The Evening Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, February 1, 1884
A Story of the War.
(Nashville American.]
In a south Nashville street-car a few days
ago, two or three gentlemen were talking
about cases of mortal agony, where the suffering
became something so great that the
sufferer preferred death, and one or two
cases were mentioned where, under the pressure
of pain, the victim had begged to be
killed.
"I wonder whether anybody ever killed a
person under those circumstances, to get
them out of misery," said the reporter.
Said a prominent lawyer of this city, who
was on the car: "Let me tell you something.
Just after one of the bloody battles
of the late war. the Confederate army
was retreating. Under a tree by the road side
sat a poor Confederate soldier, shot in
half a dozen places, with both legs and both
arms broken. He was crying out in his terrible
agony, begging some one for God's sake
to kill him and end his suffering.
A company of Louisiana Tigers was
pushing by, and one of them hearing the cries
dropped out of the ranks and drew the large
knife he carried at his side. The wounded
soldier was a slender, middle-aged man and
no whiskers except a small goatee. Taking
him by the goatee the "Tiger" raised his
head and deliberately cut his throat from ear
to ear, wiped the bloody-blade on the grass
and stepped back into his place, leaving the
dead soldier leaning against the tree. Do
you believe that!"
The reporter was watching the smoke curl
up from his "Carolina;" another gentleman
remarkcd: "It would have to be a mighty
good man that told it"
-And I should want some corroborative
evidence," added the reporter.
"Gentlemen," said the narrator, "Rev.
____t of this city, was in the ranks and said
he saw the occurrence."
No one said a word. Tho reporter replaced
his cigar aud went on smoking. None of
them would dispute the authority given— and they went on thinking.