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WAR SI Battle pf Bentonville The last bailie ol' thc western anny was fought at Bentonville, X. C., March li?. 1805, between (?on. Sherman and Gen. Joseph E. .Johnston, who had again assumed command of our army. On thc 18th nf April Sherman and Johnston agreed toa truce, and it was as late as May 20th before Kirby Smith surrendered out west. Some skirmishing and small engagements occurred between detached troops be longing to our anny ".au tho enemy, which could hardly bc called baltlcs; therefore Bentonville, N. C., is named as the last battle of the western army, and it is of this hotly contested fight, between giants-our two most con spicuous and gallant officers of the western army, Sherman on the Feder al side and Johnston on thc Confeder ate side-that I want to speak, as it brought face to face for the last time these two old war veterans who bad so often met each other before on tho gory field of battle. These two, who had marched and countermarched over thc desolate fields of Georgia and the Carolinas; who had so often thrown out their brave soldiery in battle lines confronting each other, were now, on thc 19th of March, 1805, to confront each other in battle array, fighting for mastery for the last time. lt is not within thc scope of ruy knowledge, nor is it my intentiou to write fully of tho history of this bat tle, as the official records will no .. ??bt give each and all the divisions, brigades and regiments all the honors gained that day, but to mention from personal observation some of the Con federate brigades most conspicuous in this battle, who covered themselves with glory on this fiercely contested battlefield; viz: 'Btovall's and Cum mings' brigades and part of Hokc's di vision. We were marching along tho main road leading from Smithfield Station to Bentonville, and had just crossed a small stream. Firing could bo heard in the distance, and tho movements of couriers and aides rushing here and there indicated a battle on hand. We filed to the right of the road, and rap idly took position in line of battle; the Forty-second Georgia being on the right, and constituting one-half of Stovall's brigade, whioh had been marched and fought down to an alarm ingly small number, but those who were still in line were true and tried. Our position was taken only a short distance from the .nain road, and now we were on the battlefield of Benton ville, where we were to fight our last battle; no time to throw up breast works, but tho boys availed them selves of the time to cut down small pino limbs, whioh to some extent hid them from the view of the approach ing enemy. Tho small pine trees growing at intervals apart, gavo our men an opportunity to seo thc ap proaching line of battle scvoral hun dred yards from where they were hug ging the ground closely, hid to so mo extent by the pino limbs out from tho nearby trees. It was a grand sight to see fhem moving on us, "Old Glory" floating in the brcezo so proudly. Hero they came, our skirmish line gradually j giving away and falling back on our j linc of battle. I never was moro particular and i careful in giving officers and mon or ! ders to bold their fire. My orders had goue up and down my lino repeatedly, instructing tho mon and officers to keep down-hold fire, and await a sign ' or orders; even threatening those who should first disobey. 'Tis not strange, theo, that men who had fought 21 battles, carried out my orders to the lotter. The other day an old veteran walk ed into my office and asked for me-I raised up to shako ??is hand, for I saw at a glance that I had known bim in other days, and as wo were grasping hands and looking at each other in the eye9, trying to trace somo remem brance of thc bygone days, he said: "Colonel, I remember the last order you gave us at Bentonville: 'Atten tion, Forty-seoond Georgia, hold your fire for my orders, and when you fire, give the rebel yell.' Those who yet survive, and were presont that day, can tell you how well that order was obeyed." Well, herc 'hey carno. Our lino had absorbed our skirmishers, and the way was clear in front for thc music of the battle to commence-but not a gun was fired, and bravely onward the enemy marched in grand stylo-near er and nearer they carno. When not over forty or fifty paoes from us, the order so anxiously awaited was given, and a sheet of fire blazed out from the Lid ien battle line of the Forty-second Georgia, that was demoralizing and fatal tu i the enemy. They halted, ?ce?ed and staggered, while we poured volley after volley into them, and great gaps were made in their line, as fe L. P. Thoma.-; i; rORIES. -Tho Last Battle o?' the rar. i Atlanta Journal. bravo Federals fell everywhere-their colors would ri^e aud fall just a few feet in front of us, and many a gauant boy in blue is buried there in those pines, who held "Old Glory" up for a brief moment. Their battle line was driven back in grand style that day, and tho arms secured from the fallen foe immediately in our front, equipped au entire regiment of our North Caro lina soldiers who had inferior guns. The enemy repulsed and forced to re treat, re-formed their battle linc again not far away. While the battlefield was being cleared of tho wounded just in front, and our boys were picking up thc guns thrown down by the enemy, Major General I). II. Hill and stair rode down thc linc from the center, and seeing what wo had dono compliment ed U3 for onr work, and orders soon followed to hold ourselves in readiness to move forward. We know what that meant, and then came thc "tug of war." Wc were to "lead tho ch arge." Thc order came, and tho movement all along the linc of thc brigade, conform ing to thc right, was in splendid or: der, and thc first line of the Federals was soon in view: over which wc pass ed without a battle, sweeping every thing before us-it was grand to be hold-ouward wc moved for perhaps half a mile or so, carrying everything before us. At this point, where there were converging roads, wc came to a halt and were ordered to rearrange our lines, which were -somewhat scattered by thc charge just made, and here at this point, while laying on our arms resting, for we were then informed that wo Qhad dono enough that day. I saw the grandest sight I over wit nessed on tho battlefield. Hokc's division was put into tho charge and bringing up the center. Resting thcro on tho pine-covered ground os wo were, tho firing of Bmall arms having ceased for a time, with only now aud then the boom of can non to remind us that the fight was still on and yet to be deoided. It was a picture that would bo worthy of por trayal on canvas by some great artist; the sun was lowly sinking in the west, and the slanting raya were penetrating tho green forest of small pines. All at once the enemy were confronted by Hoke's gallant and dashing division as it came sweeping over us like a whirl wind, and thus they struck the ene my, and though they battled fiercely till night came on, they were only par tially successful, having penetrated the Federal line and broaking it at only ono point. On the next day we were looking after the dead and wounded. On the i21st Colonel R. J. Henderson, the first colonel of the Forty-second Georgia Regiment, made brigadior general for gallantry on tho field, was ordered to load Cummings' brigade on the left of our lino. In this charge, so highly spoken of by the general commanding, the day waa won. No truer man or more gallant officer than General Henderson ever buckled on a sword in defense of tho lost cause, and 'tis a pleasure to speak of his gallant conduct on tho field of battle. Just before his death iu this oity, at tho residence of his son-in-law, L . J. Hill, 1 called on him accompanied by Col. W. L. Calhoun. In talking over thc events of thc war, ho said to us: "Calhoun, you and Thomas, must keep my army record correot," and wo promised to do so, and shook his hand for the last time. With others we ac companied his remains to Covington, Ga., shortly afterward, where thoy now rest. This is what tho war reoords show of this last charge of the war in the west, made by Colonel Henderson. Series 1, Volumo 47, pago 1057. In the report of Gen. J. E. Johnston to Gen. R. E. Lee, speaking of our com bined attack on tho seventeenth corps ho said Lieutenant General Hardeo, dispatched to that front with tho re servos, met it in front with Cum mings' (Georgia) brigade-tho only in fantry up; while cavalry directed by Lieutenant General Hampton and Ma jor Genoral Wheeler, was thrown upon its flanks, and by combined attaoks this oorps was promptly driven back. In this engagement Cummings* bri gade, under Colonel Henderson, and tho Eighth Texas Cavalry, distin guished themselves. In tho latter General Hardoe's son, a very promis ing youth of sixteen, fell mortally wounded while gallantly charging in tho front rank. Finding during the night that Scho field had reached Goldsboro and that Sherman was moving toward Cox's brigade and that all our wounded who could bear transportation had been re moved, we moved to the neighborhood of Smithfield Station. General John ston says further in the same report: "We took abont 15,000 men into ac tion on the 19th-the enemy's force numbering above 'JO,OOO, and after wards increased by 10,000 more." Then he says further on that on thc 20th and the '.ilst thc whole anny was before us, amounting to nearly 44,000, our losses in the three days' engage ments amounted to 224 killed and 1,470 wounded, and several hundred missing. Thc enemy's loss was fal greater than ours. Gen. Johnston also states in conclusion that the morai cf feet on our army was greatly improved by our success. Gen. C. L. Stevenson in his report, same volume, page 1005, in speaking of our gallant Henderson, said: **] forward herewith the report of Col. 31 J. Henderson, commanding Cum miogs' brigade. Of thc action of th< brigade in repulsing, in conjunctioc with a small body of cavalry, a vastl] superior force of thc enemy in a se rious flank movement, thc brigade ha< not then reported to me, haviug beer detached for some time. No enco mium that I can pass upon this bri gadc at this important juncture wil be so expressive a recognition of it gallant behavior as the statement tha it received upon thc field th thanks and compliments of Gen. John ston. I wish I could in this article speak of other brigades and their com mauders, but those who are in torcsted in these war stories, shouh refer to volume 47, and they wil find many interesting reports of thii battle. I now wish to mention the closin scenes and events around Bentonvill on March 21st, two days after the bat tlc. We had heavy firing again al along tho linc. I was selected as corp officer of thc day and refer to sam volume pages 1001 and 1002, Maje General D. II. Hill's report. H said: "There was a great deal of heav firing on our left linc, but no attac upon my command this day. M ski-mish line, under Major Thomas as corps officer of thc day, was ad van ced that afternoon in connection witl the skirmish line of Generals Wa thall aud Bate, and with small los drovo the Yankees from their positio about Cole's house. All the buile ings there were burned to prove? their further uso by the Yankee shari shooters," and thus we were bringin matters to the close. That nigl General Hill sent out an aide for n to report to his headquarters, whioh did. He and his Btaff were gathen around a small fire partaking of thei scanty supper, of whieh I was invite to partake. Whether I refused fro the apparent scarcity of their ration or over-awed by being in the prosem of an officer sq superior in rank, I < not now remember, but I entered in conversation with the general and h staff officers, and was soon inform, that an order was expeoted from Ge eral Johnston to move out that nigh and that by remaining for a she time the order would arrive, and th was true. My skirmish line ooverii the entire corps was gradually retir and by 2 o'elook that morning we h crossed Hannah's creek on our mar< to Smithfield Station. This, perhar. was tho last skirmish line formed this battlefield or any othev, betw^ the forces of Sherman and John J tc and soon thereafter, when we fou ourselves onoamped around Smithfie Station, the reorganization and const idation of regiments and divisions the army took place. Soon after the consolidation of the [commands took place. Gene: Johnston had a ?eviow of the ari and once moro we began to look li soldiers. I remember how he look as he sat on his war horse. He see ed from that piercing look to give ea soldier as he passed a most sorutin ing look. A few days thereafter were moving toward Greensboro, a on that march some interesting evei took place. Lee had surrendered I foro we reached this point, but we c not know it. A few days bef< reaching Greensboro, we met an < Confederate veteran; where ho ea from w? did not know, but ho 1 somehow gotten thc information tl our army in Virginia had surrender His statement was disbelieved andi general commanding ordered him un arrest. He was turned back and companied us on our march to Gree boro for nearly a day, but other ports ooming ip from different sour seemed to confirm it. He was leased early in the morning with a] ogies. We had many desertions, and am officers and men there had been alarming demoralization in all commands. General Johnston wa strict disciplinarian, ' 1 knew ( something had to be done to put army once again in fighting trim, courtmartial had been established, some cases of desertion were befor A young soldier, I forgot now his o mand, was tried for desertion found guilty and ordered to bo cuted. General Johnston was apr ed to, but he only said the sent? must stand. Next morning a o'clock ho was to be marehed out, the detail from his own regio drawn up before him would exe? the order, and at the command, two, three, fire! he would pay the alty. A 3coond effort had been r to induce General Johnston for don, but ho stood firm for disoip and thc execution must proceed. Just as the young soldier was being escort ed to the ground, one of the general's aides was seen rushing with lightning speed towards them-the execution was stayed: the commanding general had just received confirmation of the reports that General Lre had surren dered, and the poor fellow was saved. Our army encamped around and about Greensboro-our brigade at High Point, N. C., where we stacked our arms for the last timo. Sherman and Johnston agreed to a truce on April 18, 18G5, aud all was over, our pay rolls were furnished us, and our army paid from thc specie saved. It was run out from Richmond under guard, and was through the quartermaster of our regiments paid out to us, each re ceiving a Mexican silver dollar-offi cers and men sharing alike. I still have my silver dollar and # prize it as one of the most valued relics of the war. After having our arms stacked out in the old field in front of us. which we turned over to the soldiers of Unole Sam, I began to look around for trans portation, so as to aid my men to get home, once more, if homes they were fortunate enough to have. With one wagon and the old regimental ambu lance, wc moved cut, and in a 'short time wc commenoed scattering in dif ferent directions: some towards Au gusta, and otheri crossing the river above, and some towards Washington, Ga. Before my separation with the noble men of the Forty-second Geor gia, and after calling on the sick and disabled, some.'of whom had been lo cated near Greensboro, I made the best arrangements for their comfort possible; in eoine instances leaving nurses with them, and passing among them and shaking hands, and saying something encouraging to all. My last visit was to my old friend, Moses Martin, who had followed me through the war. "Mose" had fallen in the charge at Bentonville, and now ho was minus ono leg, whioh was buried some where in North Carolina soil. He was the same Moses Martin that our fellow citizens of Gwinnett honored so long, and he filled the position of doorkeep er for the legislature many times. Well, there was "Mose" stretched out on his cot; he knew I was to leave him, and when telling him good-bye, he looked mo in the faoe, and with a faint smile, and yet with tears in his eyes, and said: "Colonel, if I ever get home and should bavo - 'boy baby,' Twill name him for you," and strange as it may seem, there is a nice young man now living in old Gwinnett, Martin's old home, named "Lovick Thomas Martin." I had two horses, and complimented my major, J. J. MoClendon, hy giving him one of them, and my bay, a fine splendid animal, I mounted and de parted, sad and alone for my home, and-my tale is told. (Nothing Burglarproof. There is no such thing as a burglar proof vault or safe, according to a re port that was submitted today by treasury experts to Assistant Secre tary Taylor. The best tempered steel nf usual thickness is not proof against a new chemical compound whioh up-to-date professional cracksmen have learned to use. This compound, called ther mite, when mixed with magnesium powder, will destroy the hardness in the metal, enabling a cracksman with ordinary tools to out iuto it as though it were lead. For this reason Mr. Taylor believes tho treasury ought not to continuo to expend large sums of money in tho construction, of so called burglar proof vaults and strong boxes. The investigation was made by J. E. Powell, chief mechanical and cleo- ! trioal engineer of the treasury, and John P. Bergin, vault, safe and look expert. They went to Chicago and other cities and experimented with thermite and also electricity. An ap plication of thermite and magnesium made to a steel plate of the highest temper, and five-eights of an inchjin thickness reduced the metal to a con dition making it possible to out a hole through it with an ordinary chisel. The experts say that thc best moans of security against professional cracks men is to be found in an electrical signal By stem, whioh, when disarran ged by burglars would sound an alarm. -rWashiugton Dispatch, March 18L The Wrong Ticket. .A porter on the Caledonian Rail way was granted leave of absenoe {*.> go to Edinburgh to be married. A British journal relates this incident of the honeymoon: Daring his absence a new ticket collector had boen put on, who upon Benedick's return demanded his tick et. Benediok, who had put both the pass given him by the company and his marriage certificate in the same pocket, by misohanoe tendered the latter. The oolleotor opened and gravely scanned the "lines;" then returned them with a slow headshake, aud: "Eb, eh, mon, it's a tecoket for a verra lang ride, but nae on the Cale donian Railway." -I It is better, for a woman to ha good cook than to be presiden!. A Pathetic" Letter. Charlie Jagger?, a yor.ng white man prisoner io the State penitentiary from Chester, recently wrote the fol lowing pathetic letter to his mother, who was dying and unconscious when she received it. Ir is printed in the Chester Lantern this week: COLUMBIA, 8. C., March 9,1902. My Dear Mother: I seat myself to answer the letter that I received from Willie, which has almost broke my heart to hear that nows, but mamma, when you receive this letter, I do hope it will make you feel better, and I do hope and pray that the good Lord will spare me and you to meet onoe more on this earth-once more mama. I know if I had listened to you, I never would have been here. I think of the way I have disobeyed vou and I am sorry, but truly hope God will for give me for it. Of 'course, mama, I oannot be there to speak this to your face, but you can depend on it, if I sever see you again on this earth, i will meet you in Glory where there is no sickness or sorrow. Mama I make you this pledge, if I never see your face again on this earth, I will never take another drink of any kind of whiskey as long as I live, or play any game of gambling, of any kind, and I will follow in your footstep. so I can meet you in Glory where we will have no more troubles of any kind. Mama I have broke your poor heart; but God will forgive me for it. He said, .Whosoever believed on Him would not perish but have everlasting life," and that is what I expect to do. I do hope this will bring comfort to your poor broken heart as I know you have a lot of trouble, but God's grace is sufficient for all. Mama you must not worry yourself so much about me. I am getting along very well. Of course, I would give anything on earth to see your face once more, for when you are gone I will have no friend to speak a word for mo, for you are my only friend, and when I loso you all is gone. No mama don't worry. You make your self satisfied if I don't meet you here no more I will in Heaven. I mean what I say ii you leave me I want to be right behind you. Of course, God knows best, ho does everything for the best. I am most crazy. I want my sister to write every week and let me know how you are, so I won't worry so much. Give my love te all, and Granny, so good by. From your loving son, CHARLIE M. JAGGERS. Columbia State Prison. Hunted by a Hare. Even the proverbially timid hare ean turn against the pursuer, accord ing to the Chicago Tribune: Peters Frees and his son Louis went out rabbit-hunting in the woods near Parkersburg, West Virginia. Their dog soon chased a cottontail into a pile of brush, and Louis rushed up to get him out. He put his gun on the ground, and taking up a long pole, began to punoh in the brash pile to dislodge the rabbit. Finally bunny ran out in an unex pected plaoe, straight over 'the gun, whioh was cooked. His hind foot struck the trigger, sending the charge of shot into Louis's leg, and some of it into the dog. The boy yelled, the dog howled, and in the midst of the excitement bunny got away. - The law of Montana regulates the fees of doetors when they are call ed away from home. If tb dy travel by rail $1 a mile shall be the charge to the patient. A hundred miles $100. Out of this the doctor must pay his fare. Retrospect. It is .-an evil day for the wife and mother when she scans her worn face in the mirror, and asks the'question, "Does it pay? Does it pay to sacrifice health and happiness to wedded love? n But there is another ques tion which rightly takes precedence of Does it pay?' It is this: n?s it neces sary to sacrifice health and happiness to wedded love ? " Half a million women answer, No I They have been weak and have been made strong^ by Dr. Pierce's Favorite Prescription. They were sick and n Favorite Prescrip tion " made them well. 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