The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 22, July 1918 - April, 1919 Page: 48

The Southwestern Historical Quarterly

theater and took their seats in the gallery. Captain John Smith's
expected execution and Pocahontas' rescue as related in early
history of the Colonies was the drama staged for the night. When
that part of the play was reached where Captain John Smith, con-
demned to die by his Indian captors, was bound hand and foot and
his head placed upon a rock, the executioner drew back his bludgeon
to strike the fatal blow, Pocahontas thrust her own body between
Smith's head and the descending bludgeon, one of the boozy soldiers
in the gallery whipped out a six-shooter and fired upon the sup-
posed executioner with the remark that "his mother had taught
him to always protect a lady when in danger." This shot missed
its mark, but created consternation and stopped the play. The
police rushed in to arrest the offender, the other soldiers helped
him to resist arrest, and shooting began, resulting in the death of
two policemen and the wounding of another one and the freedom
of the soldiers to return unmolested to camp. This tragedy was
reported to the Governor of Tennessee and immediately telegraphed
by the Governor to General Johnston, who ordered Colonel Terry
to come immediately on the first train to Bowling Green and report
to him. By daylight next morning the regiment was in the train
on their way to their destination, nearer to the scenes that should
soon be enacted between contending lines of battle. The baggage
and the horses collected for the use of the regiment up to this time
were sent on through the country by a detail of men with an officer
in charge.
When Colonel Terry reported to General Johnston's headquarters,
at Bowling Green, he was ordered to assemble his regiment at Oak-
land, fifteen miles north of Bowling Green. About the first busi-
ness attended to in the new quarters was to hold an election for
regimental officers and to cast lots for assignment of companies
to their places in the regiment. This resulted in the election of
B. F. Terry for Colonel, Thos. S. Lubbock for Lieutenant-Colonel,
and Thos. Harrison for Major. Martin Royston was selected as
Adjutant and W. B. Sayers as Sergeant Major. Captain Strobel's
company, to which I belonged, drew the letter F for its number of
place in the regiment. The other companies drew other letters of the
alphabet, from A to K inclusive, except J, and thereafter the com-
panies were called and known by letters instead of by captains'
names. The organization now being complete, a roster was made