Milford chronicle., 1913-05-30
LAST SHOT IN CIVIL WAR.
Il Was Fired In Texas After Lee Had
Surrendered.

Il Was Fired In Texas After Lee Had
Surrendered.
II is a generally accepted tradition
liz Texas al least that Captain S H.
Barton. in later years editor and own
er Of the Del Rio Record fred the last
shot in the civil war. When the troops
we're leaving the battle ground at Palo
Alto a soldier was shot at the cap
tains side. The captain turned quick
ly and fred at a disappearing blue OBJ
ject.
1t is a strange coincidence, too, that
soldier named Ney. who claimed to
be a descendant Of Marshal Ney, who
fred the last shot at the Cossacks in
the war between France and Russia,
was a witness to this tucident
The story Of that last battle. which
was fought ON the 18th day Of May.
1855. after the war was ended and
peace declared. has escaped the atten
ton that it merits. for it was an affair
of no little importance.
General Egbert Brown. who died al
West Plains. Mn.. many years later
was ia command Of the Federal troops
Ia southern Texas. aud be was doubt.
less well informed concerning the ter
uinatiOn OF h0shlities General } r
Slaughter. who commanded the Con
fedeIate trOoIS encamped nj Rrazos
Sannago had heard rumOrs uf the sur
render Of the armies commanded by
Lee, Johnston and Other generals hut
be had re,'pived no official notice Of
these facts from the war department
General Brown. under Tag OF truce
informed the Confedprates Of the STATE
Of Affairs about Washington and Rich
mond. at the same time Inviting Then.
to come IN and hy down their arms
as the war was entirely over
General Slaughter refused to act In
an affair Of such Importance until hr
was better informed Therenpon Colo
mel Barrett. at the head Of consider
able force. was dispatched 10 break ~
the rebel camp A hot battle ensued
and. curiously enough. most OF the
Fighting was done on the old field Oi
Palo Alto where Taylor achieved
victory over the Mexicans nearly twen
ty years before The French soldiers
on the southern shore Of the
Rio Grande were in sympathy with
the southerners. and they kept General
and Colonel Rip Ford posted
as to the movements OF the Fedora
troops. Several spirited engagements
occurred and the loss sustained by
some Of the negro regiments must
have been severe While the battle
ragged the Confederates were frequent
" informed by some hold cavalrymen
in blue that the war was over One
daring fellow shouted: Lee surren
1erpd month ago: The war is ended
Why don't you go humeT
When the engagement was hottest
Slaughter received dispatches
and the French sent him a bundle OF
Fully satisfied that the
cause for which they were fighting was
forever lost be ordered the firing 70
sease. at that particular moment
neither side conid have claimed any ad-
vantage over the other. but both ar
mics began to retire from the Geld al
he same time.
AS Captain s. b. Barton. in COM
nand OF the rear guard was slowly rid /
ng away a stray ball struck a young |
nan by his side. and be fell from his
Iaddle. That was certainly the last |
nan killed in the long war.
II thought that was hard luck." said
be old soldier. 'aThe young man had
Ierved four years and never got
lcratch The last bullet that came our
way killed him. Prompted more by q
pite at fate than bitterness toward
he enemy. ] turned IN my saddle and
lred toward a dark blue line which
lope was ont Of range. That was Ger
ainly the last shot Of the great war" I