One of my ORNERY PEOPLE:
Cousin L. M. Hoffman tells this story about Cephas Bell, a
Confederate soldier in the 28th North Carolina Regiment, grandson of
Uncle Thomas Costner:
“His comrades say of him that he was not unusually bright
but that he was unusually brave. On one occasion his command was ordered to
charge the enemy entrenched on a hill. The Federals scattered in confusion and
Bell leading in the rush did not notice that his command had halted in the
enemy’s abandoned position but went on after an officer in the rear of the
rout. He overtook his man and ordered him to surrender. The officer said he
couldn’t surrender except to an officer. Bell swore at him and said he’d blow
out his d----d brains if he didn’t surrender quick . . . . He took his prisoner
back and meeting some officers as he approached headquarters they told him
they’d take the prisoner. He said, ‘No
you won’t; if you want to go get you one, there’s plenty of them over there
[pointing in the direction the enemy had gone]. You shall not have mine.’”
This is a Costner cousin, not (as far as I know as of now) a Bell cousin.
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