Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 24.djvu/257

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in compart ->parr a marvrl< >u^ly beautiful view of the cemetery scen- ery, shotting the monuments, the foliage, the soldierly headstones, and tin- distant historic hills.

Colonel W. R. Lyman, of New Orleans, who fought with the Vir- ginia troops, and knew Major Thompson intimately, started the movement to erect this monument to his heroism. He was in Win- chester one day, when he was told that Major Thompson was buried there. "Then his grave should have a monument," he instantly declared, and offered to lead the subscription list for one. It was instantly taken up, and in an hour $600 was subscribed. The result is the memorable stone that now marks the grave.

Major Thompson's death was unusually pathetic unusually heroic.

It was two days before the surrender at Appomattox. Major Thompson's left arm had been rendered useless by a rifle ball. His regiment was ordered to charge, and he rode to its front, his left arm hanging helplessly by his side, the reins in his teeth, his revolver in his right hand.

" Don't go into this fight," a friend entreated. " It is sure death, with your arm crippled."

"I don't care," was his brave response. " The Confederacy is dying. I do not wish to survive the Confederacy." He rode into the battle, charged impetuously, and was the first to fall.

H. W. ROBINSON.

WHAT THE ALABAMA DID.

In the war between the Northern and Southern States, which raged in America during i86i-'65, we have the only instance in which steam cruisers have been employed on any scale to carry com- merce. The South had no commerce to be attacked, but the North had a large and prosperous merchant marine. From first to last the South sent eleven steam cruisers and eight small sailing cruisers to sea. These captured between them, two steamers, and 261 sailing-ships not a very heavy bill of loss, one would think. Yet this loss prac- tically drove the United States flag from the seas. To prove this, I will quote from the case of the United States, as presented to the Geneva arbitrators, the following facts: