General [Thomas L.] Clingman visited his brigade while in camp at Smithfield, and though on crutches, asked of General Johnston the honor of commanding the rear guard.  This was denied him, as he was physically unable to perform such duty, and he addressed the Southern commander as follows:

 “Sir, much has been said about dying in the last ditch. You have left with you here thirty thousand of as brave men as the sun ever shone upon. Let us take our stand here and fight the two armies of Grant and Sherman to the end, and thus show to the world how far we can surpass the Thermopylae of the Greeks.”

(Government and the PC crowd would have us believe he was willing to make this last stand to “preserve slavery” in the South…AUH!  That is about as dumb a thing as I have ever heard and yet this is what they espouse).