A Tennessean Confederate Colonel Is Murdered In Texas.

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A great Confederate veteran's account of the murder of his colonel in Texas, being a 4pp. large folio, letter, written by UCV Veteran J. P. Hall, on his merchant dealer's stationery, Town Creek, Ala., Sept. 14, 1905, to Mrs. A. C. Coombs, reading, in part: "I notice in the Confederate Veteran Magazine inquires for any who were in Capt. Fletch Barnes, Co. C, Biffel's Regiment 9th Tennessee Cavalry…I was in Capt. Fletch Barnes Co…commanded by Col. Jake B. Biffel…a gallant Brave and as dashing Colonel as weever wore the sword. There is one other…Tom Grimes, who now lives at…South Florence, and Capt. John Johnson who was Capt. of Co. F…he and Tom Grimes have been in these county since the close of the Civil War…and are doing well. I remember Charlie Combs…he used to sing the War and Love songs…around camp fires and on the march. He was a lively, wholesome and pleasant companion…was he a relative of yours…there is only one of the commissioned officers of Capt. Barnes Co living and that is lieutenant P. Brownlow…now living at Columbia, Tenn…Col. J. B. Biffel moved to Texas at the close of the war and was killed while out on a camp hunt about 1868…he and one of the party…had a dispute about which one shot a deer…as they both shot at it about the same time…both claimed the first shot…hot words passed between them…the man who killed him became very abusive to the gallant Col. Biffel and as Col. Biffel made a motion…for his old army revolver…his enemy…gun in…hand quickly fired and slew our gallant Col. Biffel -and Capt. Barnes died suddenly at Mt. Pleasant, Tenn. about…1880…I was paroled with the old 9th Tenn. Cavalry at the close of the war at Gainesville, Ala. We were then in General [Nathan B.] Forrest's command and in Genl. W. H. (Red) Jackson's brigade. I do not remember seeing Charles Coombs after we came out of Georgia on Genl. Joe Wheeler's raid around and in the rear of the Federal army…after coming out of that raid…was sent to Genl. Forrest's command in Miss…Col. Biffel's sad story is confirmed by history, but the details of his death…are missing from the historical account. Col. Biffel was aTexas cattle rancher. The man who shot him was named Waters and was his cook on a cattle drive…J. P. Hall…". Usual folds, with light toning, else VG

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