Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 7.djvu/429

drawal of Alabama from the Union. He immediately resigned, went to Richmond, and was appointed captain of artillery and assigned to the command of Gen. Henry R. Jackson, then stationed on the banks of the Greenbrier river, at the head of a little valley known as "Traveler's Repose," in western Virginia. He acted as adjutant-general of Jackson's brigade, in the Cheat mountain expedition in September, and on the 3d of October was in a spirited little battle on the Greenbrier, in which the Confederates repulsed the enemy. At the battle of Alleghany Summit, December 13, 1861, Captain Deshler was shot through both thighs. Upon his recovery he was appointed colonel of artillery and assigned to duty in North Carolina, whence he accompanied General Holmes in 1862 to the Trans-Mississippi department as chief of staff. Later he commanded a brigade of Texans in Churchill’s division, which was captured at Arkansas Post in January, 1863. In June he was exchanged, and going to Tullahoma, Tenn., met the remnants of his division, which were thrown into one brigade. Deshler was on July 28th promoted to the rank of brigadier-general and placed in command of this brigade. As a part of Cleburne’s division his brigade was hotly engaged at Chickamauga. On the morning of the second day, September 20th, when the other brigades had suffered heavily, and, by the disposition of the line of battle, Deshler’s command had not had an opportunity to fight, General Cleburne remarked to him: "General, your brigade has not been engaged to-day." "It is not my fault,: was Deshler’s reply. Deshler’s Arkansans and Texans were then sent forward to a low ridge, from which Lowrey's Mississippians had been withdrawn after heavy loss, on the right of Thomas’ advanced works. Taking this position at 10 a. m. his men lay down and returned the terrific fire of the enemy for four hours. About noon the ammunition ran low, and Deshler, being informed of it, lost his life in the personal performance