Two incidents of these battles are worthy of record, showing the different dispositions of the people of the North and South.  At night the division commanded by General McCall, who had been fighting Longstreet so desperately all day, was captured and brought to Longstreet’s headquarters.  General McCall had been Captain of a company in the United States Army, in which Longstreet had been a Lieutenant.  When General Longstreet saw his old comrade brought to him as a prisoner of war, he sought to lighten the weight of his feelings as much as circumstances would admit.  He dismounted, pulled his gloves, and offered his hand in true knightly fashion to his fallen foe.  But his Federal antagonist, becoming incensed, drew himself up haughtily and waved Longstreet away, saying, “Excuse me, sir, I can stand defeat but not insult.”  Insult indeed! to shake the hand of one of the most illustrious chieftains of the century, one who had tendered the hand in friendly recognition of past associations, thus to smooth and soften the humiliation of his foe’s present condition!  Insult—­was it?

When Bob Toombs, at the head of his brigade, was sweeping through the tangled underbrush at Savage Station, under a terrific hail of bullets from the retreating enemy, he was hailed by a fallen enemy, who had braced himself against a tree: 

“Hello, Bob Toombs!  Hello, Bob Toombs!  Don’t you know your old friend Webster?”

Dismounting, Toombs went to the son of his old friend but political adversary, Daniel Webster, one of the great trio at Washington of twenty years before, and found his life slowly ebbing away.  Toombs rendered him all the assistance in his power—­placed him in comfortable position that he might die at ease—­and hastened on to rejoin his command, after promising to perform some last sad rites after his death.  When the battle was ended for the day, the great fiery Secessionist hastened to return to the wounded enemy.  But too late; his spirit had flown, and nothing was now left to Toombs but to fulfill the promises he made to his dying foe.  He had his body carried through the lines that night under a flag of truce and delivered with the messages left to his friends.  He had known young Webster at Washington when his illustrious father was at the zenith of his power and fame.  The son and the great Southern States’ Rights champion had become fast friends as the latter was just entering on his glorious career.

Our brigade lost heavily in the battle of Savage Station both in officers and men.  Lieutenant Colonel Garlington, of the Third, was killed, and so was Captain Langford and several Lieutenants.  Colonel Bland, of the Seventh, was wounded and disabled for a long time.  The casualties in the battle of Savage Station caused changes in officers in almost every company in the brigade.