Show PARSONS 7 TWO FEATS A HARD STROKE AND A remarkable RIDE DURING THE CIVIL WAR cut a mans bead off with a saber rode bode two hundred miles mes in eighteen E hours other instances of decapitation in battle it is claimed by authorities on the art of war that the greatest blow of the campaign between greece and turkey was struck by colonel mahmond bey who with one swift stroke of his sword completely severed a greek officers head bead from his body these same authorities generously admit that this trick may have been quite common in ancient times when stalwart men swung heavy battle axes but they agree that it is practically ur n owa in modern warfare history is silent on the subject there is rot not a plethora of literature bearing on its accomplishment the original of all such stories is of course the adventures Ten tures of jack the giant killer which for obvious reasons does not help the subject scott describes a similar episode in the talisman but the best deca decapitation p citation story from an artistic point of view is found in the memoirs of captain john smith the doughty captain vouches for the veracity of the details though that is no good reason why we should not cot use nse the customary pinch of salt according to fill bis truthful cb chronicle ronicle ho be overcame in tournament tho the three champions of the turkish army decapitating decapita ting each one with a single blow of his heavy sword sward A writer who is evidently informed on the subject claims that mammoud bey could not have accomplished the feat of decapitation with an ordinary enber eaber and asserts that the turks yataghan was loaded with quicksilver the yat yataghan agban he be ex explains plaiDs is a short sword shaped something like a butchers cleaver with an apparently hollow bollow tube hunu running ing along the back from hilt to point this tube carries a charge of quicksilver when the sword is laid upright this quicksilver rests at the hilt As a blow is struck the tha liquid metal is ia hurled burled down the grooved channel lending deadly additional weight to the blow the assertion made that this is the sole role instance of its kind hind in the history of years is not borne out by facts the same feat was performed during tb civil war not with a loaded yataghan but with an ordinary united states army saber the man who wielded the sword in this episode colonel E bloss parsons died recently in rochester colonel parsons was one of the wealthiest and best known men in new kew york state and though he had never related the story the details were found among his private papers after his death the incident was illustrated and described in harpers weekly at the time it was in 1864 colonel parsons who was noted as a horseman was attached to general Sheri dans staff while rec one day with a squad of troopers under general davis they were surprised by a detachment of confederate cavalry A pitched battle ensued and parsons who was in the rear saw a rebel officer level a revolver at general davis head bead jabbing the spurs into his horse borse ho he swung his saber eaber above his head bead and dashing by just as the officer fired he made a terrific full arm sweep the confederates head bead leaped from the shoulders as swiftly as if it had been severed by a guillotine the feat is more remarkable when it is considered that parsons was a slim sl m beardless fellow of 21 in compari comparison son mahmoud beys single slash with his yataghan loses much of its importance colonel parsons was brevet ted general for distinguished a services during the ib war but characteristic modesty forbade the use of that title when he returned to civilian life not only did be perform the only authentic feat of decapitation during tho civil war but he be was the hero bero of a remarkable ride A few days before the battle of gettysburg was fought general meade had an important message to send to general harding Hardi ag miles distant As the route was wag through a country swarming ug with rebels the message was written on tissue paper that it might be swallowed in case the carrier was captured the commander was in doubt regarding a suitable messenger he summoned general davis to headquarters I 1 general who is the hardest rider as well as the most trustworthy anan in tho service asked meade colonel parsons sly sir was the prompt reply send him to me at once it was 6 on a monday night when general meado meade gave the young officer his bis instructions he was to ride with all haste to general hardings headquarters headquarter a and return at once with an answer the messenger retired two hundred miles were to be covered the roads were heavy and they led through the country exactly at noon on the fol following lowin 9 d day ay colonel parsons entered ente reil general G en eral meades tent the lat lattera faco face grow grew purple with rage and he ripped out it a string of oaths la Is this thia the way you yon obey orders ho be thundered what are you yon banging around camp for you yon ought to be with general harding by this time 1 I have just returned from general harding Har diug sir you yon lie liel I 1 exclaimed the exasperated general parsons face paled and he hedog dug the nails in his bands to restrain himself s general meade he said in a voice voice that ill concealed his hia anger if you were not my commanding comman diug officer I 1 would knock you down for that in insult sul t without the formality of a salute he be turned on his heel beel and left the teut tent M meade eade afterward made an ample apology colonel parsons killed two horses and went himself without a particle of food for 18 13 hours houra he be was not out of the saddle chicago times herald |