Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 33.djvu/23

 Trees Whittled Down at Horseshoe. 19

I reported the fact to General Ewell, who at the time was with General Lee and some other general officers. When I did so, Gen- eral Lee, seeming in doubt what I reported, in his quiet way said: "Captain, can you show us those trees?" I replied that I could, if he would follow me, and, leading the way, I guided General Lee and the party to the trees.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TREES.

They were two oak trees, standing near together, and in rear of Walker's (Stonewall) brigade, and the Louisiana brigade, which joined the Stonewall brigade on its right. One of the trees, four- teen or sixteen inches in diameter, was whittled down by the bullets about four feet from the ground, as if a gouge had been used, and in such manner that the two parts of the tree above and below the break presented the appearance of two cones, not entirely symmet- rical, however, with the apex of one resting on the apex of the other, before the tree fell. This tree had fallen prostrate it was literally whittled down, or, I might more properly say, gouged down by bullets.

The other tree was about the same size of that already described, perhaps, according to my recollection, a little smaller, and this was also gouged by the bullets very much the same as the other, but I do not think it would probably have fallen, if a shell had not struck it, in the top, about twenty-five feet from the ground, and toppled it over. It fell aginst another tree, and hung on it, other- wise it also would have fallen to the ground. The fact that a shell had struck it was apparent, because the tree was split in the top. I saw a part of the latter tree in the museum at the hotel in Fred- ericksburg, some years ago, when I was visiting that place, and I saw a part of the former at least, it was so represented, at the cen- tennial in 1876, brought there, as I was informed, from Washington with a label on it: "Cut down by rebel bullets." I think it was pre- served by the war department, amongst its curiosities, and I think I recognized the stump. At any rate I inquired about it, and was informed it came from the Spotsylvania battlefield. I knew I rem- onstrated with the party in charge of the exhibit about the label on it. How it occurred I am not prepared to say, but I can say that these two trees were shot down by bullets in the manner I have stated. Our division was stationed on each side of and around the horseshoe, improperly called "angle" Walker's brigade and the