/ -^ //r.. The author (1898.) REMINISCENCES; OR Four Years in the Confederate Army. A History of the Experiences of the Private Soldier in Camf, Hospital, Prison, on the March, A^.D on the Battlefield. 1 86 1 TO 1 86 J. Written by Published by JNO. WILL DYER. AMELIA W. DYER, EVANS VILLE, IND.: Kellkk Pkinting and Publishing Co. 1898. ENTERED ACCORDING TO THE ACT OF CONGRESS, IN THE YEAR 1898, BY AMELIA W. DYER. IN THE OFFICE OF THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS AT WASHINGTON, D. C. V COPY, _„^ TO THE AMERICAN SOLDIER, (WHO SO MANFULLY j^FOUGHT TO MAI1MTAIN HIS CONSTRUCTION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF FREE GOVERNMEN*^) , AND TO HIS POSTERITY; THAT THEY MAY EMULATE THE DEEDS OF THEIR PROGENITORS, AND GIVE ALL TO MAIN- TAIN EQUAL RIGHTS AND HUMAN LIBERTY AND KEEP OUR BELOVED COUNTRY IN THE FRONT RANK OF THE CHRISTIAN NATIONS OF THE WORLD; THIS WORK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED, JNO. W. DYER. The Author (1861.) INTRODUCTORY THOSE who have written the history of our Civil War have done a great work in perpetuating the heroic deeds of leading generals of both sides of the line, and the armies, divisions and brigades under tlieir ccirmand, and our country is pardonably proud of the r^'cord. But the great factor in this gigantic struggle — the soldier in the ranks — he who endured privation, cold, hunger and imprisonment, and faced death in the hospi- tal, on the bloody field and in all its shapes, who for sake of principle sacriliced even life to uphold convictions of right and made possible the fame of Lee, Jackson, John- ston, Grant, Sherman and McPherson, has had no gifted friend to record his acts of heroism and self-denial. For this r(^ason I write this book. Being only a pri- vate soldier, actuated by principle, for four long dismal years, my only aim waj>. to do my duty to the cause I had espoused along with thousands of other young men im- pelled by the same motive. My individual experience was varied and such as fell to the lot of the soldier, and all old soldiers who read this narrative will recognize the truth of the statements it contains. The r<»meu:brances of the great struggle will remain in th(i m(m.ories of tliose who fought the war while they live, but the coming generations will lose sight of all but I 6 INTRODUCTORY. • the great leaders, and we of the ranks will pass into ob- livion. 1 hope, in a measure at least, to erect a monu- ment to my comrades in arms that may be seen and read by posterity, and thus encourage them to emulate the deeds of their auc(^stors and dare to do and die for lib- erty and courtry. In this narrative, in speaking of the private soldier, I include all from the Colonel down ; the men who endured the hardships and bore the brunt of the conflict. I use the first person singular in many instances, not to call at- tention to myself, but because my personal observations were easier to remember and only record similar deeds performed by hundreds of thousands of other men North and South whose experience was like mine. Of course, we of the South had more of this kind of experience than those of the North, but I am sure that my brother who wore the blue will not now begrudge us the credit to which we feel entitled. I write this from a Southern standpoint, but I can assure my brother who wore the blue that he will find nothing in these pages derogatory to the reputation of a brave and true soldier. By meeting with you on the field I learned that you could shoot as hard and stay as long as the best of them, and in your prison you did me many acts of kindness. Of course you had some among you who disregarded the amenities of humanity; so did we, and we know them, but between the true men of the armies the best of feeling prevailed, and when peace was declare! we quit fighting, and now thirty-three years afterward, we get together and an outsider can't tell which side we were on, and we wonder ourselves why we could not settle our differences without a fight. With this introduction I submit ''Reminiscences'- to INTRODUCTORY. j a generous reading public, asking for the most charitable criticism If they call up any pleasant memories to the old soldier, entertain, amuse and instruct the young and de- serve the plaudit ''well done'' from the general public, coupled with a substantial evidence of approval, I shall acknowledge myself deeply grateful and proud, and hap- py at the result. THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS, CHAPTER I. Causes leading to war — Action of Kentucky — Enlistment and march to Bowling Green — Formation of 1st Kentucky Regi- ment Cavalry — Rochester trip — In hospital at Nashville, Fort Donelson and Shiloh — Capture at Rogersville 13-28 CHAPTER II. In prison at Columbia, Nashville and Camp Chase — The last dime and the pie.— Lackey and the big Sergeant — Colonel Moody— Maj. Frank Attila— Thos. F. Marshall— Political prisoners — Our friends the lice 29-43 CHAPTER III. Exchange of prisoners — Cairo and the contrabands — From Cairo to Vicksburg — Wirt Adams' Mule Artillery — Ram Ar- kansas — Gen. Grant's ditch — On to Jackson — Gen. Tilgh- raan — Old '*Cit" and his melons 44-54 CHAPTER IV. Jackson to Mobile — Fried Hallibut — Across Mobile Bay and on to Knoxville — The pumpkin supper — Gen. Breckenridge and the furlough — Off for home — Col. Adam Johnson at Trenton — Dabney's speech and what came of it — Capture of Steamer Hazel Dell — Clore and his mule — Capt. Fitzroy's famous order 55-64 CHAPTER V. At home — Major Platter and his Cavalry — The negro's faithful devotion — My Old Black Mammy — Whit Mitchell — Casey- ville shelled by gunboat — Narrow escapes from capture — Winter time but too hot — By steamboat to Louisville and stay in the city — Andy Grainger — Can e Run — Serenade in Indiana — Governor Merriwether — Stanton Gaar — The ether party 65-80 XO CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. Start South — Close call in the city — Gen. Pegrara at Danville — Martial law in Louisville — Ford the ponds below the city — Uncle Billy Hardin — From Fair Grounds to Burksville — Adventures on the trip — Passed as a Government contractor and bought mules and sheep for the Union Army — Impres- sions of the country and people— Followed from Louisville by a company of soldiers — Cross Cumberland river — Scott's 1st Louisiana Cavalry at Albany 81-92 CHAPTER VII. Billy and Lumpki — Woolford's Cavalry — Captain Harper — "Tinker Dave" Beatty and Champ Ferguson — Picketing Cumberland river — Warning by a federal soldier — Lucky escape 93-103 CHAPTER VIII. Bushwhackers — Fight at Loudon — Colonel Bird — Effort to help Morgan escape from Ohio — Fight at London, Big Hill, Richmond, Irvine, Dix River, Stanford and Hall's Gap — Crossing Cumberland river — Safe but threatened with starv- ation — Three days in the mountains with no rations — Wartburg— Blount County— The beegum and the sick wheat 104-118 CHAPTER IX. Movements of the Armies — Burnside and Buckner — Battle of Chickamauga — Boils — Bragg at Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain 119-132 CHAPTER X. Battle of Lookout — Missionary Ridge— The retreat —Capt. Jetf Rogers — Chickamauga station— Grayville — Ringgold Gap— Elajay trip— Capt. Wall and the pig — The Charleston races— Kilpatrick's charge at Tunnel Hill— Winter quarters at Dry Valley 133-158 CHAPTER XL Making out payroll— Bob Waller as a singer— The Wilson hotel —The good people of Dry Valley— Bill Ellis and the bou- quet—Gen. Lyon's Discipline— Off for the front 159-164 CONTENTS. 1 1 CHAPTER XII. Drilling at Tunnel Hill— Picketing— Pursley's pork and what became of it— Optical illusion— Sherman's advance— Under artillery fire 165-171 CHAPTER XIII. Tom Richards and his bugle— Dug Gap— Stone ammunition- Sharpshooters— Reinforcements— Good Lord, what men- Snake creek gap— Skirmishing in front of Resaca— Wound- ing of General Kilpatrick— Battle of Resaca— Estate admin- istered on— Picketing the Oostanaula— Fight at Calhoun— Retreat to Adairsville— A good chance lost— Saved by a thunderstorm— Uncle Johnny Vaughn— Fighting and fall- ing back — Scouting 172-209 CHAPTER XIV. Around Cartersville—" Texas"— Cross the Etowah— Altoona gold diggings— Ackworth— Bob O'Nan and his mule— Cap- ture ordnance train — Saved again by a thunderstorm- Pine Mountain— Big Shanty— Death of Gen. Polk— A cowardly act— False alarm on Noce's creek— New Hope church— Kenesaw Mountain— Sent to hospital 210-232 CHAPTER XV. Peach tree creek- Maj. McCauley killed— Deeatur—Nursing wounded- Jonesboro—Stoneman and McCook's raids- Capture of Stoneman— Griffith and old Prince— Virtue its own reward 233-242 CHAPTER XVI. Removed to Americus— The Yankee spy— Andersonville— Con- dition of the prisoners— Gen. Grant's order— Capt. Wirz and his bloodhounds— The fire— Leading the choir— Orphan Brigade mounted— On the scout with Capt. Jack Brown- Attempt to capture train 243-2o7 CHAPTER XVII. Gen. Williams placed under arrest— Sherman begins his march to the sea— Fight with Kilpatrick's cavalry— Don't tell mother I was shot in the back— Around Macon— Demorali- zation of Sherman's army— Fight with the foraging squad- Fight at Bethel church, Louisville, Ga.— Chasing Sherman- Headless animals— At Sister's ferry 258-273 12 CONTENTS. CHAPTEK XVIII. Sherman takes Havana — The fort and the oysters — Sherman starts through the Carolinas — Fight at the Saltcahatchie — Through Sherman's camp at night^ — Fights at Rivers Bridge, Beaufort, Barnwell, Midway, Barnburg, Grahamville and Pocataligo — Fighting around Columbia — Through the burning bridge 274-283 CHAPTER XIX. Burning, of Columbia — Capt. Hawthorne and his gallant com- pany — The black flag — Fighting at Mt. Elam, Homesboro and Rockingham — Bentonville the last battle — Night scout through Sherman's camp — Gen. Williams and the North Carolinian — Appomattox — Meet President Davis at Greens- boro — His escort to Washington, Ga. — Charlotte, N. C, hear of assassination of Mr. Lincoln — The Confederate treasure divided — Mr. Davis leaves us — Paroled at Wash- ington, Ga. — Off for home — Marrietta corn pones — The Captain's kindness — Dalton to Chattanooga — The Provost Marshal and prison 284-301 CHAPTER XX. The one armed Captain— On to Nashville — The Dutch Ser- geant and the oath — Ice lemonade, five cents a glass — The good-bye— "You can walk and you had better do it quick" — The Silver Spray — Land at Caseyville — Home again — The end 302-315 Stars and stripes. Stars and Bars. REMINISCENCES CHAPTER I. AFTER the election of Mr. Lincoln to the Presidency in 1860, the ex( itement, which had been worked up in the presidential campaign increased from day to day, until all parts of the country and all the people of whatever trade, calling or profession became infected. The abol'tionist's of the North, encouraged by their suc- cess at th(» polls, went mad over their pet hobby and with the aid of 'TTncle Tom's Cabin," anti-slavery tracts, in- cendiary speeches and editorials, fired Northern senti- ment as, perhaps, never known before. On the other hand. Southern statesmen, smarting under defeat at the polls and their failure to secure rec- ognitioTi for slavery in the territories and to erect slave states by the will of the people of the states, used the same incendiary me^ans to fire the Southern heart to re- sist the encroachments of the party in power on the hitherto sacred principle of State Rights. The natural result of such earnest advocacy of prin- ciples so widely divergent could only mean war and after the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln both sides saw the inevi- table and both began to prepare for it. South Carolina raised the flag of secession soon to be followed by the other Southern States, except Kentucky. Maryland and Missouri. They being border states were not in a posi- tion to take any hasty action besides there was a strong 2 J. REMINISCENCES emancipation sentiment prevailing among the slave hold- ers of Kentucky. In fact, our own Henry Clay might be called the father of the emancipation idea, and it had long been a mattei^ of deep solicitude how to do justice to the owner and at the same time protect the negro. When a boy I have heard my father and other old men discuss the subject and it seemed to be their almost universal desire. And then the "Old Flag'' was dear to every Ken- tuckian's heart. Many were living throughout the State who had followed it to victory at New Orleans, in Mexico and the Black Hawk w ars and the tales told by these old soldiers had produced in the hearts of their descendants a reverence for the old flag, next only to their God. So great was the love for the Union by our leading men that many talked and worked against their convic- tions to keep Kentucky from seceding and used every en- deavor to act as mediator and prevent a collision between the antagonisti'* sections. In order to arrive at the sen- timent of the people an election was held at which the question was^, "Are you for the Union or State's Rights?'' Against the vote of nearly all my kinsmen and friends I voted for State's Rights, and as long as our re- public stands the proof that I was right (for once at least) will stand and that when we let go that principle our struv^ture will fall. Of course there was a large majority for the Union, but the people were soon to see that they had been hood- winked. Mr. Lincoln made his call for troops and Ken- tucky was called on for her allotment. This put a new face on affairs and instead of acting as peacemaker, as was supposed, Kentucky was to be forced to make war on her neighbors to whom she was bound by every tie of sympathy, interest and even consanguinity. The de- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 1 5 mand for troops was refused but it became necessary to do sometliing to prove that we had the" right and the will to act fo:' ourselves in the matter — thus repudiating the decision at the polls and asserting plainly the doc- trine of State's Rights ; so a convention of the wise heads was called to meet at Frankfort, which after due delib- eration and great mental effort, promulgated the doc- trine of ''Armed ^Neutrality," and gave both sides warn- ing to keep their armed forces off Kentucky soil. This move was too ludicrous to command the notice, much less the respect, of either the North or the South and both proceeded iu. their preparations as if Kentucky was not known as a State. The fact is that a few men in the convention who eai'nestly desired to hold Kentucky, took advantage of the convention and railroaded the ordi- nance through before the other fellows knew how heavily it was lo&ded. Up to this time I had been a strong Union man, and did all I could to keep my young friends from enlisting in the Southern army, but as soon as I found that the hands of our State had been tied and realizing that an attempt to maintain the stand she had taken would bring two-fold disaster upon her, and that I would be forced to fight two foes instead of one and also realizing that the conflict was now irrepressible, I went where my sympathy and every interest I knew, impelled me and like thousands of other young men of the State, espoused the cause of the South. I, with about fifty other young men, enlisted at Sul- phur Springs, and elected Captain J. J. Barnett to ''over- see" us, agreeing to meet on the next Saturday at Buffalo City to start for the Sunny South. Well, we met and Captain Barnett was there. Our 1 5 REMINISCENCES • mothers and fathers were there. Yes, our sweethearts were there, and if jou could have seen us you would have thought that we were there very much. How little did we anticipate the heart-burnings and yearnings left be- hind, and the trials which were ahead of us. Buoyant with vigorous manhood and ambition each one to set forth to do up his half-dozen Yankees and afraid the war would end before he got a chance to do it. Alas for our calculations. We were destined to get our ambition cooled and have more respect for the fighting qualities of the Yankee soldier. I well remember our triumphant march to Prince- ton. How the citizens along the route greeted us with cheers, eatables and tobacco pouches. How our captain made blood and thunder speeches, calculated to stir our patriotism and dismay the enemy. (I have sometimes thought that could Grant's army have heard one of those speeches it would have certainly fled in dismay.) But the opportunity never came, and our captain got disgust- ed and quit.) How we were welcomed at the old Prince- ton college by a small band of i)atriots drawn up in line and how in firing a salute my pistol burst, a part of it striking a comrade in the face, knocking him off his horse and drawing first blood. How^ Will Reasor's horse fell over the rosebush and got up with his rider in the saddle; how Miss Denny presented us with a flag and the patriotic speeches made on the occasion; how we went on to Hopkinsville and camped in Kicker's stable, where Tom Dyer led Matt Cristopher down the hatchway fifteen feet at one step, and how Hugh Bell kept us awake all night hunting for the man who "\e6. Christopher down stairs;-' how we marched in triumph to Bowling Green where we were organized with other companies into the BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 1 7 First Kentucky regiment of cavalry witli Ben Hardin Helm as Colonel, and how right there we began to ex- perience some of the stern realities of a soldier's life. Company drill in the forenoon, regimental drill in the afternoon, brigade drill on Friday, inspection on Sat- urday, with sabre exercise between times, guard and fatigue duty to fill in our leisure hours, we found that sol- diering was anything but a frolic. And then our cooking had to be done, and such victuals as we did produce. Out of a thousand men we could trot out nine hundred goodi ?) cooks. Every one had his special line, but some- how they all settled on boiled beef and '^flap-jacks." Needless to saA' — especially to a doctor — that ere long we were but shadows of our former selves, and had our friends, the enemy, let us alone we would have certainly melted away. But they made a move on our left flank which called for a counter on our part, which necessitated a move on Rochester, Ky., by Breckinridge's brigade, now known as the Orphans, with Helm's regiment to the front. Standing on Walnut Ridge the spectator beheld a military display that for grandeur has never been sur- passed in the history of any country. Five thousand of Kentucky's noblest sons, in new uniforms and accoutre- ments, thoroughly drilled and filled with patriotic en- thusiasm, it was a sight for the "Gods." The first day's march was blessed with fine spring weather, and we camped at Russellville in the best of condition. This was Sunday. About ten o'clock that night one of the severest thunder storms I ever witnessed came up from the west and the rain came down in tor- rents. We had camped on a hillside covered with a dense growth of cedar and the droppings from the trees J 8 REMINISCENCES* were from two to three inclies deep on the ground. The Sibley tent of my "mess" was pitched in a little ravine and the water soon formed a lake above us. While we were asleep, dreaming of glory and home, the stakes above gave way and we gathered ourselves up at the foot of the hill very much surprised that we were alive, yet very thankful all the same. Well, to make a long story short, it rained Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday it snowed, Friday, Saturday and Sunday it rained again. On the latter day we got back to Bowling Green the most forlorn, bedraggled set you ever saw and had not killed one single Yankee in the whole seven days. This campaign, however, was not barren of results. Immediately on our return measles broke out in camp and coupled with the recent exposure, produced extra fatalities. With sadness and gloom we buried over twelve hundred of our noble comrades. How sad to look on a dear friend and comrade suddenly cut down by in- sidious disease, all his hopes and aspirations w^recked^ and to carry his last message to "mother.'' Such has been the experience of every living soldier. God protect us from another like experience. Along in January, 1862, the Yankees began to get restless. Some of the boys thought they w^ere scared, but their actions proved otherwise. Grant and Oglesby went down to Belmont and got licked. We thought that ought to satisfy them, but as we found out afterward Grant never did have any sense anyhow. He wouldn't stay whipped. Finding that he could not force his way down the Mississippi river he concluded to try a flank movement. Being somewhat of a water dog and finding out that the force at Fort Henry was composed, mostly of "pedo bap- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. Iq tists," — as there was "much water there" — he concluded to try that route. He got there and immediately struck out for Fort Donelson to convert the boys there. Hav- ing been confirmed in the faith the boys held out a good while, and numbers of the missionaries handed in their checks, besides there were only a small number taken in, the majority preferring to run for it. But to go back a little. Soon after the return of our forces to Bowling Green from the Rochester campaign I was taken down with a severe case af jaundice and for two weeks was the sickest mortal that ever was sick. Came near handing in my resignation. When hostilities had begun all the convalescents and sick who could be moved were sent to Nashville hos- pitals, I among the lot. The weather was wet and cold and the exposure gave me pneumonia. For six weeks I hovered between life and death. Helpless and suffering, with no hope of recovery, I did not care to live. To one noble woman, under God, I owe my life today, Mrs E. M. Bruce — wife of our Confederate congressman — with numbers of other noble women of Nashville were daily visitors at the hospitals, risking their own lives and health in ministering comfort and consolation to the sick and dying and cheering the low spirited. One morning Mrs. Bruce came to the side of my cot and finding me so low spirited, began to talk to me of home and mother, as only a good woman can talk. Something in her voice attracted my attention and on looking up I saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. This was too much for me, and reaching out and taking her hand I had the biggest and best cry I ever had in my life. Right then I wanted to live and began to recover. John Ryle — who was born and raised right where Sturgis now stands — was lying 20 REMINISCENCES on the cot next to me very sick with measles — the doctor expected he would die — and he began to improve at once. He afterward told me that he cried too and felt better right away. I was just able to walk about a little when Fort Donelson was captured, and with the other sick and convalescents I was moved back to Pulaski, Tenn. As usual, the weather was cold and wet and the exposure caused a relapse, and before I got well enough to travel I was sent back to Decatur, Ala., then to Courtland, then to Tuscumbia. Every move made was in bad weather and had the same effect on me. Under these circum- stances I was greatly discouraged, for it seemed that I was only to be a drawback and expense to the Confed- eracy. But spring finally settled down to business, and our regiment fell back to the bluffs opposite Florence, where I joined my company again. By staying indoors in bad weather I soon was able to do a little day duty. During the three months of 1862 just passed there had been some pretty stirring times and the boys had begun to cut their eye teeth. Mill Spring, Fort Henry and Fort Donelson had all fallen to the enemy. Gen- eral Zollicofer was killed and General Buckner was a prisoner. Nashville, our base of supplies for ordnance and other stores, was also gone from us. Kentucky and Tennessee, our best loved States, were in the enemy's hands. Our army had retreated below the Tennessee river without a general battle. The people of the South were clamorous and said hard things about General Johnston. . The soldiers were mad and ready to refuse to retreat further, and General Johnston had to do some- thing to restore confidence. 1 have always believed that left to manage matters himself he would have succeeded better. There is no doubt that he was hampered in his Gen. Ben Hardin Helm. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 21 plans bv officious interference and was not entirely ready for the battle of Sliiloh. But he had to fight or run again. Buell's close proximity and evident intention to join (irant forced him to make battle before he had his own forces fully in hand and plans fully arranged. The des- perate nature of the venture required his personal atten- tion at all times and places which naturally exposed him to every danger of the field, and just when victory perched on his banners and he was about to see his fond- est hopes realized he was stricken down. I have always felt that we had one too many generals at Shiloh. With- out any disrespect to General Beauregard, who I know to be a gallant and competent officer, he was not suited to quick field work. His line was engineering, defense lines and fortifications. If Generals Cheatham, Breck- inridge or Claiborne had assumed command after Gen- eral Johnson fell, I feel sure his plans would have been carried out and Grant's army annihilated. But it was not to be. Buell intended to cross the river at Florence, and we had a skirmish with his advance on the morning of the first day of Shiloh, but finding the bluffs so well defended he changed his route, and by forced march crossed at Sa- vannah and had his army ready for the battle the next day. It is not generally known that Buell had more men with him than we had in our whole force, w^hich added to Grant's forces greatly outnumbered us. Besides, our men were worn out with fighting and want of sleep, and Buell's forces were all fresh men. It seems a wonder that they did not wipe Beauregard from off the face of the earth. I consider Shiloh the most desperately fought battle of the war and more destructive to life in propor- tion to numbers engaged than any other battle. The 22 REMINISCENCES men on both sides were fighting mad and armed with short range guns. They got close together, fought in the open and shot to kill. At that time they scorned to get behind a tree or throw up breastworks, but it wasn't long till they learned some sense. A few days after the battle of Shiloh our regiment was ordered to destroy the bridge at Florence and retire to Bear creek. I happened to be the last to cross the bridge. I had left an old watch in Florence to be re- paired and on learning of the order I asked Colonel Helm for a pass to go after it. He first refused, as orders were imperative and time was limited. The old watch would not sell for twenty-five cents now, but was very valuable — to me — then, at least I so regarded it. The colonel at last yielded to my entreaties and wrote me a pass. When I arrived at the south end of the bridge I found it in charge of Captain Noel, who was preparing it for de- struction. The captain refused to honor my pass, and I threw it at him and made a dash for it. It was a great risk to take, as the captain told me afterward his im- pression was that I was trying to desert and he came near ordering his men to fire on me. But I got my watch, and when I got back to the bridge it was afire nearly half its length. I don't think Perkins (my horse) ever made better time than on that occasion. The Florence bridge was a tw^o-story structure with railroad track above the wagon road, built of Southern yellow pine. Loose cotton saturated with turpentine, pine faggots and other combustible material were placed among the braces on both sides from end to end. A horseman with lighted torch playing ^'bo^' with stick passing picket fence'' and the deed was done. This was the first job of the kind, of any consequence, that we had BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 23 been called on to perform and we were a little awkward about it, but we got to be quite expert at the business and rather liked it. In fact, to this day I never see a wooden bridge that I do not find myself planning how to burn it quick and easy. Not yet being able for active duty, I was placed on courier duty to carry day dispatches from our regiment to General Beauregard and other places. I was sta- tioned at the crossing of two roads where there was a stage stand and postoffice called Cripple Deer. This was in Tishimingo county, Miss., and the innkeeper's name was Johnston. Lighter Vincent and George Thomas Smith, of Oldham county, Company B, were the night carriers at the same station. After the Shiloh battle Colonel Helm was promoted to brigadier general and given command of Breckin- ridge's infantry brigade. Colonel John Adams, of Mis- sissippi, was assigned to the command of our regiment. The colonel was a West Pointer, and somewhat foppish in his manners, and w^e resented his appointment. We all rejoiced in Colonel Helm's promotion but expected to be commanded by another Kentuckian; besides his ap- pearance and actions were so different from the plain old fashioned, fatherly Helm, that we were simply disgusted. As a sample of the feeling towards Colonel Adams, I will relate my first experience with him. When on his way from Corinth to take charge of our regiment he and an orderly stopped at our house for supper, and although it was only four miles to camp, he decided to spend the night with us, and took possession of the parlor and two bed rooms. One of the bedrooms was that of Mr. Johnston's two daughters, and they had to hunt other quarters. I didn't like this but Lighter 24 REMINISCENCES * and George were both out with dispatches and I was outnumbered. He had supper served in the parlor on the marble-top center table and this, I thought, was real mean; but when he sent for me and wrote a dispatch announcing that he would take charge of the regiment at ten the next morning and ordered me to take it to camp at once, it was a little more than I could swallow, so I politely, but firmly, informed him that I would "see him in h — 11 first." He ordered his orderly to arrest me. I demanded his authority and held the door with two good pistols till the other two boys, who had just re- turned, came to my aid and the whole thing resulted in the colonel delivering his own dispatch. I fully expect- ed we all three would be court-martialed, but when we rejoined the regiment a few days after, the colonel was kind enough to exonerate us. I do not wish to discredit Colonel Adams, who was a gallant officer and proved his devotion afterward with his life's blood, but to show the animus of the Kentucky soldier at that stage of the war. Every man felt that the war was his own personal fight, and while he willingly acknowledged authority for the public good, he would not put up with any foolishness nor brook any exercise of individual superiority. The Kentucky troops possessed an individuality peculiar to themselves. No power on earth could ever convert them into a "machine" soldier. There was a close attachment between officers and men, so much so that in camp or on the field it was difficult to distinguish a difference. The officers confided their intentions and expectations to the men. They made them confidants, and to a great extent, advisors. For this reason every man had an intelligent understanding of the object to be attained and the means to be used in its attainment. The results proved the wis- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 2$ dom of this method and the value of an intelligent, patri- otic volunteer soldiery. Although 'orphaned' as it were, the Kentucky soldiers never once faltered in their duty, and even when the dark clouds of defeat lowered over the Confederacy they were true to themselves and their cause and only gave up when no more could be done. The battle of Shiloh was fought on the 6th and 7th of April, 1862. As is generally known the Confederate forces were victorious from the start and had the Union forces badly whipped, when General Johnston was killed and General Beauregard ordered a cessation of hostili- ties, giving Grant time to rally and reorganize his forces and General Lew Wallace (8,000 men) and General Buell (25,000 men) to bring their fresh men into action the next day. Johnston's total force, infantry, cavalry and artil lery, was 40,335; casualties April 6, 14,780, leaving for duty 25,555 to meet the enemy on the 7th. The official report gives: Grant's army engaged in the battle of 6th and 7th, 49,314; Buell on 7th, 21,579; a total of 70,893, to say nothing of the gunboats. Grant's loss on the 6th, 11,220, leaves his army on the morning of the 7th, 59,673, and with which he attacked Beauregard's army of less than half his own forces. I have made this digression because there are num- bers who will i>robably read this and who have never known the facts connected with this battle. The figures above are taken from the official report and are authen- tic. I have previously stated that there were more cas ualties in this battle than any other in proportion to the number engaged, and I feel sure the official reports will sustain me. Soon after Shiloh (about April 15th), we learned that General Halleck had taken command at Pittsburg Laud- 25 REMINISCENCES . ing and was preparing for a forward movement. He re- organized Grant's and Bell's forces and reinforcements from west of the Mississippi under General Pope, making a force of 85,000 men, which he put in motion against Beauregard, who had succeeded in recruiting his army up to 45,000 men of all arms. In the face of such overwhelming force, General Beauregard decided to retire to another base of opera- tions and succeeded so well in making his movei^ients that he was enabled to remove all his sick and wounded, all his stores of every kind, and, but for an accident to a bridge, causing the loss of one engine and seven cars, would have lost nothing by the move. With a small cav- alry force at the front he was able to cover his move- ments and force Halleck to approach Corinth by en- trenchments. The movement was started April 28th, and Corinth was occupied on May 29th. One month go- ing twenty miles, and but for the experience of Shiloh they perhaps would have accomplished the feat in one day. They could have done it. One of the amusing incidents of the war occurred here. General Halleck decided to storm our works with two regiments from each brigade with General Pope in command, and right gallanty did the general storm. Meeting with no resistance, he took "peaceable" posses- sion, but in order to bring hope to the Union and terror to the Confederacy, he issued his famous order "Head- quarters in the Saddle," in which he claimed the capture of 9,000 prisoners and all Beauregard's ordnance and quartermaster's stores and had our army utterly routed. But the general was a little mistaken. Soon after the evacuation of Corinth General Brax- ton Bragg was put in command of the Army of the Cum- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 2/ berland. The general was not handsome and not very friendly to Kentuckians, but he was like Grant in one respect, he would fight. He was also somewhat of a strategist, and before the enemy knew what he was about he had established himself in Middle Tennessee and was ready for business again. About the first of May our command was moved up to Lamb's Ferry on the Tennessee river, where it was crossed to the north side and sent out to capture a force which was guarding Hughey's bridge on the Nashville and Decatur railroad, and it was there the boys got their first real baptism. The enemy was entrenched behind the railroad fill, in houses and stables and were armed with long range guns, while we had to charge for a half- mile over open ground and were armed with shotguns of short range. But we took them in. Our loss was not great in numbers, but we lost an ofticer (Captain Noel) whose death brought sadness and gloom to the whole regiment. He was a brave and noble man, loved by all with whom he came in contact. A very sad accident occurred the next day by which Bob Hedges of our com- pany lost his life. He was guarding some prisoners and rested the butt of his gun on a stump. By some means the gun slipped oft' and in descending the hammer struck, exploded the charge and blew his brains out. We buried him in the graveyard at Rogersville, Ala. Bob was a good boy and good soldier and his untimely death brought sorrow to all his comrades. But the armies both North and South were very ac- tive and it was plain that the fun would soon begin in earnest. Both sides were playing for position and this caused frequent clashes between the detachments sent out as feelers. We heard of a small force of the enemy 28 REMINISCENCES , at Athens, Ala., and started to take them in. In order to take them by surprise we marched in the night, halting in striking distance at three o'clock in the morning. We laid down to get a little sleep and when I woke in the morning was again in the grip of pneumonia. As the command had to move, ^Vill Gardiner was sent with me back inside the lines to a hospital. J could only ride a short distance when I would lie down. We were twelve hours going as many miles. AThen near camp we were captured by General Kegley, who had brought a forec from Pulaski to surprise our camp, and we were forced to dismount and march with the infantry five miles to camp, part of the way at a ''double quick." This about laid me out. Fortunately, for me, there were some Christian soldiers in General Negley's command. Colo- nel Starkweather, of the Seventh Pennsylvania, hap- pened around and realizing my condition, sent his sur- geon to see me. He prescribed a mustard poultice and hot blankets and this, I doubt not, saved my life. The next day I was put into an ambulance and taken to Col- umbia, Tenn., where I soon recovered sufficiently to walk about. Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston. CHAPTER II. WE were kept at Columbia about three weeks and treated kindly by our guards. We were allowed to go about on parole and the ladies of the town and country were allowed to visit us and supply us with strawberries, cream, cake and other delicacies, which we shared with our guards, securing tor ourselves many kindnesses which I am afraid would otherwise have not been extended. There is nothing so civilizing, human- izing and fraternizing, with soldiers, as good ''grub." Several incidents occurred while at Columbia which will bear relating. One day while out in town we met with a drunken soldier who began to abuse us in — well, not the choicest language — directing his remarks specially to Will Gardiner, who informed him that but for the fact of being a prisoner it would afford him great pleasure to teach him a lesson in good manners. Just when a row appeared inevitable, a guard appeared on the scene and told Gardiner to whale the drunken scoundrel and he should be protected. This settled the drunken soldier, who was, of course, a coward. Colonel Frank Wolford, of the First Kentucky Fed- eral Cavalry, visited us. The colonel knew my father and others of the old settlers of Union county, having met them before the war when in this part of the State on business. He discussed the cause of the war with us and insisted that it was not waged to free the negro, and 3 30 REMINISCENCES should it ever appear that such was the case, he would at once sheathe his sword and resign. (The colonel after- wards found 'it so and kept his word.) He advised us to take the oath and go home, but when I asked him if he would do so if situated like me, he replied, "I'll be d — d if I would." "Boys, I am proud of you as Kentuckians; don't do anything to disgrace yourselves and old Ken- tucky." We went down to the river, one day, to take a bath. We were on parole, but for our protection asked a Yan- kee soldier to accompany us. After enjoying our bath we lay down under a shade to enjoy a good rest. Then our Yankee friend gave us a great surprise by offering to desert and guide us through the lines to our friends. The temptation was great, and it took all our moral courage to resist it, but we did, and although we would have es- caped the trials and dangers of a prison life, I am glad we did not perjure ourselves to gain our liberty. But the armies were growing more active and the prisoners were sent to the rear. We were transferred from Columbia strawberries and cream to the Nashville penitentiary, corn bread and hydrant water. Three of us were locked in an eight-by-ten room, where through the ten of diamonds we could contemplate that portion of the outside world contained in the prison yard, moralize on "man's inhumanity to man," and envy the lot of the gentlemen in stripes who had the privilege of cutting stone for the State instead of harassing their minds about who should govern the country. Unlike Colum- bia, the visits of the ladies were denied us, and that we missed them greatly, goes without the saying. There was one good woman, however, who by her indomitable will and energy overcame all obstacles and BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. ^f secured permission to visit us, cheer us, and minister somewhat to our comfort. With her own means and such help as she could secure from the good people of Nashville, she would purchase clothing and give to the prisoners who needed it. Gardiner and I would only ac- cept a change of underclothing, but our cell-mate — a fel- low named Halliburton from somewhere in Tennessee — took a complete outfit, and she gave him a nice one. When he had put the suit on he looked right smart like a gentleman, and I have no doubt felt like one. I ant sure it must have been the best suit of clothes he had ever worn. When our benefactress had left and he had taken a little time to admire himself he asked the guard to call the officer of the day. went out and took the oath. Whew! but wasn't our friend mad on her next visit when she learned of his treachery. She could not find words to express her indignation. We were not allowed to write to our friends and acquaint them of our where- abouts and condition, and she did it for us. This good Samaritan, of whom I have been writing, w^as Mrs. Isa- bella Nicholson. From attluence, at the beginning of the war, she was reduced to almost want at its end. AlP her means had gone to aid and comfort the unfortunate Confederate soldier. At the close of the war Mrs. Nich- olson set out to recuperate her broken fortunes, and evinced the same energy and determination that had characterized her actions in days of trouble. Relying solely on her own exertions — her husband being an in- valid — she opened a boarding house in Nashville. The Confederate soldiers who had been the recip- ients of her kindness, when in the city, w^ould stop with her and recommend her to others going to Nashville. She soon had to secure a larger house. Time passed on. 32 REMINISCENCES business increased, prosperity continued to attend her and today the fine marble front Nicholson Hotel, in Nash yille, stands a grand monument to the energy and pluck of one little woman and the gratitude of hundreds of ex- Confederate soldiers who delight to call her mother. This is but one instance of the noble actions of the wom- en of the South. In hospital, on the battlefield, in the prison, under all kinds of circumstances they were ever present and ready to minister to the needs and comforts of the soldiers. I had seen ladies who had been brought up in afflu- ence and w^ealth and never before knew what it meant to toil, ploughing and hoeing in the fields in order to sup- port themselves and small children and provide some- thing for the fathers, husbands and sons at the front, and I never knew a hungry soldier to apply to them for relief that he failed to get it, even though the giving ex- hausted the small store of the donor. They simply trust- ed in God and did what they considered to be their duty. History fails to record another instance of fortitude, loy- alty and heroism such as displnyed by the women of the South. After about two weeks' stay at Nashville we were hustled off to Louisville and sent to the Medical College, on Fifth and Green streets. They did not let us stay at college long enough to graduate, hence w^e received no diploma. After two or three days at college, we were sent across the river and marched into the penitentiary at Jeffersonville, Ind. This seemed to be a mistake, as the gates had hardly closed on us before we were marched out again, put aboard of the cars and sent to Camp Chase at Columbus, Ohio. There were many incidents which occurred on our BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 33 trip which were both amusing and exasperating. I tried to take things philosophically and get as little trouble as possible out of the circumstances; but Gardiner was irritable and restless under the restraint, which caused him much vexation, and gave me a good deal of amuse- ment. By some means we had secured a small pillow slip into which we had thrust our few extra belongings, and each had a blanket. In order to divide the load, one carried the blankets and the other the pillow. When we arrived at Louisville Gardiner decided to carry the pil- low, as it was the smallest bundle, and would attract the least attention. After leaving the cars we were marched under guard, up Broadway with an army of gutter-snipes at our heels. I had read of pandemonium, but had never realized before what it meant. They shouted after us, making all sorts of jokes at our expense, especially re- garding our supposed "horns and tails.'' Finally one more venturesome than the rest, pressed through the guard line and spying Gardiner's pillow gave it a jerk, at the same time yelling out, ''Hey, here's a fellow wid a whole sack full of rights." This made Gardiner furious, and if the boy had received the kick aimed at him, there would have been a boot-black funeral, sure. It made Gardiner so mad that he threw the pillow down and re- fused to carry it further, and if I had not picked it up we would have been without a change of underclothing. A little further up the street we came in front of a saloon, kept by a very large, greasy looking Dutch woman. AVhen she spied us she charged at us like a mad bull, cry- ing, "Keel 'em, keel 'em," broke through the guard line and with a long basting spoon, which she had in her hand, aimed a blow square at the top of Gardiner's head, intended to demolish him, and but for the interference 34 REMINISCENCES of one of the guard, who rallied in time to ward off the blow, there is no guessing what the result would have been. This added new fuel to Gardiner's fury, and with other like occurrences before we reached the college had him almost a fit subject for the straight jacket. We arrived at Indianapolis in the morning and quar- tered in the Union depot to wait our train to Columbus, which left some time in the afternoon. Large placards were posted in numerous places around the depot bearing the legend, ''Beware of pick- pockets." Now, I had just one little old silver dime which constituted the total wealth of the crowd, and the safety of which caused us no little trouble. We watched it with as much solicitude as a mother does her only child. Along towards noon we begun to feel hungry and there was no sign of rations. Fearing our dime would be stolen and feeling like eating something, we decided to invest it to the best advantage. Looking through the lunch stands, of which there were numbers in the depot, we decided on an apple pie. This pie turned out a de- lusion and a snare. It had a thick looking crust with four pieces of apple daintily placed on top, one on each cut. I passed over the dime and the Jew passed over the pie. Gardiner took a cut of it, and opening his mouth very wide in order to admit the pie nicely, brought his jaw^s together with a snap — there was nothing but a little baked wind between them — and with a look of blank astonishment and disgust turned to me with the remark, "John, we are sold.'^ We afterwards decided that the lunch-stand keepers were the pickpockets we were cau- tioned against. We arrived at last at our destination and were ush- ered into prison number three. There were three in- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 35 closures each surrounded by a 16-foot plank wall, sur- mounted by a parapet on which the sentinels walked. Inside these inclosures there were rows of one-story box houses built thirty feet from the wall with a thirty-foot street between them. Fifteen feet from the prison wall a line was marked known as the ''dead line," which no one dared cross. Rations were brought into us in bulk and we distributed them ourselves. A Louisianian named Lackey and myself were selected to divide the rations in our prison and we succeeded in satisfying the boys and heard no complaints. Lackey was a very small man, but did not appear to appreciate it, as a conse- quence he afforded us a great deal of amusement. He would strut around and talk big, and always ready to tackle any one who crossed his path. Sergeant Evans, who brought in our rations every morning, was a very large man, six feet two and weighed about two hundred and eighty pounds. He was a good-natured, pleasant man, and I believe really felt sorry for us, and tried to treat us as well as he was allowed. Every morning Lackey would storm at him, ''cuss" him, and say all sorts of mean things to him, which the ''big sergeant," as we called Evans, seemed to be distressed at. Sometimes it looked like he and Lackey would come to blows. They reminded us very much of the actions of a Bantam and Shanghai rooster in the barnyard, and appeared to be at eternal enmity. But the scene changed when we were called out to be sent away. 1 hapi>ened to be near when Evans and Lackey bid each other good-bye and noticed the warm hand clasp and the tears as they streamed down the cheeks of both men. I knew then that, though enemies, these two men were dear to each other and felt that at that moment the recording angel took note of the 36 REMINISCENCES • emotions of their hearts and placed a credit to the ac- count of both. I have never heard from either of them since then, but feel sure that both have been true to themselves, their country and their fellow-man. When we arrived at Camp Chase there were but few- prisoners there, and we had quite a picnic. We were well fed, allowed the daily papers and outside the re- straint, were as well fixed as we could wish. Every- thing seemed to be going against our armies and our foes could afford to be generous. This, however, did not last long. Hostilities began in earnest, battles were fought and we knew, without being told, that our armies were victorious. Our rations were cut down, our newspapers were denied us and discipline drawn close. Soon our hopes were confirmed by the arrival of more prisoners, bringing us the news from the front. For some time after arriving at prison we were guarded by soldiers who had seen service at the front, and were convalescent from sickness or wounds. These men treated us fairly well most of the time, but along in August General E. Kirby Smith advanced into Ken- tucky with considerable force. When he reached Frank- fort the Federals became alarmed for the safety of Cin- cinnati, and hurried our old guard off to help defend it, replacing them with militia composed of old men and boys. They were the awkwardest, greenest looking lay- out I ever saw, and they were the meanest. Each seemed to think he ought to kill a rebel, and we had to keep our eyes on them at all times to save our lives. As it was, they shot several of our men. They would shoot down through the roof of our quarters at night while we were lying asleep, and we never knew when we saw the sun set that we w^ould live to see it rise BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 37 again. Talk about the terrors of the battlefield; they are but pleasure compared T\ith our experience for the ten days during- which the militia guarded us. The soil at Camp Chase held numbers of small stones similar to iron bloom, of the size of a man's fist and small- er. In sweeping the streets we often exposed them and took the precaution to slyly pile them away under our quarters, and soon had a pretty good supply of stone am- munition, intended for defensive use, as we did not know what day they might attempt to massacre us. One day, a Yankee soldier who was in our prison for some act of insubordination and who was carrying a ball and chain, went too close to the "dead line," thinking his uniform would protect him, when he was shot down in his tracks. Instantly every fellow jumped to hi^? rock pile, and soon- er than I can tell it the parapet was cleared of guards. They marched in a squad of soldiers with loaded muskets and ordered every man who threw a rock to step tw^o paces to the front. Every man in prison stepped out promptly. When this was repeated with the same re- sult, the soldiers were about faced and marched out of the prison yard. Eight there we expected to have use for the balance of our rocks and had determined to use them. But our old guard returned and everything w^as se- rene. There were numbers of the leading citizens of Ken- tucky brought to our prison, among them Hon. John L. Helm, afterwards Governor of Kentucky; Judge Theo- dore Hallam, of Covington, Eev. Mr. Fisher, of Lexing- ton, and Thomas F. Marshall, the great Kentucky orator and wit. I remember when they brought Colonel Mar- shall in he was dusty and tousled from travel and pre- 38 REMINISCENCES • sented anything but a prepossessing appearance. Our room being nearest the prison gate and the colonel being about half seas over, the guard shoved him in at our door as the quickest way to get rid of him. We rather resented this intrusion, and some of the boys were not very chary or choice in their remarks. Fortunately for me I, for once, kept my mouth shut. There was some- thing about the man that appeared, to me, above the com- mon, and I found my intuitions to be correct. After sit- ting for about an hour in an apparent stupor he suddenly turned to me with the remark that on his entrance he had sworn a solemn oath to drink no whisky while he stayed in prison. I answered that it was an easy oath to keep under the circumstances, and asked his name. ^'Thomas F. Marshall," said he, '^generally known as Colonel Marshall, though Humphrey is really the only live colonel in the family — and I was put in here for burn- ing turnpikes. Say, boys, did you draw rations for me this morning?" Needless to say that Colonel Marshall was afterward treated with the greatest respect. The Colonel was quite a benefactor in a certain way. Some- times in the afternoon he would sit outside in the shade and entertain us from his inexhaustible fund of humor- ous jokes. At other times talk on literary and scientific subjects as only he could talk. We improvised a ros- trum out of a goods box on which he would stand and talk by the hour, listened to by every one in prison, and numbers of the Yankee officers and soldiers who came in- side to hear him. The Rev. Mr. Fisher would preach on Sunday evenings and his sermons had quite a political ring. Numbers of the Yankees would come in to hear him, and how he would score the Lincoln government, and the Northern people, generally, but they took it all BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 3q good naturedly. I have been told that Mr. Fisher was never "reconstructed" while he lived. The fortunes of war make many strange bedfellows. We had in our mess a Hungarian named Attilla — a lineal descendant of the famous Hungarian tyrant of history— who was drill master of McNairy's cavalry and captured at Fishing Creek, where General Zollicofer was killed and McNairy's battalion was stampeded. Attilla was an exile from his own land, one of Kossuth's soldiers in his struggle for Hungarian independence, and bore the battle scars to prove that he had seen service. One eye was out, his left leg and arm paralyzed by bullet wounds and altogether he did not present a very handsome ap- pearance, but w^as able to afford us a good deal of enter- tainment. Attilla was a fine swordsman and gave a few of us lessons in fencing, using wooden foils in our prac- tice. I was greatly interested and applied myself so ear- nestly that I became able to handle a very respectable "foil," on seeing which Attilla challenged me for a trial of skill, and thinking he only intended to give me a kind of advance lesson I accepted. We went out back of the house, in the shade, and as our play did not interest the other boys, w^e were left to ourselves. I noticed that At- tilla had a strange look and took his position with an alertness that the time and occasion hardly justified, but paid no attention to it at the time. In our practice it had been Attilla's custom to have me force the fighting, but on this occasion he took the initiative, and threw me on the defensive. During the first few minutes I made some very fine parries and succeeded in covering myself against cuts and thrusts which he w^as sure he would land. This so exasperated him that he went crazy. His one eye seemed to flash fire, his body to grow 40 REMINISCENCES • taller and with a yell and an oath, in French, he rushed on me like a tornado. I dared not attempt to retreat, and I saw at once that I had to light for my life. How I ever succeded in parrying his lightning-like cuts and thrusts I can never tell, nor how this unequal fight would have ended but for a lucky, perhaps awkward and, I am sure, desperate stroke of mine which sent his foil flying from his hand. This seemed to restore his senses and ended the combat. He seemed only then to realize the situation, and taking my hand while the tears rolled down his old wrinkled cheeks, he said: "My God, John, I might have killed you. 1 was wild, and thought I was in a duel with my enemy. John, 1 love you and would not harm you for my own life. There is something in the way you handle your foil that reminds me of my most deadly enemy, and I find it influences me to that extent that I lose my self-control. We Avill not cross foils again.-' Under a promise of secrecy he told me his story, which was the old one of woman's trust and man's treachery. In a duel with the betrayer of his sister he had wounded his antagonist who in turn gave him the thrust which destroyed his eye. In the struggle for in- dependence his enemy had espoused the cause of Austria, and it was while making a desperate effort to get to his enemy, whom he recognized on the battlefield, that he was shot down. Poor Frank Attilla, born 'mid the strife and struggle for liberty, living to the music of the bat- tle's roar, it was fit that his last days should be passed in the field of strife. He had lived a soldier and thus he died. Camp Chase Avas located on a kind of table land with good drainage, which rendered it a healthy prison, and although there were thousands of prisoners confined Gen, S. B. Buckner. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 4 1 there the mortality was at no time very great. We were free from any contagious diseases — while I was there — and were not even troubled greatly with itch or lice. There was one row of barracks in our prison occupied by a lot of ^Vest Mrginia mountaineers who became care- less and got lousy, thereby acquiring for their quarters the name of "louse row," against which the balance of the prison quarantined strictly, even to requiring them to draw rations from the other side of the commissary. One day after a heavy rain, on going outside we found one of these West Virginians picking the "gray backs" off his clothes and dropping them in a pool of water which had formed beside our quarters. He seemed to be enjoying himself as well as any boy who ever sailed a bark boat on a goose pond and it was funny to see about fifty great, big lice swimming, it seemed with almost hu- man intelligence, to get back to their old quarters. Talk about a flea being sharp; why, he isn't jacks tens to an army louse. Well, but we were mad. Just when we were going to mob the fellow, ''Big Sergeant'' came in and interceded for him. Lackey, as usual, came to the front, and would first ''cuss" the fellow and then "cuss" the sei'geant, then "vice versa," finally winding up by ac- cusing Lincoln of being the inventor of lice, itch and every other mean thing that beset us. The sergeant finally settled the matter by furnishing a new suit of clothes and a bar of soap, (we had sand and scissors), when the fellow was stripped, his hair cut close to the skin, he placed under the pump spout, and a constant stream turned on him while two men scrubbed him with soap and sand. As one "detail" would tire others would take their places, until at the end of an hour Lackey called a halt, had (he fellow dressed and carried to his 42 REMINISCENCES quarters more dead than alive, but cleaner than he had ever been since his first washing. What fools we were, as we afterwards found out. Before the close of the war there were none of us who did not feel lonesome with- out a good supply of '^gray backs," of approved size and branded C. S., properly distributed about his clothes; and then what unalloyed and exquisite pleasure we en- joyed in picking up a fine plump old fellow who had ven- tured to explore the outside world and crawled out on our necks. But Lackey was right, they were of Yankee invention, and I think this accounts for their shrewdness. And then the first installment was branded U. i^., but like a great many other things, such as arms, ammuni- tion, accoutrements, clothing, etc., and which we had to ^^draw" from our friends, the enemy, change by re-brand- ing or re-dying to suit our purpose and maintain our claim of ^^belligerents" we were forced to adopt a new- design for their backs in order to protect them in their rights as well. We needed the munitions of war and were forced to take them where we could find them and could not afford to be squeamish about the company we were keeping. Like the farmer who reads his agricul- tural paper in which he finds long articles recommending some kind of cereal or grass and which he decides he must obtain — thinks he must have it, can't do without it — gets the seed and sows, and when reaping time comes he finds that his fondest expectations are realized, but at the same time he has introduced on his farm a noxious weed, not expected at the time, that will cause him many days of vexation and labor to eradicate. So it was with us and the lice, we didn't go after them, but we got them all the same. There was a mineral well — principally white sul- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. ^y phur — in our prison, the water from which I soon found, was good for me, and you may depend, I patronized it liberally. My health and strength improved steadily and it was but a few weeks 'till '^Richard was himself again," and in spite of the short rations (they cut us down after the seven days' battle before Richmond, in which General McLellan was defeated), T left the prison in splendid health, w^hich I enjoyed with one or two slight exceptions, to the end. In fact, I am thankful to this day I have not had a recurrence of the disease which in- valided me so long and came so near terminating my career. Under the circumstances, I suppose, I should have no quarrel with Camp Chase, but rather regard her from a "hygienic" standpoint, my alma mater. CHAPTER III. SOME of the readers of these "reminiscences" may grow impatient at the amount of space devoted to prison exi)erience and want to forge ahead to the more stirring events of the battlefield. To all such I wish to say that they cannot possibly be more impatient than I was during my enforced confinement. I have started out to give a history of my individual experience and thus write a history of the war. By some unaccount- able means that experience was varied, and as it covered a space of four years of army life in all its departments — camp, hospital, prison, cavalry, infantry and artillery — in order to do justice to the subject I must take up events as they transpired and record the occurrences in which the private soldier was most concerned. In February, 1802, the two governments arranged for an exchange of prisoners, and while we held an ex- cess, matters progressed to the apparent satisfaction of both parties concerned. But the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson gave the United States a large advantage in number of prisoners, and about the same time General Pope issued an order treating all rebel sympathizers within his lines as spies, and held numbers of peaceable citizens as hostages on which to retaliate should any of his men be killed by persons whom he styled bushwhack- ers. Our government remonstrated, and pending a set tlement of the dispute, we who had not been exchanged BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 45 had to content ourselves in prison. In the meantime, Stonewall Jackson, Early and Ashby had been around to see the boys, and on the general round up it was dis- covered that we again had a majority, so on the 22d of July the exchange began again, on the terms of man for man and officer for officer of like rank to be forwarded as fast as possible and all in excess on either side to be paroled till their exchange could be effected. The near- est, of course, were first, and exchanged immediately, while those most distant got in later. Having better transportation facilities the North could make quicker deliver}^ than the South and for this reason w^e of Camp Chase were sent to parole camp to await till our ex- change was declared. Our prison was in charge of a Colonel Moody, the same Moody who commanded an Ohio regiment at the battle of Bull Eun, and who was the only man who beat Senator Lovejoy back to Washington on that memorable occasion. The colonel was also a Methodist preacher, and more a man of peace than war, hence he secured the soft job of corralling unarmed reb- els. The Colonel seldom ever showed himself inside the prison and only on important occasions. He was also very reticent and we could seldom draw him into conver- sation — in fact, he seemed to view us more as a comfor- table farmer would his herd of fat hogs than as human beings, so when he came to our door and said, ^'Please form in front of your quarters in marching order," we were completely dumbstruck. We were expecting noth- ing, and could not conjecture what his intentions were, and when his adjutant called out the names on his list with the order to step two paces to the front, and we found that some were not called, we did not know wheth- er they or we were the lucky ones. We were marched 4 46 REMINISCENCED over to No. 1, where all those to be exchanged were as- sembled and the others sent to the other stockades; in other words the sheep were separated from the goats, and this time I went to the right with the sheep. Why all were not included I could never imagine. Early in the afternoon we were marched out to the railroad and loaded on the train with four guards to each car and started Southward. We arrived at Cincinnati about sundown and were side-tracked for the night. By the way, they had hurried us off and forgot to provide us with rations, so we went to bed supperless and the next morning they hurried us off before time to draw rations. Our guards had been supplied before starting, but they forgot us. It did not matter much, as we had found out that we were bound for Dixie, and felt too good to get hungry. We were transferred to the Ohio i& Mississippi railroad which was then an extra broad gauge and the cars veritable rolling palaces. We arrived at Odin, 111., about noon, where we changed to the Illinois Central and long train of flat cars with boards running crosswise for seats. This was quite a come down, but it was Sep- tember and the weather pleasant, so there was no kicking done. We ran down to Centralia where we sidetracked to let the regular pass, which was due in about an hour. While there a lot of the boys jumped off the train and went up town. They had some money and bought all the whisky they could and passed it around to the boys on the train. Fortunately, there was not enough to go round more than once, and no one could get too much. Our guards aflSliated with us and did not try to restrain us, and they could have done nothing as we had them in our power. Several of the boys boldly walked off and were not halted. We all could have done so, but were BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 47 being carried home and would rather ride than walk. Our train left Centralia about dark, and 1 think the en- gineer did his best to wreck us. He threw the throttle wide open and our train fairly flew. Wood was used to fire the engine. The fireman kept the blaze running out at the top of the smokestack at least half the time and the sparks and coals of fire fell on us thick as a snow^ storm, keeping us busy fighting fire and holding on to our seats. This lasted nearly all night and I don't think I ever had a more miserable experience for the same length of time, to say nothing of the burns received. We were hauled into Cairo the next morning, disem- barked and marched down to the levee, where I wit- nessed the, to me, most distressing sight I had ever be- held. Thousands of plantation negroes had been induced to leave their homes and come to Cairo to be freed and cared for by Uncle Sam. These poor, deluded creatures of all sizes, sexes and ages were huddled together on the levee, without shelter and but little, and in some cases, no food, and without any medical attention. They were dying by scores. I could but think, if some of our good Northern philanthropists could see these poor creatures and realize what their freedom was costing in human suffering and misery they would at least attempt to ac- complish the object in a more humane and Christianlike manner. After we had been marched around to the sat isfaction of our captors and the thousands of spectators who were on hand to gaze at and '^guy'' us, we were halt- ed in front of a pile of '^hard tack" and raw^ "sow bosom" dumped on the levee and invited to break ranks and draAv rations. As we had gone nearly forty-eight hours with nothing to eat, we did not wait for a second invitation, nor find fault with our bill of fare. 48 REMINISCENCES At Cairo we were joined by the prisoners from Camp Douglas, Rock Island and Camp Morton, which augment- ed our force to about six thousand men, all of whom were loaded on five ordinary steamboats and started down the river for Vicksburg, the port of exchange. This fleet of transports was convoyed by the gunboat Eastport and the ram Queen of the West. The Eastport was one of our gunboats captured, in an unfinished state, at Fort Henry and completed by the enemy. It was a kind of turtle back concern with port holes in the sides and cased with railroad iron. The ram. Queen of the West, was an ordinary little steamboat painted black, with heavy tim- bers and cotton bales around the deck, and boiler iron around the pilot house. She also had a nose or ram built of heavy timbers and shod with iron with w^hich to sink an antagonist. As a fighter she was not a success, but when it came to butting, she was immense. The Eastport drew eight feet, and as there was only seven feet of water on most of the bars we made slow progress, so slow that we were fourteen days making seven hun- dred miles. Gardiner and I took passage on the steamer Champion with twelve hundred other rebels, and as the state room accommodations were reserved for our guards we took up our quarters on the hurricane deck. By stretching a blanket across a hog chain we were enabled to provide very comfortable quarters. Late in the afternoon of the day on which we em- barked our fleet weighed anchor and started southward with the intention of running night and day until we reached Memphis — which was then considered the outer Federal line, although their fleet was as far South as Yicksburg — but after dark, when a few miles above Col- umbus, Ky., we were fired on from the shore, which BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. ^g caused us to cast anchor, lie over till morning, and there- after run only in daytime and under flag of truce. Our trip to Vicksburg was uneventful, as nothing oc- curred to break the monotony, further than pulling the gunboat over the bars and now and then catching a sight of Colonel Adam's cavalry and mule artillery as they would appear on shore. Colonel Adams' mule artillery was quite a novelty in modern warfare. It consisted of a number of small brass cannon of one and a half inch bore fixed on pack saddles, mounted on mules and used principally in capturing the transports plying the Mis- sissippi. The manner of their use was to turn the rear end of the mule toward the object, sight between the mule's ears, pull the lanyard and the cannon did the rest. Sometimes the mule objected to the noise and made it hot for the gunner, and then, again, if the flies were bad, it often proved disastrous to the mule, as his caudal appendage often happened to be in just the right position to get shot off. Active hostilities were suspended along the Missis- sippi during our trip South and with the exception of the fortifications along the route and the few sentries on guard over them, there were no signs of war to be seen until we neared Vicksburg and there only the fleet of Federal gun boats were to be seen as General Grant, had hid his army away somewhere in the woods and the crews of the gun boats w^ere kept out of sight. The Yazoo river empties into the Mississippi about twenty miles above Vicksburg and we noticed after pass- ing its mouth that the timber on both shores was badly torn up as if a hurricane with a liberal supply of light- ning had passed through it. We learned that this was caused by the shots from the fleet fired at the Confeder- 50 REMINISCENCES . ate ram Arkansas as she made her famous run through the fleet out of the Yazoo. The exploit of the Arkansas is known as the most daring and brilliant naval feat ever performed. She was an ironclad steamer only one hun- dred feet long, mounting ten Parrett guns and carrying one hundred men, only one of whom (Captain Brown) had ever had any experience in naval warfare and yet this modest little craft on this occasion sunk one gunboat in the Yazoo and drove two others before her into the Mis- sissippi where she ran the gauntlet of the whole fleet, consisting of thirteen rams, gunboats and sloops of war and arrived at the wharf at Vicksburg with only the loss of five killed and four wounded and a few holes through her smokestack. I afterwards met Captain J. N. Brown, her commander, who was one of the w^ounded, and he told me that an eleven-inch shell had entered through one of the port holes, struck the end of one of the heavy timbers forming the casing, knocking it around out of place, causing all the casualties and but for this all would have escaped without a scratch. But the little craft left her mark on the enemy's boats, sinking one and putting some bad holes through more of them. Notably the Queen of the West — here- tofore spoken of as one of our convoys — and the Indian- ola which went up the Yazoo to meet her and which she drove out before her. The fortunes of war are changeable as the after his- tory of the two gunboats just named will show. These two boats under cover of darkness succeeded in passing our batteries and getting below Vicksburg. The Queen was sent up Red river with a fleet whose principal object as afterward appeared, was to steal cotton to which General Dick Taylor, objected so energetically that with BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 5 1 a land battery of small guns at Fort DeRussy lie cap- tured the gentlemen and appropriated their boats. The Indianola operated on the Mississippi between Vieksburg and Port Hudson in connection with Grant's land forces to destroy the only communication we had between the East and West. General Taylor sent the Queen and another little boat named the Webb to attack her and if possible capture or sink her. This was a risky business as she was larger than the other boats together and carried a heavy armament but the two little fellows went at her, head on, and rammed her and kept ramming her till they rammed her to the bottom. The river at Vieksburg makes a short bend forming a peninsula some- w^hat the shape of a boot with the toe turned north. This point w^as heavily timbered which hid the city from view until the extreme end was reached. In order to get his fleet safely past our batteries, General Grant had cut a ditch across the point hoping that the current would pass through and wash a channel sufficiently large and deep to pass his boats but unfortunately for his plans the river fell and refused to rise leaving his ditch high and dry. We heard of "General Grant's canal" and were greatly amused on our arrival to find a very poorly dug ditch, about six feet wide and the same depth which we crossed on an ordinary pine plank about six inchea wide. We were marched to the ferry landing on the Louisiana shore w^here we found a little stern wheel steamer called the Paul Jones, to transfer us across the river. As I stepped on the wharf a boy of about twelve years of age came to my side, taking my hand he said, ''mamma wants a half dozen of you to come to our house. If you have some friends you would like with you call them and 1 will show vou the wav." This was an un- 52 REMINISCENCES expected welcome back to Dixie and we lost no time in accepting it. We were led to a large mansion which showed that it had been the house of peace, happiness and plenty, and we found that it was the city residence of a large planter and that he was then at the front with Lee's army ; had left home, wife and only son to do battle for his country. Already war had begun to tell on the doomed city and the luxuries the people had been ac- customed to were denied them, even common necessar- ies were growing scarce, but the spirit of the people never wavered and they were ready to bear their burden what- ever it might be. The enemy was able to run his gun- boats close in above the point and throw shells into the city, although the damage was less than one would ex- pect. We were given a room to sleep in, in which a ten- inch shell had exploded and found the pieces lying right where they had fallen and as our kind hostess requested us to not disturb them we left them as found. After a hearty supper good night's rest and good breakfast with wine accompaniments we bade our friends good-bye and reported to headquarters, took the train and pulled out for Jackson, Miss., where we arrived without delay a lit- tle surprised to find five of our boys and two guards, who had walked off our boat at Greenville, (when the boys got to the woods they captured their guards and took it afoot to the nearest railroad station leading to Jackson where they arrived several days ahead of us). The two guards were sent to Vicksburg and returned to their boat, so we got five men for two in that swap. Jackson, although the capital city, was a very unpre- tentious place, located on Pearl river, with a population of, perhaps, two thousand and built on a succession of hills and hollows and reminded me verv much of old Mor- Oapt, R W. Crabb. Was Ijoru near Charleston, Miss., September 25th, 1848. Joined General Price's army and did courier duty before he was fourteen years old, carry- ing dispatches between Generals Price, Taylor and Marmaduke, often passing through the Federal lines; was at the fall of Little Rock, in all subsequent battles west of the Mississippi river, and surrendered on Red river June 22, 1865. At the close of the war he went to Unioutown, Ky., where he married and has since been engaged in mer- cantile pursuits. He was Stamp Deputy, United States Revenue Service, during Cleveland's last term, is a working member of the Christian church. Mayor of Uniontown, Commander of Adam Johnson Camp No. 1008, United Confederate Vetemns, and an earnest frfend of the Confed- erate soldier. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 55 ganfield. Ileiiei al Tilgliman commanded the post and en- deared himself to all of us by the kindness he showed us in doing everything possible for our comfort. He pro- Tided us with everything possible to make our short stay as pleasant as possible. A little incident occurred while we were there which showed the kind of a man the Gen- eral was and endeared him to us. An old farmer who had a large watermelon crop made two trips a day with wagons loaded with the fruit and as there was some money in our crowd he did a thriving business. At first his prices were reasonable and he was patronized liber- ally but in his greed, he began to advance prices and finally got them up so high that we could not reach them Our appetite for the luscious fruit had now whetted to the keenest edge and we were very indignant at the old man :and sorely disappointed besides, so we held a council of war and decided to report the matter to the General. T was chosen to head the delegation and on reporting the matter the General asked at what price he sold the first lot? On being answered twenty-five cents apiece he made this order: ''As the price of melons was twenty- five cents apiece at the beginning of the season and it being plain that there is no diminution in the supply or increase in the demand therefore I order that you tender the owner tw^enty-five cents apiece for such melons as you wish to purchase, and should the said dealer refuse the tender that you confiscate such melons as may best suit your purpose.'' Acting on this order we gathered around the old ^'Cit's" wagon and began to dicker with him in such a way as to disgust him and cause him to move on. The wagon had a drop hind gate and as the old man started up the hill I pulled the pins that held the gate ^nd dumped the load into the street where it was soon 54 REMINISCENCES taken in charge by the boys. When the old man saw his load leave him without a word, he drove on, and when he returned with another load that afternoon he had fixed his price at twenty-five cents, but he had also securely nailed up the hind gate of his wagon. CHAPTEK IV, AFTER a stay of ten days in Jackson the paroled men were forwarded to the different parole camps throughout the Confederacy, our contingent being sent to Knoxville, Tenn., where we reported to General John C. Breckenridge. Some of the experiences of the trip will bear relat- ing, as they tend to show the dark side of a soldier's life,, which was a kind of kaleidoscope and continually chang- ing. The light and the dark were mixed up promiscu- ously and it seemed at times that the dark was largely predominant. We had our pleasures and our pains, but we remember the pains only that they add to our ap- preciation of the pleasures. Through all the trials and hardships which w^e were called on to endure, we never failed to have our fun or kill a hog that attempted to bite us. Things might come and things might go, but the Confederate soldier was always ready for fun or fight. On arriving at Mobile, Gardiner and I, having a lit- tle money left of that sent to us at Camp Chase by the folks at home, started out to get a square meal and dropped into a restaurant where we found a very long printed bill of fare, with prices to match, and immedi- ately set our arithmetic to make our exchequer and ap- petite come to an agreement in which we at last suc- ceeded by ordering, alternately, everything on the bill. One of the items, ''fried Hallibut," excited our suspicion, 56 REMINISCENCES as neither of ns had ever seen or heard of the dish be- fore and did not know whether it was fish, flesh or fowl. How^ever, when we were served with a square chunk of Hallibut, nearly as big as a brick and which we lost no time in devouring, we wanted to kick ouj'selves for order- ing anything else than fried nallibut. To this day I get hungry when I think of it. All was activity and bustle in Mobile, cotton com- presses running day and night and the docks lined with stevedores loading cotton on the small blockade run- ning sloops, of which there were several in port. There were no other signs of war than the few officers and sol- diers composing the provost guard of the city and they seemed to have nothing to do. Late in the afternoon a large steamer Ian led at the do''ks on which we took pass- age for the East side of the bay where a train was wait- ing to convey us to points further on. The trip across Mobile Bay was one of my enjoyable experiences. In or- der to get a good view I went to the hurricane deck where there was plenty of room and nothing to obstruct. As we steamed down the bay in the face of a gentle wind from the ocean, with the sun just disappearing behind the western hills and the surface of the water as smooth as glass, one of the boys struck up "Our Old Kentucky Home." Immediately every loice on the boat joined in the singing, and, although the old song is full of pathos and susceptible of great effects, and I have heard it sung many times under all sorts of circumstances, I have never known it sung with so much feeling and effect as on that occasion. Men, with the tears streaming down their cheeks, rushed into each others arms as brother to brother and I have often thought that heaven opened her gates and rejoiced at the sight. The captain, a grizzled BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 57 old veteran, was standing on tlie roof, and, gulping down a sob, said to the pilot, ''ran her slow, Jim, don't land till the boYs get over this." Our party boarded the cars on the east side of the bay about dark and started on our journey to the front. Our route lav through Montgomery and Atlanta, but nothing occurred on the trip of any interest till we ar rived at Chattanooga. There was one defect in our trav- elling arrangements that had affected us in all our pre- vious trips and it stuck to us to the end. We were never provided with a lunch basket and no matter how long the journey, we starved it out. We arrived at Chattanooga, — two days out from Mobile— too late in the morning to get our name in the pot for rations and you may imagine that we were restless. All started out on a foraging ex- pedition and three of us extended our investigations to. the top of Lookout Mountain, where we discovered three green pumpkins about the size of a man's skull and as they were all alone among the weeds in an abandoned garden we lost no time in appropriating them. On ar- riving at camp we found that one of the boys had se- cured a small piece of bacon and having found an old broken kettle, which we managed to prop up so as to hold our stock we sliced pumpkin and bacon, dumped all in together in the kettle and boiled it until thoroughly mixed. We had no bread, but with wooden paddles we managed to make way with the mess and enjoyed it to the full with no bad results except a few of the boys were discovered dancing a quickstep before daylight next morning. From Chattanooga we were forwarded on to Knox- A^lle and reported to General Breckenridge who was then in command of the department of East Tennessee. When 58 REMINISCENCE6 we had been in camp several days and there being no prospect of being returned to our regiment, five of us con- cluded that we would like to visit our homes and, al- though there were strict orders from Richmond to grant no furloughs, we decided to try anyhow. So I wrote out a hundred day leave for each of the five and took them to the General for approval. The General always treated his men as equals and then I had become quite well ac- quainted with him at Bowling Green, so I did not hesi- tate to present our requests. He received me kindly and said, "John, strict orders have been issued forbidding any department commander granting leave to any soldier, and leaves must be approved by the Secretary of War. I think there will be stirring times soon, when every man will be needed. The exchange is in a muddle and I be- lieve it is the intention of the Federal government to keep it in this shape until it has made its move, and it may be months before you can return to duty and you might as well be at home as here in camp but orders are imperative." I told the general that if he would approve our papers I thought I could get them through, and he, in order to accommodate me, placed his approval on all five of the documents, and I did get them through, but not through the regular channel. Armed with the docu- ments we five. Will Gardiner, Tom Dyer, Chap Stowers, Thomas Hagan, and I, marched down to the provost mar shal's ofiice, presented our furloughs and received trans- portation to Chattanooga, where we repeated the per- formance and were billed on to Murfreesboro and right here we struck a snag. We had played our game suc- cessfully thus far, but found General Forest, in charge of the outposts, and knowing him as we did, were afraid to try the game on him and also afraid to try to sneak BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 59 through the lines. Fortunately the Yankees sent out a force from Nashville and attacked our forces at Lavergne which produced great excitement at Murfreesboro. Our party made a great show of hunting up arms and horses to go with Forest to the front until all the rest had gone when we very quietly walked out of town and took up our march for home. Our route lay through Lebanon, Gallatin, White Plains, Bell's Tavern, Tenn., and Tren- ton, Ky. At the latter place we found a party of Colonel Adam Johnson's regiment in camp and the most of them from Union county. The joy of our meeting was mutual and the boys did everything for our pleasure and comfort. They even went out and "pressed" a mount for us. For me they secured a little old "flea-bitten" gray mare about fifteen years old and not much bigger than I, but as old Burrell Johnson would say, "it beat walking," so I did not look the gift in the mouth, but mounted bareback, with a rope halter to guide my prancing steed and was again in the cavalry. The next morning after our ar- rival at Trenton the Yankees made a move on us and after a little skirmish wdth our pickets, brought up a small cannon and threw a few shells in our direction. I have noticed that a gentleman always does the polite thing and as all of Johnson's men were gentlemen they acknowledged the salute of the enemy, though the shell passed at least two hundred feet above their heads. Now some may think that two hundred feet was rather far to acknowledge a common courtesy, but I tell you that they were every one gentlemen and preferred to err on the side of good manners; and then I would say to all critics, "try it yourself and perhaps you will learn a les- son in politeness that you have never thought of." After exchanging compliments at Trenton both par- 6o REMINISCENCES • ties withdrew and I am glad to say that not an "accident'^ happened during the ceremonies. The nearest approach to anything like one was narrowly escaped by Dabney Hancock. Dabney had climbed a leaning tree and was about twenty feet from the ground making one of the most patriotic speeches ever heard by his audience. When right in the very middle of one of his greatest flights of oratory ''boom" went the cannon and with, '^thar, by Gawd," Dabney dropped to the ground in a lump as if the shell had struck him. The boys all won- dered why he could not have stayed on the ground out of the way, but while they were deliberating whether to bury his body or leave it for the hogs to eat, Dabney pulled himself together, mounted his horse and except that he was very quiet afterward no one could have told that he had been hit. But Dabney has quit fighting, quit making public speeches and most of his other meanness; has joined the church, is living at home on his farm and raising up an interesting family, besides he never forgets to be on hand at voting time and do his duty as a good citizen. We moved from Trenton to Gordon Springs where we found the rest of Johnson's regiment in charge of the stores captured on the steamer Hazel Dell a few days be- fore at Caseyville. Colonel Johnson sent the stores South under an es- cort and disbanded his regiment in order that the men might return home and influence others to enlist. It was a kind of general recruiting service in which every man was a recruiting officer. The result was very satis- factory, as it enabled Colonel Johnson to organize the famous Tenth Kentucky cavalry, which afterwards made for itself an honorable reputation by its daring achieve- 5m Theo, b. Clore, COMPANY C, TENTH KENTUCKY CAVALRY BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 6 1 ments on both sides of the Ohio river. On their way home from Gordon Springs the Union county boys passed through Hopldnsville and while there supplied them- selves with two days' rations from the stores furnished by the citizens in sympathy with our cause. I had a cur- iosity to visit Ricker's livery stable again and renew old acquaintances. While exploring its inner recesses I found the skeleton of an old saddle and a few pieces of rope. I -lost no time in confiscating them and I don't think any one will blame me as I had been riding a rather thin mare for two days with only a thin pair of panta- loons between us and had a journey of fifty miles ahead. Really I did it as an act of mercy to the poor old beast, for I was certain that she suffered equally with me and with her it was compulsory, while I could walk if I didn't like it. But I strung up m^- old saddle-tree and put an old piece of carpet under it and ''old gray" trotted in home with me as glib as a four-year-old. From Hopkinsville we came on to Madisonville, w^here we found another "grub" depot to which we did am^jle justice and the next day went out to Shiloh church for dinner. We left John Brooks, Bud Holloman and about a dozen other Hopkins county boys in camp at Shiloh who were captured a couple of hours after we left by a squad of Yankees sent out from Henderson to intercept us. In the "scrimmage" John Brooks was wounded in the leg which, he afterwards told me, kept him from running away. About two o'clock that afternoon we encountered a very severe snow storm which in all probability kept the enemy from pursuing us and we arrived at old Cy- press church about eight o'clock at night where we dis- 5 52 REMINISCENCES banded, each one striking out on his own account and wherever possible, of course, going home. Having been absent for over a year I w^as very anxious to see the folks, and was willing to take any risks. From friends along the route I learned that Captain Fitzroy, who command- ed a gunboat anchored at Battery Kock, opposite Casey- ville, had issued an order levying twenty thousand dol- lars on the citizens living within a radius of ten miles as indemnity to the government for the stores captured by Colonel Johnson from the steamer Hazel Dell, and ''un- less the said twenty thousand dollars is paid to me by sundown on the inst., I will proceed to burn all the property of those living within the limit." No comment is necessary. No one believes that Captain Fitz. had au- thority for this order and every one knew that it was made to "feather his own nest." Unfortunately for the history of our late war there were too many such men as Captain Fitz. in the service and were patriotic for rev- enue only. I am glad to know that such "patriots" are now at a discount on both sides of the line. I arrived home about ten o'clock at night and found that one of our old neighbors — Mr. J. H. Wright, was in consultation with my father and not wishing to take any risks I put old gray in the stable and fed her. Mr. Wright took his departure about eleven with the under- standing that at the first sign of a blaze the old men were to meet and defend their homes as best they could. After Mr. Wright left I went to the front gate and hailed. My father jumped for his gun and with the remark "there they are Lauren (my mother), you and the children stay inside," the old gentleman came out on the porch and demanded, "who's there," I answered ^'a stranger who wishes to stop with you tonight," at the same time start- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 63 ing to the door. But when he pulled the double-bar- reled ^'Betsey" down ou me I made myself known with- out delay. I will not undertake to describe the scene for the next few minutes, but when I told my father that Johnson's regiment was in the county and ready for Cap- tain Fitz. he exclaimed "thank God," and fainted away. For a few minutes, we thought he was dead, but he soon revived and the first question he asked was whether I was at home on leave or had deserted? I was very glad that I was able to produce my furlough, even if it wasn't regular. I remember a little episode in connection with the capture of the Hazel Dell, which has never appeared in history and is too good to be lost. In the spring of 1862 Theodore Clore and Tom Pierson, with visions of wealth before their eyes, concluded that a crop of corn on the river bank would prove a regular bonanza. Neither of them were of legal age, but possessed will and energy enough to conquer all difficulties connected with river bottom farming. Possessing themselves of a mule apiece and secur- ing the necessary land they embarked in the undertaking and by hard work and many hardships at last succeeded in housing a good supply of the golden ears on the river bank convenient for quick and easy delivery. Just after they had completed their work, and while they were en- joying golden visions of the harvest they expected to reap, one of Uncle Sam's transports landed in at the corn pens, rigged a chute, loaded their corn on barges and left without saying as much as "by your leave." This w^as more than the boys could stand so they mounted their mules and joined the Confederate army. They joined Captain Wall's company which was then camped 64 REMINISCENCES in the Hazel Bend. The day after the capture of the Hazel Dell a regiment of soldiers came down from Shaw- neetown, landed at Caseyville and started on a scout in the country. It so happened that Clore had left some- thing at home and started back to get it. He reached the top of the hill a little before the Yankees and his mule had kicked up a big dust which led them to believe that the whole of Forest's force was on them. This caused a stampede and they never stopped till they got aboard their transport and crossed the river. It is only justice to say that Clore stampeded too, and was smart for doing it, but he kex)t fooling with Yankees till they caught him over in Ohio with General Morgan, after which they furnished him free board and lodging till the end of the war. Since the war he has confined himself principally to the drug business and voting the demo- cratic ticket. He is married to a good woman who thinks, him young and handsome. CHAPTER V. IT was in the first dajs of November, 1863 that we ar- rived at home and for about a month we had a good time visiting our friends and enjoying the good eating they gave us, but when Colonel Johnson gathered his men up and carried them South the county was imme- diately stocked with ^'blue coats." Major Platter, com- manding a battalion of cavalry, appeared on the scene and scattered his men all over the country. As there was no force o oppose them; they, like the old negro's hog, made themselves ^'promiscuous," and we had to "hide out." We slept in the woods, under old straw stacks, in the cabin with the negroes — any where that ap- peared safe and with assistance of white and colored friends we kept oat of their clutches. And right here I want to say a word for the benefit of some of our North- ern friends who were so badly worked up over the con- dition of the negro in slaA^ery days and as one who speaks from actual and life long experience, ask them, even now, to "hands off" and let the Southern people — the only true and interested friend of the negro — work out the problem of the position that he is destined to occupy in our citizenship. My father owned three negro men and one woman — Ransom (Sam), Spence, Henry and La- vina. My father and Ransom were raised up boys to- gether by grandfather, and Henry — a nephew of Ran- som — and I grew up together. My father had purchased 66 REMINISCENCES Spencer and Lavina when I was small. The older negro men exercised the same authority over me, as to my mor- al conduct, that my father did and old Sam has used the switch on me often when I needed correction and I never ''squealed" for 1 knew I would get another from father. The old negroes took as much interest in us as our par- ents and Henry and I shared our pleasures and troubles as if there was no difference in the color of our skin. When I come to speak of my "old black mammy'' — God bless her old soul — words fail me. She rejoiced with me in my pleasures, wept at my sorrows, nursed me when sick, with as much tenderness as my mother; spanked me when I got too smart and soothed my wounded feelings with the most delicious ''cookies" the Gods ever tasted. She knew how to chasten without leaving a sting. And thus is was all over the South. My experience is repeat- ed in every household where families were brought up together. The loyalty of the old slaves to the defence- less women and children of the South will ever stand out as one of the grandest monuments to the colored race and to the kind and Christian training which made it possible. Although "freedom is sweet" and Mr. Lincoln had proclaimed their freedom the negroes of the South, with but few exceptions, stayed faithfully with "ole mis- sus," and the children to the end and many even then, refused to sever the ties that had bound them so long. Old Spence was one of these, and, although he was hunt- ed by the soldiers and often had to sleep in the woods to escape capture, he stayed faithful to the end and when I reached home after the war he was there to give me as warm a greeting as any of the rest. Faithful old friend, he died September, '65, and lies buried in the family graveyard alongside those of the family who had gone BY A PRIVATE SOIiDIER. 67 before and my father and mother who have followed on. One family in life — one in death. How changed the feelings of the two races now. Mistaken philanthropy and political ambition have worked together to destroy all the old ties of love and confidence which bound them to each other and they are drifting farther apart every day. In the natural order of events, the negro will have to go, because his pre- tended friends do not understand him and his true friends are powerless to aid him. The negro is naturally a confiding mortal and experience has shown that he has been unfortunate in his confidences. He could have been elevated and brought up to his proper place as a citizen worthy of the name but he has been duped by false friends to such an extent that there seems now no hope for his future. I am sorry that it is so, for all my sym- pathy is with him. We had another friend who played a very important part during our stay at home. Whit Mitchell was one of the old settlers of our neighborhood. He was an out- spoken secessionist, but on account of his warm personal friendship with the local authorities he managed to es- cape arrest where others would have been taken in. Mr. Mitchell would stand picket for us and keep posted on the movements of the Yankees and supplied us with "grub" when we had to camp out. He was my friend from boyhood up and no one is prouder of it than I. He is one of nature's noblemen and a true Kentuckian of the old breed. Clore and I paid him and his good wife a visit a few weeks ago and found them the same happy, cheer- ful couple that I remember fort}' years ago. During a married life of nearly fifty years they have always had enough- and never craved more; lived for each other and 58 REMINISCENCES done all the good they could for their fellow man. They are now in the sunset waiting patiently for the Master's call, ready when it comes. A few more years and they will cross over the dark river, but they will still live in the hearts of the friends left behind. May God give them a blessed inheritance. A few of us started into Caseyville one night, but found every approach guarded by the citizens of the town, who were compelled to do so by the Yankees. We did not want to give our friends any trouble and aban- doned our move, but could not leave without having a little fun. We found some fire on top of the hill, each took a chunk, and, scattering out, waved it vigorously. The gunboat anchored off Battery Rock began to throw shells at us with such poor marksmanship that they struck and burst almost anywhere, one lodging in the cornice of a store house in town and most of the others falling near the Davis mines, a mile from town. We re- gretted having started the racket on account of the dan- ger to innocent people, and withdrew; but this did not end it as they kept it up all night. Platter's men whooped us up pretty lively and would have caught Tom Dyer and n^e on one occasion but for the warning and presence of mind of two negroes. One of them, Phil, ran two miles across the woods to warn us and as we started out the back way Aunt Sophy pushed us back just in time to avoid being seen by the Yankees, who had come in sight. As they disappeared around a bend in the road we took to the woods and were not in the house wiien they searched for us. The same party went out that trip and captured WiW Reaser, who was laid up at home with rheumatism. At another time thev surrounded three of us at Mrs. Bruce's, near Mor- Oapt. Frank M. Kuykendall. Enlisted at the outbreak of the war in Cominiiiy I. First Kentucky Cavalry. Mustered out in September, 1862, and re-enlist€d as First Lieutenant Company A, Tenth Kentucky Cavalry, (the company was commanded by his brother William, better known as the '"Red Fox") : was captuied in Ohio with Gen. John Morgan. and imprisoned on Johnson's Island until the close of the war. Since the war he has turned his attention to farming and stock raising,, at which he has been quit*' successful. Mr. Kuykendall is now keeping hotel at Sturgis, Ky., and he greatly enjoys the society of the old Confederate .soldiers, and is never so happy as when he can contribute to their comfort and happiness. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 69 ganfield, but we succeeded in hiding so well that they failed to find us, but took two of our horses — luckily they left mine. George Staples and I had stopped for the night at David Berry's and about 1 o'clock awoke to find the house surrounded by the enemy. We thought our time had come, but dressed and in the darkness walked boldly out through their lines and they did not notice us, and again a negro assisted us by going to the stables ahead of the soldiers and turning oar horses out in the field, besides hiding our saddles and bridles. Matters were closing dowm so tight that we thought it best to scatter and every fellow looked after his own interest, so I went to Uniontown at night, boarded a boat, assumed the name of W. J. Mason and made my way to Louis- ville, where I arrived safely and without any special ad- Tenture. There was quite a number of Federal officers and sol- diers on the boat to whom I made myself agreeable by fa- Torable comment on their bravery, allowing them to beat me playing '^seven up" for the drinks and other little •courtesies too numerous to mention, by which I contract- ed a habit of lying that stuck to me till I got back to the Confederacy and required considerable effort to rid my- self of. St. Paul says ^'it is not always best to tell the truth," so I felt that I had good authority, and then I wasn't around advertising my record. On this trip I made the acquaintance of Captain Rogers, of a Missis- sippi regiment, who was in the same fix as I. He was a native Kentuckian, a good fellow and as sharp as a tack. How we found each other out all Confederate soldiers will know and I cannot explain to others. He was a jolly good fellow, an elegant gentleman and was quite a help to me in getting started right in the city. We took a 70 REMINISCENCES room at the Louisville Hotel which was pretty well filled with Yankee officers on leave of absence and they were making things "hum.-' It might be supposed that we had gone into rather dangerous quarters, but we were safer there than we would have been anywhere else as strangers. The shoulder strapped gentlemen were too occupied with drinking, gambling, "gassing'^ and other- wise enjoying themselves to pay any attention to a c. vilian, and as we appeared to belong to the farming class and noncombatants, our presence was ignored. Captain Kogers had a brother who was a Captain in the quarter- master's department at Louisville, to whom he wrote, giving notice of his arrival and his address. In a few hours Captain Eogers No. 2 called on us and proved to be all that we could wish. By next morning he had secured us a private boarding house and we moved out on Fifth street between Walnut and Chestnut to the home of Mrs. Captain Stewart, who was the widow of an old Ohio river steamboat Captain who had commanded such boats as the Northerner, Southerner, and other boats in the Louisville and New Orleans trade before the war. Mrs. Stewart was a sister of Mrs. James Bridgeford and Mrs. Lightcap. All had from two to four grown daughters apiece and at their suggestion I passed as "cousin John from the country," and to say that my two weeks' stay with them was one of the j)l^asantest experiences of my life w^ould but feebly express it. They were of the lead- ing families and strong sympathizers, yet managed to keep on good terms with the authorities and out of trou- ble. Colonel Fontaine, who was acting proA^ost Marshall of the city, had a beautiful daughter who was a great friend of our folks and the visiting back and forth was frequent. The ladies would go about the city shopping BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 71 aDd calling and usually had ''Cousin John" with thenu On several occasions we would stop in Colonel Fontaine's office and, while I felt a little spotted, I was never sus- Ijected, and it was on one of these visits that 1 gained information which saved me from capture and put me on my way to Dixie. The office of Mr. J. J. Johnson who kept a wholesale store on Sixth street, between Main and Market, was headquarters for Southern "under- ground" news and as there were daily arrivals we kept pretty well posted on movements at the front. I visited Mr. Johnson nearly every day and often met some new arrival who had worked his way through. By taking the experience of all of them I w^as able to formulate a plan by which I eventually succeeded in reaching our army safely; but, as will be shown hereafter, at great risks. I had several ''close calls" while in the city and I often wonder, now, how it was that T escaped arrest. I sup- pose it may be attributed to my — apparent — indifference and reckless fear of danger. I say '^apparent" for it was by no means real as I knew that, once suspected, it would be easy to arrest me and find out my true name and occupation when up John would go as a spy. I had many acquaintances in the city who were good Union men and although noncombatants would have felt they were only doing their duty to their country by helping to convict me and would have waived previous friendship and seen me ignominiously shot, with sorrow, no doubt, but with easy conscience. I kept an eye ahead and stu- diously avoided these old time friends and acquaintances. When I went out in the city alone I carried a bundle of "officially" folded papers (blank, but officially indorsed across the back in hieroglyphics that a Sanscrit professor could not decipher, this was the style in the army and ^2 REMINISCENCES rushed along as if in a hurry looking neither to the right nor to the left, darting into some door when I saw danger ahead and making some excuse to staj^ till the danger had passed, then out and on at the same gait till I ar- rived at my destination; by which I allayed suspicion and avoided arrest. The provost guards were always look- ing for suspects and there w^as hardly a day passed that one or more were not arrested and usually they got the right man. One morning as I had crossed Market on Third street I saw a squad of soldiers coming up Market at a double quick and as I reached the corner a young man turned it in a hurry and walked along by my side at the same gait I was going. The soldiers gained on us and when in a few } ards called ''halt." We kept on and the next command was "halt or we will shoot." The young man turned to me and asked "are they halting us?" I pretended not to hear him and kept on; he stopped to investigate and got caught. I was still in luck. If I had done as he did and he as I, he would have been the lucky one. Sometimes I would go with my cousins to the Jour- nal office and take a peep at the old lion, George D. Pren- tice. The old man was uncompromising in his Union sentiments and had the battle been a pen fight, the con- federacy would not have lasted as long as a June frost. 1 don't want my old Confederate readers to judge me too harshly when I tell them how, when Prentice would write one of his most caustic and bitter editorials de- nouncing Jeff Davis, Toombs, Lee, Johnson and every- 'bodj else, winding up with a special invective against his son Clarence (who was with General Morgan), with Miss Fontaine, T would go to her father's office and in the presence of the Colonels, Captains and Lieutenants, com- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 7^ ment ou and iudorse them with as much enthusiasm as the most loyal among them. But a change came over the old editor's dreams. Blood is thicker than water and human nature is human nature everywhere. Clarence was his mother's pet and although a wild boy he still turned to his magnet as the needle to the pole. Despite the opposition of his father he cast his lot with the South and left home with the blessing of his mother. After two years of gallant service he obtained a leave and made his w^ay to the city. As everybody knew him, he stole in under cover of darkness and went to a friend who kept a livery stable who took him in and secreted him in his hayloft. Young Prentice had one bosom friend who had grown up with him, shared all his joys and sorrows and escapades, and he felt sure that he could look to him and him only, in all the city for safety. Under this impres- sion young Prentice wrote his friend his address and in- vited him to call. When his friend called he had a squad of soldiers with him, arrested Clarence, sent him to prison and even denied him the privilege of seeing his mother. They even denied the request of his father for a parole. I would like to have the editorial which ap- peared in the Journal next morning. Of all the speci- mens of anger, vituperation, sarcasm and brilliant de- fiance, it was the masterpiece of anything I have ever seen in print. It portrayed the inw^ard feelings of the father and the man in language which w^as impossible from any other man, and while the Journal continued to espouse the cause of the Union, its editorial columns never glowed with the same fiery patriotism which had heretofore distinguished it. There would have been an open rupture with the government but for the fact that 74 REMINISCENCES • Mr. Prentice was financially unable to conduct the paper on his own account. Going down town one day just after dinner, on turn- ing the corner of Fifth and Green, I came face to face with Andy Grainger. Andy went out in our company, but at the reorganization of the regiment at Chattanooga- in the fall of 1862 he declined to re-enlist and went home. T did not know whether to trust him or not but deter- mined to try, as it was the only chance. As I neared him and seeing no one I said without appearing to notice him, ^'don't recognize me, Andy; meet me at Julius Win- ters, at three o'clock." ''All right," said he, and we passed as strangers. T was there before the hour and Mr. Winter showed me a way to escape in case of treachery. But Andy came up all right and was a great help to me during my stay in the city. One W. J. Dixon escaped from the Eighth and Broad- way prison one night and on the next morning the papers gave an account of it and a description of Mr. Dixon which exactly fitted W, J. Mason, I had gone down town before reading the paper, but when I saw the no- tice I concluded it was best to keep dark and stayed close in Johnson's back room. Dixon was recaptured and the evening papers gave an account of it, but still I did not feel safe in venturing out for fear that everybody had not read the papers. When Mrs. Stewart and Mrs. Bridgeford read of the recapture of Dixon, they were uneasy, fearing there might have been a mistake and to satisfy themselves, they came down late in the afternoon to hunt me up. To say that they and I were glad to see each other but poorly expresses it, but we all went home together. Times began to be a little ticklish and I had deter- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 75 mined to move my quarters when Mr. John Weslej Hughes appeared on the scene. Mr. Hughes had mar- ried a Miss Lewis (an aunt of Mrs. Ella Allowaj-), a Union county lady, and had no trouble in passing me for a cou- sin to his wife. Mr. Hughes was a widower, but lived with his brother-in-law, John Woodson Hughes, six miles below the city on the Cane Run road, in what was known as "The Pond settlement," and at that time, off to itself, and a little world of its own. On account of its seclusion it was a good place for a Confederate to hide himself away. The settlement was composed of the very best and most hospitable people and all warm Southern sympathizers, (except Ex-Governor Merri wether), and a portion of his house were none too ''loyal." There was a goodly number of young people in the neighborhood who were in perfect accord and always ready for fun, frolic and adventure and we managed to fill my three weeks' stay about as full as it would hold. Music, dancing, pic- nics, horseback excursions, serenades, boat rides, char- ades, anything co amuse ourselves and we often engaged in excursions which were risky to me and I often wonder now, when I look back to those events, why I wasn't de- tected and captured. I was taking the same risk that the moth takes with the candle, but escaped the scorch- ing. The very daring of the act of going right into the enemy's camp and courting danger appears now, to have been my protection, and other and later experience down South during the most active movements of the armies, goes to prove the correctness of this conclusion. Music was our principal enjoyment. Misses Sallie and Annie Hughes, Miss Fannie Saddler and the two Misses Gaar were accomplished pianists, Charley Hughes and Mr. Da- vidson, his brother-in-law, played the violin; Charley 76 REMINISCENCES Janson, the flute. All were good singers and I played the "fiddle" and could sing some mj^self. We had music in the parlor, music on the river, music in the Beecli woods, music everywhere. Two nights in every week we devot- ed to serenades and enjoyed ourselves to the fullest ex- tent. There was only one drawback to my enjoyment. Mr. Davidson was an Indianian and a Union man. I had reason to believe that he suspected my identity and at times I felt a little uncomfortable for fear that he would betray me, but when he did discover my true character he proved a true man and kept it to himself. The two Charlies — Hughes and Janson — w^ere in love with the same young lady who lived across the river just below New Albany. They had both made an attempt to give her a serenade, but on account of the objections raised by a big bull dog, owned by her father, both attempts had failed. On learning of this I proposed to lead an expedition which would succeed, provided they would obey orders, to which they both agreed. We needed a skiff in which to cross the river and Mr. Stanton Gaar, w^ho lived nearly opposite our desti aation, was the owner of two or three good ones, and we decided to borrow^ one of them, besides we washed to serenade his daughters, who were members of our club. Mr. Gaar was a great fox-hunter and the possessor of a large "pack" of hounds. There were tAventy of them of aH sizes, colors and condi- tions, with voices attuned to produce the best effect w^hen engaged in the chase. We sAole into the front yard, took up an advantageous position and struck up "Annie Laurie," when out rushed tht hounds, formed a circle around us, with their tails on the ground and their heads in the air, they set up such ?i howl that our music was literally drowned. While Mit played they howled; but BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 77 when we stopped playing all was silent as the grave. The hounds seemed to think that they belonged to the band and must do their part. Of course no one could hear our music but every one on the place was curious to know what was causing the comn)otion. The negroes came to their cabin doors and looked on with wonder and Mr. Gaar came to his front door and took a peep, but be- ing unable to account for the racket he returned to bed. The situation was becoming ludicrous, so we sent a negro in to notify Mr. Gaar who we were, when the old gentleman came rushing out, in his night shirt, and very warmly invited us into the parlor, which he had lit up for our entertainment. We played several favorite tunes for Mr. Gaar, and he had the cake and wine passed, to which we did ample justice, but at the same time we were prepared to beat a hasty retreat, as we expected the young ladies to come in at any moment and Mr. Gaar w^as still in his night shirt. But the ladies did not come and after arranging with Mr. Gaar for the skiff we took our departure, feeling like the young ladies had given us a bad "shake.'' While we w'ere still at the yard gate discussing this point, Mr. Gaar ran out on the porch with "Say, boys, the girls ain't at home. They went to town this morning and didn't come back." This set things all straight and we were glad that it was so, as it would have been a little embarrassing to have met them with the old gentleman dressed as he was and we were sure he would not have thought to change clothes even for them. "Honi soit que mal y pense." We crossed the river and landed in front of the house of Miss Sue Hymes, the lady to be serenaded, and T formed my squad in column of two, with Davidson and I in the lead. After tuning up, selecting our music and 6 7^ REMINISCENCES requeFting the boys not to stampede, I gave the order to march. When we had reached within twenty or thirty yards of the house the bull dog heard us and came rush- ing around the corner right at us with a full determina tion to annihilate the whole party, at the same time we began playing as if there was no dog around and he rushed on down to the front gate where he soon became quiet and we found him guarding our skiff a couple of hours later when we started for home. Miss Sue invited us in and I found her a very entertaining young lady, but a "teetotaler," as she passed water with the cake instead of wine, as at Mr. Gaar's. Charley Janson had been to the city that afternoon and brought back a "little brown jug," which he man- aged to smuggle along that night and the two Charlies gave it special attention and very much to my surprise and alarm I discovered that they were both genteelly ^^tight," when we walked into Miss Hymes' parlor and Charlie Hughes ''took great pleasure" in introducing me as one of "General Morgan's scouts." Great Sam Hill. There I was on the wrong side of the Ohio river, given dead away. Knowing that Davidson was my political enemy and supposing the young lady and her household were the same, it is easy to imagine that I was uncom- fortable. But Miss Sue soon put my fears at rest so fai' as she was concerned, by giving me a warm welcome and giving me to understand that her sympathies were all on the side of the South. She exerted herself so well to make my visit pleasant that both Charlies grew jealous and complained that she was neglecting them. I gave Davidson the wink and w^e got them away before any- thing unpleasant occurred. On reaching the skiff David- son found their jug and threw it overboard. This so ex- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 79 cited them that they seemed to get drunker and drunker, tried to turn over the skiff and when in the middle of the river we were passed by a large steamer loaded down with Yankee soldiers, both jumped to their feet and yelled at the top of their voices, "Hurrah for Jeff Davis."' I expected a volley to be fired into us and it is still a won- der to me why we were allowed to go unmolested, as T knew the Yankees were generally ready to shoot on very slight provocation. But we arrived home safely and after disposing of the two Charlies I had a reckoning with Davidson. After talking the matter over he said to me: '^I am very much surprised at the information T have gained tonight and cannot imagine how you have escaped detection. You are certainly running a desper- ate risk. I could get good pay to betray you and it might appear that it is my duty as a Union man to report you, but you may rest easy on that score. While you. are here I will do what 1 can to protect you, but advise you to get out of this locality as soon as possible." Da- vidson kept his word and aided me on two occasions af- terward w^hen but for him I would have got into trouble. The young people would often meet at Mr. Hughes' and enjoy themselves wath music, readings, charades and many other ways all suggested by Mrs. Hughes who was as young as the youngest; in fact she was only known as ''Miss Lucy." On one occasion an "Ether" party was proposed and without thinking of consequences steps W4^re taken to carry it th*rough. A pint of sulphuric ether was secured and after the crowd assembled the fun commenced. Handkerchiefs were saturated and placed over the faces of the subjects and it was curious to note the different effects it produced on different persons. Some would quietly go to sleep and show no emotion. 8o REMINISCENCES while a majority would go into a kind of trance and talk of what appeared — and probabl}^ was — the burden of their waking thoughts. One after another experimented with the drug with more or less laughable and ludicrous results, but it was most too risky for me to tamper with. I had too much at stake to take such chances. As the game I was playing was always uppermost in my mind, I was afraid of giving myself away if I tinkered with it and held myself aloof. Eaymond Merriwether, an old widower, son of the Ex-Governor, and somewhat of an oddity, also refused to participate in the fun for a long time, but they got him at last and his antics were as good as a whole circus. The whole crowd was ''Etherialiy" drunk and I had hopes that I would be overlooked, but they made a charge, overpowered me and forced me to inhale the in- sidious drug. Nerved by the spirit of self-preservation I fought against its effects with such success as to retain my reason. I began to grow a little boisterous when Raymond grabbed the bottle, ran outside and threw it against a tree. While the bottle was not broken the di- version gave us time to regain our sense, and put an end to the most reckless frolic that I ever took part in. CHAPTER VI. THE exchange of prisoners had been resumed and T began to make arrangements to get back to the army. I procured a horse and other things necessary and fixed the time to start, but delayed my departure from day to day in order to have the company of David Merri- wether, Jr., who promised to go with me, but needed a little time to get ready. In '61 David ran off from home and enlisted with Colonel Blanton Duncan's regiment and went with it to Virginia. He was at that time a minor and the old Governor still claimed parental au- thority, so he followed Dav id and brought him back. But David had now attained his majority and still held his views on the war question and decided to "rush to glory or the grave.'^ The day was set for our departure and T was ready, ''booted and saddled," when I received a note from David, notifying me that he could not go. This changed all my plans and I had to form new ones. In- stead of starting South I went into the city and, as was my custom, left my horse at Musselman's livery stable. Mr. Musselman was "one of us" and his stable was a kind of headquarters for the boys. I went around to see all my old city friends to bid them good-bye and get any mes- sage they might have had for their loved ones in the army. At nearly every place I called I was given letters to father, brother, husband or sweetheart and by the 82 REMINISCENCES time I made the rounds I was supplied with twenty-five or thirty. The condition on which I accepted these letters was that they were not to be inclosed in an envelope or addressed. I had each numbered and kept a memoran- dum in cypher so that I could send them to their proper destination when I reached the South. This was a fine opportunity tg find out the heart secrets of several young- ladies, but I pledge my word, I do not know what those letters contained, but they all reached their destination, as I have since learned, (from the boys.) (A few days before, my friend, Mr. Johnson, handed me a quart of nine-year-old French brandy, with the request that I de- liver it, with his compliments, to General John C. Breck- enridge. After I got South I had to trust it to other hands, but he received it all right as he afterwards told me when we met at Tunnel Hill, Ga., in 1864.) On my rounds I met Miss Fontaine on her way to her father's office, and, being invited, I w^ent with her. Arriving there I found everything in a commotion and a regiment of soldiers drawn up on the street. Colonel Fontaine told his daughter that General Pegram, with a large force, was on his way to attack Louisville, had reached Danville the day before and shelled the town killing Mrs. Mitchell, that martial law had been declared in Louis- ville and that the soldiers there were to be placed around the city to guard against any one going out or coming in. Fortunately the Colonel had no time to devote to us and we were summarily dismissed. While in the office I wrote on a slip of paper, ^'Mussel., have him ready,'' and as I left Colonel Fontaine's office, handed it and a quarter to a boot-black with instructions to take it to Musselman's stable. I saw Miss Fontaine home and, de- clining an invitation to stay to dinner, made tracks for BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER 8j my horse. Arriving at the stable I found him saddled and Musselman holding the stirrup. I asked, "What's my bill?'' "Bill," said Musselman, "get on this horse and get out of here, if you can." I mounted and rode down Market to Ninth, out Ninth to Broadway and on turning down Broadway I saw a squad of soldiers just ahead of me going my way. Whether to attempt to turn and go some other route or push by them was a question which I was not long in deciding. I determined on a bold move and rode by them at a fairly moderate pace,, without appearing to notice them, quickening the pace after I had passed until I was at a safe distance. Mat- ters were growing a little desperate and I decided' to leave the country. After gathering up my belongings I made a start at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, intend- ing to cross Salt Eiver and go out by what was then known as the Western Route, but I had not gone far be- fore I found that closed against me. The only way of escape was across the three ponds lying below the city. I knew nothing of their depth or the kind of bottom to be found, but the case was desperate and I determined to risk it. I was riding a noble horse and he readily an- swered to my wishes when I guided him to the water's edge. Without the least hesitation he plunged in and we were fortunate enough to cross all three of the lakes in safety and without any very great danger, and I sup- pose that, up to the time these ponds were drained, I am the only man who ever crossed them on horseback. Hav- ing missed my figures on the W^estern route I was forced to try the Eastern. The one crossed the Cumberland between Gallatin and Lebanon and the other at Burk- ville. To make the Western trip the start must be made in the evening and for the Eastern route in the morning. 84 REMINISCENCES 1 had a "way bill" of both and as the time of my depart- ure had been set by the Yankees, I had to make a virtue of necessity and go East. After crossing the ponds, I made my way through farms (flanking the pickets) to the old fair grounds and the home of Mr. William Hardin, who was an old friend of my father. I knew "Uncle Billy" was a staunch Union man, but a true-hearted friend. I found him and his wife living a simple country life with two old negro servants who had been reared in the family and were treated by "Ole Mars and Ole Miss" as part of the household. Old "Uncle Ben" took my horse and cared for him and "Aunt Nancy" prepared my room with as much care as if I had been her own flesh and blood, and when she lighted me to my room at bed time her parting words were, "God bless yo, and perteck yo, I'se got a boy down whar yo' gwine. I nussed his mammy and I nussed him and I lub him as much as if he was my own chile. Ef yo see him tell him his ole mam- my prays for him all de time. Yo needn't be 'fraid, hon- ey. Ole Marse and the rest of us will take cyar ob yo." Knowing the close affection which existed between mas- ter and slave in those days and the great interest of the older negroes in the honorable career of the children of their masters, I felt perfectly safe and slept as if the country was enjoying perfect peace. I have learned that these four old people (Mr. and Mrs. Hardin, Uncle Ben and Aunt Nancy), now lie in the same old family burying ground, side by side. One in life and not separated by death. Who will say that in this case, the world was made worse. Such things as this is what makes me love a "nigger" — I mean the old- fashioned kind and right here, if I may be pardoned for digression, I will say that, African slavery, as applied Col, Bennett h. Young BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 85 to the white people, was a curse, but as applied to the negro, was the greatest blessing the race ever enjoyed. Compared with the benighted condition of the negro in a natural state, full of superstition, worshiping a malig- nant devil instead of a beneficent God; we find that by reason of his association with a higher order of intellect, and especially, because he is made to feel that others are interested in his welfare, all the ambition and energy that may be in his nature is brought into action and to this extent he is improved. An "old time" negro said to me, a few days ago, "dar's nobody knows a mule, but the nigger who wu'ks 'em and dar's nobody knows a nig- ger lak de white folks dat raised 'em." While it is a fact that the Southern people were not thoroughly educated, at the same time there was more real culture South than North at the beginning of the war. While I do not wish to open the issue at this late date, I do want to enter my protest and defend my sec- tion against the stereotyped reports printed in Northern papers, purporting to be "interviews" with Southern people. I have read numerous stories emanating from the pen of some "hobo" writer from the North who never heard a bullet whistle nor smelt powder, perhaps, and likely, was in his swaddling clothes while we were mak- ing history, in which he reports Southern people as using ^'you'uns and we'uns," and other bad pronunciation gen- erally. The cheap trash retailed through the country as war history is not entitled to honest respect by anybody. The sooner the American people find that they are all in the "same boat," the better they will get along. It will do no one any good to claim superiority. While some may count their money by millions, they are not, on that account, any better than their poorer brethren, nor en- 86 REMINISCENCES titled to any greater respect. We are all Americans, and proud of our country. No section should arorgate to itself any special merit or favor but all w the Yankee commander, had followed on he would have captured two good rifled can- non. But he seemed satisfied with what he had already accomplished and very kindly, let us get away. There were some amusing as well as serious phases attached to this skirmish. In their over-confidence, the boys neglected to pull down a high rail fence in their rear and thus provide for a retreat (they never forgot it after- ward.) The only way to avoid this fence was through a piece of heavily timbered bottom on the right of the field and the boys made for this woods as a good cover and the best chance to get away. When they reached the wood Capt, L. D. Hockersmith. Loreuzo Dow Hockersmith was working at his trade of brickmason in Louis- ville, when the war broke out. He immediately enlisted in the Confederate service and did duty as a private until Col. Adam Johnson began to recruit the Tenth Kentucky Cavalry, when he joined that regiment as First Lieutenant of Company C. By the death of Captain Wall at Milton, Tenn., he was advanced to the rank of Captain, and commanded the company until his capture with Gen. Morgan in Ohio. Capt. Hockersmith planned and carried into execution the scheme by which Gen. Morgan and his party escaped from the Ohio Penitentiary. After the war he settled in Madisonville, Ky., where he has followed his trade. He is a prominent Mason, and member of the M. E. Church South, and is universally loved and respected by all who know him. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 149 they found it tilled with Yankees and grapevines. For a few minutes the fight was hand to hand. Pistols and sabres were trumps and the grapevine got in its work. Lieutenant Barney Logsdon was leading a section of his company using his "navy" right and left and spreading dismay among the enemy, when just as he had fired his last shot he came face to face with a big Yankee who demanded his surrender. Barney had been reveling in gore till his fighting blood was up and had no idea of complying with the request. Remembering his sabre — which up to this time had lain quiet in its sheath, he jerked it from the scabbard and, with "die villain," raised it OA'er the head of his adversary with the intention of cleaving him from "helmet to croupe.'' But the afore- said "ad." was a little too quick for Barney and put a pis- tol ball through Barney's sword arm which changed his plans and put him on his good behavior. The boys do say that Barney apologized to the Yankee for his appar- ent rudeness and even agreed to serve out the balance of the war in prison, as some atonement for his indiscre- tion. Whether this is true or not I cannot say, but I do know that the Yankees seemed to appreciate him for they never let go of him till the war was over. Lieutenant Sam Brooks rode a large brown horse and the Lieutenant was a heavy weight himself. Tn the melee the Lieutenant's horse jumped across a swinging grape vine and when he attempted to go forward he w^ent up in the air — one end at a time. At some other time this might have been funny, but just now there was no fun in it. The Lieutenant saw that he was "hung up" and while he did not like to leave his horse, he saw^ that the chance of escape for both was very slim. With a word of encouragement, the Lieutenant socked the spurs into 150 REMINISCENCES ''Selim" in the hope of lifting him ov^r the vine, but seem- ed to only make matters worse, Selim's hindparts swung so high that the Lieutenant came near being dumped. But the next trial the Lieutenant gave out the '^rebel yell" at the same time he applied the spurs. Belim put forth an extra effort and had Vesuvius suddenly erupted on the ground the surprise would not have been greater. Under the severe strain the vines for an acre around broke and were dragged dow^n from the trees and becom- ing entangled with Lieutenant Brooks and Selim went fly- ing through the forest, like a drag thro' a wheai. field, sweeping everything before them, creating wonder and consternation all along the line and putting an end to the fight. Now^ this grapevine story is not literally true, but the Lieutenant and Selim did get hung on a grape- vine and had to pull it down in order to escape. Those of the brigade, not killed, wounded or captured succeeded in getting back to headquarters and not one of them had anything to say of the gallant deeds performed while ab- sent. About the 1st of December, 1803, General John C. Breckenridge was appointed Secretary of War and Gen- eral Joe Johnston superseded General Bragg, in com- mand of the army of the Tennessee. 1 have told you that Bragg's army was badly run down in the way of equip- ments and that the Kentuckians especially, were in bad shape. Bragg had run us and fought us here and there while we were star^ ed and naked and although our pa- triotism nevei' wavered we felt very sore over our treat- ment and indulged in a good deal of grumbling. Gener al Johnston, on assuming command, had set to work to re- organize and equip his force and by the aid of contribu- tions from the different Southern States soon had all but BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER j 5 1 the Kentucky troops iu nice shape. This, of course, add- ed to our discontent and we were outspoken in our con- demnation of the authorities. We were especially severe on General Breckenridge, because we felt that his posi- tion gave him the power to direct such matters and we felt that he ought to take a special interest in his old command, at least give us an equal show. We were not very choice of language nor particular before whom we talked for which reason troops from other States drop- ped into the same habit. Some of our boys went on a vis- it to an Alabama brigade and while there the Alabam- ians took occasion to criticise General Breckenrid^fe. This was resented by our boys and a fight was the conse- quence. The trouble spread till both brigades became involved, the ''long rolF' was sounded, the men all jump- ed to arms and but for the prompt action of the General officers, there would have been a battle right there. Of course this reached the ears of General Breckenridge and some time afterward, when on a visit to our department, he made us a speech which healed all dissensions and made us feel that we had only honored ourselves and our State the more, by reason of the extra trials we had borne. His words on that occasion were about as fol- lows: "Kentuckians: As I look in your faces, I feel that I am again at home with my native countrymen, whose law is honor, whose integrity is unsullied and whose bra- very is unquestioned. Tested on a hundred battlefields, during three wars in the history of onr country no blot has ever marred the glory page of Kentucky. From Daniel Boone to Jeff Davis, Kentucky has produced he- roes without a break in the record. You come of old stock and have vindicated the family record. Intimate- 152 REMINISCENCES ly associated with you, as I was in tb^ early days of this struggle, I am proud to say that you more than fulfilled my expectations of your superior officers and I know that you are held in the very highest estimation by the Presi- dent and his cabinet. "I know that you complain that you do not receive fair treatment, have to perform extra service and are not provided for as well as your comrades from other States. You must remember that you are orphans. (You are called 'Breckenridge's orphans, in Richmond). All the other troops have a mother state to help out in the sup- ply of their ow^n troops, while you have to depend solely on the central government. I knoAv that you would keep yourselves supplied if you were allowed to get out among the Yankees, but for some good cause you are kept back with the army. "I also know that you have 'cussed' me not a little because 1 did not fix you up and give you a soft place when I was appointed Secretary of War, but you know that, had I done so, the other troops would have grum- bled at me, and with just cause. "'But I knew you would get over your quarrel with me. I knew what kind of metal you were made of and a little episode that I learned of, proved that I was cor- rect. I allude to the affair with the Alabama brigade. Boys, I here and now give you the liberty to 'cuss' me at any time and as often as you please, consoling myself with the knowledge that you won't allow anybody else to do it." That settled it so far as we were concerned and it wasn't long before we found that the General had some- thing good for us. But the good times didn't come just now. We still BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 153 had a work to perfoi*iii and make everything secure for the army. Soon after our return from the "Charleston raoei*" (General Kilpatrirk concluded that he would feel our line and see how we were fixed. Now the General was a dashing officer, with more dash than discretion, and if his men had been as indis- creet as he, a goood many of them would have filled glor- ious graves instead of being alive to tell how they charg- ed us. The General with his brigade left Kinggold one morning on the gallop. When he encountered our pick- ets he ordered a charge and came near getting into our camp before we knew of his coming. Fortunately, how^- ever, we were notified in time to get into line and served him like the locomotive did the bull, "knocked him out." This happened to be the day that our brigade and regi- mental officers were enjoying a banquet in town and the camp was left to itself. Our Major, J. Q. Chennowith, had just bought him a fine ''dapple gray'' horse and a new uniform. He was fine looking and — well — we thought a little "peacockey." In order to create a sensation among his brother officers and, perhaps, arouse a spirit of envy among them, the Major devoted more time to his toilet than the occasion really demanded and as a conse- quence got caught in the trouble, ^^'hen the bullets be- gan to sing through camp, every fellow jumped for his gun and got behind trees, fences, cabins and began to pop away. There was confusion for awhile, but nothing like a stampede. Major Chennowith, who was the rank- ing officer in camp, took charge and soon had the brigade in fighting trim. While some were shooting others were "saddling up'' and by the time the Yankees got ready to go home, we were ready to help them along. We follow- 1 54 REMINISCENCES ed them to Ringgold gap, but rememT>eiiug the trick we played them there once before, we thought best not to undertake to follow them through. Major Chennowith cut quite a conspicuous figure in this fight. Beside his fine uniform and fine gray horse, he had a long "red'* fox brush on his hat for a "cockade.'' He persisted in keeping out in front of the line where he was exposed to unnecessary danger, although w^e insisted that he should keep back. He was mad, but when his horse was shot down he was furious. Procuring another horse he exposed himself more than ever and seemed to be perfectly reckless. He seemed to have drawn the fire of Kilpatrick's whole line and we expected him to be shot down any moment. Finally we saw his fox tail fall — shot off his hat — and at the same time the Major turned his horse's head to the rear and took refuge behind the cabins with the rest of us. The boys thought that the Major was straining his courage on this occasion, but af- ter events, of wiiich I will have occasion to write, proved that the Major wasn't afraid and never entirely lost his presence of mind. The funny part was that after we had driven the Yankees off and w^ere on our return to camp, we met the officers who were at the banquet, com- ing "head on lickety brindle" and assumed command with as much ''aplomb'' as though they had been on hand all the time. Everything was quiet for the next few days and Gen- eral Johnston wanted to know what the enemy was doing, so sent over to our camp for a scout to reconnoitre his position. The order was for a sergeant and five men. The party was to be small in order to move fast and not attract attention. It was expected to gain all the infor- mation it could without showing itself, and one of the BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 155 most comfoi-tiug thoughts was that it was not ex])ected to do auy fighting, but as mucli good ruuniug as w^as nec- essary to keep a whole hide. By some good or bad luck. I was detailed to take charge of this scout. NVe reported to General Johnston in the forenoon an- 1 received instruc- tions as to route and duty. We had to cross Taylor's ridge and scout along the whole line of Federal outposts from Twickham (w^e called it Trickem) to the Ohickamau- ga battle ground and over it as far as we could safely go. The snow began to fall about noon and we set out without guide or compass and with a very limited knewiedge of the country. After crossing the ridge w^e soon discovered the camp fires of the enemy, who, not suspecting any dan- ger on such a night, w ere not very watchful, and we were thus enabled to proceed in comparative safety. While the snow^ continued to fall we w^ere comfortable, but about two o'clock in the morning a bitter cold wind from the north sprung up, the snow ceased falling and from then on we suffered. The wind was square in our faces, and oh! it was bitter. We reached the (,'hickamauga battle ground a short while before daybreak and rode over foui' or five miles of the line before the Federals, who were camped here and there along the East slope of Lookout mountain, began to stir. The ground w^as covered with four inches of snow and we could see but few signs of the battle, except amongst the timber and other things abov<» ground that were left standing. Along in the morning after sunrise the Yankees be- gan to stir around so lively — it had cleared otf and we could hear them plainly — that we decided to turn our faces homeward, and chose a route over Taylor's ridge instead of attempting to return by the route we came, which was good enough for a bad night, but too risky for 156 REMINISCENCES a clear day. When we reached the fop of the hill we came upon a mountaineer's cabin in which a dance was in prog- ress — had been going on all night and there was but little show for its conclusion when we arrived at 9 o'clock in the morning. The boys hailed this as a God-send, as all were frozen stiff and there was a prospect of thawing out. We were received cordially, invited in and given places around the fire, the jug of ''mountain dew" passed and we were given a general invitation to make ourselves at home. The dance went merrily on and the enjoyment of the scene, the glow of the pine log fire and the effect of the ''pine top" whisky soon had the young and gallant blood of our boys flying through their veins at a 2:04-| speed, keeping neck and neck with the fiddler, who could get more and faster music out of "Cotton-eyed Joe" than any other fiddler I ever saw. I have forgotten the names of the boys com- posing our scout, except Alex Barrett and Louis Wall, and any one who knew them also knew that they were al- ways ready for any frolic or adventure and thought little of consequences. W^ell, the boys wanted to dance a set, in which they were seconded by the young ladies present, but knowing the danger we were in and being respon- sible for the success of the expedition, I forbade it, and in order to prevent it, gave the order to mount, at the same time going out to my horse. Some of the boys lin- gered over their parting with the girls and the "jug" and I began to fear that I would have trouble in getting them away. Looking down the mountain 1 discovered about fifty Yankee cavalry not over a quarter of a mile away, following our trail, and but that they had the capes of their overcoats buttoned over their heads and were very cold they would undoubtedly have seen us. I passed the word to the boys and it acted like magic. They were on J^heir BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. I 57 horses in a jiffy, we were away over the hill and out of sight. We didn^t carry back much information that was very valuable, but if we had stopped to dance that set we wouldn't have carried any. But now we are going to have an easy time for awhile, yet are in blissful ignorance of it. We are gathered to- gether bag and bagagge and marched to the rear. W^e did not know what was in store for us and there were many rumors afloat as to our destination. As before stated, we had been ''hacked" about until we were tired of it and there were a good many signs of insubordination. We did not know but that this move was to get us in the rear of the army in order to discipline us, and there was a strong feeling that there would be serious trouble. It would have been better if we had known what was ahead, "and saved us and our officers some humiliation. Colonel J. W'arren Griggsby was in command of the brigade, and while the Colonel was a good man, no doubt, he was a little foppish and we didn't like him. He would promul- gate orders and we obeyed them if it suited us. Colonel Helm was our standard and Colonel Griggsby fell far short, acording to our interpretation. But Ave moved on Southward, down the valley through a fine country, to Rome, Ga., down into the rich and fertile Talladega Val- ley in Alabama, where we went into winter quarters on the banks of the river near Oxford. Here we built us huts, or as we called them, ''dog houses," and prepared to enjoy ourselves as long as the circumstances would allow. Soon after we got fixed in camp the Colonel published his order for government in the camp. It was: "For the first four days in the week, company drill in the forenoon, battalion drill in the afternoon; dress parade on Friday, and general police duty on Saturday. No soldier to leave II 158 REMINISCENCES camp except on ^permit' from his Company commander, countersigned by the officer in command of the camp." How well these orders were obeyed will appear hereafter. The people living in Talladega Valley — we called it "dry valley" — were wealthy, hospitable and patriotic, and be- sides, had a great admiration for Kentucky soldiers. It is needless to say that we received a warm welcome wherever we went and still more needless to deny that we accepted their good will and hospitality in the kindest and most grateful spirit. This treatment w^as more effective in capturing our brigade than all the strategy, powder, lead and flank movements hurled at us by the enemy for two years. The captain and orderly sergeant were about all of the company who mustered for morning drill and an ag- gregate of these officers composed battalion muster in the afternoon. The rest of the command was absent with- out leave enjoying the luxuries of roast pig, stuffed turkey and the like, to say nothing of the music and flowers which were inseparable concomitants. Bob Waller and Bill Ellis were never reported for duty while in the camp, but as I am so well posted on their movements, it may be asked, "Whar was you?" CHAPTER XI. WHILE the good spell was on, the Confederacy decided to pay us for services rendered, I suppose that we might better enjoy the rest in store for us. Bob Waller and I were detailed to make up the muster roll of our company. We went about two miles from camp and en- gaged a room and board with one Mr. Wilson. The Wil- son family was composed of the old gentleman and his wife, a grown son too weak for military duty and a crip- pled daughter, Miss Mollie. The old man was a dilapidat- ed old fellow nearly ripe enough to pull; his son was a second edition of the old man; Miss Mollie was, although lame ,a vivacious, sweet-natured girl, quite good-looking and with considerable accomplishments, in fact altogether unlike any of the rest of the family. But the old lady was the man of the house. She was a Northern woman and had an eye to business. She was in the South teaching when Wilson married her and I am pretty sure she ex- ercised her calling on him and taught him that the woman, at least in her case, was not the weaker vessel. Department "red tape" required the muster roll to be made out monthly and as the command had received no pay for several months it took us two weeks to do what might have been done in as many days. But the pay- ment was in no hurry nor were we. Lieutenant Sam Hughes would come out every day to inspect our work and Bob and I would work while he stayed, but most of the l5o REMINISCENCES Other time was passed in the parlor,*Miss Mollie playing on the piano, I on the fiddle and Bob doing the singing. How I wish you could have heard Bob sing. A mad cow or a distempered mule would hardly have been "in it" with Bob. But the Lieutenant got struck on our fair hostess and we soon found that this im5)osed extra work on us, as the Lieutenant lengthened each visit until they extended almost from reveille to taps. Others from camp got to dropping in and were warmly welcomed by the old lady, and here her Yankee shrewdness displayed itself. She prepared her table for the entertainment of those who called, while Miss Mollie made herself as agreeable as possible. Those present at meal time were given cor- dial invitation to partake and after the meal was over were politely asked for a half dollar. If the guest was so unfortunate as not to have the cash — which was usually the case — he was politely, yet firmly, requested not to call again. Bob and I had our expenses paid from the con- tingent fund of the regiment and, although it might now appear a little ungenerous, yet we enjoyed the discomfit- ure of the boys as well as we ever did a minstrel show. We had reserved seats on the hall stairs near the dining room door where we could watch the blank astonishment^ terror and shame depicted on their various countenances, as, on their exit from the dining room, they met the old lady with her demand for pay. To see how one would stammer and stutter and try to apologize, how another would try to borrow the necessary lucre from a friend,, whom he knew did not have it, how another would fran- tically run his hands down into his various pockets as if in search of cash when he knew he hadn't possessed a cent for months and then witness the withering smile and lis- ten to the sarcastic words with which the madam dis- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. l6i missed the delinquents was better than all the comedy plays of the world. Those who were lucky enough to have the change were marched across the hall and ushered into the parlor where Miss Mollie was expected to enter- tain them. Poor girl, we noticed tliat she appeared to be overworked and decided before we left that she was a victim of her mother's avarice. But the old lady's plan was heard of in camp and until the boys got their pay visitors were scare e. As everything must end our work was at last completed and we returned to camp. After the roll had been inspected and verified we were paid and the fun commenced. I had been in the army twenty- seven months and had never received a cent of pay, so drew nearly five hundred dollars and the other boys about two hundred dollars each. Money was plentiful and we had no use for it but to enjoy it. We were in a good coun- try and such things as we wanted were yet tolerably plen- tiful, so we set about looking them up. Bill Ellis pro- posed a trip of exploration to which I agreed and armed with three days' leave we started out. We made it our business to see everything worth seeing and have a good time generally, and to carry out our intention, called at every house and got acquainted. At most places they were glad to see us and talk to us and sjave us a warm wel- come» Of course I cannot remember the names of all the peo- ple we met, but there were tw^o families whom I shall never forget; those of Colonel Montgomery and Judge Cunningham. Colonel Montgomery was an officer in Lee's army, and his family consisted of his wife and two grown daughters. Mrs. Montgomery was somewhat of an invalid and the duties of the housekeeping fell on the oldest daughter, Miss Ophelia. Both the young ladies l62 REMINISCENCES were good musicians, fine conversatiofialists and very en- tertaining. Judge Cunningham was too old and feeble for a soldier and lived at home with his wife and three daughters, the youngest of whom was nearly grown. Mrs. Cunningham was a Kentucky lady and of course made us welcome. Ellis and I frequently went out and called on our friends during our stay at Oxford, indeed, we w ere ex- pected by them at least once a week. It was on one of these calls that I played a trick on Ellis, which came near resulting disastrously to his expectations. Bill got "sweet" on second Miss Cunningham, bat as the mother always kept her girls under her eye, he had a poor chance to spark the girl. At my suggestion he began to make up to the mother and was succeeding finely. Mrs. Cun- ningham was a great Ioa er of flowers and had a large number of rare specimens of which she was very proud. This was along late in March and gardens there were like ours here in May. Ellis to help on his cause took a great interest in the flowers and would spend hours with Mrs. C. listening to her explanations and descriptions. He was progressing fairl}^ well when one afternoon as we were leaving for camp Mrs. C. presented him with a very large and handsome bouquet composed of the very choice of the garden. Some half mile from the house Bill no ticed that his saddle blanket was disarranged and handing me his bouquet, dismounted to fix it. Now a soldier could ride into camp carrying a chicken, turkey, goose, or even a fat pig, and no questions be asked about it, but to ride into camp carrying a bouquet, oh, Lord! While riding slowly on these thoughts came to me and I proceeded to untie the string and let the fiowers shatter to the ground. As Ellis came to the first of them he realized what was up and charged after me with a yell, but it was too late when BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 1 63 he caught me, as his bouquet was scattered along the road at least for a hundred yards. Bill took in the situation and instead of getting mad we both tnjoyed a hearty laugh. But a day of reckoning was coming sooner than we knew. Soon after leaving Mr. C.'s house his daughters started out to call on a neighbor and the fates led them over the road we had just traveled. Of course they saw^ the flowers and put their own interpretation on it. and on our next visit Mrs. C. gave Bill "Hail Columbia" for the way he had treated her. He explained to her how it hap- pened, but of course I lied out of it and left her under the impression that he was the worst hypocrite unhung. Af- ter events made nje very sorry that I left her with that imi)ression. I intended to explain all on my next visit and assume the responsibility, but I never saw her again. We soon went back to the front where we had no time to think of women and flowers and the music, for our enter- tainment was not made on pianos and fiddles. Going back a little to camp life and discipline while at Oxford, as before said, a very military set of orders were issued, which no one took any pains to obey. Tiring of this the Colonel in command resigned and General Lyon was sent to take charge of us. Now the General was a West Pointer and had the reputation of being a tough customer and a bad num to fool with. For the first few days the General had a pretty fair showing at drills and dress parade, but the ranks soon thinned out. The General would make the offenders carry rails, stand on stumps and otherwise punish them, but it soon became apparent that he would have to change the whole "lay- out" to a rail and stump brigade, so he too became dis- gusted and left iis. But we were doing one thing which was of more use to us than drills and parades. We were 1 64 REMINISCENCES resting and fattening our horses, fixing up our dilapidated equipments, making them fit for service, besides doing a good deal of chicken fighting and learning to die game. There was an Irishman named John Happy, of the Second Kentucky regiment, who could "heel" a chicken to kill every time, and when chickens were equally matched Happy's chicken always won. All Southern men are nat- ural sports and we found a good stock of the game breed of chickens in Dry Valley. We bought a few, opened the ball and the old citizens would come in with their birds to fight us. Until Happy killed all their fighting cocks, things were lively in camp, we won a lot of money and had stowed chicken every day for dinner. The brigade was without a head and we got along about ar> well as if we had a dozen. It was a kind of hap- py-go-lucky lime and we Enjoyed ourselves the best we could, for we knew times were too good to last. Spring was coming, which would bring active duty for the army and we were expecting the word every day. At last it came and we bade farewell to our friends, our pleasures and our "dog houses" and took up our march to the front to take up our old duty of acting as eyes and ears for Gen- eral Johnston's army. The final struggle soon came on and iK^ver ended or eased on us till the 9th day of May, 1865. Caft. John L Howell. COMPANY G, FIRST KENTUCKY CAVALRY. CHAPTER XII. ARRIVING at Tunnel Hill we took up the old routine of picketing and scouting and, as there were nice grounds for the purpose near camp, those not on duty were put through the form of drilling. I say form, for it was only form. While at Bowling Green in 'Gl we were a well drilled cavalry, but now — well, we could manage to form fours and even platoons under favorable circum- stances. This was the exception; the rule was for every man to be his own captain and maneuver his own forces ; get there if he could or retreat in the best order possible, but never run clear away. ^ We set up a line of ^^dummies'' (stakes dressed in Yankee uniform) across our drill field and in order to familiarize our horses with the charge on infantry, would charge this ^^dummy" line with a yell as though it was composed of live men. Our horses refused to take the '^dummy" line, but when live men with guns and firing blank cartridges were substituted, our horses went through the line without a halt. This proved that the horse was not a coward where he understood matters, but like a man, did not care to tackle something he could not understand and which looked suspicious. Our picket line was several miles ahead of camp and a company was sent to each post to stay a week, the change at the post being made at night in order to hide our movements from the enemy who was close by and very watchful. The baseJ:o which our company was assigned 1 66 REMINISCENCES was a new one, not having been occupied before, and at the rear of the farm of an old man named Pursley. Now, among other things, Pursley owned an old black sow knd six shoats, the latter weighing about sixty pounds each. That old Georgia sow was a hustler, and it wasn't long before she found us out and took up her abode with us. When we fed our horses we had to stand by with a brush to keep the hogs away and they were about as persistent as flies around a dish of molasses. This was very annoy- ing, but Pursley had been to our camp before the old sow found us out and had made quite a favorable inipression by offering to lend us anything about the place that we wanted to add to our comfort, and besides our natural honesty, we did not want to do anything by which we would lose the good opinion of Mr. Pursley. Knowing that his hogs were doing well on the range, Pursley was not very attentive to them and would only call them up occasionally to see that they were all right. They be- came so annoying that John B. Spalding got a little more angry than usual and knocked one of the shoats over. Here was a pickle, the hog was dead and the next thing was what to do with it. But the quandary didn't last long. Leaving the other boys to skin the hog I went over to the house and borrowed a large iron pot in which to cook it. I invited Pursley over to camp to take dinner with us. We cooked that pig to the queen's taste and all sat down to as rich a feast as could be imagined. Pursley was there and to show proper respect — he was a deacon in the church — we called on him to ask a blessing, to which he did ample justice. We enjoyed the feast and so did Pursley. We told him that we were not in the habit of getting such rations, and I think we made him believe it. The feast was over and Purslev went home. We had BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 167 a taste of pork and sighed for more. This was the night for us to be relieved and we decided to save the balance of Pursley-s bacon, as we did not know what those who were to take our places would do. T took the kettle home and bade the good old man good-bye. We fed a little later that evening and had the darkness in which to carry out our charitable work, and when we returned to camp after being relieved, the other five shoats went with us. Only the old sow stayed to comfort Brother Pursley. The hogs were not missed for three or four days and when the old man went to look for them he found them gone. He discovered some signs around the picket camp and at ^nce decided that the company of Georgians which had re- lieved us, had made way with them. I have no record of whether he blessed them or cursed them, but the language he used to us about them when w^e returned to the post next week would not fit very w^ell into the amen corner of the Baptist church at this day. In language more for- cible than elegant he denounced them for a lot of thieves and cowards and we ''amened" everything he said. Now, reader, don't call us hypocrites; just say we were hungry for pork. And the old man only contributed — unwilling- ly 'tis true — to a good cause and lost nothing in the end for the Yankees came along there in a few days and took all he had left that was portable and burned his house be- sides. When we w^ent to relieve the Georgia company we found them all excitement. The vidette on a certain night post had been run in twice and reported that three men had attempted to surround him. As they would make a rush at him he would fire and run back to the base. The officer in command would send out a scout, but discovered nothing. I was sergeant on duty and took out men to re- 1 68 REMINISCENCES lieve the outpost. We kept a "chain'' picket — men placed one hundred yards apart — and after phicing the men so as to watch the ground closely, I took the post occupied by the man who had given the alarms. This was at the cor- ner of a cleared piece of ground containing, perhaps, two acres and surrounded by a thick growth of scrub pine. It was about two o'clock in the morning and as I had had no sleep I was a little drowsy. There was about a quar- ter moon and a few clouds were flying. Everything was as quiet as the grave and I was feeling very comfortable, when all at once three men seemed to be closing in on me from different parts of the thicket. With a "halt" calculated to strike terror to their souls, my eyes flew open and no one was in sight. This occurred the third time when, having more of my wits about me, I spurred my horse in the direction of the nearest object and ran up on a black stump in the edge of the bushes, and on pur- suing my investigations I found two more stumps simi- larly situated in different parts of the ground. My eye- lids going down and the shadows of the clouds over the moon coming together and the stumps being of a different color from the bushes produced the illusion and caused the alarm. The morning of the 7th day of May, 1864, dawned on Tunnel Hill, Ga., bright and glorious. The air was balmy and all nature seemed to rejoice in the happiness of un- sullied pleasure. How soon man's inhumanity was to change the peaceful morning to a day of bitter strife. Our army was stationed on top of the hill awaiting Sherman's attack. One section of a battery was sent out in advance and unlimbered on a kuoll on our drill field in front and to the left of the town and our regiment, First Kentucky, was sent along to support it. We' formed in column of BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 169 platoons in rear of the guns and waited developments. Soon a long blue line emerged from the woods across the creek and the hist great struggle had begun. We could see the enemy's line for miles and the sight was a gi-and one beyond description. After moving his line out into the field, Sherman halted it and stood for a long time as if loth to break the i)eace of the morning, and, although in plain -view and in good range of our artillery on the hill, not a gun was fired. It appeared that neither side w^ant- ed to be the aggressor. At last the enemy ran out three bright brass pieces, unlimbered them in our immediate front and before we hardly realized it, were bursting shells among us. Our piece of artillery limbered up and started off the field, aud we broke into column of fours and followed. Our line of march was diagonally up the hill for three-quarters of a mile before we reached cover and we went at about a sixty degree angle from their guns. They had perfect range from the start, bursting their shells right in our ranks and throwing their solid shot right through our column, under our horses and over them, and strange to say, they never touched a man or horse. It will be asked if we did not hurry off the field? No; we never rode out of an ordinary walk and not a man left his place in the ranks. This was the coolest of the many cool things I witnessed during the whole war. Shells were bursting over us and under us, solid shot were roll- ing over the field like base balls and every man was feeling- like his time had come, but not a man flinched and our horses took it as quietly as the men. Ordinarily, under such circumstances, you might expect one-half to bo killed and wounded and the balance stampeded, and yet we escaped entirely. I was told bv an officer who was on the hill aud saw J 70 REMINISCENCES it that the three pieces fired nine shots a minute at us while in range. The first shell exploded right over the head of our column, not twenty feet in the air, another not two feet from the hind leg of Philander Pool's horse. The horse jumped and Philander 's hat fell off. One of the boys behind reached down and picked up the hat, which saved the hat and Pool too, perhaps, as it allowed him to keep his place in ranks, which proved to be the safest. Philander would have had that hat if the shells had been twice as thick. Another shell passed between Si Bingham and the writer, so close to our heads that we were both rendered partially deaf by the concussion, and it burst not over twenty feet away. It is wonderful how we escaped and we felt very glad when we reached cover and found that no one was hurt. We also felt a pardon- able pride in the way he had conducted ourselves, the more so because the eyes of both armies were on us, but let me say right here that none of us had any desire to re- peat the experiment. And all this time our batteries on the hill were silent lookers on and did not fire a shot till we were out of it. I have often wondered why. It has seemed to me that from their position our guns could have silenced those firing on us and saved us much of the risk we ran and made it a little interesting for the other fel- lows. It was only a ^'show down" at Tunnel Hill. Sherman made a feint there and all the time was moving his troops down the valley and trying to get in behind Johnston at Dalton. Our brigade was divided up and scattered along the line to watch the movements of the enemy, and we had to go day and night. We would be sent to some point only to be recalled about the time we got there and sent off on the run in another direction. We were here, there BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 171 and evervwhre, scouting, picketing, fighting, running and doing anything and everything except eat and sleep until at last it became absolutely necessary that we indulge in some of that, too. So about one o'clock on the morning of the 9th those of the brigade who happened to be to- gether went into camp at Dalton and were soon oblivious to all worldly troubles. Without taking the time to reg- ister or select rooms each one dropped dow n where he was and regardless of bed bugs, dirty sheets and body lice, was soon in the land of dreams, perhaps with mother, sweet- heart or other loved ones, enjoying the soldier's bliss — a good rest. Poor fellows. Ere another sun rises and sets some of them will have crossed over the dark river, while others will be doomed to carry through life the mark of the worst passions of their f(41ow man. CHAPTEK XIII. OUK bugler was somewhat of a character and had many points peculiar to himself and some in com- mon with other people. There was one characteristic in which he was like many others, he w^as very fond of the "mountain dew" found among the Tennessee and Georgia mountains. His name was Tom Richards and he hailed from Lancaster, Ky. He had every appearance of a staid old deacon in some strictly pious church, but his looks were deceptive, as he was capable of as high a "lark" as the wildest boy in the ranks. When on one of his "high lonesomes" Tom was reckless as to conse- quences and would as soon order the general to the rear and take command of the brigade as to eat his supper. Of course he was never punished further than being de- prived of his bugle and taken care of until his spree was over. On one occasion when the brigade was crossing the mountains on their return from a raid in Middle Ten- nessee, Tom found some "pine top,'' got drunk and fell out of ranks and when the rest went into camp he could not be found. Early next morning a squad was sent back to hunt him, and about two miles from camp found him quietly sleeping in a pig pen near the road. He hitched his horse to a tree near by, hung his bugle on a corner of the pen, climbed inside, undressed and went to bed right. The boys woke him and got him out of the pen, but he persisted in waking the landlord and paying for jas.h. bozarth. Was born iu Daviet«.s Couuty, Keutviuky, April 22, 1844: enlisted 1861 in Company C, First Keutncky Cavalry. When his Company was mustereil out in 186- he enlisted in Company A. of the new First Kentucky, witli which he served throughout the war, at which time he was Orderly Ser- geant of the Company. In F"ebrnary, 1865. he was sent with Captain W. J. Taylor and others into Kentucky on recruiting service. After a long and arduous march they arrived safely, only to find the war too near an end to get any recruits. He and his comrades started on their trip back to the South on April 10th, and on the twelfth met the enemy in Hopkins county and fought, perhaps, the last fight that was made iu Kentucky. He then went to Jackson, Miss., thence to Memphis, Tenn., where he sur- rendered. He returned to Daviess county, farmed for several years, served his precin(!t as constable, as deputy sheriff for nine years under six different sheriffs and is now deputy sheriff' of Daviess County, Kentucky. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 1 73 bis lodging. There was no time for tooling, as the Yan- kees were close by, and the boys brought him into camp by sheer force. A few minutes more and Tom would have been a prisoner. Old Tom — we liked him so well — had a way of sounding a call which told us as plain as words what was ahead. We always knew from the way he blew his bugle what was to be expected. When every- thing was quiet and we w^ere having a rest, his bugle calls had a joyous ring which spoke peace and comfort to the camp. When in the presence of the enemy, he could make every man in camp hear, while those outside would not hear a sound. It seemed that he could limit the sound and place it just where he wished. And then when there was sudden, quick, sharp work to be done, Tom's bugle always told us in sharp, staccato notes not to be mis- taken, and whenever "boots and saddle" was spit at us through Tom's bugle like somebody was in a hurry, we expected to have some fighting to do and w^ere not long in getting ready. At daylight on the morning of the 9th of May we fed our horses and ate our little rations, expecting to be on the move at sunrise, but as time passed and we received no orders, we tumbled down on the ground and went to sleep. About nine o'clock that peculiar bugle call, which meant business, was sounded and woke every man in camp as effectively as though a cannon had been fired in our midst. All w^ere quickly mounted and we mov' to tlie provocation, in a very good hu- mor. Not succeeding in taking our position by storm, the enemy planted a battery on a hill across the valley and between charges shelled us pretty lively. This had but little ettect, as the most of their shells passed us and burst far in the rear. However there was one shell that scared us up and came near being the end of one of our boys — I have forgotten his name. It exploded right over his head and not two feet above him. He was sitting down behind a rock and was one of the two who helped me shoot the fellow in the tree. I was looking at and talking to him when the shell exploded and supposed that it had torn him into mince meat. Imagine my surprise when, after a few seconds, he raised up through the smoke and with "boys, that was a little too close to be comfortable," resumed his seat as if nothing unusual had occurred. Along in the afternoon we discovered that we were running short of ammunition and I was sent with a detail after more. We ran down the mountain to where we had left our horses, but they were not there. We ran on to the foot of the hill where we expected to find our ammunition v^agons and they were "not there, too." We followed their tracks and caught up with them a mile up the road toward Dalton. The shells that passed over us would burst over the horse-holders and they decided to get fur- ther away and moved down to the wagons. Now and then a shell would reach that far and Captain Jones decided to move up the road out of range. But time was pressing, and emptying a box of cartridges into a corn sack, each man threw his sack on his horse, mounted and made for the top of the hill. Loaded as our horses were the best they could do was slow and toilsome work and some gave 1 78 REMINISCENCES out before reaching the line, mine among the rest. When a hundred yards away I found that lie could go no further and dismounting took the bag on my shoulder and began the climb over the rocks and through brush and managed to get in sight before I fell exhausted. Captain Howell ran to me, took up the bag and when he reached the line, ran along it strewing cartridges along like feeding corn to a lot of hogs and the boys acted very much like hungry hogs in picking them up, and well they might be. They had fired their last round and had nothing left but their rocks. The ammunition arrived just in time, for the Yankees were just starting on their last and most desperate charge. A few minutes' delay would have been fatal to us and it can be easily imagined that we were exceedingly thankful that the delay did not occur. All was now quiet but for the groans of the Federal wounded and an occasional shot from the Federal battery. Owing to the formation of the face of the hill the Federals were enabled to remove their dead and w^ounded within fifty yards of our line and a large number who lay with- in range of our vision crawled down the hill w^here their friends could get to them. We did not object to this, as we had no use for them and felt like it was a humane and proper treatment to extend to such brave men as they. We were now reinforced by a portion of Cheatham's corps, which brought good cheer to our hearts. The poor fellows were in a sorry plight, but still game. They had double-quicked nine miles through the heat and dust, and, when they arrived, were scarcely able to stand and too weak and fatigued to give the usual "yell." Their at- tempt at a cheer was plainti\e in the extreme. They formed a few paces in our rear and fell down on the rocks BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 17^ to get a inucli needed rest and as tliev wei-e not needed they enjoyed it undisturbed until near sunset, when w«' wei'e ordered out and they to take our phices. Nearly all our men were six-footers and the infantry relieving us were men of short stature. As we raised up to move out, being above and between them and the West- ern sky, we appeared really taller than we were, which drew from the men below us such expressions as ''(rood Lord, what men!" ''Boys, they are a regiment of giants," and others of a complimentary order, and they rushed on us and hugged us like brothers in their enthusiasm. The cause of this last demonstration was soon explained to us. In February previous, a Federal force had made a raid on Dug Gap. drove the cavalry then guarding it away, and this same force which reinforced us was sent to retake the position, which it did after a hard fight in which the loss was considerable. Tlie infantry had never consid- ered the cav^alry of much account as a fighting force and assumed quite a contempt for that branch of the service; but when they witnessed what we had done, there was one body of cavalry exempted from the general condem- nation and we ever afterward held their respect and good will. Tn this tight we lost one man killed and three wound- ed, whil(A the loss of the enemy was necessarily heavy. An officer of Cheathanrs corps, who was on the ground next morning, estimated the Federal loss at seven liun- dred, although most of the dead and wounded had been removed from the field. On being relieved we mounted our horses and pro- ceeded South about two miles and camped in the only clover field I ever saw in Georgia. This was a rich treat for our horses and as we had a ])retty fair supper, everv- l8o > REMINISCENCES thing was serene and we laid down to enjoy a good night's rest. A little before daybreak the bugle sounded and we were soon mounted and on our way to Snake Creek Gap, where we expected a repetition of yesterday. McPher- son was moving down the West side of the mountain and we were having a race for the crossings. We secured the services of a citizen to guide us to the gap and instead of taking a right hand road as we should have done, we kept the main road until we reached the Kesaca road, then up it to the gap. In other words, instead of following the hypothenuse, we traveled the other two angles, lengthen- ing our trip about three miles and throwing us an houi* late. As a consequence the enemy had arrived at the gap, quietly captured the guard and laid a very pretty ambus- cade for us, into which we unsuspectingly rode, and were suddenly roused from our meditations by a terrible vol- ley poured into the column in front of us. The First Ken- tucky was in rear of the column and out of the fire; the Ninth was in front with the Second in their rear and Col- onel Breck en ridge in command of the brigade. The un- dergrowth was so thick on both sides of the road that the boys could neither charge nor run. Colonel Breckenridge came back to us and when he saw us standing quietly do- ing nothing he became excited and made a dash toward Major Chenowith with anger depicted on his face. The Major was the only regimental officer with us and he had been ordered under arrest for something he had said to our Colonel the day before. When Colonel Breckenridge reached the Major h(^ said to him, ^'Major, why are you not fighting your men?'^ ''My sword is not mine today. I am under arrest/ said the major. A, R. Yeizer (Bruz) and Wife. The huDgry man of Compatjy A, First Kentucky Cavalry ; would eat at all the houses on the march and come into camp hungry. Went with Gen. Morgan into Ohio ; was captured and kept in prison until close of war. He loved to tight as well as to eat. and this is what got him into trouble. He thinks yet that blue makes an uglier uniform than any other color. He is a citizen ofOweusboro, Ky., engaged in stock trading, and keeps open house for all old Confederate soldiers, in all of which he is ably seconded by his good wife. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. l8i ''My God, Major, will you stand here and see my men cut to pieces and not go to tlieir aid?'' said the Colonel. 'Til be d — d if 1 do," said the Major. "Forward" and he led us around through a field into an open woods in the rear of the Federals where we charged and I'outed them, capturing over twenty prisoners and losing one killed and five captured. Lieutenant Tom C. Jones, our present minister at Funchal, was shot through the instep and Captain Bill Taylor's mare received a slight wound in the shoulder. A few of the boys in the road were slightly wounded, but none killed, w^hich seems wonderful, owing to the close range and can only be acocunted for by the density of the undergrowth, which formed a breastwork and stopped the bullets before they reached them. We had failed to beat the Federals to Snake Creek and our only hope now was to keep them there and the hope was a rather slim one as they outnumbered us so greatly but we prepared to give them the best measure we could for their monev. r HAPTER XIll. IN the meantime SheiJiian bad reinfoioed McPheison. wbo was to attack Johnston at Resaca while he sent a hiro;e force down the west side of Rocky Face and under the cover of tliat mountain, to cross the Ostanaula near Calhonn, get in our rear and fall on our army from front, flank and rear simultaneously. To cover this move we were attacked in force at Resaca in order to hold our army at this point and give the enemy time to carry out liis plans; but owing to the efficiency of our cavalry, (General Johnston was kept informed of all movements and Sher- man never arrived at any point that he did not find some- body there waiting for him. But to get back to my nar- rative. We skirmished with the enemy between Snake Creek and Resaca for three days with no serious engage- ment and no result except our gradual retirement toward the town, but we discovered that there was work not far ahead and made ready for it. By daylight on the morn- ing of the 14th we were in line confidently expecting an at- tack and were not disappointed. We were formed acrost-? the road leading from town with companies A, E and CI of the First Kentucky to the left of the road and thf^ balance of the brigade to the right. There was a field about a hundred and fifty yards wide in front of our three companies and the balance of the line was in the timber. On the left, some four hundred yards to the river, we had no force, but had deployed flankers to watch for a move BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER, 183 nient from that quarter. Soon after sunrise we heard firing in front which was qnickly foUowed by the appear- ance of onr pickets closely followed by Kilpatrick and his brigade in colnnin of "fours'' led by the General. His plan was, when he reached the field, to ''right front into line,'' but owing to the thick growth of bushes on the side of the road this move could not be executed until they reached the field, which was so close to our line that we had easy range and could concentrate our fire on one place, and we emptied saddles and tumbled horses so fast that those who could, were glad to withdraw. As soon as we repulsed the charge we were ordered to withdraw, and, after leading the line and mouutinii' our horses, were or- dered to dismount and take our old position. During our absence the enemy removed their dead and wounded, among the latter. General Kilpatrick — shot through the thigh. The next charge was made in line and dismount- ed, which we repulsed handsomely, and were again or- dered to retreat. Lieutenant John Lamar and I were the last to leave (he field, and just as we turned to leave a ball shattered the lieutenant's heel. T was by his side, jnevented him from falling and assisted him to his horse. We were again ordered back to our place in the line and found the Yankees out in the field and coming on. Cap- tain Howell sent me over a little hill to the left to watch for flank movement and I became engaged in a duel with a Yankee who seemed to be out on the same business as T. There was a little ridge between us on which was a tumble down fence of four or five rails high. We pulled dow n on each other about the same time, but he fired first and his ball struck me on the hip, making me flinch and throwing me off my aim. This made me a little mad, and I reload- ed in a hurry. Just as he raised his gun to fire I pulled I §4 REMINISCENCES trij>j>ei* and his ball struck the ^T«UDd close to my foot. ''Did you hit him?" Well, I am glad to say 1 don't know, but I had a ij:ood aim at short range and the Sprinj>- field rifle that I used has brought squirrels out of the highest trees for me and never missed a hog, running or standing, under two hundred yards, especially when T was hungry, which my messmates can testify, was pretty much all the time. Before the smoke of my gun blew away I heard a big racket to my right and rear and going to the top of the ridge to investigate, I saw our line in full re- treat with the Yankees following closely. There was no chance for me to regain my company, so I ran down to where Si Bingham, Frank Camp and Coley Bacey were guarding the left, told the news and we all struck out for the river. They being mounted, arrived first, plunged in and swam across. By the time I reached the river the Yankees were in shooting distance and I didn't want to be shot down like a dog in the water, and to tell the truth, I couldnt' swim very well anyhow, so I didn't go down into the water, for I was afraidj would not come up straight- way out of it. I ran up the river bank till I came to the mouth of Conasauga, which I found too deep to ford, up it to the bridge, which 1 crossed at a 2:40 gait. There is a high, steep hill on the west bank of the Conasauga which extends nearly down to the Oostanaula. This hill had shielded me till I reached the bridge, and although I could see our cavalry passing through Resaca and crossing th«^ bridge, I supposed that our infantry still held the hill. Judge of my surprise when after going some two hun- dred yards the bullets began to patter around me like hailstones, and on looking around for the cause, I saw the top of the hill blue with Yankees and every one of them trying his marksmanship on me. Yes, boys, I pulled BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 1 35 my freight, and pulled it lively. I suppose tliat 1 was making Maud ^. time, but it appeared to me that I could not have kept pace Avith a snail. Our breastworks were a thousand yards off and nothing to shield me, while the bullets were cutting ihe dust all around. Ye gods, but I felt spotted, and 1 have no doubt that my eyes would haye made good coat hooks. When I had made about half the distance and they had failed to bring me down, the Yanks quit firing and amused themselves yelling, ''run, Johnny, run." Well, E obeyed orders if they w^ere given by Yankees, and never stopped running till I tumbled in- side of the works. About this time Colonel Hotchkiss had got a battalion of artillery planted on the hill and from the throats of thirty two pieces began to pour shells into us, first in detail and then by volley and made it so Ivot: that it was dangerous to get out of the ditches, so I just stayed where I w^as, and by this means participated in the battle of Resaca, although it was not on the bills. J got caught in this scrape like I did in Chickamauga, unin- tentionally, but my guardian angel protected me, as be- fore, and pulled me through^ but like efake Fullenweider got to heaven, "mit a tam tight squeeze." All day long the battle raged. After a terrible can- nonnade which covered us wath the clay of our breast- works, the enemy would charge us with his infantry line, which we would repulse and charge to the cover of his artillery. The conformation of the ground w^as such that when their line came within three hundred j^ards of our works, it was within range of their shells, which gave us a chance to raise our heads and go at them. While a por- tion of our force w^ould charge the enemy, after repulsing him, others would be repairing the damage done to our works by his artillery. Thus the fight was kept up till 1 86 REMINISCENCES nine o'clock at nii>lit when hostilities ceased, with honors on our side. When the trouble quieted down, I started out to find my regiment, which had been defending a ford on the river below Resaca, where Sherman attempted to cross a force in order to tlank us in our poistion. Unable to accomplish his object, fc^herman withdrew his forces a short distance and gave us a rest. Our brigade camped in a groA^e about three miles south of Resaca, where I found them about midnight. Bingham had reported me standing on the bank of the river with the Yankees clos- ing in on me, and the general opinion prevailed that 1 was captured or killed, the latter acepted as most probable. Acting on this conclusion, mj messmates proceeded to ad- minister on my estate which inventoried one horse, saddle and bridle — my spurs, pistols and gun had shared my fate — one pair of saddle pockets, one gray flannel shirt, well worn and in need of washing and mending. One pair socks with the feet worn off — also dirt}' — one testament, the gift of my good, religious sweetheart and not badly worn except on the outside ; a few private letters from the girl I left behind me, and others; needle book with but- tons and thread and my diary. After locating my mess- mates I approached them in the dark, halted just outside of the range of vision and listened. My sudden taking off did not seem to distress them greatly, but they were great- ly troubled over how to distribute my worldly possessions. While standing there listening to the different sugges- tions and remarks of my comrades, Rip Van Winkle's ex- pression, 'iiow soon we are forgotten," came very forcibly to my mind,, and 1 could not refrain from feeling a pang of disappointment at the apparent callousness of my most trusted friends. But the boys finally came to an understanding. They BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER 187 gave my horse to one of the boys whose horse was wound- ed, the saddlebags to another of the company to carry in my memory. The shirt and sock tops to one of the boys who had neither, my diary to Billy Hughes, to be contin- ued, and my testament and letters to Captain Howell who was to return them and break the sad news to my mother and sweetheart by the first opportunity. About the time they had completed their labors I walked in on them and took a hand myself. All begrimed with dust and pow- der smoke, as I was, they failed to recognize me until 1 spoke, when they piled onto me, and but that I knew their demonstrations were prompted by dijfferent motives, T would, for a few minutes as soon have been back in the ditches in front of Colonel Hotchkiss and his guns. But joy never kills, and I pulled through to recover all my be- longings except my shirt and socks! ?). When (leneral Kilpatrick made his charge on our pickets in front of Resaca he followed them with his brig- ade with the expectation of breaking our outer line and gaining a point where he could observe and report our movements. He succeeded in getting himself wounded and a lot of his men and horses killed and disabled while our loss was very small. Lieutenant Lamar, through the instep, and John Ryle, through the shoulder — both of our company — were the only ones seriously hurt, while a few more of us were slightly touched, but not enough to stop us from duty. After Ryle's wound healed he was as- signed to courier duty on (ieneral Williams' staff, as he was unable to do regular duty, the bullet having seveied the large leader on top of his shoulder, disabling him from using a rifle. John was a brave and true soldier and proved his devotion to his cause under all circumstances. He was one of the last to lav down his arms when the end 1 88 REMINISCENCES came and one of the first to aceepf the situation and ad- just himself to the new order. In September, 1865, he went as assistant pilot on the steamer Palestine, then running^ between Cincinnati and New Orleans and three years after, during an epidemic of yellow fever, was stricken with the disease, died and lies buried at Bayou Bara, La. He could have escaped by stopping off here as his mother and friends advised him to do, but he said no, and died at his post. Rjle and T had engaged to go together on the same boat in 1865, and had all arrangements made, but o wing- to a slight accident I was delayed for over a month, and by that time had got at something else. I finally mar- ried, "therefore, I couldn't go," and h^-e I am yet. If our plans had carried, I might be lying alongside of John in- stead of writing these papers. But "there's a Divinity that shapes our ends," and I will try to say "amen" to my lot. On the 15th, Sherman made a general assault on our lines at Resaca with the bulk of his force, while he sent a strong detachment to cross the river near Calhoun and get in the rear of our army. We knew of this move, but did not know just where he would attempt to effect the crossing, so our brigade was strung along the river bank as a kind of skirmish line which extended for twelve or fifteen miles. Of course we were very much scattered^ but were so arranged as to be in communicating distance, and by this means could apprise General Johnston very quickly of the movements of the enemy. Cobb's battery was detailed to act in concert with us and his six pieces were scattered along the river at points of 'vantage the whole length of our line. The Yankees were moving down the opposite side of the river and we could trace their John h Shaw, Was horn in Duplin county, N. C, SeptemVjer 19tb, 1844. Enlistctl as musician in Company B, Third North Carolina Infantry, and served through the war. He served with Stocewall Jackson through the Valley of Virginia: was in all the en- gagements around Richmond and Petersburg, and surrendered at Appomatox. In J867 he moved to Hopkins county, Ky., where he has since been engaged in farm- ing. He has been twice elected Justice of the I'cace of the First Magisterial Dist- rict of his county, which office he now holds. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 1 89 line of march b}^ the dust they raised, and our artillery kept up a desultory tiring at the streak of dust by way of keeping' them informed of our watchfulness, but with no other result. But a shell fired from one of our guns on a hill just in my rear came near causing me to stam- pede. I was standing behind a big tree watching for bluecoats to show themselves on the other side of the river when the gun above me was fired. The shell — a conical — struck a limb in the top of my tree, ricochetted and whirl- ed and whizzed around that tree in a most alarming man- ner. It seemed to be after me like the lightning that chased the squirrel down the twisting gum and — you may laugh if you want to — I tried to emulate the squirrel and keep ahead of the shell. When it finally fell and ex- ploded in the middle of the river, I felt very much relieved, though somewhat chagrined at the ''ha. ha" of the battery boys on the hill. Now, I want to say to all you who are disposed to be amused at my actions on this occasion, if you will try it yourself you won't find it the least bit funny. With four years' close association with the darned things and holding an utter contempt for them while lying in the ordnance depot, 1 want to tell you, that when they go flying recklessly through the air, utterly devoid of common sense, they are bad things to tackle, and T have never met one under the latter circumstances that I failed to treat it with as much consideration and respect as I would the Queen of England, should she visit our shores. Chesterfield wasn't in it with the Kentucky bri- gade when shells were fl.ying — but Kentuckians are al- ways gentlemen, and know how to act it on all occasions. Don't give us credit for this. But you say, "he is growing facetious." Well, perhaps I am; but if it is fighting 30U want, you shall have it from now on, and if you get as 13 jQO REMINISCENCES tired of it as we who had it to do, 3 ou will be g^lad when the war ends. We got word that Sherman's cavalry had driven Fer- guson's brigade from the ferry at Calhoun and atfec-ted a crossing. Abandoning our picket line we mounted and after getting together, struck out in a gallop for that point. On our arrival we found a considerable force of Yankees on our side of the riA'er. As time was pressing, we did not wait to parley, but charged at once and drove them back across. Cobb, by this time, brought up his guns and knocked Iheir pontoons into smithereens, thus checking another of Sherman's flank movements. Up to this time w^e had most delightful spring weather with nothing to mar, ex- cept the dust. But now the scene changes. The contin- ual cannonading for two weeks had taken effect on the at- mosphere and as if in sympathy, the skies were o'ercast with clouds, lightning flashed, thunder roared and the rain came down in torrents. For sixty days and nights the rain continued to fall with but short intermissions and for the same length of time we were wet, for the rea- son that we had no way to keep dry, even if our friends, "the enemy,'' had given us the chance. They were the meanest set of men I ever saw, for every time the rain be- gan to pour they would charge us, hoping to catch us with our breeches — 1 mean — our powder wet. But in this they were mistaken, for we had captured enough rubber blankets from them already to cover our guns and am- munition and were always ready when they called on us. But I am getting a little ahead of my narartive. We are now at Calhoun, holding Sherman's flanking force in check until Johnston can whip his main force at Resaca. Owing to Sherman's superior force he is enabled to engage BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 191 Jotinston and at the s^ame time make a heavy demonstra- tion on Johnston's left. As Johnston could spare but a small force to combat this move, he was again compelled to retire further south. His first line was formed just in the rear of Calhoun, and while the move was being exe- cuted, you may depend the cavalry had work to do. We had to cover the movements of the balance of the army, and as the enemy was pushing for the same position, we had no easy time. After all our hard work was done and the lines formed ready for the battle we all expected. Gen- eral Johnston again withdrew to the valley of Oothca- lauga, north of Adairsville, about fifteen miles south of Calhoun. While this movement was being executed it was our business to delay the enemy so that our army could get ready for the battle that was again expected. How well we performed that duty can be better judged when we consider the time we were at it. By continued fighting day and night, first here, then there, ubiquitous, as it were, with the rain pouring down, streams swollen, no time to eat, and nothing to drink, Williams' division of cavalry, composed of the First, Second and Ninth regi- ments and Second Kentucky battalions and DibbrelTs Tennessee brigade, held Sherman's army of sixty-fivf^ thousand cavalry, infantry and artillery in check for four days, and this in open ground without any natural advan- tages to assist in the defense. When we had succeeded in whipping^?) the Yankees back to Adairsville, General Johnston again concluded to retreat, and we were again left to "buck the tiger." John- ston retired to Cassville and Sherman divided his forces, sending a portion toward Cassville and the rest toward Kingston. This entailed double duty on us, and we wen^ kept on the run from one point to the other; in other IQ2 REMINISCENCES words, we were '^between tlie devil and the deep sea/' Al- though General Johnston did not risk a battle, he had every preparation made for one at every point. Rifle pits, ditches and other fortifications were ready for us, but as the drainage was deficient, they w^ere generally full of muddy water; notwithstanding this, we never hesitated to take water when the bullets were flying. Cold water w^as much to be preferred to cold lead, and w^e often sat in wa- ter up to our waists for hours at a time. Boys, we could not help it, and you would do it, too, under the same cir- cumstances. And now, we had Sherman's army cut in two, and felt a little like the fellow who had a fat sweetheart and hugged her one side at a time. We thought we had "a soft thing," and expected Johnston to '^wipe up" Sher- man "one side at a time," and end the war. Alas, for our calculations. General Johnston couldn't see it, and with- drew his army across the Etowah — except us — and we had it on us again. This was one of the greatest disap- pointments we had met with. We knew that we had Sherman's army cut in two, with the divisions so wide apart that it would have taken several hours to unite them had they met with no opposition. General Johnston had even issued his order of battle and every man was ready with his forty rounds and three days' rations. We ate the rations for breakfast, however, to get them out of our way, as we had no surplus storage on the outside and didn't want to lose them in battle. They were too scarce to fool away . It turned out that Sherman intended to attack John- ston from both sides and crush him, as it were, between the upper and nether mill stone. This was a dangerous move on Sherman's part, even with his superior force; and BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. IQ3 we always will think that Stonewall Jackson's tactics would have won in this instance. There has been some controversy between President Davis and General John- ston over this affair, on which I will not attempt to pass judgment. General Johnston was on the field and Mr. Da;sis was in Richmond. General Johnston says that Generals llood and Polk — his two main lieutenants — ad- vised against a battle. Without expressing an opinion as to the proper thing to have been done, I will say that Johnston was a great general and enjoyed the perfect confidence of his men and officers. Had his critics been in his shoes I doubt if they could have improved on his acts. But I find I am getting ''off my beat,"' and discussing the mistakes of the war which I assure my readers was unintentional. Our own General Cerro Gordo Williams — ''Old Pap" — rode down our lines, with blood in his eye, and had he said nothing, we knew by his looks that there was work ahead. General Williams was a fighter, and won his spurs and "sobriquet" at Cerro Gordo, Mexico, where with his squadron he charged and captured a Mexican battery and saved the day for the Americans. Although the Gen- eral was older and had grown to be a three hundred pounder, he had lost none of his fighting vigor, and the man who followed him always went far enough. As the General rode along and — parodising Lord Nelson at Tra- falgar — remarked that "the Confederacy had its eyes on Kentucky," every man expected that we would hold the most important place in the line and we w^ere not disap- pointed. The battle opened in our front and we met the assault with such determination that the Yankees failed to drive us from our position. After repulsing the charge we listened anxiously for the guns on our left, but all was 194 REMINISCENCES quiet. A second charge was made, which we repulsed handsomely, but still no news from the left. About this time a black cloud came up from the West and a terrific thunder storm broke on us. While this was raging we were ordered to mount and marched by the right flank to- w^ards Calhoun, expecting all the time to run into the en- emy, but as we afterwards learned, were making our es- cape from between Sherman's two wings which were nearing each other and would soon meet on the ground we had just left. It turned out that we were left to coyer the retreat of our our army, and were the only troops north of the Ettowah. We were to be sacrificed as a for- lorn hope to saye the balance of Johnston's army. "All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose." This quotation is not made flippantly, but with a due respect for that mysterious, oyerruling Proyidence which notes the "sparrow^'s fall," and which I firmly belieye exercises an influence oyer our liyes. I do not wish to spring a con- troyersy between those who hold to the doctrine of "elec- tion," and those who belieye in "works" and the "prom- ises." "For the Lord is good, and His mercy endureth foreyer." "His ways are not our ways;" and "The Lord works in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform ; He plants his foot upon the sea. And rides upon the storm." But for that storm we, perhaps would haye been cap- tured. All the old soldiers will remember how much the thunder claps resembled the artillery discharges. There was no rumbling, but keen claps, like the firing of a can- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 195 non. As the thunder was heaviest on our left the thunder olaps appeared to the enemy and to us to be cannon- ading, which caused them to delay their advance long- enough to enable us to escape. I have since learned that the two wings of Sherman's army came together at this point, and each mistaking the other for us, had a nice little set-to before they found out their mistake. This may not be true, but it is not improbable, as mistakes of this kind occurred often, and in one instance, cost us the life of one of our. greatest generals — Stonew all Jackson. And speaking of General Jackson reminds me that it is generally understood that he was about the only Christian soldier, with the exception, perhaps, of General Lee, in our army. There never was a greater mistake made in the world. Our Kentucky brigade was composed of the best element of Kentucky manhood, gathered from all parts of the state. With but a very few exceptions, every mem- ber left a good, old Christian mother at home, wiiose prayers followed him and wiiose petitions to the throne of Grace were, "that he should do his duty to his God and his country." While w'e boys were a little reckless and were often tempted to overstep the bounds and gratify our inclina- tions, mother's injunction, "do right, my son," would loom up and restrain as. And then, we had religious services in camp whenever we could, and there were but few w^ho absented themselves. There was a kind of Masonry in these meetings, and regardless of church afliliations. all attended. We had a Jew in our company — Anthony Nes- tlehood — and although he did not endorse all he heard, he still seemed to think that it was in the right direction. He was a regular attendant and seemed to take a special interest in the prayers of another one of our company — 196 REMINISCENCES Jos R. Jonigan. Jonigan was a vei^ quiet man, who had but little to say. jet when duty called, was always at his post. While there was nothing extra brilliant about Jon- igan, he commanded the respect of all who knew him. He endeavored to discharge his duty at ail times and was an active member of the semi-weekly x)rayer meetings. Jon- igan was illiterate and could not command as eloquent language as some others, but what he lacked in eloquence he made up in fervor. This caught Nestlehood, and al- though not a believer, he was greatly impressed. One night, after one of these meetings, Nestlehood approached me with a very serious look, and said, ''Sarchint, did you ever her Chonigan 'bray?" "Yes," said I. "Why do you ask, Nes?" ''Ober I vas Yesus Ghrist," said he, "den I gif him vat he vants." "Why so, 'Nes'?" said I. "Veil," said he, "he brays like he means peesness." This reason 'of Nestlehood's has always seemed to me a good one. But more of Jonigan and Nestlehood here- atfer. After slipping out from between the two wings of Sherman's army in front of Cassville, we had to work our way around the left wing and get back to our army, then south of the Ettowah. This entailed a continuous march of thirty-six hours, which was made through the rain and without anything to eat or feed our horses. It is easy to imagine that we were tired, hungry and generally out of sorts. But with all our gloom, we managed to meet the issues philosophically and "make the best of it." Some one would do or say something to put the camp in good humor, and with the duties of the next day our troubles would be forgotten. I remember, on the night spoken of, while vainlv trving to start a fire to infuse a little warmth John c. Latham. A KENTUCKY PRIVATE. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 197 and cheer us up a little, with "euises, not loud but deep," nearly all of us were deploring the day we were born, Alex Barrett — our Irishman — from a big stump for a ros- trum, delivered an original!?) speech about as follows: "My father was a farmer, good. With corn and beef in plenty; I mowed and hoed and held the plow. And longed for one and twenty. "For I had quite a martial turn, And scorned the lowing cattle; I burned to wear a uniform, Hear drums and see a battle." That settled it, and the old "rebel yell" went up lus- tily from the throats of our command, was taken up by the rest of the army and resounded for miles to the right and left till all caught the contagion. The Yankees ht^ard it, supposed we had been reinforced and were a little < are- ful how^ they crowded on us for the next few days. And so it w^as all the way through. When everything looked dark and dismal, and we were on the eve of discourage- ment, something w^ould oc(uir to liven us, and as soon as we could get a little rest and "stuffin'," we w^ere ready again for whatever came up. It was well for our reputa- tion that we could thus adapt ourselves to circumstances else we could not have held out as we did and made so good a reputation for the American volunteer soldier. While the Yankee soldier did not have the half to con- tend with that we had, yet he, too. had his "ups and downs," and to his credit be it said, could adapt himself to circumstances and prove himself worthy of his ances- 198 REMINISCENCES try. But if we had Lad him wheie he had us, a June frost would have been long lived by comparison. What is "writ is writ" and the public has read of the gallant deeds of the difierent General Officers in both ar- mies: but the true inwardness of the great struggle will never be rightly understood by the reading public until some Walter Scott or Fennimore Cooper, in after years weaves a web of romance around the life of the private soldier. Without detracting anything from the fame of those in command, our country can truthfully say. ''bu»t for the patriotism and bravery of our men in the ranks we would be the "laughing stock" of the world, contemptible in our own estimation and unworthy the freedom we now enjoy. As every man in the ranks — worthy the name of soldier — was actuated by patriotic motives and acted on them our country came out of the fight with nothing to regret except the loss of so many of her patriotic sons who might have been better emj)loyed. We can all see it now, when it is too late to remedy. Four years of war "kinder cooled our copper," and thirty years of peace have given us time to reflect, so you need not be suriH'ised if another war comes on to see us "old fellows'' taking a back seat. But you may depend that, if the cause is just, we will say "sick 'em boys," and encourage every one of you young bloods to immolate yourself on the altar of your coun- try. There is nothing like being a soldier once in life, but too much of a thing — even a good thing — becomes monot- onous. But, boys, if we do get into a ''scrap" with Spain, I want you to show the grit of your old granddaddies and never give up the ship. But don't go to war if you can keep from it and hold your self-respect. Speaking for the old Confederate soldiers, I think I can say that they have no particular love for "John Bull." BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. igg We all remember that while our w ar was racing and every able-bodied man in the Confederacy was at the front and our women and children left defenseless, numbers of En- glishmen in the South took refuge under the cross of St. George, worked their slaves, saved their property and grew rich out of our necessities. They contributed noth- ing to the defense of the Union or the Confederacy; sold their products for gold — they refused all other money — and while the fortunes of war stripped their neighbors of slaves and other property, they enjoyed perfect immunity. 1 remember on one occasion when on a scout with Si Bingham, George Quarles, Alex Barrett and Walker How- ell, we came upon a plantation belonging to an English- man and he had it decorated as if for a holiday. British flags waved from the top of the ''castle," barn and negro quarters; little flags waved all over the sorghum field, in the peanut patch, all around the outside fence and to make security more secure, a good looking "quadroon" was standing in the front gate waving a British flag. This was enough for me, but I had hard work to keep the other boys from abducting the pretty quadroon and burning the ranch. I have since regretted that I did not let them have their way and leave an unbroken path of desolation through the South, and, by giving our English Lord the same medicine we had to take, make him a good American citizen. England played "pig and puppy'^ with our country in our late war, "holding with the hare and running with the hounds,'' in the hope of profiting by our trouble. She held out fair promises to both sides without any serious intention of keeping them when they conflicted with her financial interests, and it has always been my opinion that she hoped to encourage us and con- tinue the war until both sides were exhausted and then 200 REMINISCENCES in the name of huDianity(?) step in and take charge of the whole business. England don't like to stay whipped, al- though we have done it to her twice, and it is my private opinion that we will have to do it again one of these fine days. She is a bully and a boaster and like all that ilk, will take advantage of the timid and weak when allowed to run loose. But Uncle Sam is ^'some pumpkins" him- self and has a President and Congress with backbone, in- dorsed by seventy millions of people, all agreed and un- less Mr. Bull hauls in his horns there's going to be trouble. And it won't be a little Boston tea scrape nor question of ''right of search and seizure," but one of annihilation of European powers from the American continent. By all right and reason, they should be driven out. and our coun- try will never enjoy perfect security and peace until this is accomplished. This I think is a fact recognized by our greatest statesmen and no one may be surprised if this is the beginning of the end. I am opposed to war, but for my country and her rights. War may not come, but, "boys/' trust in God and keep your powder dry. Away back forty years ago, when the boundary of Union county extended almost to Providence, there was a settlement known as Floyd's precinct. There were two noted characters in this settlement and the whole popula- tion was somewhat unique. But "Uncle" Johnny Vaughn and Bill Pullum were the principal leaders. Pulluni kept a country grocery and purveyed "shuggar,'' "kaughphy" and "kaliker," while "Uncle" Johnny was a kind of "king bee" in the settlement, decided all questions of "meum and "teum," officiated as best man at all weddings, fu- nerals, horse races, shooting matches and any other oc- casions of importance to the community. In fact, nothing of a public nature was undertaken until he had given BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 201 aiitlunity. Now and then some of the younger members would (as they always will) fall out and Avant to fight. It was the custom of the male members of the settlement to meet at Pullum's grocery on Saturday afternoon, ex- change neighborhood news, and discuss political and re- ligious matters. In order to arrive at a correct under- standing of the latter subject it seemed to be necessary to imbibe freely of Bill's "elixir of life," otherwise known as whisky. On one of these occasions, after firing their spiritual i)ressure up to the danger point, two young bloods decided to settle their differences "fist and skull," then and there, but "Uncle Johnny" interfered and ad- journed the f^ncounter to a level spot where the rules of the settlement could be carried out. (This was before the Marquis of Queensbury was heard of.) Perched on a stump, Uncle Johnny gave the order for the fight to be- gin and the two contestans went at each other with such vim and vengeance as to soon involve their friends who pitched into each other, hammer and tongs, and soon a general-all-round-free fight was raging, in which all but "Uncle Johnny" were taking a hand. Being helpless un- der such circumstances "Uncle Johnny" sat quietly on his stump until the combatants had finished pounding each other and returned from the branch where they had was-hed away, as well as they could, the evidences of the biawl, he came down from his perch and, as if nothing un- usual had happened, quietly remarked, "boys, let's get back to our drinkin'." Now as we have "done "England up." as "Uncle Johnny" would say, "let's get back to our fightin'." You remember that we had just slipped out of the "cul de sac" fixed for us by Sherman and were trying to kindle fires with wood soakinj^; wet, and that Alex Bar- 202 REMINISCENCES • rett's declamation put us all in a good humor. Despair- ing of kindling a fire we made a virtue of necessity, like Colonel Sellers, drew on our imagination for comfort and retired to our downy(?) beds and slept as well as we did when as '^mother's pet" we were snugly tucked under good warm blankets with mother's kiss warm on our lips and with "good night, mamma," our eyes closed on the world and its troubles. And all this when the rain was pouring down and we with no covering but the clouds, a ragged uniform and God's mercy. But the scene changed early the next morning. One of our scouts brought the news that a Yankee wagon train was passing within about three miles of our camp and apparently unguarded. This was enough, but Tom Kichards said to us through his bugle: "There's grub in the air, boys, There's grub in the air; You want it, go get it In spite of the picket ; It's yours if you will it. What say you? How is it? In almost less time than it takes to write it we were mounted and on our way to loot that train and did go through it in the most approved style. We did not at- tempt to carry our capture away as that would have been slow and risky. We and our horses were very hungry and relief was at hand. As it happened this was a combi- nation supply train for a cavalry brigade and exactly suited our needs. Without wasting any time, we treated our horses to hay and corn and then turned ourselves loose on the commissary wagons. In these we found ba- con, crackers, canned goods of every description and — BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 203 ''yum, yum'' — one wagou was loaded with ^'shore iiuft'" coffee. Every man stuffed in his mouth witli one hand while he stutt'ed his haversack and pockets — if he had any — with the other — and our horses seemed to be as much interested in their part as we. Poor brutes! How faith- ful they were at all times, what privations they suffered, yet how true Avas their attachment to their masters. I have often felt that our cavalry horses were possessed of almost human intelligence. But we were not allowed to feast very long. The Yankees found out about dinner time that something was wrong and came back to see about it. As we had stuffed ourselves full on their best grub, we were too polite to quarrel with them, so left the charred remains of their train as a marker, took their mules and teamsters and lit out for our own lines. We came near having a difficulty with them over this matter, but got out of it by outrun- ning them. It would have been very ungenerous in us to have eaten their rations and then whipped them. From here back to Atlanta our retreat was more grad- ual and — wet as it was — more powder was burnt. Our horses had an easier time but we were put in the ditches and rifle pits along with the infantry. Sherman began a siege, as it were, and occupied our attention night and day. One-half our force would be on duty in the trenches while the other half w ere lying on their arms a few rods in the rear trying to get a little rest. Our provisions, such as we had, were brought to us and we ate them the best w(^ could between assaults of the enemy. Fortunately, rations were short and we did not have to lose much time disposing of them. And it rained and rained day and night but still the fun(?) went on. We were wet and mud- dy to the skin and had no dry clothes to change. The 204 REMINISCENCES greatest satisfaction we had was in contemplating the dis- comfort of our particular friends, the "body lice.*" a con- stant mud and water diet gaA^e them malarial fever and millions of them turned up their little toes and took their flight to "louse heaven" or wherever the good lice go. Ours must have been good lice for they stuck to us through thick and thin and never deserted us while life lasted. Yea, they stuck closer than a brother and when they did depart, left us seed by which to perpetuate their memory. Great was the army louse and his fame will be perpetuated w^hile an old soldier lives to bear witness to his valiant achievements. But the fighting went on all the same and the rain continued to pour. Sherman w ould crowd one portion of our line with a part of his force w^hile he moved the rest to one flank or the other. During this whole campaign Sher- man never dislodged us from a single position by assault and never executed a flank movement that Johnston failed to meet. These maneu^ ers required a continual change of front, now facing North, then ^Vest. producing, as it were, an enlarged diagram of an old-fashioned "worm" fence. Major Jabe Bingham in charge of the "miners and sappers" corps, seconded by Captain Billy Shepard, suc- ceeded in fortifying every available point of defense and providing ditches and rifle pits, with head logs, over near- ly all the ground. As a consequence we were generally pretty well protected as the Yankees had to shoot througli a two-inch crack to hit us. Now and then a shot from one of Hotchkiss' field pieces would strike the small end of one of our head logs and do considerable damage. But this did not often occur as the boys all got to be very "art- ful dodgers" and would duck dowm when they saw the BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 205 smoke of the gun. If the shell hit the log, they were safe, and if it missed there was no harm done, and but little time lost. There was a Federal (general who commanded in our immediate front and, although I have forgotten his name — if ever I knew — I can say that he was a brave man and commanded a brave set of men. He rode a large white horse and was a conspicuous mark for our sharpshooters. Our artillerists, too, tried their guns on him, but noth- ing seemed to disturb him. Every morning, after his lines were formed for the advance, he would ride down the front from one end to the other, through a shower of shells and minnies, as coolly as though on dress parade and no danger near. But brave men respect bravery in others, and so it was in this instance. After the first few^ days of this experience it was decided that no more shots were to be fired at '"'Old Whitey" — as we named the horse ■ — and his rider, and from that day on they were as safe from harm b}' our brigade — unless by accident — as if at home with their best friends. War is not all cruel and inhuman among Christian people, as is amply attested by the many noble and hu- mane deeds performed in our late war by the soldiers of both sides for each other. There is no personal quarrel now, and never was, between the old Yankee and Con- federate soldier. They disagreed on matters of public policy and went out like men and settled the question. But there has, unfortunately, been some fellow in our great country, belonging to the genus jacasibus — reduced to plain United States, the man-who-wants-an-office — who by a stretch of his fertile imagination, is always ''nosing*' up an insult to the Northern soldier. He's a liar, and if he will just come out from under the bed and stand between 14 2o6 REMINISCENCES Die and any old Northern soldier who was on the Dal ton- Atlanta campaign, as old as we now are, we will soon prove to him that the truth is not in him, and very little else. Why, you poor little apology for an American citi- zen! You hybrid — neither man nor monkey, boy nor girl, male nor female — I'll bet you part your hair in the middle and at the same time shock public decency by wearing men's clothes. Out with you, and for shame, go hide where your mother won't find you ! About this time (General Williams detailed a regular scout for his cavalry division, whose duty was to hang on the outposts of the enemy and obtain all the informa- tion possible without being seen themselves. Lieutenant Sam Hughes was the officer in charge, and owing to my successful trip from Louisville through the enemy's coun- try to our lines the year before, it was thought that I was a pretty fair "sneak", and I was detailed Sergeant of the layout, which was composed of six men from the different regiments, chosen for their supposed fitness for this kind of service. We usually went out by pairs but sometimes all start- ed together and were governed by circumstances after we found the enemy. As soon as we gained any important information a man would be sent back with the news, and as matters developed another would be sent back and thus keep our Generals posted without kicking up any "fuss" aboubt it, and by this means General Johnston knew of every movement of the enemy and was always ready. This kind of business was quite exciting and some- times got us into close quarters. On one occasion w^e had been watching the movements of a brigade of the enemy's cavalry all one afternoon, and from the signs, had come to BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 207 the conclusiou that it was lost. It seemed to be movinj^ first one course and the another without end or aim, and we had sent word back to our lines for a force to surprise and capture it, as it was too far from the main force to re- ceive help from it, and a sudden surprise, we thought, would do the work. Lieutenant Hughes took one side and I the other of their line of march and waited for our forces to report. Mght was approaching and the rain began to pour down, which, in the thick of the woods, turned day into night. The officer in command decided to go into camp and wait till morning, believing himself secure against attack in such a night. The Yankees had axes and could split pine-knots (we didn't have an ax) and soon had fires blazing brightly in spite of the rain. Not wishing to go back without finding out all I could about them, I left my horse in a thicket a short distance away and crept up to a tree near the General's tent (they had tents — we didn't) and was listening to the conversation between the officers when I noticed the shadows moving around me, but was too intent on listening to pay attention to them until some one stumbled over a log lying near. On looking around 1 saw a soldier api^roaching with a lighted torch, who, un- less diverted from his course, would run against me. Here was close quarters, but I did not intend to be captured, although I might have to kill the torch-bearer. Drawing a pistol and taking refuge as well as I could in the shadow, I waited developments. On he came, right at me and was within a few feet before he discovered me, when, with ''phwat the divil are ye doin' here shpyin' on the Gineral?" he drew up and "shined" his torch full in my fare. ''To the divil wid ye," said I, ''be afther attindin' to yer owu business or Mickey O'Brien will tache ye a lesson in man- 2o8 REMINISCENCES ners." Muttering imprecations against the weather and things generally, my Irishman proceeded on his way and as soon as the light of his torch would allow, I proceeded to get away from there. I didn't seem to be much scared at the time, but the further away I got the worse scared I was, and by the time I reached our lines I was almost stampeded. The gum blanket I wore hid my uniform, the torch-light blinded the Irishman and then my Irish brogue and belligerent attitude finished the job and saved me fron detection. Bat it has always appeared strange to me that that Irishman took my threats so quietly. A few nights after this our squad was sent out to lo- cate a suspected flanking party on the right of our line. On nearing the point where we expected the enemy Lieu- tenant Hughes divided us out and sent every fellow on an independent scout of his own. The rain was falling stead- ily, the night very dark and it required the very best wood- craft for a stranger to keep his bearings. I had — as I supposed — covered the territory assigned to me and hav- ing failed to discover anything was making my way back to the rendezvous. On reaching the top of a small hill I heard a cavalry command passing along the road in the valley below. Supposing it to be our own command on its way to some other part of the line, I galloped down to "fall in." My good luck was with me on this ocacsion. As I neared the moving column my horse grew restless and as he had been my companion in several close places, I decided to investigate and halted near the roadside, knowing that he would recognize our friends if I failed to do so. I was soon informed of their uniforms, dark as it was, as some soldier passing just in front of me, in order to keep awake, I suppose, struck up in a not-very-melodi- ous voice: ''We'll hang Jeff Davis on a sour abble dree." BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 209 ^'Hiisli," yelled a soldier in his rear, "you Biicktail Dutchman, you can't see your notes well enough to sing." This sally produced quite a stock of merriment up and down the column of which I took advantage, fell in and marched with them till I reached a cross road that I knew. Without the formality of an adieu to my late compan- ions, I — under cover of the friendly darkness — hastened to travel and got into camp the next morning without any information. You see 1 was lost, and badly lost, and it was simply an accident that I was ever found. CHAPTER 14. BUT it wasn't all fortifications and "head logs" for us. Sometimes we struck a level, open country and had to "take our medicine" all the same. When we reached Cartersville we found that the supply of ditches and rifle pits had run out, and w^e had to make the best of fences and trees; in fact anything to hide behind. Now don't charge us with cowardice because we took advantage of any cover we could get; for the Yankees had learned to shoot and they shot hard. When one of their bullets hit a fellow it hurt and sometimes killed. Now and then something amusing would occur, but most generally these skirmishes took a serious turn. In order to prop- erly inform my readers of our experience about Carters- ville, it will be necessary to record several personal inci- dents which occurred there and thereabout. Our division was formed on the hill north of town and was the right wing of the army. It was expected that Sherman would attempt to force this position and capture the bridge across the Etowah, some two miles south. We were formed on the crest of the hill and, as the land was cleared for a long distance to our left, we had a good view of the ground. Instead of attacking us in front, we discovered that Sherman was sending a heavy force around to our left with the evident intention of get- ting in our rear and capturing the bridge. General Wil- liams saw the move and ordered us to march "bv the left BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 2 1 1 flank'' and take position in front of the enemy, below the bridge. We executed the movement in good order, V)nt while in column the Yankee shari)-shooters took posses- sion of the ground we had just left and poured cold lead into our ranks in a way which, to say the least, was un- comfortable. Our company was at the head of the bri- gade and ('a]>tain John Howell and the writer led the com- pany. Captain Howell was a great smoker and, rain or shine, usually had his short stem ''briar root" in his mouth. This occasion was no exception and caused the Captain to have a lay off duty for a few days. We were discussing the ])robable issues of our move and I saw the Captain was full of some important information which he was anxious to impart and in order to have a clear field for his operation he reached up his hand to remove his pipe from his mouth. A bullet from the gun of a sharp-shooter passed through his wrist just as he took hold of his pipe and — well, the pipe has not been found yet. A minnie ball passed through his wrist just as he was removing the pipe and caused him to let go of it without being told, like the fellow who went into the blacksmith shop and picked up the horse shoe. Fortunately the ball passed between the two bones, the Captain saved his hand and was not off duty very long. I had argued with the Captain on the evil effects of smoking without any good result. I thought that this was a clincher and would break him of his habit, but it didn't. He got another pipe and contin- ued to smoke. The last time I saw him — at the reunion at Uniontown — he was pumping away at an old short stem ''briar root,-' and, I have no doiubt, he will keep up the habit until Old (jabriel sounds his last tattoo. Well, if he derives any comfort from it no one should object, for 212 REMINISCENCES he contributed his full mite to the cause of American manhood. He was true and faithful at all times and was always where duty called. I record with great sorrow that Captain Howell has been in bad health for more than a year and that his age is against him. I know that I re- flect the feeling and sentiment of the members of the old brigade when I offer my prayer to the great Ruler of the destinies of poor weak humanity to restore him to health and prosperity. Men like he are growing scarce, and Avhile this is true "'pity 'tis 'tis true." Arriving in front of Sherman's fiank movement, we found that instead of ditches and rifle pits we only had a few trees and stumps to hide behind. Of course we took advantage of all the protection they afl'orded, which in some cases called for two to a tree. Our skirmish line was sharp-shooting with the enemy's pickets and the bul- lets cut dangerously close and made the bark fly. One of the 9th Kentucky was behind a tree about twenty feet to my left and he became greatly excited over a shooting match with a Yankee. In withdrawing his ram rod from his gun he jerked it out so suddenly as to lose hold of it and it fell to the ground. He did not stop then, how- ever, to pick it up, but capped his gun and tired at his an- tagonist. The Yankee was watching and escaped harm, but reserved his tire for a better chance. It came when our man stooped to pick up his ram rod and exposed suf- ficient of his anatomy for the Yankee to get in a shot and he made it tell. At the crack of the Yankee's gun our man, with a whoop, jumped nearly over to my tree, at the same time giving the sign of the Masonic degree called "Confidence." I can't tell you exactly where the ball hit him, but it made four holes in his hide as it passed through and kept him from sitting down comfortably for Gen w. b. Bate. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 21 3 two or three weeks. It was funny to me, and may be to you, but don't tliink the 9tli Kentucky man saw^ any fun in it. There was a young man — a stranger — came to our regiment, from nobody knew where and he would not tell ; the only name he would give was ''Texas/' We looked on him as a Yankee spy, although he w as alw ays on the front line and seemed to be intent on killing Yankees. We w^atched him closely with the determination to kill him at the first sign of treachery. The enemy massed his forces and, seeing it, we prepared to retreat. We fell back slowly, taking advantage of the trees and contested the ground as best we could, aiming to hold the enemy in check and at the same time keep out of his clutches. "Texas" fought furiously and kept in our rear as we fell back. We kept our eye on him, believing his bravery was a sham and that he was intending to make a dash and es- cape to his friends, in which case we intended to shoot him. While a few of us were trying to decide whether to shoot him or not, his gun dropped from his hand and he fell forward to the ground. Just then the Yankees charged us and we had to leave him, but reinforcement coming up we returned the compliment, drove the Yan- kees from the field and recovered "Texas' " body. A min- nie ball had hit him in the centre of the forehead. He never knew what struck him. A peculiarity was notice- able; although the ball had passed through his brain, no sign of blood appeared and his skin was almost as blue as indigo. Some scientist can perhaps give the reason, but we could not account for it. We buried him where he fell, at the foot of a pine tree, on which we "blazed" a place big enough to write with charcoal : REMINISCENCES I ' '''Texas, * j I Killed May 19tli, 1864." \ And there his bones probably lie today, while anxious friends — perhaps his mother — are hoping that he may yet return. There were many sad cases of this kind where all trace of some soldier has been lost. We ,often read today of men returning to their loved ones who had been mourned for as dead for years and of the rejoicing these returns occasion, and I feel sad over the death of "Texas" as much because I cannot inform his loved ones as for his untimely taking off. Like all the rest of us, he was "mother's boy" and it would do her heart good even now to know that he fell at his post. It would be greater sat- isfaction to her than the uncertain hope of yet seeing him alive coupled with the thought that he has perhaps for- gotten her and cast her off. And this is one of the sad- dest features of war. It is not that men cruelly butcher each other that makes war horrible, but that it wrings the hearts of the mothers and wives of a country, who always suffer more than the soldiers in the field. But you are getting impatient for another fight. Well. I'll give it to you pretty soon. You see the Yankees were trying to get the bridge across the Etowah and we were trying to keep them from it. After our reinforce- ments arrived the Yankees didn't seem to want it quite so much and this gave us a little rest. But Sherman — like an old fox — hunted for another hole which forced us to cross the river; that is to say get on the other side, and we did so. Our first line after crossing was formed in the midst of the Altoona gold "diggins." Now don't BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 21 5 tbink for a moment that we were a set of mercenaries, but when the boys saw nujj^gets lying- around they forgot the enemy and began to search for the ^'root of all evil/' and our officers — just one or two of them only were down scratching gravel with the men — had hard work to get us back to our business. You see it took three dollars of Confederate money to buy what we could get for one gold dollar and besides we had to fight hard for one while we only had to pick up the other off the ground. But we finally got back in line and ready for business. We knew the Yankees never left anything of value that they could carry off and expected that when they reached the ground we had just left they would abandon pursuit and every mother's son of them go to scratching for gold when we could easily capture them and what gold they had secur- ed. In this we were disappointed, for instead of going into the gold mining business, they rushed on us and we had a hard fight to stop them. Investigation proved that we had picked up all the surface gold and they were not aware of the presence of the precious metal. It proved that our own avarice had deprived us of the advantage we might have gained by taking advantage of the charac- ter of our foe. In other words we "killed the goose'' for the golden egg and had to fight like thunder to keep it. We went out of the gold mining business, not that we w^anted to, but you see, Sherman sent a force around to our left and threatened our ''grub pile" and we aban- doned our position in order to save our rations. This item of rations was becoming a very serious matter Avith us, for we didn't often get anything to eat unles we cap- tured it from the enemy and we generally had to fight for it then. You good people who sit down to your tables loaded with all the good things the good Lord in His 2i6 REMINISCENCES bounty has provided may indeed »be tliankful and say ^^Gracious Father, we thank Thee that we are blessed with plenty and our lot not so hard as that of the Confed- erate soldier." We are now Jr^outh of the Etowah river and in about as rough a country as could well be imagined. The spurs of Altoona mountain extend in a southwesterly direction and are composed of rough, steep hills with deep, sharp hollows betw^een, the whole surface covered with heavy timber and a dense undergrowth. When we got on this ground we thought w^e had a picnic and quoted the bible phrase which declares that "a company is equal to ten thousand and one is as good as a host." Now, don't hunt too long for the above quotation, for you may fail to find it and it won't do any great harm if you don't; anyhow, we thought we had a "fat" thing and prepared to enjoy it, but had not finished our preparations when we were ordered to fall back to Akworth, some eight or ten miles further south. To call Akworth a town was a burlesque, but as it contained the only evidence of human habitation for miles around we were glad to see it and pitched onr tent near by. The houses in Akworth were long, one- story frame structures with a platform in front and ap- peared to have been used as business houses before the beginning of the war. All the men of the country had gone to the front and their wives and children moved into town and took possession of the vacant store houses — there are lots of women and children in Georgia — in or- der to get the care of the Confederate government and for their better protection. There was an old fellow who lived just out of tow^n, conducted a small distillery and made the usual quality of pine top whisky. Now, we had a few men in our command who could detect ''pine top" BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 21 7 miles away and one of the best tiaijers was Bob O'Nan of Co. E. — and besides his love of ''licker/- he was a brave soldier and the best pistol shot in the command. Bob rode a big bay mule and he and Bob appeared to under- stand each other peifectly and enjoyed a kind of Damon and Pythias existence. The mule would do whatever Bob wanted him to do and Bob gave the mule the best of everything to be had, and thus a fellow-feeling sprang up between them that sometimes bordered on the sentimen- tal. In addition to its duties as scout, the squad com- manded by Lieutenant Hughes was also the "provost guard'- of the command. We had the right to go where and when we pleased, make arrests for any infringement or violation of orders, round up "stragglers" and do police duty generally. After we fell back to Akworth the enemy quit press- ing us and made his demonstrations further to the left to- ward Dallas. This gave us a little rest and some of the boys improved the opportunity by leaving camp to hunt a "square meal'* or anything else that might be found to relieve the monotony or minister to their pleasure. As we were liable to be called on to move at any moment this was embarrassing to our commander and he ordered Lieutenant Hughes to hunt up the absentees and bring them into camp. Dividing his force so as to cover the whole territory the Lieutenant proceeded to carry out the order. I was assigned to Akworth and, as I afterwards discovered, was the only member of the "scout to catch his man, and I was like the man in the hollow stump hold- ing to the bear's tail and afraid to let go. I thought for awhile that I had "bit off more than I could chew." On entering the one street in the town I saw a horseman 2i8 REMINISCENCES • ahead of me riding in a canter, but this did not attract my attention to any great extent. All at once the horseman stopped in front of one of the houses and I saw from his maneuvers that ''something was up." Before I could de- cide what it was. he charged at, and upon, the platform and disappeared in the front door. At the same time I heard screams and women and children poured out of the back door in swarms. Soon horse and rider emerged from the back door and, without paying any attention to the late occupants of the house, headed for the next one, go- ing this time by the back entrance, driving the frightened occupants out the front way and following them out as in the first instance. Just now a courier galloped by go- ing to headquarters, paid no attention to the disturbance, but went on down the street. It is needless for me to say that the umn who was riding through the houses and scaring the women and children was Bob O'Nan. Bob saw the courier and, being filled with '^pine top," could easily imagine that the courier Avas a Yankee soldier and ordered him to halt. Intent on the delivery of his mes- sage the soldier paid no attention to the command, when Bob drew his "navy" and began to "crack down" on him. Fortunately Bob was so "full" that his aim was uncertain and as he was about to fire his third shot I was near enough to grab his pistol and jerk it from him, no doubt saving the life of the courier and Bob from trouble. I still carry the scar made by the hammer of Bob's pistol when I caught it. Bob submitted and I started to take him into camp, feeling a little big over my capture of the worst man in the regiment. Alas! for us that our schemes so ''aft gang aglee!" I had not counted on Bob's mule. Just outside of town Bob spoke to his mule and the mule stopped still in the road, Bob dismounted and BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 219 lay down in the shade of a tree. Detenniued not to be beaten, I endeavored to lead the mule into camp, intend- ing to report Uob's delinquency and have proof of the fact. But in this I was mistaken for the mule refused to budge a foot, and, although I pulled and — I am sorry to say — "cussed" a little, the mule stood firmly by his friend. As a consequence I had to report the atfair and haul Bob in an ambulance, but the mule never left him. The last time I saw Bob was in 1878 in Frankfort and he was the same true man he proved to be in the war. He fought valiantly for his cause and accepted tlie verdict like a brave man. But I would like to know what become of his old ''bay mule." W hile we were congratulating ourselves on the easy Time we were enjoying and, like all other people, hoping for better times, our bugler stepped out and in his — bugle — language said: "T'a-t'a-t'a , t'a-t'a t'a — , ta-a-a, ta- a-a, ta." Kecognizing the ''grub" call, you may depend it was not long before every man was ready. We knew That there was a Yankee supply train somewhere near and that we could capture it if we could get to it quickly. In less than an hour we were on our way. Moving by the right we avoided the enemy's picket and about three o'clock in the afternoon struck Sherman's wagon train at a iMiint which was unguarded, but w^ere sadly disap- pointed on finding that, instead of rations, it was loaded with Ordnance supplies. But, as we had it, we had to make the best of it, so set fire to the whole thing, after taking the mules away. The Federal cavalry guarding the train were in the advance some three miles and we had time to execute our movement and get back to cover before tliey could attack us. But we had no time to lose and had a race with them for a protecting gap in the 220 REMINISCENCES • mountain, and, liad it not been for a violent tliunder storm which covered our retreat, we might have had a hard fight and perhaps, been captured: Just as we reached the protecting gap, or cove, as they are called "down south," night closed down and with it came one of the hardest rains that we had ever seen fall. It was so dark that it was impossible for us to move and there we stood — or sat, rather — all the long, miserable night with the rain pouring down and the deep gully along side the road roaring like a young Niagara, while the lightning blazed and the thunder rolled, adding to the weirdness of the situation. Now and then a man or horse would get to dreaming and do some funn}' things. I remember one occurrence which might be called funny or not, according to' how one looks at it. Ben Moore, of the 2d Battalion, rode a nice bay mare and on this night was just ahead of me in the column. We could see when the lightning flashed and hear when the thunder ceased roaring. All at once I heard a commotion ahead of me, and when the lightning flashed I saw a man and horse some thirty feet up the side of the mountain, apparently hanging on like a squirrel. This was followed by the fall of some heavy body in the front and the clatter of hoofs down the road which elicited shouts and snorts from men and horses along the route. All this was caused by Ben and his mare both going to sleep and dreaming. The mare started to climb the hill, which was nearly as steep as a wall Avhen she got to where the hill leant backward she turned a back summersault and fell in the road, afterward running down it for a hundred yards be- fore she stopped. Fortunately the girth of Ben's saddle broke as his mare started to fall, which let him loose and perhaps Gen. Pat Cleburne. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 221 saved his life. Ben rolled down into the road unhuit, but never could find his saddle. \\'hen day at last broke it found us wet, weary and hungry. The fact is, we struck the Yankee wagon train in the wrong place and, instead of something to eat, only found ainniunition. l*>ut we had a grand display of pyrotechnics if we did fail to get any grub, and caused Sherman to hold up until he secured another supply before venturing the battle of Dallas — "New Hope Church." — But we were badly disap- pointed and somewhat mad, so the next day we ran upon a small force that 1 think was lost, and we took them in, together with two wagons loaded with ''hard tack and sow belly," which they had along for their own use. This made us happy and we soon forgot our late disappoint- ment. We found our line of battle withdrawn further south and took our position on the extreme right. The rain continued to fall, the Yankees continued to press us and we continued to occupy the ditches and rifle pits, which were generally full of muddy water. Our position was on the spurs of Pine Mountain, and a portion of our lines extended across the railroad. Now, don't take it for granted that we had a regular line of bat- tle with a large force, for we didn't. We were strung out twenty, thirty, and, in some cases, a hundred yards apart and "closed up'' from either side as occasion and necessity required. When a charge was made we always managed to have enough force on hand to repulse it. This was no easy service, by any means. It kept us on the 'qui vive' and moving from point to point, but we held our position 15 222 REMINISCENCES until Sherman had massed his forces at New Hope church and threatened our rear, when we were withdrawn to Big Shanty, six miles north of Marietta. Some idea can be formed of the strength of our line when a force of three thousand cavalry had to defend a line six miles long. Such was the duty of our division, and, you may depend, we had but little time to play. We were water soaked, our rations were ''ditto" and scarce, but we managed to keep our powder dry, and the Yankees never came after a light without being accommodated. While on this line several things of interest occurred, some of which have been recorded in previous histories, while others have not. One of the saddest was the death of General Polk, on June 13th. The General was killed by a Federal shell, which struck him in the breast and mercifully ended his life without pain or suffering. He was beloved throughout the army and his death cast a deep gloom over all. The General was truly a Christian soldier, having resigned his bishopric in the Episcopal church to battle for his country and its cause. I had a special regard for him because his wife had visited Gardiner and me while in prison at Columbia, Tenn., and ministered to our material wants. I am glad to say that I had the opportunity of informing the Gen- eral of the kindness of his wife and of listening to the fin- est eulogium "to woman" that I ever heard or read. I wish I could reproduce it here. Having lost my dairy in which I had it recorded, I will not attempt it. Suspecting a flank movement of the enemy, General Williams ordered me to go to a certain point some three miles distant, watch for this move and report it, if made. Our boys were fighting the Yankees in front of them BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 223 and holding them in check, but should an enemy gain their rear they would be between two fires and forced to retreat, or, perhaps, surrender. On nearing the point to which I had been ordered, I came to a long, narrow field some twenty rods wide. The south side was bordered by an open woods and the north by a thick underbrush. Halting at the edge of the field I listened for signs of the enemy on the other side. I could hear the heav}- firing away off on the left as the Yankees were charging our lines, but could detect no sign of danger in my front. I decided to cross the field and go to the point to which 1 was ordered. Leaping my horse over the fence and putting him to his best speed in order to gain the other side as soon as possible, I was be- ginning to feel secure as I neared the fence. When with- in thirty yards of cover my horse whirled to the right with a lunge that nearly unseated me, and at the same instant a gun blazed out from the thicket I was approaching. Owing to the quick sight and sagacity of my horse the Yankee's bullet went through the shawl rolled and fas- tened behind my saddle instead of through my "bread bas- ket," as intended. Of all the close calls I had during the war, this was the only time I was ever in danger of being murdered. As close as I was, he had only to demand my surrender, and realizing that he had the "drop" on me, I would have obeyed orders. But he intended to kill me, and but for the prompt action of my horse would have succeeded. I am glad to say that such occurrences were rare. The real soldiers on both sides were brave men and never shed blood or took a man's life ruthlessly. This man was a deliberate and malicious murderer at heart, and, as such 224 REMINISCENCES men always are, a coward to boot. 'But this was not all the cause of my resentment against this Yankee. This shawl was a present to me from Julius \A'inter, of Louisville, Kt., in the spring of 186:^ while I was there ^'masquerading," and it was a good one. It would turn rain, snow or any other kind of weather, keep out cold, re- tain heat, and was a kind of "all round, general purpose" shawl. Billy Hughes and 1 shared the same bed — that is, we slept together. Billy had a blanket and I owned the shawl. Whenever we could expect to get a little rest, we would bend down a bash and stretch my shawl over it for a tent and with Billy's blanket for a cover, ''spooning" al- ternately, we slept the sleep of innocence. When the ground was too hard for him, he would give the order "right face," and, asleep or awake, it was obeyed. Discipline, you know, makes man a machine, and we were disciplined. The holes that the Yankee's bullet cut through the shawl seemed to concentrate the surface water that fell and lead it into the ear of one or the other of us .Of course I was very patient, but not so with Billy. When a cold stream hit him in the ear or back of the neck and woke him from a sweet and refreshing sleep his standing remark was, " that Yankee." Being of a pious turn, I did not say "amen," but I thought it all the same. One of the many unaccountable occurrences of the war took place here. I think it was on the night of the llJth of June. The heavy rains of the past two days had so swollen a swampy creek, as I remember, called Noce's creek, which ran between us and the enemy and precluded the BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 225 possibility of they getting to ns or we to them, we were taking things easy. However, we did not rehix our vigi- hmce and kept our lines formed and ready in case of an attempted Surprise. .Vlong about midnight, when every- thing was quiet, the rain pouring steadily down, and we enjoying a quiet "nod," we were aroused by a few scatter- ing musket shots to our left, followed immediately by vol- ley after volley, interspersed with artillery firing, giving it the appearance of a regular battle. We. of course, ex- pected that the Yankees were attempting to sneak up on us and were looking for them in our front, but they failed to come and the firing on our left ceased as suddenly as it had begun. We never knew the cause of this, but decided that the men who did the shooting — Hardee's corps — had be- come so accustomed to fighting that they kept up the practice in their dreams. Now, this may look a little im- probable and sound a little "fishy," but "it ain't no lie." Ask some old Federal soldier who was on the left of Sherman's line and he will tell you that he had to turn out and stand in line while an investigation was being made, and, owing to the weather, got pretty wet. But we got it next diiy, and it was no false alarm. Hardee's and Wheeler's corps were attacked with a heavy force, while the bulk of Sherman's army was moved far- ther to the left toward Dallas. All day long the Yankees charged us and all day long the rain poured, but we held our position till night closed down and ended the strife. The men of both sides slept on their arms, and with the break of day the combat was renewed with more or less vigor until the 24th, when a general move was made by the enemy along our line, and for six hours we had all we could do to hold our position. 226 REMINISCENCES Pardon me while I stop to record a sad incident which occurred and in which two good men of our regi- ment lost their lives to no purpose. After the enemy made his last charge and everything became quiet, I was sent, with a detail of one man from each company, to our wagon camp in the rear to procure rations for the men in line, who needed them badly. The man from Co. C was named Adam Razor. On reaching the wagons Razor became involved in a quarrel with "Spot" Clarkson, a member of Co. F. They had had previous trouble and took this occasion to renew it. Both men were "dead game" and drew their pistols with the intention of "shooting" it out, but we in- terfered and prevented an encounter. They both turned to walk away when Clarkson, whose right thumb had been shot off, attempted to let the hammer of his pistol down. Owing to his defective thumb, it slipped from his control and his pistol was discharged. Realizing that Razor would think he was attempting to assassinate him, Clarkson wheeled around and found his conclusions cor- rect, and Razor ready for action. Before we could interfere, both men fired simulta- neously, and both fell to the ground. Investigation proved that both shots took effect. Ra- zor was shot in the "pit" of the stomach and Clarkson in the forehead. Our surgeons were soon on hand and an examination indicated that Razor was most seriously wounded. He was unable to rise, while Clarkson soon recov- ered, took his seat on a log, and insisted on the surgeons attending to Razor, at the same time expressing deep sor- row for his hasty act and explaining how it occurred. We were working with Razor, trying to relieve him, when a BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 227 negro boy, who took care of Colonel Breckenridge's horses, came up and touched me on the shoulder, with "boss, dat Oder man is daid." Turning to see what he meant, I found "Spot'' Clarksou lying behind the log and an examination proved that he was dead. Eazor's ball had depressed his skull, compression of the brain cut off cerebral circulation and killed him. Razor lived five days and died. Thus we lost two good men without receiving any material benefit and re- duced our fighting force, to that extent adding to the force of the enemy. Failing to dislodge us and turn our right flank, Sherman concentrated all his force on the left, where he was met by the bulk of our army and a severe battle was fought on the 27th of June, in which the Confederates were victorious, but at such a cost as to neutralize the vic- tory and leave them in a crippled condition, The fact is, we had every man in line and were un- able to recruit our forces from any source, while the Fed- eral government could draw on the Northern States for supplies and men, and even scour Europe for recruits. About this time we began to realize that we were in hard lines and laboring under difficulties. Yet every man determined to do his duty and "die game." Whether in the charge or on the retreat, tlie "old yell" always re- sounded, and, whether it struck terror to the hearts of our enemies or not, it always served to cheer us. Failing to dislodge Johnston at New Hope Church Sherman took advantage of his superior force to send an- other heavy detachment further to our right, but General Johnston hoped to force Sherman to meet him at Kene- saw Mountain and fight it out. Sherman's last flank movement did not seem to "pan 228 REMINISCENCES . out" to his satisfaction, and he deci(fed to attaclv John- ston on his own oroimd. For this purpose he concentrat- ed his army, and bv the night of the 3d of July was in front of Kenesaw Mountain. And right here was enacted one of the grandest scenes that I ever beheld. The north- ern face of Kenesaw was honeycombed with rifie-pits and bristled with cannon. On a ridge, about tw^o thousand yards in fiont, the enemy had planted all his field artil- lery. The night was dark, and a drizzling rain was falling. The Yankees opened the "ball'' by sending a shell over our way, which was promptly rei)lied to by our batteries, and soon the engagement became general. As it happened, the detail from Co. (J, 1st Kentucky, was put on the front line. As I remember now, Si Bing- ham, (leorge Quarles, Alex Barrett and Dick Howell were the "detail," with your "humble servant.'' Fortunately, we were placed on the lowel' line. Our Yankee friends shot high, and their shells passed over us. We soon found that there was no danger of a direct attack, and as the shells were passing at a safe distance, we "turned in," that is to say, we w^ent to sleep. Now and then a shell would fall short, burst over our line and wake us up; but, as we w^ere in as much danger awake as asleep, it made but little difference and we went to sleep again as soon as we could. The night was dark and gloomy, but was kept lit up by the artillery from both sides as if by electricity. The route of the shells could be traced by the sparks from the fuses, and the explosions were almost contin- uous. This was the grandest display of fireworks I had ever witnessed, and I doubt if it has ever been excelled. --rT-^m-. Major Thomas J. Johnson. Waslioru at Eddyville, Ky., October 13th, 1842. Wheu war was declared he was iu charge of the seven stage Hues eattriug Hopkinsville, Ky.. which position he resigned to enlist in the Oak Grove Rangers, which was innstered into the Tennessee State service in June, 1S61, and in October into the Confederate service at Bowling Green, Ky. as Company A of the First Kentucky Cavalry. He fol- lowed the fortunes of the regiment until the expiration of his term of enlistment in 1862, wheu he re enlisted in Woodward's Second Kentucky Cavalry, which served under General Forest until alter the battle of Chickaniauga, when the regiment was attached to General Williams' Brigade, with which it served until the end. In September, 1864, Major Johnson, w ith others, went into Kentucky on recruiting service, was captured and sent to Camp Chase, where he remained until the close of the war. He returned to hriu(;eton, Ky., thence by boat to Leavenworth. Kansas, thence over land, by ox team, to Montana Territory— four months on the \vay. fighting Indians and enduring many other hardships. He remained in Montana five years; returned to Ballard Comity, Ky., and farmed for two ypars : then back to Princeton and clerked in a store for four years, when he and "six others, went overland to Texas, returning to Princeton in 1879, and has since been in the livery and grocery business. In 18.S8 he organized a military company of Princeton's best young men and drilled them to a high state of pro- ficiency. .\fter commanding the Company three years he was promoted to Major of the Second Battalion, Third Regiment Kentucky State Guards, which commis- sion he now holds. At the age of thirty-seven he married Miss Ida King, one of Princeton's noblest daughters, which union has been b'essed with five children (King Jeft" and Ray, boys, and Hazel and Dale, girls). He attends all the reunions of the Blue and the Gray, Grand Army Encampments and Confederate Camps, and is never so happy as when contributing to the pleasure and comfort of the old soldier. He is an enterprising citizen and takes part in all movements for the advance- ment of his communitv and State. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 229 Oil the next iiioriiiiij» tbcy cluiiged our lines at break of (lay and got gloriously left. This was the 4th of July, and the Yankees generally wanted to do something smart on the Jrth, but they failed to drive us from Kenesaw by assault, but Sherman sent a heavy force around on our left flank and we had to ''scratch gravel" again and fall back to General Shoup's fortifications on the Chattahoochie. Immediately after the clock struck ''one" on the 5th our command took up its line of march for the "reai" again; at least this is my information. I was not with it then, as, on the morning of the 4th, I met with an accident which placed me 'hors du combat' for the next four months and, whether agreeable or not, consigned me to the hospital. It was not a Yankee shell, nor a minnie ball, but my own *• smartness," that got me. Like a good many young men of today, I thought I was the best man in the army — physically — and I believe I had told some of my comrades, while discussing David and Goliath, that I thought David was very "smal^potatoes," and had I been in his place 1 would have gone up to Goliath, spit in his face, and, had he resented, I would have kicked him out of the country. I say I may ha\e said it — and — 1 may have tried it and got "done up," like i did when I tackled the sack of corn on the side of Kenesaw. Rations for both man and beast were a little short with us, and we were never very particular to be strictly — that is to say — "extra'' honest when we had a chance to get something to eat or feed our horses. I was sent with a detail to the wagons to get corn for the horses of the regiment. Captain Jones, our quartermaster, gave me an order 230 REMINISCENCES for eight bags of corn, one for eacfi company, and, owing to circumstances, we were told to "wait on" ourselves. I noticed a big bag, holding at least three bushels, and gathered on to it first for my company. After getting out our allotment, I helped the men to shoulder their sacks and sent them on their way. When it came to our man, he "kicked" on the big sack. Wishing to secure the corn, and not wishing to at- tract the attention of Captain Jones to the sharp practice that I thought 1 was playing, I "cussed'- the fellow a little, quietly, and told him to throw it on my shoulder, which he gladly agreed to. Now, it was raining, and the hillside was very slip- pery. When w^e swung the bag on my shoulder my right foot slipped, but my left was between tw^o rocks and couldn't turn. The whole weight being on my left leg, and, of course, holding all the muscles and joints rigid, something had to give way, and in this case it was my hip joint, that was twisted around in the socket. I managed to carry the corn lo the company, some fifty yards, but fell exhausted, and, oh I how I suffered. The boys put me on a stretcher and carried me to Marietta, where, after an examination by the surgeon, I was ordered to the hospital. The boys carried me over to the train of box cars in which the wounded were being loaded, and endeavored to get me in, but they were already so crowded that this was impossible. An Irish brakeman, seeing our predica- ment, suggested a way out, and, reaching down, caught hold of my hands and hauled me on top, rolled me up in my shawl and made me as comfortable as possible. God bless the Irish! They have more of the milk of human kindness to the square inch than any other people BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 23 1 in the world, aud will do more with the means at their disposal to alleviate suffering than any other people on earth. It is twentj^-two miles from Marietta to Atlanta, and it took our train sixteen hours to run it. All night long we were running back and forth, side- tracking and switching, to let by the trains loaded with reinforcements and supplies. All night long the rain came down in a steady pour, and all this time I lay on top of the car with the running plank for my pillow, suffering untold agony. My Irishman -never passed me without a word of comfort, and but for his interest in me I think I would have thrown myself from/ the train while in motion and ended my misery. He told me his name was Dennis O'Donnell, and, if still living, I hope he has plenty and is happy and comfortable; if dead, he is surely in heaven, reaping the rew^ard of his kind deeds. But we got to Atlanta at last, and O'Donell helped me down from the top of the car and helped carry me across the street to the hospital. As Atlanta could not care for all the wounded, they were distributed among the towns farther south. I was sent to Newnan, Ga. I was fortunate in this, as Dr. J. N. Hughes, father of my chum, Billy Hughes, was in charge at Newnan and gave me his special attention. My case developed into aggravated lumbago, and for three weeks I was as helpless as an infant and suffered untold agony. But at last, with the aid of scarification, cupping, mustard plasters and hot liniments, I got able to go on crutches and assist the surgeons and nurses with the wounded, who came in thick and fast. Everv train from the front was loaded with wounded 232 REMINISCENCES and as our force of surgeons was limited, every man who could dress a wound or assist in any way was called into requisition and kept busy. I became very much interet^ited in surgical operations and quite handy at the business, and I have often won- dered why I did not follow the business of "slicing up" my fellow-man instead of turning author and writing war history. r»ut "there's a Divinity." you know, "that shapes our ends." (;iIArTEK 15. As Sheriiian iieared Atlanta, he pressed our forces harder and the fighting was fast and furious. There is one thing certain, American soldiers cannot do much fighting without somebody getting hurt. Thev are not lil^e the Japanese and Chinese. ^Vhy, I read the summing iip of their late war, and, although it lasted nearly two rears, and from reports received at the time, I was led to believe that if somebody did not stop them they would soon exterminate each other. It turns out that there were six hundred and ninety- six Japanese soldiers killed in battle, and it was supposed that the Chinese loss was some larger. After pressing Johnston back into the works around Atlanta, Sherman attempted to cut off his line of commu- nications by flank movements, which divided Sherman's forces and scattered them over a long line. Just now (July 18th) Johnston was relieved of his command and superceded by General Hood. Hood was a fighter, and thought he saw his opportunity to whip Sherman's army in detail, and sent a strong force around toward Decatur to attack M( rherson, who was on this part of the line. He succeeded in surprising McPherson and driving him back to Peachtree Creek, where on the 22d day of July, was fought one of the sharpest little battles of the war, and the losses on both sides were verv heavv. 234 REMINISCENCES The fight was furious and almost hand to hand. Our forces were all mixed up with the Yankees, and part of the time neither knew where they were. The Yankees captured one-half of our regiment, and when the others found it out they made a charge and re- leased them. Three Y^ankees captured William Partridge, of Co. A, and, as the bullets were flying thick and they did not know their way out, all four laid down behind a log. Par- tridge standing his gun against it, but in reach. Just then Major Wash McCawley rode up within tw^enty steps of them, but, as his back was turned, he did not see them. One of the Yankees raised his gun to shoot him, when Partridge cried out, ''Don't shoot, he'll surren- der," but it ayailed nothing, for the Yankee fired and the Major fell dead. Partridge grabbed his own gun and shot the Yankee dead, clubbed it and brained the second one, getting the load from this one's gun through his clothes at the same time, and, by sheer strength, seized the third and led him off a prisoner. I asked Partridge afterward why he didn't kill the third one, too, and his answer was, "I don't know." I don't know, either, but haye often wondered why. Partridge was as cool as he was braye, and just the man any one would expect to resent a wrong to the fullest ex- tent. Major McCrawley was the idol of the brigade, had been with us from 1861, at Bowling Green, sharing all our trials, hardships and dangers, and at all times was the same kind, considerate friend to the humblest priyate as well as the highest officer. Next to General Helm, he was the best-loyed officer in the command. Modest as a woman, he was as braye BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 235 as a lion. Thoiigii siuall in slatuie, he was a giant at heart. 8oon train after train began to pour their loads of wounded into Newuan, and the hospitals were crowded to their utmost, while the hospital force had to w^ork day and night. The surgeons gave their attention to the worst cases and the milder cases were turned over to the nurses, who, in turn, classified them and gave first attention to the most serious. We had no anaesthetic dressing then, and all wounds were treated with the cold water treatment, which was to thickly bandage the wound and keep continually w^et with cold water, till all signs of inflammation disappeared and the flesh began to show granulations. Then the wa- ter was discontinued, and dry bandages with salves and liniments substituted. Sometimes grangrene would de- velop, and unless quickly removed was sure death to the patient. Our method of removing grangrene was to burn it out with nitric acid — aqua fortis. This was very severe and trying on the nerves of the nurse as well as the pa- tient. When pouring the acid on the "proud" flesh you would see smoke rise, the flesh sizzle and crisp up, and all this time the patient screaming in agony, it took a stout heart and steady nerve to apply it. I hope never to have to do it again. But there is no danger. Surgery and chemistry have made wonderful strides since the war, and to be treated for a wound now is a l>leasure by comi>arison. What a number of valuable lives could have been saved if we had known these thinjis then. But we didn't 236 REMINISCENCES and we did the best we could. It is a wouder, thinking ot it now, that thej didn't all die. One of our hospitals was a long, open shed in the court house yard, contained four rows of cots, about three hundred in all. A man who occupied one of these cots attracted my attention specially, and 1 took his case in charge. The surgeons, 1 saw, could not reach him for some hours, and I went to work on him. I will say here that every man undf^r this shed was badly wounded. This man was wounded at Peachtree Ci'eek, the ball cutting off' a portion of the lower part of his right ear, passing diag- onally through his head, taking away a small portion of the top of his left ear in its exit. He laid tw^o days on the field without any attention, was then taken up, and, after a slight local dressing, loaded in a box car and sent to Xewnan. The head was so swollen that his eyes were closed, and he hardly resembled a human being. He could not speak, and his groans were so feeble they could scarcely be heard. 1 had no hope of saving his life, but thought I would do something to ease him off', so I went to work. I first washed the blood off' his face and out of his hair, then rolled his head up in a big wad of cloths, just leaving him a breathing hole. I poured a bucket of cold water on the bandages and went on. I found an old tin bucket with one or two very small holes in the bottom, which, after trial, I found leaked just fast enough. This I swung over my patient's head and filled with water, by which I kept him supplied and economized time. In a few hours I got a little water down his thioat and he became quiet. AA'hen the doctor reached my patient he indorsed my treatment, and I kept it up. Maj Rice r. Graves BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 237 About the second day I began to give bim a little nourishment, and, at the same time, a good bath all over and some clean clothes, of which you may imagine he stood in great need. About the fourth day the swelling had nearly all dis- appeared and he could speak, and when I left Newnan, about four weeks later, he was walking about everywhere he wished, and so the num I tried to help die easy was go- ing to get well after all. Now, don't any of you say that I was sorry, for you know that ain't so. 1 am glad he got well, and especially glad'of the hand I had in his recovery. This is only one case out of hundreds of this kind, but this space will not allow a description of any more. This is only written to show what a man can stand under some circumstances, and to prove that hope should never- be given up while life is in the body. Something- may be done at the critical moment to turn the tide. The battle of Decatur accomplished nothing more than to further deplete our force as the loss was heavy. The Federal loss was greater than ours, but they did not feel it like w^e, as they could replace it with recruits and we could not. We lost General Walker in this flght and the Fed- eral (ieneral McPherson was killed. Sherman now abandoned Hood's right and made his next move to his left and on August 30tli another severe battle was fought with the same result as Peachtree: heavy loss to both sides. This — Jonesboro — was a short battle but very severe and memorable in history for its stubborness. Deeds of valor were performed by both armies and 16 238 REMINISCENCES the Kentucky "Orphan" brigade covered itself over with glory. Under the leadership of General Joe Lewis it stood like a wall of granite and swept down everything before it. I was afterwards on the battlefield and where the "or- phans" fonght the trees were literally torn to pieces by minnie balls and not a bush was left standing. It is won- derful how any escaped. Along in August Sherman sent a cavalry force under General Stoneman around Hood's right and one under General McCook around his left with the object of meet- ing in Hood's rear and destroying the Macon and Western railroad by which his army received its supplies. General Cerro Gordo Williams with his Kentucky brigade and Dibrell's Tennessee brigade met Stoneman near Hillsboro and captured him and his whole force. General Wheeler got after McCook who made all haste to get back to Sherman, and took the road that led through Newnan. Our army had captured more arms than it could find men for and had distributed a great nmny around to the hospitals and kept them ready for action. In case a raiding party came along the convalescents could help defend the town. We heard that McCook was coming and every man who could stand, got a gun and found a good place to shoot from. We had a very respectable force and when McCook started into town we made it so hot for him that he con- cluded to take "roundance" and as we had no rule to "vent evers" had to let him go. But Wheeler was so close after him that he cornered him at a big swamp two miles below town and forced him to fight. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER, 239 Roddy's brigade had been dismounted in North Ahi- bania to go to Atlanta to reinforce Hood and the train bearing them pulled in to our town just at this time. The men rolled off the train and went out to the battle ground. I wanted to see the end of it and hobbled along with them. When we arrived, Wheeler had just formed his line to advance and we fell in. We charged them and drove them back about a half mile when a flag of truce was hoisted. In our charge we captured a thousand prisoners, be- sides killing and wounding over a hundred, and only had to demand their unconditional surrender to have raked in the whole pot, but Wheeler and McCook were West Pointers of the same class and because of the ''ethics of the profession" Wheeler allowed McCook to parley him out of all the daylight he had and that night — which was very dark — he and a few hundred of his men slipped off. General Williams or General Forest would have captured the whole gang. Finding them gone, next morning Wheeler pursued and found them crossing the Chattahoochie and charged them. The Yankees were so stampeded that throwing away their arms they plunged into the river, a frightened strug- gling mass of men and horses and many were drowned. Some amusing things occur in the army and one of them happened to me on this occasion. During the night while we had McCook at bay, I went on an independent scout and captured a Yankee riding a big black mule. I turned the Y^ankee over to the guard but kept the mule. About noon the next day as I rode into town on my mule I was met by an old gentleman with "glad to see you, where did you get my mule?" "Y'our mule," said I, "Is 2^0 REMINISCENCES this your mule?'' "Yes," said he, ^That's Prince." Ev- ery body in this country knows Prince. Why, I've owned Prince for twenty years." All right, said I, prove prop- erty and take it, and he wasn't long about it. In less than ten minutes he had a crowd of twenty men on the spot who all swore "yes thafs Prince," and I was afoot again. The old man introduced himself to me as Mr. Grif- fith, the postmaster at Palmetto, and told me that the Yankees stole "Prince" from him when they passed through that town some days before. He also asked me what I charged him for the recapture of "Prince" and when I told him that I was only doing my duty as a soldier and charged him nothing (this was hard to say for I hadn't a cent) he seemed very thankful and said "If you won't take any pay I am going to make you a nice present anyhow;" at the same time drawing from his pocket a' big leather wallet, full to bursting with new Confederate bills. This action made me feel good and the old motto, "Virtue is its own reward," went ringing through my head as I anticipated a hundred, a fifty, at least a twenty dollar bill from the old fellow's generosity. Carefully running through his pile from the five hundred dollar bills down to the twenties and after repeating the per- formance he fished out a fift}' cent shinplaster and otfered it to me with "I thought I had more change but I find 1 haven't. Take that; it will do you some g-ood and if you are ever at Palmetto, stop and take dinner with us. I have two grown girls who play on the piano and sing well and they will be glad to see you and thank you for return- ing 'Prince' because he is their buggy horse." L declined his present with thanks and told him that BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 24 1 JetT Davis ])aid me for doiiij; my duty and as for his invi- tation T did not suppose it would ever be convenient to eall, at the same time 1 rose up and went into the house with a different motto ringing in my head, which was — pardon the language — 'sTohn you are a fool." A few years ago I met Lieutenant Rush Irwin, who lives in that country, and he told me that old man Grif- fith was still postmaster at Palmetto but he could give me no account of ^'Prince." As he would now be at least lif- ty-five years old 1 expect he is dead. But I had one exceedingly pleasant experience while at Newnan. Going out one day to take a little exercise I walked down the street leading to the academy. This seemed to be a residence street. The buildings and yards bordering it were all neat and bright and one especially attracted my attention. The house itself was not so dif- ferent from the others but the surroundings gave it a set- ting that was attractive. The front yard was filled with flowers and shrubbery neatly trimmed and trained. The portico supported thick, trailing vines, so arranged as to form an arch over the entrance and under this arch stood a beautiful young lady looking as neat and sweet as her surroundings. As I approached the gate I kept my eyes turned on the beautiful view and discovered that the young lady was giving me a close inspection. All at once she ran out to the gate where she halted and gave me an- other close scrutiny. Seeming satisfied she threw the gate open and with ^'My dear, dear brother," rushed at me with open arms and had almost hugged and kissed me before I could remonstrate. Here was a dilemma and I had short time to decide, whether to act the gentleman and save the lady the mortification I knew she would feel, or act the hog and revel in the sweet kisses I knew she 242 REMINISCENCES would shower on me. I am glad to say that Kentucky gallantry decided the question in time for me to put up my hand and stay the catastrophe. She discovered her mistake and did not faint, but like a true, nervy lady stood her ground and explained how it occurred. She had re- ceived a letter from her brother in Virginia, who was wounded in the thigh, and had so far recovered that he was to be sent home to get well. The train had passed a few minutes before and she supposed that he had pre- ferred to walk home. As he was about my height and, of course, had to use a crutch, taken all together with her anxiety to meet him, explained it. Just at this juncture an ambulance was driven up and out came the expected brother and I was forcibly struck by his close resem- blance to myself in all except face — I was the best look- ing you know — and I enjoyed the hugs and kisses that old dirty rebel got much more that I would have done had I stolen them. I started to move on, but no, I was called back, invited in and was a welcome participant in the joys of that household for the balance of the day and a welcome guest many succeeding days. The old motto, "Virtue is its own reward," held good in this case if it did "ily up*' in the case Bro. Griffith and Prince CHAPTER XVI. JUST before tlie Jonesboro battle all the crippled who could be moved — there vNere no sick, nobody ever got sick then — were sent to Americus and other ])oints further south. Our squad went to Americus which is situated on the Macon and P^ufala railroad eight miles south of An- dersonville Prison. I was detailed as a purchasing agent to obtain sup- plies for the hospitals and while on this duty traveled about on the railroads considerably. T had a free trans- portation ticket and a passport to travel when and where I pleased, but had no order for free grub and this cut quite a figure. I had no money to buy anything to eat and could not draw more than tw^o days (half) rations at one time, therefore, as my appetite was exceedingly ro- bust, I would have to make my rations and my return home come out even or get uncomfortably hungry. As I seldom ever started for any particular point, L could stop anywhere there was a show for business. Sometimes curiosity and other motives controlled my stops. One day in looking over the morning paper I saw that our people had nearly treed a Federal spy at Selma, Ala., and that he had disappeared as if by magic. His escape was looked on as simply wonderful and there were many theories advanced as to how he had accomplished it and as to his after movements. Just as I finished read- 244 REMINISCENCES iiig the account I was ordered to got by next train to Ma- con to execute some mission for the hospital and went down to the depot to board the train which was due in an hour. All the time I was waiting this ''spy" business was running through my mind and I found myself scanning closely the movements of everyone about. After boarding the train the same feeling took pos- session of me and in the course of my scrutiny my eyes fell on a very fine looking lady just across the aisle from my seat. She was elegantly dressed, in fact overdressed for the time and occasion and this was what attracted my atten- tion to her. Moving my seat and riding backwards so as to face her, I settled myself to wait developments having no idea what they Avould bring forth, yet all the time my mind w^as on the escaped spy. The woman wore a thick veil and kept it closely drawn down which was of itself a little odd for a Southern lady at that time. Growing thirsty she went to the cooler near where I sat and drew a cup of water. As she pushed her veil aside I discovered Avhat appeared like about a two days old beard on the edge of her chin. She had her back to me and I could see the beard plainly between me and the light on the other side of her. When she turned 1 Avas straight in my seat looking toward the rear end of the car as though nothing had haj)- pened out of the ordinary but 1 kept my hand on the butt of my revolver and determined to keep my eye on that woman. When we reached Fort Valley she stepped off the train and so did I. She started immediately up town and I to the Provost Marshall who was standing on the plat- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 245 form, where about this conversation look place between us. T will confess that I was a little excited. "Captain, arrest that woman," said I. "What for?" said the Captain. "Why I she's a man/' said I. -That's a h — 11 of an idea." said the Captain, ''how can a Avoman be a man? are you crazy?" And he was pro- ceeding to give me a piece of his mind when 1 broke in on him and convinced him that I was sane and very much in earnest. Beckoning to a squad of soldiers to follow, we started in pursuit and walked fast enough to gain a little on her. I, at the same time giving the Captain a history of my observations and impressions, soon had him con- vinced that the trail was pretty hot and he hurried up a little. The woman entered a cottage which was immediately surrounded by our force and the Captain and I entered. We found no one in the front room but pushing on came upon our suspect in the kitchen talking to the lady of the house and still closely veiled. Walking up to her the Captain removed her veil from over her face and there was the telltale beard and other evidences of the masculine gender, and we found enough evidences on his person and in his pockets to prove him to be the man we wanted. I never knew what became of him as times were too stirring to give much thought to any one subject but expect he met the fate that usually fell to the lot of a spy w^hen caught in the act. Curiosity led me one day to stop off at Andersonville. Why called Andersonville I cannot understand as it w^ould take a big stretch of the imagination to discover any towm. A railroad depot and platform, the quarter- master's store hospital, a few shanties, for the officers 246 REMINISCENCES and guards, and the prison pen v^eie all the signs of a town to be seen and these were surrounded by a big pine forest. But being more interested in the prison and prisoners than in anything else I devoted my whole attention to them. I arrived on the morning train and was present when rations were issued. I discovered that the prison- ers received the same allowance as our soldiers in the field, who were then on half rations. The only difference being that we were issued cornmeal while the prisoners, drew cornbread of like quantity. In this they had the advantage as we had no skillets and had to bake our "Johnny" cakes on slabs split out of pine trees and by the time the baking was done the corncake and rosin were pretty well mixed. But that was all right when we got used to it and then it was healthy. The prison stockade inclosed about thirty acres of ground situated in the end of a beautiful valley some two hundred yards wide and surrounded on three sides by heavily wooded hills. A stream of clear water fed by a spring ran diagonally across the prison near the south end, which with the cleanly ap.pearance of every part of the grounds gave it — to an outsider — an appearance of comfort. The only drawback was the absence of shelter of any kind from the hot sun and to the thirty thousand prison- ers inside these walls this was the worst punishment they had to endure. They only had their little "flies" (or as we called them "dog tents") holding two men, under which they would crawl in the heat of the day only, to suf- fer almost as much as if out in the sun and contract the naturally resultant diseases of this manner of living. The wonder is that the mortality was not greater than it was BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 247 and indeed it appears large enough as on the day I was there one hundred and twenty were buried. But this day I learned was a record breaker. Had the prisoners been treated as badly by the prison managers as they were given credit for by some prejudiced and irresponsible writers nearly the whole lot would be planted right now on the Andersonville hills. But everything was done that could be done to ameliorate their condition. The sick w^ere cared for in the hospitals as well as our own and had their own nurses to boot. Those who were growing weak were marched in large squads out into the woods to get exercise and rest in the shade. Fruit and vegetables were furnished them to prevent scurvy, in fact everything possible was done to alleviate their suffering. The Confederate authorities offered to allow the Federal government to send its own surgeons, medicines and provisions and administer them them- selves, at the same time pleading for an exchange of pris- oners and even sending a delegation of the prisoners to Washington to beg their government to relieve them in this way. This delegation was refused a hearing and had to return to prison and despair. We did the best we could and in the light of after knowledge, did wonderfully well under the circumstances as the official figures show. The official report of Sur- geon (General Barnes, U. S. army, shows that the number of Confederate prisoners in their hands was 220,000, while the number of Federal prisoners in our hands was 270,- 000. The report of Secretary of War Stanton gives the number of Confederates dying in northern prisons at 26,- 000 and of Federals dying in southern prisons at 22,000. With an excess of 50,000 prisoners the Southern death 248 REMINISCENCES rate was 4,000 less than in the North. These fij^ures are official and tell their story. The natural question is asked, who was the cause of this? While soldiers, South and North, respect the name of General Grant, it will surprise many to know that he was responsible, as his dispatch to General Butler on August 18, 1864, goes to proye. Here it is: ^^On the subject of exchange, howeyer, I differ from General Hitchcock. It is hard on our men held in Southern prisons not to exchange them, but it is humani- ty to those left in the ranks to light our battles. Eyery man released on parole, or otherwise, becomes an actiye soldier against us at once, either directly or in- directly. If we commence a system of exchange which liberates all prisoners taken we will haye to fight on until the South is exterminated. If we hold those caught, they amount to no more than dead men. At this particu- lar time to release all rebel prisoners North would insure Sherman's defeat and would compromise our safety here." This is the science of war, but it is hard on the sol dier. While at Americus I had an opportunity of seeing Captain Wirz's blood hounds perform and I am pretty sure that they syere not more interesting to me than the men they were after. One night, three Yankees, who were detailed to nurse their sick comrades at Andersonyille, deserted their posts and lit out for a more Northern and congenial climate and as afterward proyed passed through Americus. Their flight was discoyered next morning and the dogs put on their trail. About ten o'clock the dogs with three men following on horseback came into town and BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 249 proceeded (luitely down the main street and out into the country beyond. The dogs were not loose but each was lield by a long tether and although hundreds of people had passed over the ground that morning they neA er made a halt but trotted quietly along unerringly follow^ing the trail. They did not give tongue like our fox-hounds, but now and then would raise their heads and give a kind of whine, which could only be heard a short distance. I learned that they had been trained to this in order not to give their quarry notice of their approach and a chance to escape. Along in the afternoon the men returned Avith two of the Yankees. The third swam the river and they did not follow him, but took in the other two who could not swim. While three of us Avere taking a stroll one evening, Ave came upon a church all lighted up as if for services and walked in. I will confess that our action was prompted more by curiosity than devotional feeling. The church was pretty well filled, mostly ladies — but we were given seats a few rows from the front. The minister, an old gray haired "Aisitor" rose in the pulpit and read out the old hA-mn : "Am I a Soldier of the Cross." After reading the hymn through and repeating the first two lines he announced that ''as this is an old fa- miliar hymn we will sing without lining. Will some one please 'raise' the tune? Now the old, everyday "leader" was at home sick and there seemed to be no one to take his place. The preacher insisted that he could not sing himself and begged some one to make a start. Being ahvays ready to help any one out of trouble, and being a pretty good singer myself, besides, I own to 250 REMINISCENCES feeling a little devilish; 1 gave tli^ boys the wink and while the preacher was yet begging for music, we started up. One of the boys was a good bass singer, the other a fine alto, the whole congregation joined in with the spirit and the understanding and I doubt if the old church walls had ever heard such singing before. As a conse- quence I had to "•pitch" all the tunes and you ought to have heard the rendering of "Jesus lover of my soul" at the end of the service. Why, we came near having a shoutin' meeting right there. Before the benediction the preacher requested the ^'dear soldier brethren," who had so kindly assisted in the service to remain, as he and the brethren and sisters w^ished to make our acquaintance and thank us person- ally. We held quite a reception and received showers of thanks and compliments and many good wishes for our future welfare and many earnest invitations to come again, all which we stood heroically and got back to onr quarters with sore hands but no bones broken. Hearing that the Kentucky infantry were to be mounted, were then camped near Griffin and feeling able to do light duty I got a discharge from the liospital and left for the front. Our brigade had gone with General Wheeler into Middle Tennessee to destroy Sherman's line of supply and about Manchester became separated from the balance of the command. As General Williams could not get to General Wheeler, he decided to make his way out through East Tennessee. When near Knoxville he heard that General Burbridge was on his way to Saltville, Va., to destroy the salt works and decided to see him about it. Pushing on by forced marches he arrived before Burbridge and found BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 25 I General Breckeiirid^e and a few militia the only force to defend the works. The arrival of Oeneral Williams was very fortunate and when Bnrbridge attacked the place he got the worst '"lickin" you ever heard of. His forces were utterly routed and scattered and General Burbridge laid on the shelf the rest of the war. . My regiment being absent in Virginia when I left the hospital 1 went to the infanti'y brigade and fell in with the same company that I was with at the Chickamauge battle. Captain Jack Brown commanded the company. The change from infantry to cavalry was conducive of some vei-y amusing and ludricious incidents and the bri- gade was an enlarged edition of the "awkward squad." But it will take a whole chapter to relate the incidents occurring in connection with the mounting of the "Or- phans," in fact if properly recorded they would make a vei'y interesting book. It might be expected that after the long and gallant service of the "Orplians," as they were to be mounted, they would be furnished the very best of everything. With the Kentuckian's known love for, and pride in a good horse, it is natural to suppose that the attempt, at least, would be made to gratify them by giving them something good and sei'viceable. Not so however. All the worn out and disabled horses of the cavalry and artillery were gathered up and turned over to the Kentuckians. There was not a horse in the lot able to do duty. Some were worn out with long, hard service and all were defective in some way. Sore backs, sore shoulders, gunshot wounds, skinned legs, "graveled" boofs, in fact almost every ill that horse is heir to, and all were very |)oor. It was the greatest aggregation of ^^Crow bait" I ever saw in one place, and not good decent 2 52 REMINISCENCES "Crow bait" at that. In fact I thitik a real sensible crow would have thought twice before risking the whole lay- out to furnish him a decent square meal. And the equipments! If possible they were worse than the horses. Old dilapidated saddle trees, innocent of stirrups or leathers, and bridles without bit or head- stall, was the rule, and numbers of the boys had not so much as either saddle or bridle or the semblance thereof. But they accepted the situation as they found it and went to work with a will to fix themselves up for business. They concocted all sorts of liniments and lotions and put in their whole time bathing, rubbing and feeding with such good effect, that in three weeks nearly all the horses were ready for duty. 1'he next item was saddles and bridles which the boys manufactured in their dreams, at least I suppose they did, as they always procured them at night. Why they dreamed so many styles of saddles I could never tell. They were all styles, shapes and patterns. Old men's saddles, young men's saddles and boys' saddles, but very few of the army pattern. I believe they were all made for the masculine gender as I don't remember any women's saddles in the lot. Hillary Ilagar of my company, who had been left be- hind with the wagons, when the regiment went into Ten- nessee, came over to our camp leading a good horse with saddle and bridle, loaned them to me. and thus I became the best mounted man in the brigade. We moved up nearer Atlanta and camped at Rock- bridge about four miles from Sherman's advanced line, from which point we could watch the movement of his force and be at a safe distance ourselves. (Teneral Lewis sent out a scout everv dav and as I had Feeling for a Furlough. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 253 had a good deal of experience I was requested to go with the most of them and for the time being ranked the officer in command. It was quite amusing to a cavalryman to see how awkward the boys were and I had many a good laugh at their expense. Sometimes (his awkwardness came near producing serious results, when it was no laughing mat- ter. On one occasion Captain Jack Brown was sent out and I went along. Our objective point was about fifteen miles distant on another part of Sherman's line and our road skirted his pickets, though not very far from them, which necessitated great caution on our part. Captain Brown placed me in charge and I sent two men in ad- vance to watch for danger. ^ We were riding quietly along, each man, given up to his own thoughts, when all at once our videts halted and signaled to us to prepare for danger. Captain Jack rolled off his horse and gave the order: "Get down and take trees boys, we'll fight 'em right here." And before I could remonstrate, every mother's son of them was off his horse, and out in the woods ready for fight. I explained to Captain Jack that we came to see and not to fight and at last succeeded in getting them mounted again, when I galloped forward and found that General Iverson, who was camped on another part of the line, had sent a scout in our direction and it was this par- ty we had met. We exchanged information and both re- turned to our respective camps. I had a good laugh at Captain Brown's expense. His explanation was that he had not been accustomed to hunting Yankees; the cavalry had always done that for 17 2 54 REMINISCENCES him, and when found he had been in the habit of fighting them to the best advantage. On this occasion his old habit had asserted itself and he forgot all about his horse. In the course of our observations we found out that Sherman sent a scouting train every day down the rail- road toward East Point. (leneral J^ewis decided on its ca})ture and moved the brigade up to near a good point to ambush the train. Dis- mounting all but the horseholders we moved up the road which ran parallel with the railroad and from fifty to a hundred yards distant except at one point where it ran beside the track. General Lewis ordered the horses to be kept a short distance in the rear of the column and we marched on to get a good position. AVe found it* in a thick woods at a curve in the rail- road which seemed to have been made for the purpose. We had not been in position long till we heard the train slowly approaching, and everyone was ready. Soon we could see the engine slowly creeping along, drawing ten box cars loaded inside and out with "blue coats" and three pickets on the cowcatcher. When nearly into our trap and just as the engine poked her nose around the curve we noticed the three pickets raise their guns and fire down the road in front of them. Quicker than I can tell it the Yankees jumped from the cars, behind the railroad embankment, and the engi- neer backed the train up the road. We raised the yell and charged them, but it did no good. They were as many as we and they were in- trenched. We fought them for an hour and retired without gaining our point and but little damage done. We no- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 255 ticed that the only charge made by the Yankees was on the right of our line and the fighting there was fierce for a few minutes. We were unable to account for this until the battle was over, when we found that the officer in charge of the horses had abandoned the dirt road for the railroad, was leading his party up the track meeting the train, and when within less than a hundred yards of the curve came face to face with the engine. It was the horse holders the Yankee pickets fired at, and the attempt to capture the horses caused the hard fighting on our right. But for the stubborn resistance from that quarter the ^'Orphans" would have been plain infantry again. It was amusing to hear the horseholders relate their experiences in trying to get away with their horses. The woods were so thick, they could not get out that way, and in trying to get back down the railroad track they got all tangled and mixed up, and the bullets flying thick it is a wonder that no one was killed but it is nevertheless true. General Lewis, as well as his men, was greatly disap- pointed at the failure of this expedition. I didn't hear the General ''cuss" but he looked very much like he wanted to. The men were not so quiet over it and indulged to their hearts content, but it soon blew over and the} were ready for another scrap. But the boys learned fast and before the close were as good as the best. On two occasions I slipped through the Federal lines and got to a point where I could see into Atlanta and Sherman's camp. By climbing into a tree I had a better view and was more secure against discovery. The last time w^as a day or two before Sherman began his march to Savannah and I could see that some important move was near. On my first trip all was quiet while now all 56 REMINISCENCES was activity and bustle. Our Gefieials were aware that something was on foot and when I reached camp I found the command under marching orders. I learned that my regiment had returned from Ten- nessee and was then camped at Flat Rock. Being anx- ious to be with the bovs again, I with Hillary Hagar and five or six others of our command who liad been with Gen- eral Lewis while our brigade was gone, started out to find them. Along in the afternoon we came to a large flat rock, said to be fise jniles across and taking a course indi- cated by a citizen \^e met near the rock, came out safely on the other side just at nightfall. This rock is one of the greatest curiosities I met with in the South. Composed of granite, turtle back in shape with a fissure now and then in which a few stunted shrubs had taken root and^notliing to break the monotony, it was indeed a long and lonesome ride. Owing to the formation we could not see the sur- face far in any direction and we felt insolated from the rest of the world. Our voices, even sounded unnatural and we soon set- tled down to perfect silence. Oui' feelings can be imag- ined when just as night was closing in we discovered a farm house, where we w ere kindly welcomed and where we j)ut up for the night, after learning that our command had moved away. The next morning we started after our command, crossed the rock in another direction from the one we came, and after three days trailing we caught the boys just going into camp. They were tired and worn from their long hard trip and congratulated themselves that their trials were over for a time and that they would get a good rest. Every- thing indicated that this was i:o be, as the camp was BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 257 pitched ill a pleasant fertile valley with plenty of food, forage and good water; just the place in fact to enjoy a good rest. How they were disappointed and how to the end it was one continued struggle with but little rest; and less to eat, and how through all, Williams' Kentucky cav- alry brigade kept its reputation unsullied and its courage bouyant, being finally awarded the post of lionor, and giv- ing up only when the last hope fled, will be the substance of the chapters to follow. CHAPTER XVII. ON the return of our brigade from Tennessee General Williams was relieved of his command and placed under arrest. What for, he nor we ever knew — as he could never get a trial though insisting on being con- fronted with the charge and his accusers — but it was un- dei'stood that it was for disobedience of orders in going to Saltville and whipping Burbridge instead of joining Wheeler in Alabama as he was ordered to do. Colonel W. C. P. Breckenridge, being senior colonel, assumed command of the brigade and we were under his orders until General Williams w^as released from arrest (without trial) and assumed command at Columbia, S. C. While we liked Colonel Breckenridge; esteemed him high- ly, and while he was gallant and an efficient officer, yet we rather resented the supposed injustice done General Wil- liams (old "pap") and I have no doubt added to the cares of Colonel Breckenridge. However, no one ever showed his resentment openly and the Colonel never had cause to complain of any one under him for dereliction, but the boys often wished for ''Old Pap" when they had sharp work to do. The morning of November 2(jf, 18GI, dawned bright and beautiful. Nature seemed to have donned her Sun- day clothes and peace appeared to reign everywhere. Our boys in camp were enjoying the long-looked-for and needed rest, utterly oblivious of the trouble so near at BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 259 hand and nnprepared for the sudden breaking up of their blissful dreams. About 10 o'clock a lot of cavalrymen dashed into and through our camp, some minus coats and hats and nearly all without any arms. We saw that they were badly scared but could learn no reason for it, as we were unable to stop any of them long enough to enlighten us. From ''forc^e of habit" we saddled up and got ready and succeeded in ''corraling" one of the fugitives long enough to tell us that Killpat- rick had charged on General Iverson's camp and "killed or captured all except me.-' We began to hear reports of fire arms out front and prepared for the attack we felt was coming and took posi- tion on the crest of a hill with an open field in front of us. General Iverson commanded a brigade composed mostly of conscripts and they were not to be relied on like the volunteers. 1 hine known them to fight bravely and to run like turkeys on other occasions. They were like Dutchman's flea — "you never knew when to depend on them." The fighting ceased before it reached our line and Irverson, with what men he had left with him, retired to our rear. The enemy did not show himself and Captain Taylor was sent out with his company to find out what he was about. The Captain as usual went as far as he could and it was only speed and a piece of good luck that saved him and his men from capture. Finding that he was about to be surrounded the Captain "cut and run" with his company, followed by a squad of howling Yan- kees. All our boys kept their advantage, except Billy McKay. Billy rode a nice sjxitted horse, pretty to look 26o REMINISCENCES at, but, as turued out. lacking in both speed and bottom. The race was at least a mile and as the boys neared our lines Billy fell in the rear and the Yankees gained on him. They had emptied their guns and pistols and wer*e depending on the speed of their horses to overtake him. We took in the situation, secreted ourselves and when Billy dashed through our lines with the Yankees close at his heels we rose up and captured the whole gang, about thirty in all. Captain Taylor saw enough to know that the enemy was flanking us on the right and we moved back to get in front of him, leaving I^ erson to protect our left. Just as we had dismounted to take our position Kil- patrick charged Iverson and here they came pell mell down on us, Yankees and Georgians all mixed. We had dismounted at the fork in the road with the intention of defending both roads, but before we got into line friends and enemies were both on us and for awhile there was some confusion and a free-for-all fight; but we finally got in order, down to business and repulsed the Yankees handsomely, and learned them to be a little more careful who they tried to run over. This was about as liA^ely a tussle for a little while as I ever witnessed. A Pennsylvania Captain led the charge, followed by six men and all were shot down in a pile the first volley. Heven balls pierced the Captain's breast and you could cover them all with your hand. Any one would have i)roved fatal. He rode a fine clay-bank mare and wore, besides his sword, two very fine ivory-handled pis- tols. His uniform was of the finest; also his sash, and his shirt front immaculate. He was dressed as if for dress parade and altogether was rather a more conspicuous fig- C, Lewis Curry, Enlisted in 1861 iu Company I, First Kentncky Cavalry. Was at the battle of Fort Donaldson under General N. B. Forest and followed the for- tunes of that command until his Company was mustered out of service, when he returned home and married. He followed farming for several years, when he was elected Jailer of Union County, Ky., and twice re- elected ;to the same office. Was appointed by Governor Buckner to be Warden of the Eddyville penitentiary, which position he held until 1897. He moved to Sturgis, Ky., and engaged in mercantile pursuits, but his health failed, and he died in the winter of 1898 and was buried by his comrades in the cemetery at Mt. Pleasant. The friend of everybody, but the special friend of the old soldier. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 26 1 lire than olliccis usually liked to be in battle. Hut there was no discount on his braverv. We decided that he was fool brave, and some went so far as to say that he sought this chance to get killed. Billy Lashbrook was within a few yards of this Cap- tain when he fell from his horse and was in his saddle al- mos-t as soon as the Captain's body touched the ground. Billy owned a fine horse, of which he thought a great deal. On the Tennessee raid a gravel had worked into the horse's hoof and lamed him. Billy got hold of a little mule to ride and led his horse, refusing to part with him. When Billy got the Captain's mare he was finely mounted, but still held on to his horse until his foot got well, rode him till the surrender, then home to Daviess county, Ky., kept him till he died, only a few years ago, and I learn that Billy buried him as reverently as he would any of his old comrades. While we were trying to form a line across the road when the Yankees were charging Iverson's men, a Geor- gian riding a big horse dashed down toward us. Before I could get out of the way the horse struck me on the side, knocked me against and over the fence, the top rails falling on me, one striking the back of my head, and for a few seconds I was so "rattled" that I didn't know "where I was at." Coming to my senses I realized that I was in close quarters and seeing a tree standing in the field some twenty feet away I broke for that. This turned out to be a bad move, for I was the only man in the field and, drew the fire of everything in my front and for a few minutes they made the bark fly. I had no chance to peep out or do anything. I tell you, I 262 REMINISCENCES froze to that tree so close and tight tlnxt I had a hard pull to get away from it after the boys had driven the Yan- kees off. One very sad thing occurred at this fight. A young man — whose name I am sorry I cannot now remember — in the first excitement, before we had got in line was struck in the back with a minnie ball which passed through his body. After the fight he was taken to a house near by where he died in a few hours. And here comes the sad part of it. He was a nice gentlemanly fel- low, hardly twenty years of age, brave as a lion and a gen- eral favorite of all who knew him. While we did all we could to alleviate his bodily pain we were unable to ameliorate iiis mental suffering. He mourned over — what he termed — the disgrace of being shot in the back. "O," said he, ''I don't mind dy- ing, for I have expected to be killed in every battle, but the thought that mother will hear that her boy was shot in the back, is what I care most for. Poor old mother, this disgrace will break her heart." We did all we could to comfort him but he would ac- cept no consolation and died with, ''Boys, don't tell mother I was shot in the back.'' Such a spirit is what makes heroes and produces men who will stand up boldly against adversity and fight an unequal battle with the world rather than be shot in the back. We gave it to the Yankees so hot here that they abandoned the notion of going down the Macon and AN'estern railroad to Macon and changed their route. When Sherman started from Atlanta he divided his army into two divisions of 25,000 to 30,000 each, one to take in Macon on the march and the other Augusta. All the force we had to oppose him was Wheeler's BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 263 cavalry corps, which, owing to the circumstances, was scattered all around Sherman's army. Our brigade and Iverson's was all the force we had to keep the Yankees out of Macon, yet we succeeded as did General Wheeler on the other side and forced, or at least, caused Sherman to unite his forces, leave Macon and Augusta out of his trip and push on to Savannah. There is one thing which has always been to me inex- plicable. With the force that Sherman had he could have divided his army up into divisions of 15,000 men each and each division could have gone at will anywhere in the South except to Richmond. We did not have the force to stop them, yet after the first week out from Atlanta he appeared to get scared and with his fifty or sixty thousand men made a rush for the coast, when we did not have five thousand men to oppose him. I can't understand it. With the exception of this first dash, we were not greatly troubled any more with Sherman's cavalry. We had light skirmishes as we fell back toward Macon, but no engagement worth notice, and when we reached Ma- con, where we expected hard work, we found no enemy, but Sherman was not far away, so we crossed the Oc- mulgee river and took a position some two miles out from E>ist Macon. To say that we were disappointed would be a lie, but we were greatly surprised when, after skirmishing with us a few hours, Sherman passed on and left us alone. We fell in behind him and soon began to realize the horrors to which the defenceless residents along this line of march were subjected and also his reason for hurrying through the country when he had every chance to take his own time and go as he pleased. 264 REMINISCENCES The cavaliy arm of the service is* known as the ''eyes and ears" of the army. Its duty is to watch the move- ments of the enemy, lead all advances, cover all retreats and fight like the old Harry whenever there is any fight- ing to do. We had met Kilpatrick's cavalry on several fields and found them hard fighters. We could not un- derstand why, after our first brush with them, they seemed to avoid us as much as possible. But the story was told and Sherman's haste to get through the country was explained when he reached the ground his army had passed over. His line of nuirch from Atlanta to below Augusta was through the richest portion of the Htate. Settled by wealthy planters who lived in palatial residences, richly furnished and surrounded by highly cultivated planta- tions; was indeed the "garden'' of the South. The men were all in the army and the women fearing for life and honor fled with their children to a place of safety, leaving home and property to the mercy of the invader. Finding the houses abandoned the cavalry first se- cured everything of value and applied the torch to the balance. Now and then a family would decide to stay and take the consequences. In numerous cases their bitter experience was too horrible to relate. At first these acts of vandalism were confined to the cavalry, but the infantry soon caught the contagion, organized foraging parties and prowled over the country, spreading rnin wherever they went. It was our business to keep these foragers in as small a compass as possible, and this kept us busy day and night. It is not my object to revive old animosities and I dis- claim any such intention, but only to tell the truth of his- tory. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 265 In a Strip of countiy ranging from five to twenty miles wide, extending from Atlanta to Louisville, Ga., everything that could not be carried oft' was destroyed. The country was left so desolate that "a crow wish- ing to cross it had to carry his rations with him." This may have been the science of war but hard to reconcile to our boasted civilization. Old men were hung up by the neck to force them to tell where they had their valuables hidden and women Avere outraged indiscriminately, heedless to say that when caught in the act no mercy was shown, but owing to their numbers they pretty generally escaped, although many of them are now filling dishonored graves. Not all of JSherman's army were of this kind, but, as is the case with all armies, there are some men who will take advantage of opportunity to commit deeds that a true soldier would scorn. Sherman had so many of this class with him that he was unable to control them and for this reason hurried through country. His forces were so badly demoralized that it would have been unsafe to risk a battle with an enemy of one third his strength and he didn't know when he might have a fight on his hands. Although we had no serious fighting still it was con- tinued all day long and often far into the night, and while our losses were not great at any one place, in the aggre- gate they were gieat. Every now and then a good man would fall. I only remember some of their names and a few of the points where they were killed. Near Milledgeville Captain Witt, of Co. C, and Boone Butler, of Co. C, were killed in a skirmish in a field. They had been behind some hay or fodder stacks but forced to retreat. As they left cover Captain Witt was shot and 266 * REMINISCENCES Boone endeavored to carry him oft' the field when he too fell pierced by a bullet. And thus it Avas. like the "constant drip," the ''con- stant drop" sadly depleted our ranks, and like the stone we, too, were ''worn away." Speaking of Milledgeville reminds me of a little fun I had there at Governor Brown's expense. Colonel Breckenridge sent a squad of us into town to look for "Yankee sign" in that direction and when within a mile of town, on rising the top of a hill, discovered ourselves to a negro on a mule, posted on the next rise. On seeing us the negro whirled and broke for town as fast as he could make his mule go. Thinking he might be a picket for the Yankees I determined to overhaul him and laid chase. We caught him just in the edge of town, but also saw something more interesting ahead. A carriage was be- ing driven furiously down the hill away from us, followed by wagons, carts and all sorts of vehicles and we decided to investigate. Leaving our negro we dashed on down the hill — past carts and Avagons, through piles of collards, turnips and other vegetables which has been jolted out of the carts, etc. — across the bridge and at last caught up with the carriage still going as fast as the horses could pull it. At our command the driver pulled up and an old dig- nified gentleman let down the glass in the side door, fully expecting to discover a lot of Yankees — I know from the defiant look on his face — but when he saw instead only a squad of ragged rebels, his dignity unbent, his face ex- panded into a broad smile and dismounting from his car- riage he introduced himself as Governor Brown, ex- plaining that, fearing the enemy w^ould take in Milledge- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER 267 ville on the way and not wishing to be captured, kept his folks all ready to fly on the first approach of danger. He had sent one of his faithful negroes out on the road to watch for danger and when he saw him rushing back to town and we close after, the Governor did not stand on the order of his going, but went at once and in a hurry. The Governor was so well pleased with the turn of atfairs that he invited us to partake of the lunch he had provided for himself and family and I want to assure you we did not refuse. The chase after (Governor Brown was one of the most amusing episodes in my soldier experience. It could not be described but one would have to have taken i)art in it to fully enjoy the ludicrous features, not the least amus- ing of which was the w^recked loads of vegetables and other things scattered along the hillside by the different vehicles dashing over the rocks in the mad efforts of their drivers to esca])e and the sheepish look of those same drivers when they found there was no danger. Well, don't blame them for running, for in the lan- guage of an old Georgian whom the Yankees were hang- ing and we fortunately got to in time to drive them off, cut him down and save the old fellow's wind, as soon as he could talk said: "I tell you, boys, Yankees is h — 11." Our Milledgeville friends had probably heard of them and wanted to keep out of the fire. Sometimes we struck one of these foraging parties that had ''sand." I remember a scrap we had with one of them near Louisville, Ga. The sun was about to set and we had prepared to camp on the bank of a kind of lagoon or swamp, thinking the enemy was on tlie other side. We were in different stages of preparation; some had unsaddled, others were building fires and none expected 268 REMINISCENCES an enemy near, T\ben. without a moment's warning, they began pouring bullets into our camp at short range. Under some circumstances and with some men this would have produced a panic, but every man grabbed a gun and went to shooting and we drove them back into the woods, when we mounted and recrossed the swamp where we could get a better position and see better what w^e had to fight; and here is where the Yankees showed their grit. They followed us right over, fighting like a lot of hornets all the way. After crossing the SAvamp we dismounted a skirmish line and entertained them while the balance of our bri gade was getting in position, falling back gradually as the Yankees advanced. When the Y'ankees got across they turned to the left down the edge of the swamp and we, thinking they were but the advance of a larger force, kept waiting for it to show up until at last we discovered that this party — about a hundred men — was all the Yankees out there, our chagrin can be imagined. We mounted and went after them, but they were too close to their main force and we failed to catch them. It was in this skirmish that Tobias Barnes was killed. He was on the skirmish line and as we were retreating up a small ridge a ball struck him in the back of his head and he fell dead. Tobias was a citizen of Crittenden county, member of Co. I, (Joe Williams' company,) a man of ad- vanced years, very tall and a splendid soldier. When this little flurry was over and we were return- ing from our fruitless chase after the foraging squad, feel- ing somewhat crestfallen, we discovered General Fergu- son's Alabama brigade formed on the hill above us where thev had been witnesses of the whole affair and as we Judge a. M. (Dolphi Hearin VVa.s born ut Madi^^oIlvill(^ Ky., on .lauuury \i, ls44: enlisted in Company I, Tenth Kentucky Cuvjilry August, 18t;2: captureil with (ien. Morgan in Ohio, July 15, 1S63: contined at Cam}* Chase for one month and then sent to Canij) Douglas, where he remained until March 1, 1865, whoa he was returned to the Confederacy <»n parole. After all was over he returned to his native State and engaged in bus. iness at Marion, Ky. Ho served as Police Judge of Marion for four years, and was Postmaster during Cleveland's last administration. His sunny disposition and kind heart endear him to all with whom he comes in contact, and he has no enemies His greatest delight is to attend reunions, grasp the hands of comrades, live over again the times and deeds of the long ago, and render all who need it, substantial aid and encouragement. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 269 neared them they began to "g'liy'' us about *'gettiug whipped by a wagon train/' We did not enjoy it in tiie least and felt so mean ourselves that we did not resent it, but our time came next morning. We were getting into a part of the country where swamps were frequent, lay across the route and were only to be crossed at the crossings. By getting ahead of Sher- man we hoped to delay him in a barren country — this was the end of the good — and so demoralize his army that we could "do him up" in the pine woods. For this purpose, on the morning after the fight with the foragers, we took an early start, but, anticipating our move, Sherman started earlier. W^e ran into his column while in motion and had the liveliest "scrap" we had got into for a long time. We struck him in the pine woods at a little country church (Bethel) and within fiv6 minutes after our videts fired, every man was engaged. The 2nd, 9th and 2nd ba- tallion fought dismounted and the First mounted. The Yankees attempted to surround us and while the other regiments were engaged with the enemy in front, ours was kept charging, first one wing then the other, while the whole line was fighting as if for life. We succeeded in extricating ourselves by one hour of the hardest fighting I ever witnessed — Chickamauga not excepted — and fortunately the Yankees were in too big a hurry to follow us olf the battle field. They even left their dead and wounded for us to care for and pushed on towards the coast. The Federal loss in this engagement was over one hundred killed and wounded. Ours was thirty-six wounded and one (Frank Thomp- son, C. A, 1st Kentucky) killed. 18 270 REMINISCENCES Lieutenant t^am Levy, of the,9tb, was desperately wounded here — shot through the bowels and hip — and when we bade him good-bye we thought his "checks" were ready to be called for, but grit and good nursing pulled him through and he is still in the land of the living — or was about a year ago when I received a letter from him. He was then living at Norman, O, T., with his wife and three children — two boys and a girl — was practicing law with more or less success and having his ups and downs in life just like the rest of us. There were many deeds of valor performed on this oc- casion, but space will not permit me to notice them here. When we had succeeded in extricating ourselves from the clutches of Sherman's army and had fallen back to a position where we could see and repel an attack, if one was made, or have a good place to run if thought best to do so, we discovered Ferguson's brigade formed on a hill in our rear where it had been all the time we were. down in the woods getting ourselves "done up" and never offered to help us out. When we found out the situation and were assured that the Yankees did not intend to follow us we broke ranks, went back to Ferguson's line and individually and collectively^ gave them the best "cussin' " that a set of men ever got. We called them all sorts of mean names and informed them that, if they ever said "wagon train" to us again we would exterminate the whole lot; and we meant it. General Ferguson, seeing that there was danger of a conflict, gave the order and marched his brigade off the field by the left Hank, but we never heard any more of "wagon train" except among ourselves and we could "sor- ter" stand it. The watchword of the P>ethel church fight BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 2/1 was ''wagon train,'' and amid the din and roar of battle the magic words were shouted and nerved the hearts of the boys to perform heroic deeds. While Bethel church was the last fighting of any consequence that occurred on Sherman's march to the sea it was the most unique and hotly contested occurring dur- ing the war. Colonel Breckenridge, with not over twelve hundred men, attacked Sherman's army of fifty thousand, fought it an hour, inflicting a loss of over a hundred in killed and wounded and escaped with his command in good order, giving Sherman such a scare that he marched day and night until he reached Savannah. A Captain on Sherman's stalf captured by us the next day would not belicAe that- we had done the fighting at Bethel and insisted that the bulk of Hood's army had re- turned from Tennesseee, were in the fight and not wish- ing to risk his chances in the battle Sherman had decided to hurry on to the coast for safety. It seemed to be a case of "the wicked flee" and it was really so. They had done so mean that they were scared almost to death and saw an avenger behind every bush. "Conscience doth make cowards of us all," and so it is. If our armies, while in the North had done as Sherman's did on its Southern trip, the pride and glory of Southern chivalry would have gone down with the flag and been a byword and reproach on civilization, branded as "vandalism" and disgraced for- ever. Of course, it makes some difl:'erence whose "ox is ^ored," but I am proud to say that the Southern soldier can stand the test of comparison. When our armies were in the North some of the boys helped themselves to silks, ribbons, calico and the like, on 272 REMINISCENCES their individual accounts, but woman's virtue and old age were respected, and private property was not ruthlessly destroyed. As before stated, Sherman made use of all the time at his disposal in order to reach the coast as soon as pos- sible and we followed in his wake, doing him all the dam- age in our power. On the morning after the Bethel fight I was in the advance guard of our force and we soon dis- covered that there had been a grand ''Hegira" of Yankees the night before. We found broken wagons, useless rifles, disabled and spiked cannon, feather beds and pillows, silk quilts, gui- tars, banjos and fiddles, clocks, mirrors and bronze stat- uary, silk and satin dresses, bibles, hymn books, one copy of ''Shakspeare's Complete Works," bound in calf (Billy Hughes and I confiscated this) and other articles of house- hold and kitchen furniture too numerous to mention. We would have been pleased to ha^e returned the above to their original owners, but did not have time just then to hunt them up Pressing on Sherman's track we came upon the car- casses of dead animals, consisting of cats, dogs, sheep, goats, cow^s, calves, mules, horses and one poor little monkey, strewn along the roadside; every one headless. Now and then we saw that a "flitch" had been cut from the ham of a fat bullock and some of the sheep w^ere mi- nus hindquarters, which we could readily account for on the grounds of a soldier's appetite, but what in thunder they wanted with so many heads of so many kinds of brutes we were at a loss to conjecture. A mile or two dow^i the road and the mystery was explained. In an angle of the cross roads we discovered a pyramid of heads with faces turned outward and the poor little mon- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 273 key's head ou top looking- toward ns with a broad grin on his face, whether of defiance or mirth I am nnable to say. It may haye been funny to tliose who perpetrated the deed, bnt the yery wantoness of the act should have with- held them, and then some of them, no doubt, were akin to that monkey and this should have restrained them. Joking aside; it was sad to look upon. Failing to catch up with Sherman we changed our course, crossed the Savannah river at Sister's Ferry, aim- ing to beat him to Savannah by crossing the peninsula formed by the bend in the river and a shorter route by some thirty miles. But he had such a start that he beat us to the goal, and while crossing the river we could hear the boom of the guns of Fort McAllister and the Federal fleet, knew^ that we were too late, that Sherman had got there and we were left out. We camped that night at Sister's Ferry and listened to the bombardment of Fort McAllister fifty miles away. We found an old six-pounder iron cannon here which had done service in the Revolutionary war. It was old and rusty, badly ^'pock marked" and lying on the ground like an old chunk, but we cleaned some of the dirt out of it, fired a national salute and w^e could imagine that the old gun spoke with the spirit of '70. CHAPTER XVIII. BREAKING camp at daylight next morning we pushed on toward Savannah, the reports from the heavy guns of the fort and fleet sounding plainer as we advanced. We marched thirty miles that day and went into camp after dark so near the scene of action that the concussion from the heavy guns kept the earth in a continuous quake. We slept well, however, until some time after midnight the firing suddenly ceased, w^hich woke us as quickly and effectively as though a bomb had burst in our camp. Conjecture ran rife and we were at a loss to ac- count for the sudden suspension of hostilities, but de- cided to find out and took an early start. After proceeding a few miles we met a courier from General Hardee with the information that Sherman had invested the citj^ , captured the fort prepared with heav}^ artillery to bombard the city, and in order to save the de- fenceless citizens General Hardee had destroyed the de- fences, ironclads and army stores in his possession— ex- cept such as he could carry away — crossed the river and was now on our side with his force, amounting to some eight thousand men. We took the right of Hardee's line and camped at the edge of a large rice plantation situated on Savannah river some five miles above the city. This plantation contained over three thousand acres covered with shocks of rice latelv harvested, and on this BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 275 rice, together with a few green weeds and pine sprouts, our horses subsisted lor a month and we lived on peanuts, sweet potatoes and rice. The difference in our rice and that fed to the horses was that ours was hulled, while theirs was fed to them in the sheaf. But I was luclvT again and soon escaped from this ^^epicurean" feast. Alex Barrett and I, with thirty others of the brigade, were detailed to man a fort on the coast, guarding an in- let between Grahamville and Pocataligo. This harbor was used by our blockade runners and there were three Federal ''men of war'' anchored outside the bar, but out of reach of our guns. The fort mounted six guns of heavy caliber and was fixed up for business. Not a man of us had ever fired anything bigger than an Enfield rifle, but we took pos- session with all the confidence of veteran artillerists and were anxious to try issues with all the battleships, but they persisted in hanging to the bottom and thus "saved their bacon.'' Of course, we would have preferred that they come one at a time until we got our hand in, but had they all come at oni-e we would have given them one round any- how, provided we had not put our loads in wrong end foremost and shot ourselves. All "bitters have their sweets," and so it was with us at the fort. In the mouth of a little creek (Cane Creek) emptying into the bay we discovered an oyster bed. The water covered them only a few inches at low tide, when we would wade in, fill a two bushel sack, carry them to the foi^t and feast. Talk about "bliss," "love's young dream," "the delights of opium and hashesh," none of them fill the bill. I have eaten ovsleis almost everv- 276 REMINISCENCES • where, in every style and fashion, since then, of all names and kinds — "'New York counts," ''Saddle Rocks," ^'Balti- more Standard," selects and XXXX — but none that could hold a candle to Cane Creek. I may have been hungry — and I suppose I was, as there was usually an aching void under my belt about that time — but these were certainly the most delicious bivalves I ever ate or have struck since. General Hardee evacuated Savannah on the night of the 20th-21st of December, 1864, and Sherman started on his tour through the Carolinas on the 22d of January, 1865. If my readers, who are posted on the history of the Revolutionary war, will notice they will see that the field of our operations was the same as that of (Ireene and Cornwallis, in fact, we fought the same battles over and in numerous instances from behind the old breast- works. The soil of this part of the country is composed of a dry sand and the timber growth wholly — except in the swamps — of pine. The pine tree sheds its needles every year and the scrub pine grows rapidly. These combined prevent the ground from washing, as in an alluvial soil. As a consequence landmarks ar^ preserved and it is not unusual to see traces of cultivation in dense forests bearing evidence of having existed for a hundred years or more. Many old pine trees bore the marks of the Revolu- tionary struggle and we readily recognized many places made famous by the two "Immortals/" Marion and Sump- ter. This coincidence is another proof that man does not choose his destiny; that the "God of battles" lays certain lines for his soldiers to follow, or, as Shakspeare says: BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 277 ''There's a divinity that shai>es our ends, rough hew Ihem how we will." Shakspeare was correct. While I am not a fatalist, I believe that tlie same j^reat mind which ushered our world and its concomitants into existence, did not do so for His own amusement, but His glory, and while He al- lows His creatures to follow their own inclinations to a certain extent, never relinquishes His authority and watchful care over His creation. If this be heresy make the most of it. General Hardee took his force to Charleston and left only our cavalry force to oppose Sherman on his march through the Carolinas, but as the rainy season set in at this time and lasted for almost a month, we were able to delay his march, and while the creeks, rivers and swamps held out, he did not have everything his own way. We fought him at every point but the most serious engagement was at Saltcahatchie river. This is a small stream and would be called a creek in this country, but the rains had so swollen it that it was now fully two hun- dred yards w ide. The Yankees undertook to pontoon it and in the ef- fort lost many men, but none of them ever got across until the waters receded enough for them to wade and we left. We left because they w^ere ''too many" for us and we acted on the idea that ''discretion is the better part of valor," gave them the road and fell back about a mile to a swamp which extended across the road and appeared to us a fine place to make a stand. Our company was formed across the road and re- ceived the concentrated fire of the Yankees. Several of the boys got holes through their clothes but strange to say, although the fire was terrific for a few minutes, no 278 REMINISCENCES one was killed or seriously hurt. The only casualities were Lewis Wall's mule and my horse which were killed by the first volley. The Yankees effected a crossing above and below us and before we knew it had us surrounded and thought they had us. ^ot so, how^ever. The boys who were mounted raised the yell and cut their w^ay out, leaving Lewis and 1 to "hold the bag." The first thing I did was to crawl into the crooked wood among the frogs and alligators and make myself as small as possible. This was about nine o'clock in the morning and the balance of the day I sat on a log in that swamp fighting mosquitoes, Avatching for alligators and reviewing Sherman's army through a little hole in the foliage. Just before sundown, after the last straggler had passed, I crept out of my hiding place and went sneak- ing along the edge of the swamp, ready to dodge under cover at the first sign of danger. I had not proceeded more than a hundred yards when I was hailed with ''Hey thar." I was a little shocked for a moment, but soon decided that it did not come from a Yankee (he would have said hal-1-lutj and answered "come out o' thar. I'm gwine to shell the woods." The bushes parted and out crawled Lewis Wall, and I then learned that his mule had been killed and, like me, he had hid in the swamp. We followed in the wake of Sherman's army until it went into camp. We hid out in the bushes till supper was over and all had retired when with our guns at a "right shoulder shift" we marched boldly through their camp as if on detailed duty. We managed to keep out of the light of their tires, but were often tempted to stop and investigate their hav- ersacks. It was onlv the critical situation w^e were in BT A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 279 that restrained us, for we were mortal hungry and the air was laden with the aroma of fried ham and "shore nuft .oftee." with which thev had just regaled themselves. But resisting the temptation, (this is no lie, boys, we did; was afraid to tackle her) we pushed on and about sun- rise reached our -amp and found the boys ready to move. Eating a few peanuts by way o^yf^f^^l^ tions Lewis and I piled into a wagon and slept through ^"*' The Yankee cavalry had gone to another part of the line and as we only had infantry to fight, there was a very p or Show of getting a -'mount," but the ^oy^ were -,ua to the emergency and foraged around in the swamps rnt 1 thev succeeded in capturing two little three year :,d n.ules. one white, the other black. Neither had ever felt the restraint of rope or halter and were as wild and vicious as any mule could well be imagined to be unde. similar circumstances. Thev bucked and kicked and did every wav that a mule could think of to "keep us off," but it wouldn t work Lewis and I were afoot, bad walked all night; wtne wearv and footsore, and rather than to continue the tramp, would have ridden an alligator, zebra or anything that wore hair or used four legs for locomotion. I can t tell vou here of the fun we had breaking these mules m, but we did it; we had to. 1 took the white mule, and we got to be great friends, but he never forgot our first intro- duction and afterwards played me a dirty trick and came near getting my head shot off by his cussedness. Resisting Sherman as best we could, our little cav- alrv squad fell back, gradually, but contested every foot of ground as stubbornly as though we had a force suf- ficient to meet and repel his advance. 28o REMINISCENCES A\'e fought him at River's bridge, Beaufort, Barnwell, Midway, Barnburg, (Trahamville and every point where it was possible to delay his march; but had no serious en- gagement until the 14th of February, 1865, on the Orange- burg road from Columbia. General Wade Hampton had just been assigned to the command of this department and General Butler (S. C.) "ranking" Brigadier. General Butler had not had any experience in our kind of warfare and came near getting us annihilated. Ordering us to dismount, get behind rail piles, trees — and when they ran out — bushes, and to hold our position till relieved. General Butler formed his brigade in reserve, mounted, but his men might as well have been in balloons for all the help they could render us. The ground was in no w^ay suitable for cavalry, which General Butler soon realized and withdrew his brigade to a position some three miles nearer Columbia. In the meantime we clung to our "rail piles" and Sherman came on with his whole force and although we ^^popped" away at the advancing army, w ith all our might, they did not return our fire, but kept coming. When they were within fifty yards of our line and it being evident if we stayed longer we would be captured, Colonel Breckenridge gave the order to retreat. My God! Any soldier knows what a trial it is to re- treat in the face of a superior force, and that it requires more courage to turn your back than your face to the foe under such circumstances. The minute we left cover, the Yankees poured a vol- ley into us; and the man was lucky, indeed, who escaped. Over thirty of our boys fell dead and wounded. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 28 1 Tlie Second Kentucky was in the ojjen field and suf- fered tlie greatest loss. Jimmy ( 'lardy (a brother of our congressman) fell and two of his messmates — Jack Lewis and another whose name I cannot remember — attempted to carry him oft' the field, when both were shot down, and the three friends died as they had lived, for each other. These boys had been neighbors and friends at home, attended the same school, shai'ed in each other's joys and sorrows in their earlier lives; actuated by the same mo- tives when they arri\ed at man's estate they cast their lots together, did honor to themselves, tlieir state and their cause and died as they had lived — for each other. And this is only another one of the sad incidents con- nected with war — cruel war. We lost anothei- good man here, who sacrificed his life trying to save others. I allude to Jimmy Stoner, of the Ninth, who was acting Sergeant Major of the brigade. As our line was retreating he started to go back to see if he might not assist some belated soldier to make his escape and, although we begged him not to go he persisted and had not gone fifty yards, when a ball struck him in the breast, i)assing through his lungs. His horse, an intelligent animal, wheeled and came back to us, and although such a wound ordinarily unhorsed the man receiving it, Jimmy hung on and was brought back to us, and taken to the hospital at Columbia, where he died the second night afterward while the city was in flames. Being reinforced with about six thousand infantry and a battery, we were enabled to check Sherman's ad- vance and keep him out of Columbia till nightfall put an end to the struggle when our brigade crossed the Conga- ree on a pontoon below^ the city, going through and re- 282 REMINISCENCES crossing above ou a double — toll— ►bridge, camping about midnight two miles out on the Atlanta road. Early next morning the enemy advanced and sending our horses back across the bridge we formed in the woods on the left of the bridge and made ready to meet him. The extreme left was fully a half mile from the bridge with the right reaching the road leading from it. The First was on the left and our company (G) on the left of the regiment. To the right of the road, Colonel Goode's ( Confederates held the line, and were also in charge of the bridge, which they had prepared to burn, in case we were unable to hold it. A description of the bridge and the preparations for its destruction may assist my readers in forming a cor- rect idea of our experience on this occasion. The bridge was four hundred feet long, double track, three rows of braces, sided (weatherboarded) and built entirely of Southern yellow pine. From end to end, pine faggots and raw cotton, saturated with turpentine, were interwoven between the braces, sides and middle. A fire was kept burning at the north end of the bridge guarded by a detail of four men and a fodder pile, with orders: ''When the last man gets into the bridge, light a bundle of fodder and set her off.'' The first advance was made on our front, which we repulsed. While waiting for another attack we heard a few shots on the right of the road, and then for a few minutes all was quiet. We were trying to account for the sudden change when the order was passed down our line, ''by the right tiank, by fours, double quick, march." Al- though a surprise, we hastened to obey and the further we went, the faster we ran; hurried on by our officers who seemed to be anxious to get away, as well they might be, for when we arrived at the bridge we found that the Con- BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 283 federates had crossed aud fired it, and it had the appear- ance of a hollow tube of fire from one end to the other. The Yankees had gained possession of the blutf above the bridge, and the river bank below it, and poured minnie balls into roof and sides like a hail storm, but we risked it, and rushed through, and strange to say, although bullets and splinters tiew thick around, not a man was wounded, but all nearly suffocated and badly scorched and ten or fifteen of the boys, who stumbled and fell, got hands and faces so badly burned that then' had to go to the hospital. On crossing the bridge, we formed along the river bank and kept Sherman from laying his pontoons until night, when we were relieved by the infantry and went back a few miles to take a little rest. It was just after we had crossed the burning bridge that (ieneral AVillianis returned to us and I happened to be present and hear "old Tap'' give (Ieneral Hampton a good "cussin' '' for the way he had treated us the last two days. General Wiliams expressed himself in characteristic language, which under ordinary circumstances would have subjected him to court-martial, but General Hamp- ton, appreciating his feeling spoke softly and tried to con- ciliate him and it passed oft' without further trouble, but General ^Villiams was so worked up in his feelings that he cried like a chiid. Early next morning we were hurried back to the front where we found that the Yankees had succeeded in getting a force across to our side. We made an eftort to drive them back, but as they had got their pontoon bridge across they rushed their men over and soon had a force too large for us to handle and keeping up a skirmish, we fell back gradually to Co- lumbia. CHAPTER XIX. AS I now remember, a rich and highly cultivated val- ley, about a mile wide, extended from the point where Sherman crossed the Congaree to the city and was from three to four miles long. We formed across this valley and skirmished with the enemy, gradually falling back until within halt a mile of Columbia where we met the mayor and city council with a flag of truce. The mayor requested us to retire and allow him to surrender the city and make terms with Sherman. We did so and withdrew our forces, taking the Winns- boro road, passing through Columbia on our retreat. This was about eleven o'clock in the morning, and as we passed through the city, we noticed that all doors were closed and the silence of death reigned. The city might have been depopulated, so far as any living evidence to the contrary was visible. It was the silence of the tomb. The citizens of Columbia anticipated some terri- ble misfortune and were not disappointed, for before the morning dawn of the next day their beautiful city was laid in ashes and they had experienced horrors which peu cannot portray. Our scout was left in the rear of the retreating col- umn and we were the last of our force to leave the city. The main body of our troops had left at least three hours before we did and after withdrawing from the city limits we scattered ourselves along the crest of the hill, where Lieut, J. P. Pierce. Enlisted in Col. Woodward's Second Kentucky Cavalry in July, 1864, and elected First Sergeant: promoted to First Lieutenant. Lieut. Pierce was taken sick in Trigg county. Ky , while in charge of a scouting party, and was captured in December, 1864, which ended his career as a soldier, as no prisoners were ex- changed after that date. He was Sheriff of Crittenden county, Ky., from 1878 to 1881, and County Judge of the same county from 1882 to 188.") ; has been engaged largely in merchandising, farmingand stock raising. Mr. Pierce is an active church worker and enjovs the esteem of all who know him. His present address is Marion, Ky. BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 285 we could watch the movements of the enemy and report to our men in the rear. When we left the city, the only eA^idence of fire was at the old freight depot about a half mile from the city limits — out in the woods — Avhere we noticed the smolder- ing remains of four freight cars, which had been fired for want of an engine to haul them away. As before stated, our scout — Lieutenant Hughes, the writer and six men — stopped on the top of the hill back of Columbia and from our station could observe every- thing that transpired in the city and valley. On meeting the mayor and council with the white flag, Sherman halted his army, and after a parley, of perhaps a half hour, one brigade of Yankees accomjjanied the mayor back to the city, and the rest of the army went into camp in the valley. Everything appeared, to us, to be quiet, and we saw no signs of anything unusual. We could see the Yankee troops, halted in the streets, resting on their arms, as if on an ordinary march, but no indication that the city was to be looted and burned. About four in the afternoon, a brigade of cavalry marched into the city and sent scouts out on the different roads, which necessitated a retreat on our part, and we went to camp, which we found some five miles away. Night had closed down and as the Yankees never moved — now— at night, we turned in with the boys for a rest. About eight o'clock, we began to notice a red glow in the western sky, which grew brighter and brighter, until the whole heavens were lit up and in our camp was as light as day. Instinctively we knew the cause and our indignation was only restrained from trying to visit vengeance on the 19 286 REMINISCENCES perpetrators by our lack of numbers, but when an old man, who escaped from the scene, came into camp and said, "the Yankees are burning everything" no one can imagine our chagrin on account of our helplessness. Sherman is dead now, and may God have mercy on his soul. A better kind of mercy than he extended to those who unfortunately lived on his route to '"The Sea'' and across the Carolinas. I would not detract from his fame as a great general, but, in the light of his achieve- ments, he was either a butcher or an imbecile. Public indignation was so great over the burning of Columbia that General Sherman felt called upon to ex- plain, and in doing so, attempted to lay the blame upon General Hampton and the citizens of Columbia, but after- ward admitted, that his men were so aroused that he could not control them. Twenty years ago, when this controversy was on, I felt like writing my knowledge of the event, but refrained, because at that time a Southern man was not to be heard or believed. But I write it now and "so help me heaven" it is true, and every Federal soldier who was at Columbia on the night of February 17, 1865, knows it's true. But for a concerted and determined effort to burn the city, it would have been an impossibility, as the houses, outside the business street, were built in the center of large park-like yards, where fire could not reach them, ex- cept in case of a very high wind, which did not blow that night, and everything was burnt, except a few cottages situated on the hillside and out of the city limits. They even fired the hospital which sheltered our wounded, and but for the action of a Captain Hawthorne (I think this is his name. I met him since the war and he gave me an account of it. I took his name, but unfortunately have BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 287 lost it) of an Illinois regiment, who guarded the building with his company and kept the tires extinguished, all our wounded would have been cremated in the grand holo- caust. Captain Hawthorne's (or whatever his name) state- ment is not unsubstantiated, as I have since talked with two of our boys, who were nurses in the hospital at the time, and they told me that an Illinois captain with his company, had put out the lire four or five times and stood guard over the building with bayonets fixed. All honor to such men. While this captain was our enemy, we honor him, because we believe he was fighting, like we, for his convictions and scorned to make war on the defence- less or for personal gain. Falling back gradually, skirmishing all the while, w^e passed through Winnsboro, crossed the Catawba at Rocky Mound, gave them a little "twist" on the old Camden bat- tle ground, fought them at Edisto river at Great Pedee and Little Pedee, and all around over that ''settlement," fell back to Black river and concluded that was far enough. We were getting mad now, because the Yankees had been running wild, and had everything their own way, until we had got tired of it. They had been burning houses again, hanging old men and outraging women. Some of our boys ran upon five Yankees engaged in the latter oc- cupation, and they piled them up in the forks of the road and ''tagged" them. This raised Sherman's ire and he raised the black flag. It looked squally for a day or two, but General Hampton finally convinced Sherman that "that" wasn't fighting and everything was again serene. The correspondence over this little episode was con- ducted under flag of truce and I was on the flag. I con- 288 REMINISCENCES • fess that I felt a little squally because they wanted the men who killed those fellows, and I was afraid they would think I was one of them. Now, I wasn't, but would have been five minutes later. As the old man would say, "I was knowin' to it." But matters are now coming to a crisis. General Lee is hemmed in at Richmond and cannot help us with the re- inforcements. General Hardee evacuated Charleston on the 17th, the day that Columbia fell, but we had not yet concluded to quit business. We gave the Yanks a test of our mettle at Mount Elon, and had a big and success- ful fight at Homesboro on March 4th, and Rockingham on the 7th, captured Kirkpatrick's camp by an early surprise on the 10th, with his artillery and equippage, and fought another successful battle the next morning early. For three days there was continual skirmishing and both ar- mies were feeling for position and getting ready for the battle that was evidently near at hand. To be exact about dates, the skirmishing began on the 18th of March, 1865, and the battle of Bentonville (the last of the war) was fought on the 19th. The attack was brought on by our brigade, which was on the front line, and, until later did not know that it had any support. General Johnston had been reinstated in command of the army, but we did not know it, and we thought that Gen- eral Hood, with his army, was still in Tennessee. Imag- ine our surprise, when falling back before Sherman's su- perior force, we ran into our own weatherbeaten gra}- backs. On they came, but they struck a snag. With all the hardships of the Tennessee campaign, the boys had not forgot how to yell and how to shoot. All day long, the battle raged and at night we had BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 289 driven them back across the swamp and into their in- trenchments, where we kept them till Appomattox. After Bentonville, we camped for about two weeks near Smithfield, K. C, and took the first rest we had en- joyed for nearly a year. Sherman remained quiet in his camp and there were no scouts or skirmishes. General Williams wanted to know^ what was going on in the Yankee camp and ordered me to take four men and find out. Selecting four of the best men from our '"scout" and going afoot, we arrived in sight of the Yankee pickets a little before sundown. Hiding in the thick under- brush, we waited until night, and the enemy had retired to rest. Secreting our rifles and agreeing on time and place of rendezvous, we separated and each man stole quietly through Sherman's lines and all night long prowled through his camp. Everything was quiet and peaceful — as our presence was not suspected — and there was little danger of detection. The temptation to prowl the Yankees was so great that I had to steal a pistol from an olficer and would have taken his sword, but it was part- ly under his blanket and I was afraid to risk removing it; had no use for it anyhow, and 1 found on reassembling next morning that all the rest of the boys had the same kind of trophy as I, in proof of their success in the prowl- ing line. Some of the boys were a little late in getting back, which caused us some uneasiness, but they all finally showed up and we started to camp. We had got to a safe distance, as we supposed, and had grown a little care- less, when we were suddenly brought to a realization of our danger by hearing voices ahead of us. Thinking it might be a Yankee scout we took to the bushes and waited 290 REMINISCENCES developments. Soon a squad of ten unarmed men came in sight around the bend in the road and we — seeing no danger from them — stepped out and arrested them. They proved to be North Carolinians and, as the spokesman of the party told us, on their way home. They claimed to have been captured at Fort Fisher and paroled. When we asked to see their paroles, they said they had destroyed them. This was suspicious and we arrested them as deserters. As we could not reach camp that day, we decided to camp in a cabin which we discovered in the pine woods, and go to camp next morning. ^Ye put the prisoners in the cabin, placed guards around it and were preparing for the night's vigil — we had nothing to eat and supper didn't trouble us— when just about sunset we heard the strokes of an ax which seemed to be about half a mile away. We knew^ the sound did not proceed from the Yankee camp and paid no attention to it, but one of our captives recognized the sound and it made him very rest- less. Perhaps, I can best describe his actions by giving the conversation that occurred between us: "Mister" said he, '^do you hear that ax?" "Yes," said T, "what of it?" "Mister! that is my wife chopping wood to cook supper for 'her' and my three little girls. I followed 'Btonewall' from Bull Run to Ohancellorsville, have fought the 'Y''anks' all around Richmond, was at Gettysburg and all through the Maryland and Pennsylvania campaign and have tried to do my dut}'. 1 have not 'seed' my wife and little ones for three years, am in a half mile of them, can't you let me go?" His statement was corroborated by all his comrades, but I told him, "No; let General Williams pass on your BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER 29 1 case." Better for me bad I let him go as the sequel proved. Arriving at camp next morning, I took the old man to General Williams' quarters, where he told his tale of the night before. I noticed that, as he proceeded, the General became more and more interested and even be- fore he had finished, the tears were streaming down the General's cheeks. "Go home, sir, go home." said the Gen- eral. "If the Confederacy had enough such men and wo- men as you and your wife, we would not be in the fix we are in." And ttii'ning to me he said, "What did you arrest this man for?" "Desertion," said I. "Deserter h— 1," said he, "I wish we had a hundred thousand more of the same kind,'' and he turned the whole gang loose. That settled it and the General soon got friendly witji me again and as far as heard from, we are on the same terms yet. Just now. General Lee surrendered at Appamattox and our cause was lost, but President Davis hoped to transfer headquarters West of the Mississippi river and there make another etfort to save the day. Our brigade was complimented by being selected as the President's escort and met him and his cabinet at Greensboro, N. C. We made all the haste possible, but owing to circum- stances, did not get along very fast. General McCook was trying to head us otf on the North and General Stone- man on the South and we had to run the gauntlet. We skirmished right and left and kept the "dogs off," as it were, until we reached Savannah river, which we crossed about five miles from Washington, Ga. Here the news reached us of Johnston's surrender, and that we were in- cluded. We also found that General Wilson with his cavalry 292 REMINISCENCES corps, was in front of us and that we were completely sur- rounded by an oyer^v helming force. Recognizing the futility of a further attempt to es- cape with any considerable number of men, President Dayis decided to diyide the contents of the Treasury with the men who were with him and make an attempt to get out of the country. He failed, as all know. On the morning of May 7th, 1865, T was ordered to re- port to Secretary Trenholm, who was stopping at the house of the ferryman. On presenting myself and my cre- dentials, I was handed a little cotton bag — sealed — which I was ordered to turn oyer to the captain of our company. On breaking the seal, the Captain found a pay roll, allotting officers and men the same amount, without dis- tinction of rank, and we were all handed |26.40 in gold and silyer. There has been much written about the buried ''Con- federate treasure," but this is all "moonshine." We got all the money there was in the treasury and the only won- der is that we got to keep it. The Yankees didn't know we had it or they would haxe prowled us sure. And then, I haye read an article purporting to giye an account of a night raid on the Confederate Treasury wagons near Abbeyille, S. C, and the looting of the same by a detachment of our cayalry. This is all a fabrica- tion made out of whole cloth, as hundreds of our brigade can testify. We got all the money there was in these wagons and we got it "honest." We knew it was there all the time and guarded it, and nobody ever got near it but we never stole any of it either — but we got it. But to go back a little in this narratiye, as before stated, we met President Davis*and his Cabinet Officecs BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 293 at Greensboro, N. C and escorted them as far as Wash- ington, Ga., passing through Salisbury, Charlotte, Abbe- ville and other towns of less note. It was at Charlotte that Mr. Davis received the tele- gram announcing the assassination of Mr. Lincoln. Mr. Davis was just about to enter the hotel door, when a courier dashed up with the despatch and it was passed to him over the heads of the crowd of men in the front yard. I was standing just inside the hall door, and when the President opened and read the dispatch, I noticed that he was greatly atfected by it. Turning to Mr. Reagan, who was by his side, he handed him the paper with the re- mark, ^'This is very unfortunate, read it to the men." When Mr. Reagan had read it aloud, a solemn stillness, ap- proaching awe, settled over the crowd for several minutes, when the terrible deed was discussed in whispers among the men. All looked on the deed as an outrage and a calamity. While we had fought against the ideas upheld by Mr. Lin- coln, none held him personally responsible, and although we differed with him in principle we respected him as a patriot from his standpoint and honest in his convictions. We had long since learned that he was not to blame for the horrors of the war, but the passive agent of a lot of ambitious and avaricious men, who had gained control and used him as an instrument to further their ambition. The same men tried this on General Grant after the war, but found him made of sterner stuff. Right here I did the only horse trading I ever had or ever have done, and after they read of it, I will ask my readers, if they think I made it pay. I swapped my gray mule to an old citizen near Abbeville, for a mustang 2Q4 REMINISCENCES pony and the ponv for a three year old roan colt with four white feet and glass eyes. I expected to ride home and as this kind of a horse was entitled to free ferriage and I had several rivers to cross, the saving would be considerable. But a young man, riding a very fine seventeen hand mule, took a fancy to my horse and we traded. I sold out, mule, saddle and bridle to a Georgia farmer for fifteen dollars in gold, and started out to walk home with forty-one dol- lars and forty cents in my pocket. This was more money than I had seen for three years and 1 felt rich. Had I met Jay Gould, Vanderbilt or any of our big rich men at that time, I doubt if I should have spoken to them, except as a mere condescension. But I walked into Washington and into the Provost Marshal's office — there were two of them, both Jews, Asahel Mann and Lot Abraham. I went to Mann's office — and got my parole, went down to the depot, jumped on a freight train and rode to Atlanta.. Got to Atlanta about midnight and went to the Kimball House, the only one left in town, got breakfast, paid a round silver (Mexican) dollar for it, and at ten o'clock, started out with six others, to walk to Dalton or home» as necessity required. You see, about this time we were not choice as to our accommodations and accommodated ourselves to circum- stances. If we had a chance to ride we rode, if not. "be jabbers' we walked. We had done all we could and had our heads turned toward home and nothing could stop or turn us. It was- home or "bust" like the Pike's Peakers. By the terms of surrender, cavalrymen were allowed to retain their horses and side arms and all men without horses were to be furnished transportation to their respec- tive states. To those traveling through the country, arms BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 295 were indispensable for protection against the bushwhack- ers who infested the ronte and it was also unsafe for us to travel except in sufficient numbers together to protect ourselves. Organizing a party of six and eating our dollar break- fast, we started out to walk to Dalton (101 miles) the rail- road having been destroyed to that point. We were un- able to draw any rations and left Atlanta at ten a. m. to walk this hundred miles with nothing to depend on but our dollar breakfast under our belts and no prospect of adding to it before we reached the end of our tramp.* This may seem a gloojny outlook, but we had practiced starving for so long that it did not discourage us. AYe depended on some streak of good luck to pull us through and it did. We weie fresh and made the twenty-two miles to Marietta by 1 p. m. There were only a few small cottages left of the once handsome town and they were occupied by some women and children who drew rations from Uncle Sam. I went prospecting for -grub'' and made myself so agreeable to one of the women that she baked us a corn pone apiece out of the meal she had saved. An idea of the character and size of this ration can be formed from a description. Made of kiln dried army meal with cold water and no salt, baked in an eight-inch skillet or "spider," two to the spider, until the top of the pones cracked open in nice squares, resembling a diminu- tive map of the earth, showing the parallels of latitude and longitude and at which point the mass is supposed.to be hot through and "done'' and there you have it. Meat of any kind was out of the question, but we were glad to get the bread; such as it was it "beat nothin'.*' With a corn "pone" in each of our haversacks we pro- 296 REMINISCENCES ceeded on our joiiiney and walked out to Big Shanty, where we camped and started out next morning by day- break, eating our breakfast as we went. We had discov- ered the night before that we had been going the ^'pace that kills" and must move more slowly, if we expected to reach our destination. I was chosen leader and set the pace the rest of the way. I divided the march into relays of six miles and an hour and a half to each relay, giving a rest of fifteen minutes at latter end of each. The boys all stood this arrangement well except Al Smith of the Ninth. He was tall and heavy, his boots had high heels and fit him a little "too quick" and he was soon, after leaving Big Shanty, walking like a frost-bitten chicken. I wore a pair of English army shoes — prowled at Greensboro. I didn't steal them, just prowled them — which were very comfortable. In order to help Al along I exchanged with him and an hour after I was as badly crippled as he. The boots were too short for me and on a down hill pull infiicted indescribable torture. It seemed inevitable that our whole expedition was to be wrecked by Al. Smith's boots and we stopped to hold a parley and devise ways and means to save at least enough of the party to carry the news home, when our usual good luck came to the rescue and we were saved. An old citizen from near Chattanooga came driving up and we proceeded to interview him. We learned that he was returning from the sea coast where he had been after salt. He drove an old crooked-legged mule and a little ''flea bitten" gray pony to a ramshackle wagon tied together with withes and bits of hoop iron, and his load consisted of himself, three bags of salt and about a dozen bundles of BY A PRIVATE SOLDIER. 297 fodder. A less iinitiiii*