suffer deeply
grows dearer to us with the suffering
We love it highly and holly. And
when listen to this beloved country
Of ours talking morning, noon and
night about money, and money, and
more money, think of the parched
acor1is L found in the haversack of
that brave Confederate soldier lying
on Corinth field with his face turned
toward the stars
Z