^(laaaiBiMMMiyiiiWPocMiiiiwi 
 
 SKETCHES 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ■ FIBSTREG1MENTGA.V0L&" 
 
 . 
 
 . her v» itii 
 
 Txazizi TzzorroT^rz- 
 
 
 OV THE 
 
 GfitlflUXaJIEVl GEORGIA VOL 
 
Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1804, 
 
 by LiKxia n EisrA.isrr oscak >v. cantrell, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Confederate Suites for 
 the Northern District of Georgia. ' 
 
 George Washington Flowers 
 Memorial Collection 
 
 DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 ESTABLISHED BY THE 
 FAMILY OF 
 
 COLONEL FLOWERS 
 

 SKETCHES 
 
 07 THE 
 
 FIRST REGIMENT GA. VOLS. 
 
 IIKK WITH 
 
 3?EEE HISTOR1T ^ 
 
 4 tf ' 
 
 
 56th REGIMENT GEORGIA VOLS., 
 
 TO JANUARY ! . 
 
 BY LIEUTENANT OSCAR A. CANTRELL. 
 
 ATLANTA, GEORGIA: 
 INTELLIGENCER STEAM POWER PRESSES. 
 
 1864. 
 
TO 
 
 ED.WIN ROSCOE THORNTON, 
 
 AS 
 
 A PEOOF OF Xn^TIRIFG FEIENDSElP, 
 
 AS WELL A3 
 
 A HIGH OPINION OP HIM AS A LEARNED AND TALENTED YODNG GENTLEMAN, 
 
 % Iris Wsfli is pfptMrj gjttiatttir, 
 
 IJY 
 
 THE AUTHOR 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 This narrative is a record of lected from the Author'* diary, 
 
 the intention of which wi not originally for publication, and ia rnanj 
 places the language is adopted word for word as hurriedly written iu the 
 original memoranda after a hard day's march, consequently portions of 
 this work reads as though it was a memoir of the Author, relating what 
 he did as well as the regiment to wMch he belonged. 
 
 Had it not been f >r the solicitation of many friends, who witnessed 
 many of the hardships acd trying scenes, as described in this little work, 
 it would have remaii obscure little raanu- 
 
 ■»cript, kept by the author for perusal at leisure moments. 
 
 That portion of this work termed "Sketches of the First Regiment 
 Georgia Volunteers," is very imperfect, the Author having no notes to 
 assist him, save memory, a few letters, however, are recorded, 
 
 which were written to friends and afterwards appeared in some of the 
 public journals of Georgia. 
 
 Throughout this narrative the word "boys" is frequently u>cd. mean- 
 ing soldiers not only of the First and Fifty-Sixth Georgia Rtgl 
 nf the whole command. 
 
 In that portion of this work termed " II he Fifty-Sixth Ilcgi- 
 
 ment Georgia Volunteers," we do no; find a full and complete record of 
 important and interesting events, such as might appear were the Author 
 an historian, accompanying the army for the purpose of writing histories, 
 but we find events recorded of miner importar.ee, which, in many places, 
 is done to show the manner in which the soldier i life, atoo to 
 
 show what demoralizing influences attends his pathway. 
 
 There are several tricks recorded in this work, showing the shrewd- 
 ness of soldiers in obtaining the property of others without paying for 
 the same, such as the Chris-tmas tricks at Chattanooga, and the potato 
 trick at West-Point, and all ethers of a similar character, all of which 
 were related to the Auther by members of his regiment, while he was 
 preparing this work for publication. Had he been a witness to this 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 • 
 
 roguery arid robbing-, it would have been his duty, as an officer of the- 
 Confederate Army, to have had the g'lilty parties arrested, and he most 
 assuredly would have acted in accordance with his duty. 
 
 There was not much effort made to obtain facts concerning the siege 
 of Vicksburg. It appears here just as it was penned by the Author 
 during its progress. He obtained information from no one, describing 
 only the particulars as seen by his own eye. 
 
 OSCAR ALEXANDER CANTRELL. 
 
 Dai/ton, Ga., March, 1S64. 
 
SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 I X T R <■ D U C T I O N 
 
 Kvw.v in tin- pear 1861, I plainly «aw i'. anient 
 
 which was >preading nil f»vi r our lam), that) a blood £ war be- 
 tween the North and South was inevitable. I well knew that 
 we had a foe " whose #le 
 
 and whosettildoni brokeq up $e» their, depths, freshing 
 
 forth scniinv.nts corrupt and j , t t ], c 
 
 time wm pear al html, wh. n the s.uth.would la* 
 and make it an issue, show inor to, the world that she rea] 
 what is »ight, and condemns what is wrong/ 1 My oonv* 
 beingthna,I hi': home on the fourth dajroi Jane eeded 
 
 to Newnan, Geo., and early the following morning eight young 
 men, seven of whom were from Newnan, and Styatlf from 
 Gampbelhon was the eighth, itopi .<uger 
 
 brain, which soon began to hear us on towards Virginia 
 e*uits to the "Newnan Guards, " which was Compap; 
 Georgia Regiment. At sunset the whistle blew and the train 
 stopped under the car shelter at Augusta, Geo.; we hopped 
 into an omnibus and soon arrived at the depot on the 
 side of the city. We again took the. train, and on the < i 
 day of June we arrived at RicWond, Virginia, and immod 
 Iy proceeded one mile east of the city, where-we found the first 
 Georgia Regiment tented on a beautiful elevated plain. In a 
 few days afterwards we were reviewed by President Davis and 
 Governor Letcher, each of whom delivered a short and eloquent 
 address. On the twelfth of June we took the train and travel- 
 ed to Staunton, Virginia, wli sre v. e stayed foi days, and 
 then « set out:' for Laurel Hill. 
 
6 [NTJRODUCnOir. 
 
 Oar trip from Georgia to Staunton was a pleasant one. Sol- 
 diers were something new, and being dressed in new gray uni- 
 forms, with spotted flannel shirts, and brass buttons shining, we 
 took very well among the ladies, who gathered in great num- 
 bers around every station on the route, and cheered us by wav- 
 ing their handkerchiefs and throwing us bouquets. We did not 
 lack for provisions, as we got the best that the country afford- 
 ed ; some of which was free of charge. 
 
 The first remark that caused me to think seriously about the 
 dangers of war, was made by a gentleman sitting in the car 
 which was crowded with soldiers. He said that he would not 
 give three cents for the chance of any soldier's life, among the 
 whole car load, who were then on their way to the hnttlelield. 
 I then began to feel as though I would never see home again, 
 and that a soldier's life in time of war was but short. Fortu- 
 nately for me I have been permitted to live until the present 
 time, but many who heard that serious remark are to-day lying 
 in the "cold, the dark, and silent grave;" and how many hun- 
 dreds and thousands, yea, tens of thousands, who were at that 
 day in the bloom of life, that are now " numbered among the 
 dead ;" they have fallen bravely in the defense of their country, 
 and to-day " I hope that they are mingling their voices with 
 angels in the patriot's heaven." Every household has been made 
 to mourn ; almost every eye has been made to shed tears ; and 
 all have lost relatives and friends. If the readers of this knew 
 half the trials and sufferings of the poor soldier, it would move 
 them with compassion ; the tender chords of their hearts would 
 be touched, and tears would freely fall from their eyes. 
 
 About the sixteenth day of June w r e started to Laurel Hill. 
 A long march of one hundred and twenty miles across the Alle- 
 ghany Mountains now lay before us. In crossing this long and 
 high range of mountains, I thought of Bonaparte, and I thought 
 of the Alps. Two things it did afford us, pure water and pic- 
 turesque mountain scenery. 
 
 At Buffalo Gap, ten miles from Staunton, the citizens gave 
 the whole regiment a dinner of buttermilk and bread — after 
 which the boys gave it the name of Buttermilk Gap ; one gen- 
 tleman furnished one hundred gallons. The second night after 
 we left Staunton, a member of our company was killed while 
 performing guard duty, by a raeraber of our regiment who was 
 
RETREAT FROM LAUREL ETLI 
 
 intoxicated. The young man, whose name was Meyer, was 
 very much beloved by his fellow-soldiers ; his remains were sent 
 to Georgia to be interred. The night following we camped at 
 Monterey, and the weather was so cold that we suffered consid- 
 erably during the night. Conversing with some aged citizens, 
 I was informed that fro i ery month in the year 
 
 among those mountains. 
 
 We camped at Beverly night of the twenty-first of June, and 
 during the night a terrible storm came, which blew down most 
 of our tents— it raged so terribly for about two hours, I began 
 to think that soldiers and tents would be blown away. We 
 reached Laurel Hill twenty-third of June-^-the enemy was then 
 in strong force at Philippi, just fifteen miles distant; at day- 
 break, seventh of July, our pickets informed us of the near ap- 
 proach of the enemy, who had just arrived in sight of our breast 
 works ; heavy skirmishing immediately began on the ninth of 
 July— the enemy began faffing our encampment, which lasted 
 for two days. 
 
 CHAPTEH II. 
 
 RETKKAT (-V MAI RAL ft 8. OARNFTT FROM LAURIE tOU* VIRGINIA 
 
 On the eleventh of July, news was received that the enemy 
 und<?r General McClellan had defeated our army at Rich Moun- 
 ta.n, taking Colonel Pegram and his command prisoners, which 
 consisted of about one thousand men, and that General McClel- 
 lan wa3 at Beverly, sixteen miles in our rear, with an army of 
 ten thousand men ; at sunset General Garnett ordered us to 
 strike tents, and at dark our whole force, which consisted of 
 three regiments of infantry, two companies of cavalry, and one 
 company of artillery, numbering in all about three thousand 
 men, began to move in the direction of Beverly— the rain was 
 falling upon us rapidly, and after marching a few miles the com- 
 mand halted to rest. One of our boys asked Colonel Ramsvv 
 why wc marched in the night and the weather so inclement ? 
 The Colonel replied, that this is a " strategic" movement. We 
 marched all night, and at dawn of day found that we were in 
 
RETREAT FROM LAUREL HILLj 
 
 three miles of Beverly. The General countermarched us, and 
 after marching back a few miles he filed us into a rough, narrow, 
 mountainous road. We advanced along this road several miles, 
 when General Garnett stopped and held a council of war ; he 
 had one of two courses to pursue, that is, surrender to the ene- 
 my, or try to make his escape through the mountains. In a 
 few minutes our cavelry reported that the Yankees were in pur- 
 suit close behind. The council decided to make our escape if 
 possible. We began to move off in the quick step, the day was 
 extremely hot, and the soldiers began to throw their clothing 
 from their knapsacks, and during the whole day I was scarcely 
 out of sight of clothing which was thrown away, the bushes on 
 either side the road were strewn with them. The General had 
 all the baggage throw.n out of the wagons, and the sick placed 
 in them. At night we started over a mountain, and it began to 
 rain very hard ; a great many of our teams stalled, and we had 
 to throw the wagons down the mountain and leave them. We 
 now had run out of provisions, and about two hours before day 
 we lay down to rest; next morning we began continuing the 
 retreat. At about ten o'clock it began to rain again, we were 
 then wading Cheat River ; our cavalry came dashing by us, say- 
 ing that the enemy would be upon us in a few minutes. Sure 
 enough, as we reached the opposite bank the enemy appeared 
 in sight. Colonel Ramsey placed the left wing of his regiment 
 in ambush, while lie formed the line of battle with the right 
 wing, and immediately sent a dispatch to General Garnett, who 
 was nine miles in advance, informing him of his situation. 
 
 The enemy pressed on, and Colonel Ramsey was compelled to 
 give way ; the left wing was now cut off, as the enemy rushed 
 in between it and the right wing. We crossed the river again, 
 half mile below, and Colonel Ramsey placed the right wing in 
 ambush. We fought desperately for a short time ; we soon had 
 to give away again, and in a short time we came up with the 
 artillery and the twenty-third Virginia Regiment, formed on 
 the bank of the river, ready to give the enemy a warm recep- 
 tion. Colonel Ramsey formed on them, and an engagement 
 took place, which is known as the battle of Carriers Ford ; 
 General Garnett was killed. We then continued the retreat, 
 marching day and night without any subsistence, until the sev- 
 enteenth of the month, w^hen the command reached Franklin. — 
 
KETKEAT FROM LAUREL B&L. 9 
 
 During the retreat the main body of our troops passed through 
 the corner of the State of Maryland — the distance travelled 
 during the retreat, is two hundred miles. The suffering endur- 
 ed while marching five or six days and nights over a rough 
 mountainous road, with nothing to eat, is scarcely describable. 
 The left wing bad to make its way through the mountains ; a 
 great many came very near starving. I was cut off in the 
 mountains with a small squad, and the manner in which I made 
 my escape is explained in a letter which I wrote to a friend, a): 
 extract of which was published; here is the extract as it ap- 
 peared in the & /, with a slight alteration : 
 
 THE FIftST GEOKGIA KKULMEXT. 
 
 Oscar .V. Cantrell, of Campbellton, who is a member of the 
 Xewnan Guards, attached to the I ■ rgia R< giraent, writes 
 
 from Monterey, Virginia, ui fe of July lrjth, as follows: 
 
 Our Colonel gave the command to \ which I did not 
 
 hear. The guns had ceased fi i was raining very hard 
 
 all the time, and we Were all wet as water could make u<. I I r 
 men retreated, find, before T knew they had done bo, the enemy 
 was p on after oar army. 1 was sittii 1 a large 
 
 tree, on th« Bldfl of the mountain, within one hundred 
 the road when an hour or fc 
 
 kept peeping around at them, and >:\.w nearly their whole force. 
 
 During all this time (from the time we left Laurel Uiil on 
 Tuesday night) we had not had any food, and it raining tin- 
 greater portion of the time. Our men were in no condition to 
 right, even an equal number, but had to fight treble our one 
 
 I will tell you how I made my escape, I lay close to my tree 
 until nearly night, ****** when I went up the 
 mountain side and found twenty other men who had been cut 
 off in the same manner that I had — one of whom was a captain. 
 We went over the mountain and camped. We had not yet 
 eaten anything, and I assure you we suffered with hunger. — 
 Next morning we came across the enemy's picket guard, and 
 made them run. Some of them were on horses. One left his 
 gun and blanket. We took the blanket, but left the gun, as 
 each of us had a gun, and no one of us was willing to carry 
 another. We travelled on a little farther, and came into tb; 
 road among the Yankees. They halted us. I thought to my- 
 
10 1U.TTLE VF G RISEN BRIER RIVKR. 
 
 self that we were prisoners, but there was a man in the compa- 
 ny who had formerly lived in Pennsylvania, and we put him 
 before to do the talking. He told them that we were volun. 
 teers from Tioga County, Pennsylvania, and were going to join 
 the army. They told us to go ahead and help flog the rebels. 
 Thus, claiming to be abolitionists, we passed through them. — 
 As soon as we got out of sight, we took the woods and travel- 
 led in the mountains, wandering about for three or four days, 
 with but little to eat. I never before knew what it was to 
 suffer. 
 
 Finally, we reached a road that lead to Franklin, Pendleton 
 County. At the distance of twenty miles from that place, my 
 legs pained me so that I was compelled to cease travelling, and 
 the party that I was travelling with left me. I rested anight, 
 and half a day, and then hired a horse and rode to Franklin. 
 When I arrived there I met the regiment, (that is, what was 
 left,) and to-day we arrived at this place, where we will stay 
 one or two months to gain our strength again. The largest 
 body of our troops stayed together until the last engagement. • 
 When our General got killed we ail got scattered, and every 
 one's aim was to take care of himself. I do not know how 
 many of our men were killed, but there are a great many miss- 
 ing. They are scattered all over the mountains, and some will 
 never get out I fear. We lost all our baggage. Our captain 
 has gone to Richmond, as I suppose, to learn what is to be done 
 with the remnant of our men. 
 
 The citizens of Franklin had plenty, of provisions prepared 
 for us,'but a great many could not eat, and numbers died from 
 the fatigue and exposure of the retreat. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 BATTLE OP GREEN BKIER BIVEB. 
 
 In September our regiment was ordered to Greenbrier River, 
 in Pocahontas County, and on the third of October the battle 
 of Greenbrier River was fought. The enemy attacked nfc 
 in the morning, and the battle continued until one o'clock, when 
 
BATTLE OF OUEKN FKILIi JilVHli. 11 
 
 the enemy fled from the battle field in double quick time, leav- 
 ing the Stars and Stripes, and many guns, cartridge-boxes, can- 
 teens, &c. 
 
 A few weeks after the battle, I wrote the following letter to 
 A. G. Murray, editor of the Southern Union: 
 
 < AMI' JJARToW, GREENBRIER RIVER, I 
 
 Pocahontas County, Virginia, Oct. 29, 1861. jj" 
 
 Dear *S7r, — Seated by a warm fire in front of my tent, I pro- 
 ceed to write you a letter containing the news from northwest- 
 ern Virginia. As it is probable that you have heard of the 
 battle fought at this place on the third instant, resulting in our 
 victory, I will not attempt to relate the proceedings ol that 
 day, but will tell you something of the military movements 
 since that time. 
 
 For the last two week*, the enemy's scouts have been firing 
 at our pickets nearly every day. Our pickets invariably return 
 the fire. Several men have been wounded on both sides, but 
 there has been none killed since the battle of the third. Daj 
 before yesterday three hundred of the enemy attacked our pick- 
 ets, forty or fifty in number, which were stationed about five 
 miles from camp, in the direct! • my's camp, drove 
 
 them in, and set fire to a dwelling house which was occupied 
 by our pickets during wet Weather. The house was soon re- 
 duced to ashes, but th< occupy their former positions. 
 
 A few days after the battle, some of the enemy appeared at 
 our extreme picket posts with trnce, asking f>ermlssion 
 
 to visit the battle field t< of their dead, but General 
 
 Jackson would not permit them to do SO, because 
 dressed to him was not signed by their ( 
 
 The enemy's camf* is ten miles north of this place, on top of 
 Cheat Mountain. Their number i* supposed to be six thousand, 
 nnder the command of General Reynolds. 
 
 The force we have at this place is, the fir^t and twelfth Geor- 
 gia Regiments, four Virginia regiments, one Arkansas regiment, 
 four artillery companies with sixteen pieces, and one or two 
 battallions. We are strongly fortified, and are commanded by 
 General Henry R. Jackson, of Georgia. 
 
 The health of this regiment is ranch better than it was during 
 the months of August an 1 September. There is very little 
 
12 BATTLE OP GREEN BRIER RIVER. 
 
 sickness now in camp. We procured a splendid brass band last 
 month, which adds a great deal to the regiment. The music 
 revives the feelings of the soldier who is fir from home. 
 
 This is a mountainous country, and the weather is setting in 
 cold. On the night of the twenty-third of this month, we had 
 some snow. We will soon be compelled to abandon this place 
 and go into winter quarters. There are a great many soldiers 
 engaged in building on top of the Alleghany Mountain, which 
 is eight or tea miles south of this place, for the troops to stay 
 in dining the winter. I suppose the Virginians will be quarter- 
 ed there, as it is probable this regiment will be ordered south, 
 perhaps to the coast of Georgia. I am, etc. 
 
 OSCAU A. CANTltELL. 
 
 Early one morning, General Jackson moved up to attack the 
 enemy who was well fortified on the top of Cheat Mountain. — 
 He selected eighty men, and sent them in advance to surround 
 the enemy's pickets before daylight, and take them prisoners. 
 They succeeded in surrounding the pickets, but about daylight 
 the gun of one of our men was discharged accidentally, and the 
 pickets became alarmed, and came rushing down the road near 
 where our men were concealed in a thicket. As soon as our 
 men saw them they lired into them, and killed in all about one 
 dozen. The eighty men then advanced in the direction of our, 
 camp, and met General Jackson and command, at a short turn 
 in the road, on the mountain side. Each party thought that 
 the other was the enemy, and a considerable battle was fought 
 amoi-g our own men, in which several were killed and wounded. 
 One was killed in the company that I was a member of, and one 
 was wounded. 
 
 A few days afterwards, one of the blue coated soldiers stray- 
 ed off of Cheat Mountain, and was soon so far from camps that 
 he did not know what direction to travel in to get back. He 
 came to a house where no one was present, except a young lady 
 and three little boys — the oldest of which was about nine years 
 old. He left his musket in the yard leaning against the house, 
 and stepped into the dining room to get his dinner. One of 
 the little boys immediately seized 3iis musket, while the other 
 two took two guns belonging to their father from the rack, and 
 they all took their stand at the dining room door. When the! 
 soldier came to the door, he inquired the route to Cheat Moun- 
 
BATTLE OF GREEN" BBJKR KiVKU. 13 
 
 tain. The boys all presented their guns at him, and said go be- 
 fore us and we will show you your. route. They marched him 
 immediately to our camp, and delivered him to General Jack- 
 son. The soldiers made up a purse oi" money and gave to the 
 little boys for their courage and patriotism. 
 
 Oar company was sent on ne eold night in Not< mber, 
 
 and daring the nigl 1 a prisoner who had a tender- 
 
 footed, poor, shabby, old, no-account, trilling, good-for-nothing, 
 sheepish-looking horse. Returning to camp in the mornit j 
 came to the river, Whtc i on a log, but persons 
 
 on horseback < t the ford, which was very deep at that 
 
 season of the ; • ar. One <>f our corporals was very anxious to 
 ride the captured animal across the stream, and obtained per- 
 mission from the captain to do so. Our corporal mounted the 
 horse, and we i see him ride across. 
 
 Midway the river our i ■. n. and our corporal lloats 
 
 off in the water d -. Ojiir i abandons 
 
 the horse in the middle oi the stnum, and gets t<> the bank 
 with all possible P] .11 this time the company was m an 
 
 uproar of laughter at the corporal's 
 
 the ground, and (he weather being very cold, our corporal's 
 clothes w« iched ca 
 
 Our Butiei receivi b supply <>'.' whtsl 
 
 soldiers concluded that he would cheat the old gentleman out 
 of a quart. The soldier had two Mack 1 the same size: 
 
 i tie filled one with water, and placed one in each pocket, and 
 went to the sutler in the night and handed him his empty boUle 
 to be fdled with whisky; after the bottle was filled, and the 
 soldier had placed it back in his pocket, he remarked to the sut- 
 ler, (well knowing that he sold his whisky only for cash) that 
 he would settle with him in a few dnys. The sutler replied that 
 he must pay the money immediately, or return the whisky. 
 The soldier handed him the bottle of water, telling him to 
 empty it quick, as he was in a great hurry and wanted his bot- 
 tle. The trick succeeded, and the soldier returned to his quar- 
 ters plus a quart of whisky, thinking how well the suttlers 
 whisky was watered, and how easily the trick was played. 
 
 The Virginia soldiers were frequently speculating off of the 
 Georgians, and during our march through the mountains, we 
 came to a rich little valley called Crabb bottom. Some of the 
 
14 UNFEELING SOLDIERS. 
 
 Georgians had visited a still house during the day, and were, 
 somewhat intoxicated. TV T e stopped to camp for the night, and 
 this intoxicated crowd had just bought a lot of apples at twenty 
 cents per dozen, when a Virginia soldier came along with a sack 
 of apples, and stopped where they were, and offered to sell 
 these apples at fifty cents per dozen. One of the boys took the 
 sack and struck him over the head with it. The sack was rot- 
 ten, and it tore almost to strings. The apples fell in every di- 
 rection. The whole crowd began to pelt the Virginian with 
 the apples ; he began to beg, but they only pelted him the hard- 
 er; he then began to run, and the crowd pursued until they 
 ran him out of camps. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 UNFEELING SOLDIERS. 
 
 On the Virginia side of the Potomac river, just opposite the 
 town of Hancock, Maryland, the Yankees established a camp, 
 and in January, 1881, our army, under General Stonewall Jack- 
 son, rushed upon the " Yanks" and drove them across the river. 
 A number of soldiers were immediately detailed to proceed to 
 a dwelling which stood near the camp, in which commissary 
 stores were kept, to assist our .commissary in removing the 
 stores to our camp. I was one of that detail. All the family 
 were absent except two little girls. When I arrived at the 
 house there was about half a dozen soldiers crowded around 
 the table ; they had entered the pantry and taken out its con- 
 tents, which consisted of bread and honey, and were busily 
 engaged in eating. As I entered the door I heard the little 
 girls crying; they said they had but little for themselves to eat, 
 and the soldiers had taken it all from them. The soldiers in- 
 vited me to eat with them. I remarked that I never yet had 
 eaten bread, while children stood around me crying for it. 
 
 A soldier in the mountains of Virginia entered an old lady's 
 milk house and began to drink her milk without permission. 
 The old lady locked the door and kept the youngster in prison 
 until nisht. 
 
IN!-'. 13 
 
 Great Courage of Soldierk — While the First Georgia Reg- 
 iment was at Romney, Virginia, General Loring sent a train of 
 forage wagons to the town, of Moorefidd, and fearing that the 
 enemy's cavalry would cut them off and capture them, he sent 
 Captain Houser, with a detachment of men, to meet the train 
 on its return, and protect it until it readied camps again. 
 eordingly Captain Houser and his men started about ten o'clock 
 at night. It Mas one of the coldest nights of January, and the 
 snow lay several inches deep «>:i the ground. They traveled 
 several miles and came to a deep creek, hich had to be crossed 
 by wading. Some spoke of returning to camp, and some said 
 that it was too cold to m said they would fol- 
 
 low the captain wherever he went. Tho captain lead tfio way, 
 and the whole party followed, and in a short timo the dread 
 was over; but tin reply travelled a hundred yards bo- 
 
 fore the water on their dothrs vr:^ frozen to ice. They soou 
 got some fire, and took a complete thawing. They 
 the following day safely with trail 
 
 The day after the return of the Pora in, 1 was sent on 
 
 picket, and W« ' on the extreme post, which was about 
 
 five miles from camp, and during the night it snowed again, and 
 about two hours before day a courier came with orders 1 
 pickets to return to camp, as the whole army was going t«> 
 march to Winchester. We were within one mile of camp 
 we met another eourier, with • for us to return to our 
 
 posts. At ten o'clock orders came again for us to report to 
 camps, and on reaching the place we just had time to foil into 
 ranks, when the whole command started. 
 
 In the streets of Romney were a great many yi 
 to their axlctrees, which we burnt, to keep them from the 
 enemy. We travelled all day and night, wading a 
 many creeks, after which, in a few minu* vrould 
 
 be frozen stiff with ice; all the rails near the road were burnt; 
 there was a large rail lire about every ten steps. In .a few days 
 we reached Winchester again, where we stayed for a short time. 
 During that time an old gentleman brought a cart load of pies 
 into camp3 to sell. The soldiers soon surrounded his cart, and 
 while some were conversing with him to attract his attention, 
 others were ungearing his horse; as soon as the horse was free 
 one of the boys gave the cart, the body of which was full of 
 
16 THE REGIMENT AT KINGS VILLUS. 
 
 soldiers, a start, and away it went down a steep hill; the pies 
 fell in every direction, and were soon picked up by the boys ; 
 the cart soon reached the foot of the hill, when the shafts sud- 
 denly struck the ground, which broke them off, and threw the 
 old gentleman, and the cart load of soldiers over the front gate 
 of .the cart body, crippling some of them severely. 
 
 About the middle of February we were ordered to Knoxville, 
 Tennessee, and proceeded to Strasburg, where we remained a 
 few days, t© prepare provisions to last us the trip. 
 
 We got as far as Lynchburg, Virginia, on our route to Knox- 
 ville, and could get no further, as the recent heavy rains had 
 injured the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, so that it had 
 to be repaired before any travelling could be done on it. We 
 remained at Lynchburg one week, when, as our term of service 
 lacked only a few days of expiring, Ave delivered our arms to 
 General E. Kirby Smith, and took the cars for Augusta, Geor- 
 gia, about the 4th of March ; travelled by the way of Peters- 
 burg, Virginia, and then took the Wilmington and Weldon 
 Railroad, and arrived at Kingsville, South Carolina, March 8th, 
 1862. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 FIRST GEORGIA REGIMENT AT KINGSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA. 
 
 The regiment, numbering about seven hundred, reached 
 Kingsville at sunset, March 8, 1862, and having had nothing 
 to eat since passing through Wilmington, North Carolina, which 
 was about twenty-four hours previous, we all felt very much 
 like eating. There was but one hotel in the place, and that was 
 kept by Dutch people. They agreed to set supper for us ; there 
 was only room at the table for about fifty persons to sit ; a great 
 many members of the regiment had take ] a little more than an 
 average supply of whisky, and while supper was preparing 
 several fights took place in the passage near the dining-room 
 door. As soon as supper w r as announced, there w T as a general 
 rush made for the dining-room. The door-keeper, who tried to 
 keep order, was soon knocked down and run over. Finding 
 that getting in at the door was a very slow process, they soon 
 began to leap in at the windows, and in a few minutes the 
 
RECEPTION* OF THE REGIMENT AT . I, 
 
 dining-room was crowded, and in the shortest time imaginable 
 everything was taken off the table; all was "broken loose," 
 and every man was for himself. Some had sugar-dishes, filling 
 their pockets with sugar, and some had coffee-pots turned almost 
 upside down, drinking coffee out of the spouts, while other* 
 were drinking coffee out of plates ; one soldier took a ball of 
 butter from the table, and meeting with another who had a loaf 
 of bread, he soon effected an exchange of half the butter for 
 half the bread ; he pulled the butter apart with his hands ; the 
 remaining half of the butter he spread on his bread with, his 
 right hand, which reminded me of a mason spreading mortar 
 on bis bricks with a trowel. I be kitchen, and a crowd 
 
 •niiding arou love busily engaged in 
 
 eating ipe. Evei s was in a perfect uproar, 
 
 and a great many dish* u before supper was over. 
 
 The old Dutch lady, with her } eculiar way of talking, was all 
 the time abusing at. The old Dutchman was very much fright- 
 
 t a cent 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 RECEPTION OF 7. BNT AT AUOl I 
 
 At sunrise of the ninth of March, I rolled inl 
 
 ta, with the First Gc ginient. A lovely-looking flag, 
 
 which was surrounded with nice cedar twigs, vines and flowers 
 was placed near the depot. On the flag were these words, 
 tifully worked with the twigs of cedar, " A hearty welcome 
 home." The ladies in large numbers favored us with their 
 presence. The regiment was marched to the different hotels, 
 two companies stopping together. We had the best fare that 
 the city afforded, free of charge. 
 
 At ten o'clock the following day, Colonel Ramsey formed his 
 regiment at the car shelter, and marched it into the city. We 
 scarcely had room to march for the multitude that thronged the 
 streets. Col. Ramsey drew us up in close column by division, 
 and delivered us a short and eloquent address. The Adjutant 
 then arose and read the order mustering us out of service, 
 which stated that each member of the regiment was then hon 
 orably discharge! 
 
HISTOR1T. 
 
 ;he 
 
 56th REGIMENT GA, VOLUNTEERS, 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 ORGANIZATION OF TUE REGIMENT. 
 
 On the 25th day of April, 1862, a company was organized, 
 at Carnpbellton, Georgia, the members of which gave it the 
 name of the "Campbell Spartans"; and on t«he 26th day of 
 April the company was mustered into the Confederate States 
 service, by Col. E. P. Watkins, for the term of three years or 
 daring the war. On the 13th day of May the company started 
 and arrived at Big Shanty, Cobb county, Georgia, and on the 
 15th day of May the Fifty-Sixth Regiment Georgia Volunteers 
 was organized ; which organization resulted as follows: E. P. 
 Watkins, Colonel ; J. T. Slaughter, Lieutenant Colonel; M. L 
 Pool, Major; G. W. Poddy, Surgeon; A. S. Whitaker, 
 tant Surgeon ; W.* J. Stokes, Quartermaster ; A. W. Stokes, 
 Quartermaster's Sergeant ; S. S. Kingsbury, Commissary ; Levi 
 Ballard, Commissary's Sergeant; J.N. Bass, Adjutant; Daniel 
 F. Brewster, Sergeant Major ; Leander B. Watkins, Ordnance 
 Sergeant ; and John Valvin, Wagon Master. 
 
 The Campbell Spartans, .being the senior company, were 
 placed in the regiment as company A ; the other companies 
 were arranged according to the rank of their captains, as fol- 
 lows : Capt. Spearman's, of Heard county, company K ; Capt. 
 Albert's, of Atlanta, company E ; Captain Grice's, of Carroll 
 county, company C ; Captain Streetman's, of Forsyth county, 
 company G ; Captain Martin's, of Carroll county, company B ; 
 Captain Cobb's, of Villa Rica, company I ; Captain Prather's, 
 of Cobb county, company F: Captain Monroe's, of Forsyth 
 
20 ORGANIZATION OF THE REGIMENT. 
 
 county, company D ; and Captain Parish's, of Carroll county, 
 company H. 
 
 This place was called Camp McDonald, and it being a canip 
 of instruction, strict attention was paid to the drilling of the 
 men until the second of June, when the regiment moved to 
 Atlanta, Georgia, and guarded the city until June 13th, when 
 orders were received for Colonel Watkins to report in Chatta- 
 nooga, Tennessee, with his regiment, and accordingly, early 
 next morning, the old freight train rolled into Chattanooga with 
 Colonel Watkins and his regiment, and a few days afterwards 
 the regiment drew arms. 
 
 June 19th we got aboard the train, and about midnight ar- 
 rived at Shell Mound, a station on the railroad, twenty miles 
 from Chattanooga. Although it was in June, the night was 
 very cool, and no wood being near the railroad, the boys tore 
 to pieces an unoccupied house, and from then until morning, 
 large fires were kept up, in which the greater portion of the 
 house was used for fuel. The day following we spent in what 
 a sensible man would term the wilderness, i. e. between two 
 high mountains thickly covered with timber. 
 
 June 21st, early in the morning. We are now marching 
 along the banks of the Tennessee river, the waters of which 
 can scarcely be seen through the dense fog which is gathered 
 over its surface. Six o'clock, P. M.— Witnessed a skirmish 
 which took place to-day between our forces on one side the 
 river, and the enemy on the other side. The loss on our side 
 was one killed ; the loss of the enemy was one killed and one 
 wounded. Our cavalry crossed the river and took three prison- 
 ers. The regiment has just returned to Chattanooga. 
 • June 22d. Visited Salt-Petre Cave, which begins at the 
 northern base of Lookout Mountain, where it joins the Ten- 
 nessee river two miles from Chattanooga, and extends further 
 into the mountain than any human being has ever yet ventured. 
 In advancing along this cave "I beheld wonders which were 
 new to me." On the walls, which consist principally of huge 
 rocks, are hundreds of names, some of which were placed there 
 at a very early date. Besides the main channel, there are nu- 
 merous minor caves, which branch off in almost every direction. 
 About one mile from its mouth I came to a number of Irish- 
 men, who were spading the dirt from among the rocks for the 
 
OUT. CAMPAIGN IX KENTUCKY. 21 
 
 purpose of making saltpetre. Large quantities of saltpetre are 
 taken from this cave annually. A few paces from the mouth of 
 the cave is the blowing spring, from which a current of cool air 
 is continually gushing. 
 
 June 23(3. Early in the morning started on a freight tram 
 tor Knoxville ; was very much crowded, as the regiment at that 
 time numbered about one thousand ; travelled by the way oi 
 Dalton, Georgia, and reached Knoxville the following day. 
 
 June 26. Rode on the cars from Knoxville to Chattanooga. 
 It rained during the night, and not having our tents stretched 
 we got a complete wetting. 
 
 July 7. Moved thirteen miles down the railroad, and pitched 
 our camp, which in honor of our commanding General we gave 
 the name of Camp Leadbetter, at the stone tunnel ; here we 
 remained, breathing the cool mountain air, drinking the pure 
 and clear Tennessee water, and gathering and eating the ripe 
 black and whortleberries, until the 14th of July, when we 
 struck our tents, and put them up again that evening at Bridge- 
 port, Jackson county, Alabama, at which place Major Pool 
 
 ■; «.'<!, and returned home. Afterwards Captain Jar 
 Brewster, by promotion, became major of the regiment. 
 
 July 30th*. Right wing of the regiment took the train and 
 proceeded to Tyner's station. Here we were under such strict 
 orders, that no soldier was allowed outside the guard lines. 
 When water was wanted, five men, under charge of a" non- 
 commissioned officer, was sent to the spring. 
 
 August 1st. Left wing came up, and the whole regiment 
 proceeded to Knoxville, arriving late in the evening. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 OUR CAMPAIGN IN KENTUCKY. 
 
 On the 4th day of August, 1862, our regiment turned over 
 all its tents, and most of its cooking utensils, to the Quarter- 
 master at Knoxville, Tennessee, and began to march in the 
 direction of Kentucky. The day was bright and clear, and the 
 rays of heat from the mid-day sun came down upon us with 
 
22 OUR CAilPAIGX IX KENTrOKY. 
 
 almost melting power. The' dust rose around us like smoke 
 from the burning prairie ; this, together with the cartridge-box 
 buckled around the waist, gun on the shoulder, and a heavy 
 knapsack of clothing and a blanket on the back, proved to be 
 very tiresome and disagreeable to the soldier, and especially to 
 the members of the Fifty-Sixth regiment, the most of whom 
 were at that time strangers to the hardships of the soldier's 
 life ; as we marched along numbers from ef ery company fell out 
 of ranks., and little did they think that they had that day begun 
 a campaign of three months almost incessant marching, day and 
 night, part of the time with nothing to eat and no water to 
 drink. On the following day we reached Clinton, Tennessee, 
 where we stayed for a short time. During our stay at Clinton, 
 the battle of Tazewell, Tennessee, took place, and our regiment 
 was ordered there as reinforcements. 
 
 MY TRIP TO KNOXVILLE. 
 
 I was immediately detailed by General Heth to repair to 
 Knoxville, eighteen miles distant, where he said, by reporting 
 to the Bell House, I would find Captain Selden, who would have 
 a train of wagons loaded with ordnance stores, ready for me to 
 take charge of, and for me to take the nearest route and report 
 as early as possible at Tazewell. General Heth said, as he had 
 no horse to furnish me that I could ride on a wagon as far as 
 the railroad, as a train of wagons would soon start for that 
 place. I immediately proceeded to the wagon yard, and learned 
 that the wagons were pressed by General Gracey. I then set- 
 out to walk to the railroad, it being only nine miles, where I 
 expected to take the train for Knoxville. The weather was ex- 
 tremely warm, and I had on my back a considerable knapsack 
 packed full of clothing. Just as I arrived in sight of the sta- 
 tion the whistle blew, and awaf' went the cars towards Knox- 
 ville. I then had to continue my trip on foot ; and on ai riving 
 at Knoxville, I inquired at the Bell House for Captain Selden, 
 and could find no one that knew him. I then examined the 
 register, and saw that he had dined there about a week previ- 
 ous. I then began to search for him. I visited every hotel and 
 public boarding house in the city, and could hear nothing of 
 Selden. I then visited the post ordnance office, and every gov- 
 ernment establishment in the city, and could still hear nothing 
 
OUS CAMPAIGN EN KENTUCKY. 20 
 
 of Seiden. There I was, in a strange city, sent upon urgent and 
 important business, and in search of a man whom I had never 
 seen ; my condition was embarrassing, I would not know him if 
 I should meet him in the streets ; what should I do ? go about 
 the streets asking strange men if they knew Captain Seiden. — 
 I concluded that that would'nt do, especially in a large city. 
 Not being willing to return to my command without perform- 
 ing the business upon which I had been sent, after searching 
 two days without any success, I visited the headquarters of 
 General E. Kirby Smith, commanding department, and the Ad- 
 jutant-General informed me that they knew nothing of him. I 
 began relating my condition to a citizen, and he said that Sei- 
 den had just stepped up the street, and would retain in a short 
 time. Sure enough, in a few minutes, Seiden returned. I in- 
 formed him of my'business, and tojd him the length of time I 
 had been searching for him. He replied that he had been board- 
 ing at a private house. My ordanc* u - on ready, and 
 I returned to my command, who had marched ten miles, waded 
 Clinch River, received news that our forces I ad the vic- 
 tory at Tazewell, and returned to Clinton. 
 
 On the 14th of August wo again took up the . .arch, 
 
 1 through Jacksboro, Tennessee, and crossed the Cumber- 
 land Mountain at Big Creek Gap. Aug we started 
 over this steep mountain about midnight, and it is so awful 
 steep that we hitched about twelve horses to each piece of ar- 
 tillery, fastened a long rope to the end of the tongue, which the 
 men took hold of, and by that means the men and horses pulled 
 them up the mountain ; near the top we halted to rest, and al- 
 though it was then about the middle of August, we were so 
 cold that we kindled up fires to keep from suffering. At dawn 
 of day we reached the top. " la casting my eyes in almost any 
 direction," I again " beheld wonders that were new to me."— 
 " Its wildness and sublimity filled me with emotions of pleasure 
 that I had been hitherto a stranger." Passing down the oppo- 
 site side we soon discovered that it had been blockaded ; great 
 numbers of large trees had been hewn across the road; huge 
 stones had been rolled into it ; all of which had been removed 
 by our pioneers who were in advance of the command. 
 
 August 17, at sunset, we arrived at the foot of Pine Moun- 
 tain. The night wa* dark, and the mountain rough and steep, 
 
24 OUE CAMPAIGN IN KENTUCKY. 
 
 but we had to cross to the opposite side before camping. Next ' 
 morning our company was detailed to go back over the moun- 
 tain, and guard the artillery while crossing. We all set down 
 to rest on top, and I soon fell asleep, and when I awoke I was 
 all alone on the summit of that high mountain. It was a wild 
 looking country, no mark of civilization could be seen, save the 
 rough mountain road. After travelling two or three hours, as 
 fast as I could, I caught up with the company, who had again 
 set down to rest. 
 
 We were then within a few miles of the Kentucky line. It must 
 be remembered that at that time we were attached to a brigade 
 that was composed of a company of artillery, commanded by 
 Captain Waddell, and three Georgia regiments — Colonels Wat- 
 kins', Johnson's and Barkeloo's — commanded by General D. 
 Leadbetter. We were informed, that as soon as we entered 
 Kentucky that we would be attacked by a body of men who 
 termed themselves Home Guards, but we called them bush- 
 whackers. We were advancing on Boston, a small village in 
 Whitley County, Kentucky, and sure enough, at the distance of 
 one mile from the town, a band of these wretches, numbering 
 about one hundred, attacked Col. Johnson's regiment which was 
 marching in front. Colonel Johnson's men fired into them and 
 killed several, the balance fled to the mountains. Our cavalry 
 pursued them, and took some prisoners, the majority of which 
 took the oath of allegiance to the Confederate States, and were 
 immediately released. We marched into and took possession of 
 the town without any farther opposition. Upon entering the 
 place, I saw on the wall of a dry goods store, written in large 
 letters, "Downfall of Boston, August IS, 18S2." 
 
 We remained at- Boston three days, during that time I was 
 sent on picket together with the company, captain and the other 
 two lieutenants. The company was posted across a cornfield, 
 and the posts extended some distance into a swamp. It was 
 the duty of the officers to visit the different posts after night. 
 I approached one of these posts and heard the gun-lock click. 
 I exclaimed, officer of the guard, and the gun fell from the face 
 of the affrighted sentinel, who said, speaking when you did 
 saved your life, for I thought" you was a bushwhacker. We 
 stayed on picket twenty- four hours, and our diet was green corn 
 and roasted apples; It was just two days march to Barbours- 
 
OUB CAMPAIGN IS KENTUCKY. 25 
 
 ville, and we travelled both days without having any water to 
 drink, except a little we took from the run of dried up branches, 
 which was warm, muddy, and very scarce. This was the be- 
 ginning of our suffering with thirst, for suffer we did, as the 
 weather was extremely hot. "We reached Barboursville, which 
 is situated on the Cumberland River, late in the evening of the 
 twenty-second of August. The rain came down in torrents 
 during that night. The feelings of the poor soldier can readily 
 be imagned, who, after marching hard all day, lay down to rest 
 his weary limbs — the hard earth his only bed, knapsack his pil- 
 low, and a sirgle blanket his covering; no roof under which he 
 could shelter, save the dark clouds and roaring winds. The of- 
 ficers of each company, however, were allowed two tent flies ; 
 of course there was but little sleep, almost every one was 
 drenched with rain, and I might say almost drowned. # 
 
 General E. Kirby Smith was in command of our army, which 
 was called, previous to crossing the mountains, the army of 
 East Tennessee, but at that time it was called the army of Ken- 
 tucky. General Smith had crossed his troops at the different 
 gaps in the Cumberland Mountain, and had taken Barboursville 
 before General Lendbetter came up. Our forces took a large 
 train of wagons, loaded with provisions for the Yankee army, 
 at Cumberland Gap. A great many of the wagons were taken 
 near Loudon, Kentucky, and were burnt with the provisions in 
 them, as they were taken by our cavalry, who were not in suffi- 
 cient force to get them away. 
 
 The enemy at Cumberland *Gap was now completely cut off, 
 and our brigade was sent down to Cumberland Ford to give 
 them, fight, if they should attempt to get away. There were 
 sixteen Yankee regiments at the gap, who were commanded by 
 General G. W. Morgan, and their only route of escape was by 
 the way of Cumberland Ford, which is twelve miles in the rear ; 
 it is closed in by mountains, and has a defile just wide enough 
 for a wagon road. Our brigade, numbering about twenty-five 
 hundred, guarded this narrow passage, while General E. Kirby 
 Smith, with the remainder of his army, took up the line of 
 march towards Lexington, to meet a large force of the enemy 
 who was advancing for the purpose of relieving Gen. Morgan. 
 
 The two armies met ten miles south of Richmond, Kentucky, 
 at a little village called Rogersville. A terrible battle was 
 
26 THE BUSHWHACKERS. 
 
 fought, in which General Smith was victorious — the enemy so on 
 gave way. The battle was fought all the way from Rogersville 
 to Richmond— at the latter place General Smith captured all the 
 enemy's artillery. He pursued the Yankees beyond the Ken- 
 tucky River, and captured almost the whole force that was en- 
 gaged against him. The most remarkable feature of this fight 
 was, that General Smith captured more Yankees than he had 
 men engaged in the fight. It was the most complete victory of 
 the war, and will be known in the history of this revolution as 
 the battle of Richmond, Kentucky. 
 
 Just a few days previous to the above named fight, General 
 Smith, as I suppose, not knowing the strength of the enemy 
 with which he was soon to be engaged, and fearing that he 
 woula prove to be too formidable for him, ordered General 
 Leadbet^er to reinforce him* with his brigade as soon as possible, 
 and accordingly we left Cumberland Ford on the 30th day of 
 August, and that night we camped in the vicinity of Barbours- 
 ville, which is a pretty place, but it is like the whole of that 
 mountain country, filled with union citizens ; even the ladies 
 would go so far as to treat the Southern soldier with contempt. 
 
 In writing a letter to a friend I began it thus : " Barbours- 
 ville is a beautiful little village, situated on a level plain, and is 
 almost surrounded by mountains, whose high peaks and lofty 
 summits, presents to the eye a beautiful scenery. This is the 
 Sabbath; the sun has just risen, and the dense fog that envel- 
 opes the summits of the surrounding peaks, is rapidly vanishing 
 before his glittering rays." 
 
 CHAPTER. IX. 
 
 THE B C S H W H A C K E It S . 
 
 Gangs of bushwhackers were scattered all through these moun- 
 tains. These bushwhackers are nothing more nor less than a 
 band of thieves and robbers ; they stay among the high bluffs 
 and cliffs of rocks, along the most wilderness parts of the moun- 
 tain roads, and watch their chances to pick up the sick and bro- 
 ken-down soldiers who fall in the rear of their command ; they 
 
ft 
 
 THE BUSHWHACKERS. 27 
 
 treat these defenseless soldiers sometimes with a groat deal of 
 cruelty ; they at times let their vile passions rise to such a height 
 that they put them to death. A member of our company, bein^ 
 very feeble, dropped behind the command near a place called 
 Flat Lick, Knox county, Kentucky, and just so soon as the reg- 
 iment was out of sight, a squad of these ruffians rushed down 
 the mountain side, took him prisoner, and carried him over the 
 mountains to their headquarters, where about one hundred of 
 their comrades were rendezvoused ; they treated him shame- 
 fully ; they took everything he had ; they even took his watch 
 and threatened to hang him ; they kept him several days, giving 
 him little or no food, and then set him at liberty in the moun- 
 tains, £o find his way out the best he could. 
 
 These bushwhackers occasionally form ambuscades, and when 
 an opportunity presents itself, they shoot down small parties of 
 soldiers in the road, and then "riddle" their pockets. 
 
 During our sojourn in that mountain region, that is, from the 
 eighteenth until the thirtieth of August, our rations were uni- 
 form, consisting of green corn, (or, in other words roasting 
 ears,)' beef and dried beans. 
 
 On the first of September we passed through Lond< I 
 route to join General Smith. Nothing remarkable took place 
 until we arrived at Richmond, which place we reached a few 
 days after the battle. On the night of the first of September, 
 we camped at Rock Castle river, and the next day we c: 
 Big Hill, a distance of twelve miles. At the northern base of 
 Big Hill is the beginning of the beautiful and wealthy portion 
 of Kentucky. Here wo quit tie rough mountainous road, and 
 traveled on a level macadamized turnpike. We were now in a 
 level country, and the nice farms and magnificent residences 
 could be seen on either side the road. What a great contrast 
 between this and that ugly and disagreeable mountain region, 
 which seems to have been created for varmints and wild Indians 
 to inhabit. What a great contrast, also, between its citizens 
 and those stingy, envious, insignificant mountaineers. They 
 are enlightened and open-hearted, and many of them are true 
 to the Southern cause, or at least, they showed the Southern 
 soldiers a great deal of hospitality. 
 
 .The distance from Big Hill to Richmond is eighteen miles. 
 Our company was vanguard that day. Early in the morning 
 
i 
 
 28 THE BUSHWHACKERS. 
 
 we began to meet paroled prisoners, who had been paroled by 
 General Smith, and were on the return to their mountain homes. 
 These prisoners were so numerous that we were scarcely out 
 of sight of them until we reached Richmond. Our company 
 was [so far in advance of the regiment at one time, that we 
 plucked ears of green corn from a field and sat down by the 
 road side to roast them ; about the time we all began to feel as 
 though we had eaten enough, the regiment appeared in sight. 
 We soon arrived at the spot where the battle commenced. A 
 scene then presented itself which was new to most of the regi- 
 ment. Fences were taken down by the retreating Yankees to 
 form breastworks on both sides the long and beautiful lanes ; 
 rails were torn and split to pieces with shot and shell ; tlie earth 
 was ploughed up in many places with lead from the rebel guns ; 
 the dwelling-houses were crowded with the wounded of both 
 armies ; new graves could be seen on the road side. One grave 
 I noticed in particular ; it was a Yankees grave, as I discovered 
 from his blue uniform ; he was buried in this style : the fence 
 was laid down, and at the corner where the rails lapped a hole 
 was dug the length of the man, and about one foot deep ; he 
 was laid in this hole and a little dirt was thrown over him, and 
 the fence was laid up again ; when we passed I suppose he had 
 been buried about three days ; a portion of the dirt by some 
 means had been removed from the top of his body, and there 
 he lay, about half exposed, and the green flies swarming around 
 him like bees around the hive. 
 
 We were kindly received by the citizens of Richmond. It is 
 what I term a lovely town. The number of guns, cartridge- 
 boxes, &c, captured at this place would astonish anyone, if the 
 exact number were known. I never saw such a pile of guns 
 before in all my life ; some of the streets were almost full of 
 them ; besides this, I was informed by citizens, that the farms 
 between Rogersville and Richmond had guns scattered all 
 through them, which the panic stricken Yankees had thrown 
 away while flying before the Confederate army. A citizen 
 who witnessed the battle said he knew one thing, and that is 
 this : the rebels are not afraid of the cannon balls. 
 
 Our forces had already occupied Lexington, and were march- 
 ing on to Frankfort, and the people of Kentucky now had, for 
 the first time during this great revolution, an opportunity of 
 
ENTRANCE INTO LEXINGTON'. 
 
 volunteering in the Confederate cause, for the Confederate 
 army had never before advanced into the interior of Kentucky. 
 Companies were speedily being formed in different portions of 
 the State ; speeches were being made, and Confederate banners 
 were floating in the breeze, and it seemed as if every body wsl 
 flocking to our standard. Late in the evening we left Rich- 
 mond, and travelled half the night, or later ; the boys felt pret- 
 ty lively, as rations of whisky had been issued that evening. 
 " It was a calm still night," and we marched by the light of the 
 i: silver shining moon." Crowds of ladies and countrymen 
 flocked to the road, and while we were passing they shout 
 the top of their voices : u hurrah for the Georgia boys ;" while 
 we would reply, "hurrah for the ladies of Kentucky." The 
 
 •"Dixie." We sung " Dixie," and a 
 few o roued along. 
 
 The folio win the Kentucky river, which we 
 
 I and proceeded to witl in thi . and 
 
 camp idy inforn neral 
 
 John II. Morgan was b 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 ENTRANCE OF GENERAL LEADBETTERS BRIGADE □ 
 
 SEPTEMBER 6, 
 
 We arose early iu the morning ty camp break! 
 
 loaded our baggage, and formed eur regiments to march in the 
 following order : Colonel Barkaloo, with a brass band at the 
 head of his regiment, in front ; Colonel Johnson next ; an I 
 onel Watkina in the rear. Thus formed we advanced with the 
 route step slowly up the road, until we reached the subur 
 the city ; here we halted to rest, having marched three miles, 
 iu which we passed the former residence of Henry Clay, which 
 I would describe il I had had an opportunity of giving it a 
 examination ; taking a slight glance at it from the road, J 
 judged it to be a desirable place. In a few minutes the com- 
 mand attention was given, and every man fell into his place. — 
 We marched by the rank flank in four ranks, guns on the right 
 
30 ENTRANCE INTO LEXINGTON. 
 
 shoulder. The music now began to play at the head of each 
 regiment, and the troops moved off in the cadenced step; it 
 was like clock work, every left foot touched the ground at the 
 heavy tap of the drum.* The bright muskets, with their sharp 
 bayonets glittering in the sun at each alternate step of the sol- 
 dier, rocked to the right and left with as much regularity as if 
 they had been a single gun ; it seemed that every one was try- 
 ing to do his best, I never saw better marching in my life. 
 
 General Leadbetter, mounted on his fine bay horse, with the 
 wreathed stars and brass buttons of his new Confederate uni- 
 form, shining like gold, rode in advance of his brigade. We 
 soon turned the first corner. All the front piazzas of the first, 
 second and third stories of the city buildings, were crowded 
 with ladies and children, who were waving handkerchiefs and 
 shouting hurrah for the Southern cause. Heads could be seen 
 at every window ; the streets w T ere crowded with men, women, 
 children and negroes, waving hats, handkerchiefs and Confeder- 
 ate flags. Confederate banners were floating in the breeze # from 
 the tops of the highest houses. Numbers of ladies and gentle- 
 men came in from the country in buggies, carriages, and on 
 horseback. A lady sitting in a carriage said to Orderly Thorn- 
 ton who, by the way, is a very nice little gentleman, we have 
 been receiving Southern troops here for two or three days, I 
 have hurrahed for them until my throat is sore ; I can't hurrah 
 for you, but if you will come to me I will kiss you. We march- 
 ed out to the fair ground and stacked arms. 
 
 It is said to be the grandest day that has ever been in Lex- 
 ington, except the day that Henry Clay was buried. It remind- 
 ed me of the picture of the entrance of the American army into 
 the Grand Plaza of the city of Mexico. While at Lexington 
 we were visited by ladies, citizens and countrymen, w T ho brought 
 apples, peaches, and provisions of all kinds, and distributed 
 them among us free of charge. A little girl entered our camp 
 and marched all through the encampment, singing a beautiful 
 rebel song, having in her hand at the same time the banner of 
 bars and stars. A large lot of clothing was captured with the 
 place, and a great many of our brigade got them full suits of 
 the Yankee blue. * 
 
 At that time there was a force of the enemy at Lebanon. — 
 Our brigade, and a brigade of Floridians, left Lexington about 
 
ENTRANCE INTO LEXINGTON. 3 1 
 
 midnight seventh September, and took breakfast at Nicholas- 
 ville. The citizens of this place were generally sympathizers 
 with the Yankees, and had but very little use for the Confeder- 
 ate soldier. Travelling on we soon came to Camp Dick Robin- 
 son, which is a Yankee camp of instruction. What citizens and 
 ladies we saw there, expressed strong union sentimeDts ; some 
 of our boys and the ladies had a considerable quarrel. Beyond 
 "Dick Robinson" we again found people whose sympathies 
 were with us. At one place a crowd of young ladies were col- 
 lected together and, although it was the Sabbath day, they sung 
 us a secession song to the chorus of " root hog or die," while 
 we "were passing most of the dwellings along the road. Provi- 
 sions were cooked in the best of style, and out at the gates wait- 
 ing for us. We camped that night on the bank of the Ken- 
 tucky River ; next day we passed through Danville, and camped 
 three miles beyond. 
 
 The people of Danville are divided in their sentiments, but I 
 think the majority of them are in favor of the union. While 
 we were marching along the street, a sweet little girl ran along 
 the side walk waving her handkerchief,' exclaiming " hurrah for 
 Jeff. Davis and his men." I claim her as my little Kentucky 
 rebel. There is a tine female college at Danville. A great many 
 students were there from a distance ; they collected on the side 
 walk in front of the college, and selected sweethearts among 
 us; gave us their names and post ofhees, and requestC'i 
 write to them. They claimed themselves to be Southern rights 
 girls, and said that, in their feelings, they were fully embarked 
 in the Southern cause. 
 
 Leaving our camp three miles west of Danville early in the 
 morning, we travelled all day ; at night stopped ten miles from 
 Lebanon ; here orders came for us to proceed to Frankfort, the 
 enemy having left Lebanon and gone to Louisville. Several 
 young ladies from Lebanon paid us a visit that night, and in- 
 formed us that we would be welcomely received by the citizens 
 of Lebanon, who were making great preparations to give us a 
 good dinner the next day. They also stated that the Federal 
 soldiers had been among them along time, and that they were 
 truly glad that we had driven them away. Every one began to 
 whet his appetite to partake of the fine dinner, for we ate only 
 a cold supper that had been cooked early that morning, and the 
 
32 ENTRANCE INTO LEXINGTON. 
 
 following morning we ate no breakfast, as we could not get any 
 water to use. We were then in a limestone country, and most 
 of the springs and branches had gone dry ; we suffered a great 
 deal for water during our three days march from Lexington to 
 that place. The young ladies walked all through our carnp, and 
 took a moonlight view of us. They walked all around our gun 
 stacks, to learn how the stacks were formed. This is a privi- 
 lege, they- said, that is not allowed in the Federal camp ; they 
 place sentinels over their guns while in stacks, who will not al- 
 low any one to go near, or touch them. These Kentucky dam- 
 sels, in passing around among the men, the most of whom had 
 gone to bed, wondered very much at our mode of passing the 
 nights in camp, viz : wrapped up in a blanket, and stretched at 
 full length on the ground. " 'Tis a wonder that you all don't 
 die," say they. " Surely the soldier has a harder time than any 
 one— if any body in the world is to be pitied, it is the poor sol- 
 dier." They seemed to be so deeply concerned about our wel- 
 fare, that I could not refrain from loving them a little, although 
 I could not tell by moonlight whether they were really hand- 
 some or not. 
 
 At our usual hour for starting, after the night had passed 
 away, the regiments were formed. I now began to think thus : 
 Only ten miles to Lebanon — we will arrive there about eleven 
 o'clock — every body will be expecting us — a nice dinner, cook- 
 ed in style, will be on the table waiting for us — will see a great 
 many pretty girls, and will have a fine time chatting with them ; 
 upon the whole, it in general will be a grand jolification. To 
 my great surprise and disappointment, when the command " for- 
 ward march" was given we did not take the road to Lebanon, 
 but moved off in a different direction ; we passed through Per- 
 ryville that day, and halted at the Big Spring near that place to 
 rest and cook rations. The battle of Perryville was fought be- 
 tween Generals Bragg and Buell in October. Afterwards, start- 
 ing from the Big Spring late in the evening, we continued the 
 march (passing through a little town called Nevada) until we 
 arrived in a few miles of Harrodsburg, where we halted to 
 spend the remainder of the night. Early the following morn- 
 ing we marched into Harrodsburg. Our entrance into this 
 place was something similar to our entrance into Lexington, 
 but I don't deem it necessary to describe it in detail ; it is sum- 
 
N'G OUT OF SEKVKE. * 
 
 cient to Bay that we inarched through the streets und< 
 Mound of music and the cheers of the citizens. This place is 
 what the u Yanks" would term a secession hole. We were 
 treated very kindly ; a lot of pretty girls were continually vis- 
 g our camp. 
 . ernor Magofl t Harrodsburg; [it is noted 
 
 for being the oldest settled town in Kentucky. General Buford 
 was raising a brigade of cavalry, and made a speech in the 
 place while we were there. We left this place on the 12th day 
 :' September ; passed through a little town called El Dorado ; 
 I stopped to get water, and a young lady told me her sweet- 
 heart was in the Yankee army, and had been stationed at Frank- 
 fort, but was then at Louisville, and she requested me not to 
 kill him. My reply was, if he should get killed, and she would 
 :urn over to our side and be a good girl, that she could get as 
 many pretty sweethearts as she wanted among the Confederate 
 soldiers. Travelling on we came to Salvisa, another nice little 
 town, where the boys got plenty of whiskey, and then moved 
 v ftriitti '.o camp. 
 
 fcPTER XL 
 
 I "-<•<,. | | -MMED GUI 
 
 About eight o'clock in th». j morning my attention was attract- 
 ed, by hearing the dram and fife playing the tune of Yankee 
 Doodle. I looked up towards the upper end of the encamp- 
 ment, and I beheld a Bight Mich as I never saw before ; it was 
 this: a man with the hair on the right side of his head, and 
 whiskers on the right side of his mustache, and left side of his 
 lace shaved olf as close as it could be done with a razor, came 
 marching down the road with bL hat in his hand, a large crowd 
 of soldiers were marching behind him. I soon learned that it 
 was Waddell's artillerymen drumming one of their men out of 
 service for stealing a lady's gold watch. 
 
 We passed through Lawrenceburg that day ; also, we went 
 through a town called Rough and Heady. It is a little village, 
 
 rnpike ; one Bide of the street were 
 
VISIT TO FSANliFOltT 
 
 in favor of the "Feds," and the other in favor of the South. — 
 We reached our camp, two miles from Frankfort, that evening. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 VISIT TO FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY 
 
 On the 15 th September I obtained permission from my com- 
 manding officer, and went to Frankfort and spent the day. It 
 is the capital of the State, and is situated on both sides of the 
 Kentucky river. It is almost surrounded by hills and moun- 
 tains. I entered the State capitol, and gave it only a slight 
 examination ; it is a building of medium size ; the representa- 
 tive's hall and senate chamber are very neatly furnished rooms ; 
 the portrait of Henry Clay, in life size, is suspended from the 
 wall. I then proceeded to the penitentiary, the keeper of which 
 I found to be very much of a gentleman ; he took a- great deal 
 of pains in carrying me around and showing me the building 
 and convicts ; the wall is built of stone, and is about sixteen 
 feet high; the convicts showed me various little articles of their 
 own make, which they were selling to soldiers, such as hora 
 finger rings, horse hair watch cords, &c. 
 
 There was at that time two hundred aiid fifty convicts in 
 prison, one hundred and fifty of whom were in favor of the 
 Horth, the remaining hundred in favor of the South ; they were 
 all dressed in striped clothing, made so the stripes run around 
 them in a circle. I then proceeded to the city cemetery, which 
 is situated on the summit of a high hill, that has a considerable 
 bluff near the river. It commands a plain view of the city 
 below. Here are monuments of numerous officers who fell in 
 the Mexican war ; also, the monument of Daniel and Rebecca 
 Boone. I then passed back to the city, and purchased a few 
 articles of merchandise, and found them selling at reasonable 
 prices ; suspenders were fifty cents a pair ; flour two and a half 
 cents per pound ; eggs ten cents per dozen ; soda ten cents 
 per pound, &c. 
 
 The people of Frankfort and vicinity are generally Lincoln- 
 ites, and but very few of them would take Southern money ; 
 
D&1TB OF OLD If AM POLK. 
 
 small boys in the street;? would shout hurrah for Lincoln, and 
 sing abolition songs. The country surrounding Frankfort is 
 called the blue-grass country, in consequence ot which it U well 
 adapted to the raising of. fine horses and cattle. 
 
 Our boys visited a great many houses, whqpe inhabitants 
 told them plainly that they were against them, but they would 
 generally give them something to eat, saying at the same time 
 that they treated both sides well. Our boys had been soldier- 
 ing long enough to take little things that they wanted as they 
 came to them, especially in the eating line ; it is what our boys 
 term 'pressing ; the Yankees teem it jayhawking ; but iu times 
 of peace I would call it stealing. We were in what we con- 
 sidered about half way the enemy's country, and the viney*'"d-< 
 sad waterm^lor patches were pretty 
 
 CHAPTER XTO 
 
 DEATH OK OLD HAN t 
 
 There was an accident which happened 
 <.d near Frankfort, which I regretted very much. An oil 
 t'eman named Polk, who was a very strong Southern rirrht- 
 man, lived near our encampment ; one day he proposed for som • 
 of us to go a fishing with him, and he would learn us how to 
 catch fish, as he had a good seine. Accordingly Captain Ballard, 
 our acting regimental commissary at that time; Captain Wood- 
 ruff, who was then our brigade ordnance officer, Hugh Gibson 
 and myself, accompanied the old man to the Kentucky river ; 
 we fished around with the seine until we were all tired, without 
 success ; old man Polk and Captain Woodruff" then took the 
 seine and crossed the river ; they were near the east bank, when 
 Captain Woodruff called to Gibson to come and take hold of 
 the seine, as he was up to his neck in water, and could not 
 swim ; accordingly Gibson took hold of the seine, and Captain 
 Woodruff" left them ; they then started to the opposite bank of 
 the river, and were soon in swimming water ; old maa Polk 
 became strangled, and in a few minutes began to sink. I was 
 ' two hundred vards below th^m, on the east bank of tho 
 
36 - DEATH OF OLD MAN POLK. 
 
 river, and was just in the act of stepping into a batteau, while 
 Captain Woodruff stood about fifty yards from me on the same- 
 bank of the river, and Captain Ballard was on the west bank of 
 the river about opposite the old man ; Gibson, seeing that the 
 old man was in the act of drowning, became frightened, drop- 
 ped the seine and began to swim to the bank; Capt. Woodruff 
 remarked to me to look at Gibson poling for his life ; at the 
 same time Captain Ballard said, in a loud tone, " bring here 
 that batteau — the old man is drowning ;" I and Captain Wood- 
 ruff both tried to steer the batteau; neither of us knew how to 
 carry the batteau up the stream, consequently the old man wa& 
 sooq drowned. 
 
 The shrieks and cries from his little boys who were standing 
 on the bank, was enough to touch any one's feelings ; he was a 
 poor man, aftd had two very nice daughters, w T hom several of 
 the boys were trying to claim as sweethearts, but the sudden 
 and unexpected death of their father, caused them to lay off 
 their gay dresses and put on those of mourning. 
 
 Leaving Frankfort on the 19th of September, we reached 
 Georgetown on the following day, a distance of eighteen miles, 
 and camped on the spot where the Yankees were camped a 
 short time previous. While here a large body of troops, the 
 most of whom were under command of General Heth, came 
 marching from Covington, which is situated on the Kentucky 
 side of the Ohio River, just opposite Cincinnati ; it was at that 
 time well fortified, and occupied by Federal troops. General 
 Heth marched his men to within a short distance of the enemy's 
 breastworks, and finding them to be very formidable, he aban- 
 doned the idea of attacking them. A great many of General 
 ITeth's troops were from Texas and Arkansas. 1 saw several 
 regiments whose colors w T ere very much soiled and torn, and in 
 large capital letters bore this inscription : " Shiloh." I judgea 
 from that that they fought in the battle of Shiloh. They fought 
 also in the battle of .Richmond, Kentucky. 
 
 They had been in service a long time, and being such a great 
 distance from home some of them began to look very ragged 
 and dirty, and while some of the Yankees were making their 
 escape, after the battle of Richmond, a citizen asked them, 
 " How did the battle go ?" and they replied, that " Those greasy 
 Southern boys came very ner.r 'eating us ntj.? r 
 
so:.i»T£R-, pi \ hi::. . 
 
 We did not, softer any for water at Georgetown, a.s theiv 
 spring at that place which is so large that the stream that runs 
 from it- 18 a creek of sufficient size to run a m 
 
 ClTAPTEK XIV. 
 
 We were camped in an old field, and about one hundred yards 
 from the fence. One morning I saw five soldiers all marching 
 one behind an other in single file ; each one had a very large 
 stone on his shoulder. They marched up to the fence, and back 
 to the encampment again, and continued marching in this btyle 
 for two hour*. This they had to do every alternate two hours 
 for about two days. It was punishment inflicted upon them by 
 their captain ; three of them had been stealing, one had got 
 drunk, and the other had visited the country without permission. 
 
 September 24. The entire army set out to-day for Mount 
 Sterling ; passing through New Town, Centerville, and camping 
 at Paris, which is a town situated along the railroad, just eight- 
 een miles from Georgetown. 
 
 September 21 ; sed through Middletown, and arrived a1 
 camp, two miles from Mount Sterling, where -we formed a junc- 
 tion with General Humphrey Marshall, who had just arrived 
 across the mountains from Western Virginia. Our object now 
 was to fight General Morgan, who was making his way out of 
 Cumberland Gap. General Morgan gave us the dodge how- 
 ever, and went out through the mountains by the way of Tron- 
 ton, and crossed over into Ohio. 
 
 Out from Paris, about six miles in Borbourn County, Ken- 
 tucky, (which is noted for its fine Borbourn whiskey,) I sat 
 ■down to rest by the side of a gate where two citizens were 
 standing near, and a lady with a bucket of milk was giving one 
 cup full to each soldier, who were crowded very thick around 
 her. A very tall soldier who had just drank his cup full, whicli 
 could be plainly seen by looking at the white appearance of his 
 long mustache, said to the lady : " Fill my cup, as I hav'nt had 
 anv !" Looking him straight in the face, she exchrmed : " Oh! 
 
38 • BOLDIEftS PU.NISKJBJD. 
 
 you are trying to cheat me, your mustache has told on, you. ' — 
 Out troops were then passing, regiment after regiment, for we 
 had at that time a large army. One of these citizens who were 
 standing near, remarked to the other: " The rebellion is large, 
 but it is b<5und to swell still larger." 
 
 September 29. Near Mount Sterling. Started this day on 
 the return to Frankfort. Advanced as far as Paris by night ; 
 returned to Georgetown the 30th of September. 
 
 October 2. Twelve o'clock. Left Georgetown ; travelled tl .■ 
 greater portion of the night, and reached Frankfort next morning. 
 . October 4. Grand display in Frankfort to-day. R. Hawes, 
 Military Governor, appointed by the Confederate authorities, 
 was inaugurated ; General Reynold's brigade escorted him -to 
 the capitol, by forming a military procession and accompanying 
 Mm through the streets ; heavy salutes were also fired i>) 
 artillery, 
 
 Unfortunately for us Governor Hawes' administration was '-i 
 short duration, for the' enemy appeared in large force on the 
 site side of the river late that evening, and our Generak 
 believing that our force was not sufficient to contend with tie 
 enemy successfully, burnt the bridges across the river and start- 
 ed to form a junction with General Bragg, who at that time had 
 a considerable army in Kentucky. As we marched along that; 
 night we went by General Raines' brigade, who had large iires, 
 which were built out of rails that they had taken off the differ- 
 ' ent fences of a farm near the road. 
 
 We stopped at Versailles, and stayed from two o'clock until 
 day. 
 
 October 5. Late in the evening we stacked arms on the hank 
 ei ihe Kentucky River, and took supper, which, besides our 
 usual fare, consisted of pumpkins and kershaws, which our boys 
 took from the adjoining field. After supper was over we took 
 u'p the line of march, and hurried on to Salvisa, Our company 
 was rear guard for the brigade that night, and the soldiers that 
 dropped behind from the different brigades, were so numerous 
 that every one we saw we would ask : " Do you belong to 
 Xeadbetier's?" and if answered in the affirmative, our command 
 wcukI be ''forward.'' 
 
r Y. 
 
 BAPTER XV. 
 
 -CRIPTION OF KLNTUCKY. 
 
 Sah ky, October 0,1862. Kentucky, .that 
 
 portion which I have seen up to the present time, except the 
 mountainous part which I don't deem worthy of describing, is 
 a limestone country and poorly watered. It has but very few 
 railroads, but eat many turnpikes, the most of which 
 
 are mecatemized: The country is generally level, and the soil 
 fertile, producing besides the products of the adjoining S* 
 hemp in greal It is a tine country for raising cat- 
 
 tle. Vineyard* -y numerous, and bees are very thrifty. 
 
 So th«; Kentucky citizen is never at a loss for u wine, milk, and 
 honey."' The .long these turnpikes are creneraily 
 
 ..ntial, being built principally of ^-tone. 
 country .hinly timbered, and good timber is a 
 
 roves are very numerous, how- 
 ever, and our boys ate BO many walnuts that they obtained 
 name of u Wa ngers." 
 
 The dv. tructed in , and are 
 
 neatly fur: and obliging, and are 
 
 • rally terj i -d. 
 
 The most common mode •. ag corn Ls cutting the 
 
 stalks and shocking them in tl where they* stand for a 
 
 short time, when they are hauled out and stored away in barns; 
 provision ; lentil ul and cheap ; i.acon was six cents 
 
 a pound while Wi Lexington. 
 
 The streams in Kentucky differ from the streams in Georgia, 
 find the other Southern States, in one particular, which is this : 
 the streams in Georgia, and the adjoining States, generally 
 run through the bottom and level lauds, while the hills are at a 
 distance ; while in Kentucky, and especially so with the Ken- 
 • ueky river, they run next to the hills, with the level land at a 
 distance. Kentucky is very thickly settle!!, and we sometimes 
 marched a whole day in a ]ane, the fences of which were built 
 *f stone. 
 
40 MOVEMENTS PEEVIOUS TO DEPARTURE PBOM liY. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 MOVEMENTS OP OUR ARMY PREVIOUS TO ITS DEPARTURE FROM KENTUCKY 
 
 At Salvisa, water was so scarce and inconvenient, that o'ur 
 Quartermaster hauled it from a distance. 
 
 October 7. At twelve o'clock we started in the direction of 
 Versailles ; the weather was pleasant and the moon shone bright 
 at night; we crossed the Kentucky river, and continued the 
 march until nme o'clock, when we stacked arms, lay down, and 
 rested until day ; moved next morning to within one mile of 
 Versailles, and stopped to cook provisions ; having but few 
 cooking utensils, and being limited as to time, we were com- 
 pelled to cook on boards ; our water was taken out of a pond 
 which was muddy, and thickly mingled with green moss, warm 
 and very bad tasted. We only cooked flour bread, having no 
 meat along with us. The bread was not very well tasted, as it 
 was just flour kneaded with pond water and salt, without any 
 lard or soda. At Versailles we took the Harrodsburg road, and 
 recrossed the Kentucky river that night, which we had to wade ; 
 lying down and sleeping awhile one mile beyond, we aroso 
 again and proceeded to within two miles of Lawrenceburg, and 
 halted until day; as we thought to attack the place early that 
 morning the enemy, who were in considerable force, left the 
 town before we reached it ; our cavalry captures! about on 3 
 hundred stragglers, who were left behind, most of whom were 
 intoxicated ; we pursued until twelve o'clock ; crossed Salt river 
 and abandoned the pursuit ; our cavalry continued, however, 
 and during the day they captured about five hundred of the 
 enemy, and a number of wagons loaded with commissary stores; 
 we had been marching all day without anything to eat, as wc 
 ate the last of our rations for breakfast, and not having quite 
 enough we finished that meal by eating green pumpkins, which 
 we roasted on the coais. 
 
 At Salt River we filed left, and continued the march until 
 night, in a road that led into the Harrodsburg turnpike, near 
 which wo took up lodging, as we thought, for the night ; one 
 small piece of bacon and three small sugar crackers, of those 
 which ware captured during the day, was issued to each man ; 
 about two o'clock, which was the morning of the 10th of Oc- 
 tober, we arose and began our march for Harrodsburg ; rested 
 
DEPARTURE FRO.Af KENTUCKY. 41 
 
 that day several hours at El Dorado, during which time the 
 boys ate all the cabbage that was growing in a garden near by, 
 stripped an orchard of most of its apples, ate up the contents 
 of a potato patch, and as many walnuts as they wanted, which 
 tasted them to Harrodsburg, which place we reached that even- 
 ing, and advanced one mile southwest of the town on the Per- 
 ryville turnpike, and camped near where General Bragg's army, 
 was standing face to face With the enemy ; here we got full 
 rations of bacon apd flour. 
 
 The night was dark, drizzly and cool; pi] the rails on thi 
 rounding fences were burnt that night, as \ 3 kept up large fire^ 
 until morning; we were then in sight of General Bragg's army,* 
 which lay in line of battle, while the enemy, under Gen- 
 Buell, was in line of battle one mile beyond. 
 
 October 11. The drum beat early, which warned us to "fall 
 in :" the men soon formed in two ranks behind the stacks of 
 guns *1 QYQry one thought that in a short time he would 
 
 be out on the line of battle, ready to "pitch into" his enemy, 
 who was but a short < beyond; Colonel Watkins, mount- 
 
 ed on his nice little roane animal, which he called "Sallio Mc- 
 Gfundy," appeared in front of his regiment, and after givil 
 the commands preparatory to starting, gave the command I 
 ward march; but instead of marching towards the line of bat- 
 tle, we marched back through Harrodsburg, and camped that 
 night a few miles from " Camp Dick Robinson ;" here we began 
 to prepare to leave the State. It is said that the enemy, whoso 
 force at that time was very large, had us almost surrounded, 
 having us hemmed in in the shape of a horse-shoe. All tho 
 captains tore up their tent fliea to make havers 
 to carrv rations in. 
 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 • RPA*rURE FROM KKJfl 
 
 On the 13th of October, late in the evening, on 
 was put in motion, and soon found itself at Camp Dick Robin- 
 son ; here were hundreds of pounds of pickled pork, which our 
 people anticipated destroying to prevent them from falling 
 
42 DEPARTURE FROM KENTUCKY. 
 
 the bands of the enemy ; consequently every soldier was t 
 ed to take as much of it as be was willing to carry ; nearly e\ ery 
 ♦me took a piece, which he carried on his bayonet ; we travelled 
 all night without sleeping any ; j^st a short time before day we 
 approached to w T ithin a few miles of the town of Lancaster, and 
 suddenly I heard the commands: "halt," "front," "load at 
 will," "load ;" here our boys threw away the greater portion of 
 their pork, as we would soon reach Lancaster, where we expect- 
 ed to have an engagement with the enemy ; we passed through 
 Lancaster about sunrise; we didn't see any Yanks, but learned 
 .; large number of them, under General Baell, had passed 
 through there during the night ; the enemy went towards Crabb 
 Orchard, and we went towards " Biir Hill.?' 
 
 tober 14. Lay down to rest about the middle of the day, 
 and remained until two o'clock at night, when we started again 
 and landed at the foot of Big Hill about twelve o'clock m the 
 day. 
 
 October 15." Rested until near night, when Colonel Watkins 
 took command of fifteen hundred men, among which wa 
 regiment, to assist in pushing the wagons up the hill ; we were 
 divided into three .reliefs, and worked faithfully pushing and 
 shoving the wagons all night. 
 
 October 16. Rested at foot of Big Hill; at dark was ordered 
 ( > report on top the bill , fell into line, marched to the road, and 
 Stayed until two o'clock, waiting for the artillery to get up tie 
 kill; here we drew one day's half rations of Sour and beef, anci 
 a little whisky; the moon rose just as we reached the top ; we 
 continued the march and reached Rock Castle river about one 
 o'clock in the day. 
 
 October IS. Started at four o'clock, travelled all day, and 
 about eight o'clock at night we were marched into an old fie'.d 
 (or in other words a brier patch) to camp. One cup of salt to 
 the company and some beef was then issued, but we had no 
 bread; corn was just ripe enough to grate well, and most of 
 the boys, knowing our situation in the commissary line, entered 
 some fields near the road and filled their haversacks ; some 
 punched holes in the bottoms of their tin cups and grated meal 
 for their supper, while others ate parched corn and beef. 
 
 Water was extremely scarce. I started in search of some, 
 and came to the rr«n of a branch which had gone dry. J dipped 
 
DEPART UEK JT.OM KENTUCKY. 4^ 
 
 enough from the horse track- that were Mink in the inud to rill 
 my canteen, but there was not enough left to fill another can- 
 teen. 
 
 October 19. Our men are beginning to suffer -with hu: 
 having subsisted since the thirteenth principally on parched 
 corn. Cabbage patches, orchards, and Ohinese sugar cai 
 \vn ho quarter by our arrijy to-day. 
 
 KENTUCKY LAI) SHAVED AND WHIPPET 1 
 STEALING A HORSE. 
 
 During outmarch that clay, I saw : lad abo- 
 
 years of age Bitting by the side of the road, and a crowd of sol- 
 diers standing bv„ one of whom was shaving the hair off one 
 side of his head as close as it could be done with shears. Upon 
 interrogating the crowd, I soon ascertained that the lad was a 
 member of General Duford's Kentucky cavalry, and had stolen 
 :t horse from a lieutenant of Captain WaddelPfl artillery. 
 
 Those who had the young man iu custody, all of whom 
 members of Waddell's artillery, informed me that they 
 not prepared to drum him out of service, as there was no mu- 
 sicians present, but, in lieu thereof, they intended to put the 
 lash upon his back. Sp >ut eight- - from 
 
 Cumberland Ford. 
 
 October 20. Stacked arms at two o'clock this evening along 
 the Cumberland River, two miles from Elat Lick, awl live miles 
 from Cumberland Ford in Knox County, Kentucky. 
 
 A mill stood in front of our gun stacks, and in a field, on the 
 opposite side of the river, Wtfl a <;uantity of threshed wheat, 
 which was not well fanned. 
 
 Our Colonel sent after the wheat, pressed the mill, and start- 
 ed it to grinding. The mill run all night, and by morning 
 enough was ground .to give the regiment a scanty meal. I step- 
 ped into the mill, took a small quantity of flour which had not 
 been boulted, the greater portion of which was chaff and brand ; 
 I kneaded it up in a tin cup, and baked it on a small piece of 
 iron for my supper ; beef was issued that night without any 
 salt. 
 
 October 21. Moved one mile south of Cumberland Ford, 
 and halted to camp about ten o'elock at night. A small portioa 
 of bread was then given to each man ; no wood being handy 
 
44 DEPART! RE FROM KENTUCKY. 
 
 we lay down, each man having one blanket ; we could not keep 
 warm, as the night was very cool. 
 
 October 22. Travelled about sixteen milts, passed Cumber- 
 land Gap, and camped five miles south of it on the bank of 
 Powell's River. During our march to-day, we saw between the 
 "ford" and the "gap," the distance of which is about twelve 
 miles, twenty-seven dead horses and mules. 
 
 Although it is getting late in the fall, the roads are very dus- 
 ty, and the dust which was raised by the cavalry, while they 
 were passing us to-day, almost completely hid us from 6ight. 
 
 At Cumbeiland Gap, I examined the Yankee camps which 
 stood at the foot of the mountain on the north side. A great 
 many paroled convalescents were in them.. 
 
 It is said that General Morgan, previous to his departure 
 from that place, had holes dug in the shape of graves, and had 
 his artillery placed in them, covered over, and pieces of plank 
 placed at each end, by which means we would suppose them to 
 be graves. At the foot of the mountain, on the south side, is a 
 mill built in a few steps of a spring, which is so large that ita 
 branch keeps the mill running. 
 
 From the top of the mountain, the country is visible for many 
 miles around ; here one can get a glance at what I term "beau- 
 tiful mountain scenery." A few paces from the very summit, 
 on the south side, stands the corner stone of three States, viz : 
 Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. 
 
 As I stepped over the line into Tennessee, and felt the coot, 
 soft, and pleasant breeze of " Dixie," it called to my mind the 
 reading of that chapter in the Holy Bible, which tells about the 
 children of Israel crossing the Red Sea, after which they ssth 
 down and sang, and played on their musical instruments, and I 
 do believe at that time music would have been the sweetest 
 sound in the world to me. Thus ended our campaign in Ken- 
 tucky. 
 
M< KB. *i> 
 
 ' CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 TAIGN IN KLKTCCST. 
 
 October 23. A: Powell's River we drew full rations. 
 rted for Tazewell, which place we reached about ten o'clock ; 
 
 re we caught Up with our wagons which had been in advance 
 : ■!' us during our inarch out of Kentucky. 
 
 tober ?f. Lett Tazewell, travelled in the direction of 
 Knoxville, waded Clinch River, and pitched our camp on a hill 
 I ve miles south ot'it : nox: day we reached Blaic^ Cross Ko.. 
 
 Remained at Blaine' Croat Rc#ds to-day: 
 snowing very heavy, and we are without tents. Wc keep iarire 
 
 et out of rails which we are packing on our shoulder- hall a 
 mile. 
 
 October 28. I Jeneral Leadbetter started to Mobile, Alabama, 
 to take charge of the forts near that city, and Colonel Skidrnore 
 Harris, of the Forty-Third Georgia Regiment, (who WM tr 
 
 red to OUf brigade at Meunt Sterling, Kentucky,) being the 
 ranking Colonel, took eorumand and conducted us to Lenoir's 
 station, which is situated on the East Trnarmnr and Georgia 
 
 lilroad, just twenty-one miles from Knoxville, which place we 
 
 . hed the thirtieth day of October ; bei «t our :• 
 
 I cooking ut'-nsiis again. The following morning, one ofl 
 
 unpany, the moat of whpm were rted 
 
 home to Georgia on detail to gel winter clothing for tfee r< 
 
 ■ it. 
 
 Whi ere at thii 
 
 Is: reorg ... unman ded b) 
 
 Glenn; Thirty-Fourth G. commanded ^y Colonel John- 
 
 ; Thirty-Ninth Georgia, commanded by Colonel 
 nell; Fifty-Sixth Georgia, commanded by Colonel Watkina; and 
 the Fifty-Seventh Georgia, commanded bj el Barkaloo ; 
 
 ;ui.l under comma! u II. Taylor. 
 
 We remained at Len< -. and during 
 
 ie there was a great d< kness ; from two to tl 
 
 soldiers were buried then lay during our stay. An old 
 
 miller living near our camp was grinding one day, and I i 
 some oi • s who were standing in the mill, that " 
 
 wei steal 
 
46 TRIP FROM TENNESSEE TO MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 from him. That evening the boys came into camp with the old 
 man's coat buttons and a sack of meal ; the old man, no doubt, 
 was an old " union skunk," and had he held his tongue, he pro- 
 bably would not have lost his buttons and meal. 
 
 November 17. Took the cars for Tullahoma, Tennessee ; got 
 as far as Chattanooga by night, took off our baggage, and slept 
 alongside the railroad ; next morning we proceeded to Bridge- 
 port, Alabama, and camped on the island ; the bridge being only 
 completed across one prong of the river, the following day we 
 crossed west prong of the river in ferry boat " Florence." 
 
 November 20. Took the cars again and proceeded oa to 
 Tullahoma, arriving there next evening, 
 
 November 2-i. Marched from Tullahoma to Manchester in 
 Coffee County, Tennessee, a distance of twelve miles, and es- 
 tablished our camp on Duck River, one and a half m;ies north 
 of the town. 
 
 December 7. Orders received to proceed immediately to 
 Keadyville, which is twenty-three miles distant. Travelled a 
 very short distance to-day, as the weather is very cold,, and the 
 ground is covered with snow ; at night slept tolerably comfort- 
 able, considering that we had to lay on snow which we only 
 partially covered with " broom sage." 
 
 December 9.. Arrived and established our camp two miles 
 east of Readyville, near the Murfreesbofo and McMinnville 
 turnpike, in Cannon County, Tennessee; here we drilled regu- 
 lar, company drill in the forenoon every day, and battalion and 
 brigade drill every alternate day in the afternoon. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 OUR TRIP FROM TENNESSEE. TO MISSISSIPPI 
 
 Orders came for our division, which is commanded by Gen. 
 C. L. Stephenson, to proceed immediately to Jackson, Missis- 
 sippi, and report to Lieutenant General J. C. Pemberton, com- 
 manding the department of Mississippi and East Louisiana ; 
 accordingly we started on the • 20th day of December, and 
 eamped that night two miles from Murfreesborough ; passed 
 
rnc M .^NKSSEE TO HIS* i~ 
 
 through Murfreesborough next day, ar.d camped 
 down the railroad in a cedar grovei 
 
 December 24. At dawn of day the regiment got aboard* tha 
 
 cars near Murfreesborough, Tennessee, and arrived in Chatta- 
 nooga at sunset ; here we spent our Christmas, and during th.? 
 day our boys worked a nice Christmas trick on one of the citi- 
 zens who had just killed a large lot of hogs, and brought in a 
 load of backbones to sell to the soldiers; the trick was 
 the boys surrounded the w3gon as though they were going to 
 buy all he had, and while some were talking with the old gen- 
 tleman, asking the prices and occasionally b ■ ne or two, 
 the others were handing them out to their comrades behind, 
 who were carrying them ' 
 
 The old man's backbone* were disappearing &o rapidly 
 the money coming in so slow, he took the hint, and laid whip 
 to his horses, not however until the boys had jayhawked back- 
 bones enough to last them several day?. 
 
 The boys managed that trick so well, they concluded to try 
 their hands again ; orders were then very strict against any' one 
 selling whi.sky to soldiers ; a citizen informed one of the boy* 
 that he had a canteen of whisky, and he would let him have it 
 for eight dollars ; his reply wa- aa I 
 
 and get ray canteen, and while he was getting the canteeQ he 
 told three of his comrades to watch him, and as soon as they 
 saw him emptying the whisky from one canteen to the other, to 
 rush up with guns and take him prisoner ; just as he got the 
 whisky into his canteen, they came up and asked him what h-- 
 had in the canteen ; he replied water ; M let me a a one 
 
 of them, at the same time pulling out the stopper, and placing 
 (is nose to the mouth of the canteen : " water, ah ! bring him 
 dowr to headquarter-*, boys ;" the citizen fearing they would 
 arrest him for selling the whisky, ran off minus the eight dol- 
 lars, and probably thought he had escaped well by getting 
 away without being arrested ; the boys proceeded to camps, 
 Racked arms, and had a fine time drinking and 'laughing over 
 the trick. 
 
 A soldier who witnessed these two tricks, seeing 
 
 well managed, concluded to try his luck ; an old lady came 
 up with a basket of pies, and while she was telling the prices 
 this soldier slipped a pie oul basket ; the old lady having 
 
48 TKIP FROM TENNESSEE TO MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 watched somewhat closer than he anticipated, lifted his hat from 
 his head, remarking, at the same time, that " a fair exchange is 
 no open robbery ;" the boys who were crowded arouud began 
 ro laup-h ; the soldier, seeing that he was caught, laid the pie in 
 the basket, and the old lady returned the hat. 
 
 Christmas night. Lieutenant Colonel Slaughter 'pressed the 
 passenger train ; we all stepped aboard, and next morning found 
 ourselves in Atlanta, Georgia ; in a few hours we stepped into 
 the cars again, which soon began to roll on towards the west- 
 Orders were issued,, prior to our departure from Tennessee, that 
 no leave of absence or furlough would be granted while en route 
 to Mississippi. I had now to pass through Fairburn, which is 
 just eight miles from home, from which place I had just been 
 absent seven months ; presently the whistle blew, and the cars 
 stopped, and sure enough there we were at the depot in Fair- 
 burn ; the temptation to visit home was great, but good officers 
 and soldiers never disobey orders ; it is sufficient to say that if 
 I could not get to see I thought of the " loved ones at home ;" 
 in a few minutes the whistle blew again, and I heard the cry of 
 "all aboard:" I leaped into the ear, and the old steam engine 
 and the iron wheels soon began to bear us still further west- 
 ward ; they "continued the wheel" until they rolled us into 
 West-Point about nine o'clock at night, 
 
 Some of the boys were missing from every company ; the 
 temptation to visit home was too strong, and during the day 
 they leaped off the ears, to take what they termed a "French 
 furlough ;" the majority of them returned to their commands, 
 however, in a short time. 
 
 It was Christmas times, and during the day some of the boys 
 had taken a little more than an average supply of whisky, which 
 caused them to be a little thirsty ; the train halted for a few 
 minutes, and they called to a negro, who was standing near the 
 car, to bring them water quick ; the negro ran, and in the 
 shortest time imaginable, handed a bucket of water into the 
 ear ; one of the boys began to drink out of the bucket ; the 
 whistle blew and the train began moving off slowly ; the negro 
 ran along keeping up with the train until it began running at 
 full speed, exclaiming, " Master please gim me do bucket" — 
 " Master please gim me de bucket ; the last I saw of the negro 
 lie was running at full speecl, exclaiming, "Master please gim- 
 
rBIP FP.OM TENNESSEE TO MISSISSIPPI. 49 
 
 me de bucket ;" and the last the negro saw of the bucket, the 
 thirsty soldier was standing with it almost bottom side up, in 
 the door of the car, drinking as thou. lidn't intend to 
 
 cease until he had swallowed its contents. 
 
 Passing on some distance farther, the car stopped again ; two 
 negroes came up to the car with a sack of potato - i b they 
 offered for sale ; one of the boys lifted the sack into the car, 
 and began to distribute the potatoes among his comrades,, who 
 were crowded very thickly around him. One of the negroes 
 said, " Master aini ,yo- \p for the taters /" The 
 
 soldier pointed his gun towards the negro, and told him if he 
 didn't * ; skedaddle he would shoot him." The ne^ro ran off 
 about ten paces, and said : •' Master, if you won't pay me for 
 the taters, gim me de sack \ the gun I 
 
 and the negroes leaped behind a tree ; an soldier h« 
 
 his gun and fired at the top of the tree ; I then com- 
 
 menced running ; here they both went at fuli 
 woods, leaping over logs, rocks, aticka and I The° boys 
 
 only aiming to have a toff 
 
 them lor their pol 
 be in good can,* / 
 
 remained 
 
 encampment was situated on a level 
 
 While the boys were j 
 
 they discovered in the cook house a large quai 
 
 potatoes piled up to the sill of a back window ; two OJ 
 
 made an agreement to pay them a visit that night ; accor 
 
 about ten o'clock the beys approached the window, and found 
 
 that one of the lower panes of g broken out— the moon 
 
 mining bright. The cooks were sitting by the fire, 1 
 was but a few paces from the window, busily engaged in a con- 
 versation. The boys arms being rather too short to rea- 
 potatoes, they sharpened the end of a stick which they thru-t 
 into the potatoes, and by this means they soon drew out e:. 
 to till their sack, which held about two bus! 
 
 December 28. Eleven o'clock finds the Fifty-Sixth Gc 
 Kegiment on board the cars, the whistle has just blown, and 
 here we go still westward. Ten o'clock at night finds us at the 
 boat landing in Montgomery, Alabama, getting aboard the 
 steamer " Pw. B. Taney." 
 
50 TRIP FROM TENNESSEE TO MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 December 20. Travelled down the A-kibama River, landed 
 at Selraa in the evening, stepped np that high bluff, and lay 
 down 'till morning. 
 
 December 30. Took the train at Selttia, and at two o'clock, 
 1*. M., rolled into Demopolis; looking down the street to my 
 right, I saw it was crowded with beautiful ladies, and a short 
 distance, beyond them I saw a long table under a row of beau- 
 tiful trees which stood along the side walk. Provisions cook- 
 ed i in the best style was soon placed upon the table, and the 
 whole car load of soldiers, consisting of two regiments, were 
 invited to dinner. We marched up to one side of the table, 
 while the ladies stood on the other side and waited on us with 
 the greatest pleasure and politeness. 
 
 While conversing with a young lady, she informed me that 
 they had been feeding soldiers seven days, and had provisions 
 enough prepared to feed them seven more, and if the soldiers 
 continued passing through, that they didn't intend to cease 
 feeding them as long as 'Demopolis could furnish a pound of 
 meat, or a loaf of bread. 
 
 The ladies of Demopolis have the praise of being kind, beauti- 
 ful, and patriotic. They also have Hhe thanks and best wishes 
 of every soldier in Genera) Stevenson's division. I can say.that 
 Demopolis is a lovely little town, situated on the eastern bank 
 of the Tombigby River, in Marengo County, Alabama. 
 
 At sunset we started down the Tombigby River on steamer 
 vk Marengo," ami. got ashore- at ^IcDo well's landing^ four 
 from Demopolis. 
 
 \ LAD SHAVED, WHIPPED AND DRUMMED QJJT 
 OF SERVICE, JANUARY 1st, !>-. 
 
 McDowell's landing, on the Tombigby River, Sumpter Comi- 
 ty, Alabama, early in the morning, January 1, 1863. 
 
 Captain fowling lay down last night, and placed his boots 
 near his head ; he arose this morning and the boots were missing; 
 by searching around in his bare feet, he found them together 
 with other articles, which were missing from the regiment, in the 
 possession of a young lad named Rataree, who already bore the 
 reputation of being a considerable rogue. 
 
 The punishment inflicted, was this : His shirt taken off, and 
 one hundred and one stripes placed upon Lis back; the hair 
 
PFI . 
 
 ead ; inarched through the en< i 
 (peril in advaii wd of soldi* 
 
 i 91 . and of the tune called the 
 
 March," 'with 1 hand. This has just been done, and 
 
 red iVoi >nfederate 
 
 .iAITEK XX. 
 
 rri. 
 
 At > k in tii- Quary, 1863, the 
 
 Meridian, ppi. The 
 
 Fifty -S i giment took off it f 
 
 in the streets until morning. 
 
 The country around lias an unfavorable 
 
 incipall) 
 ewhal in 
 January 
 
 \iiicli ].",. Istant; passed th 
 
 . 
 
 ■ 
 
 ens tM 
 
 [- pound, 
 lare per pair, i dollars, 
 
 k River, thirteen mil* 
 ! lard the railroad bridge ; returned to \ 
 • bruary. 
 Rations that are being issued to us no - follows ! 
 
 of the poorest quality, corn meal oi the . black 
 
 molasses, pea-, and sugar. 
 
 Every ten days our regiment \o "Warrenton, a e 
 
 place ten miles down the river, on picket duty, which duty is 
 fery disagreeable — it is performed thus: We rise early in the 
 eing very cool, start and walk ten miles 
 
52 MANOEUVRES IN MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 over a muddy road, and arrive at the picket post about eleven 
 o'clock. Our diet consists of cold beef and corn bread, cooked 
 previous to our leaving camps ; in two days we return. We 
 remain on picket the two days and nights, let the weather be as 
 it may ; our only bed is one blanket. 
 
 One night in every week we slept in the streets of Vicksburg. 
 This duty we performed until the third day of April, when we 
 moved our camp to the upper end of the fortifications, near 
 Chickasaw bayou. 
 
 When the gunboat " Indianola" was captured, we found 
 among its crew three soldiers who had formerly belonged to 
 our army, but had deserted and went to the Yankees about 
 twolve months prior to their capture. A court martial was held 
 and they were sentenced to be shot. General Stevenson's divi- 
 sion was ordered to execute the sentence upon one of them ; it 
 was a solemn duty. 
 
 About ten o'clock in the morning the division formed, and 
 marched about one mile south of the city, and formed three 
 sides of a hollow square. 
 
 At the centre of the gap where the fourth side would be, 
 were the square complete, stood a stake which the deserter was 
 tied to; just behind the stake were his coffin and grave. 
 
 At the centre of the square, stood twelve men with loaded 
 guns — six of which were loaded with blank cartridges ; the 
 commands : " Ready, aim, fire," was given, and the unfortunate 
 man was no more. 
 
 MY TRIP UP THE YAZOO RIVER 
 
 On the 21st of March I was detailed to take charge of ord- 
 nance stores for General Loring's command, which at that time 
 was stationed at Fort Pemberton, which is situated |hree miles 
 at Greenwood, Miss., on the Yazoo ; I started in the evening 
 and took lodging that night ten miles from Vicksburg, with a 
 wealthy old bachelor seventy-three years of age ; it was dark 
 when I reached his house ; I rode up to the gate, hitched my 
 horse, stepped into the piazza, and asked the old gentleman if 
 I could get lodging for the night ; his reply was : " I suppose, 
 you can stay, but I can't be responsible for your horse, as there 
 has recently been a 'good many horses stolen in the neighbor- 
 hood, and if you stay you will stand a chance of losing him ;" 
 
*<EUVEK8 IN MISSISSIPPI. 03 
 
 : I stayed, however, and next morning 
 my horse was all right; I mounted him, and in a short time 
 rode up to the boat landing near Snyder's Bluff; had my ord- 
 nance store- board the steamer " Magnolia," which was 
 very much crowded with soldiers; I then sent my horse back 
 to Vicksburg; after seeing my ordnance stores carefully placed 
 ay on deck, r. ard placed over them, I went up into 
 the cabin to get supper, having had no dinner; I learned upon 
 bin that there was no person aboard except sol- 
 w, who, | to the boat's starting drew rations 
 them to Yn. . and of course they would not dispose of 
 any of them ; my next object was to get a lodging place ; I took 
 the berths as I came to them, beginning at" number one, and 
 mined aU on that aide , and found Lhem occupied by 
 soldiers; I started up the opposite side, and presently I came 
 to one that was unoccupied ; I soon discovered that all the fur- 
 niture had been taken out of the room ; I lay down across the 
 pieces which were placed there to support the bed, and was 
 •: asleep, and when I a n I the mornin- I was oomph- i 
 t was raining very rapidly, and thi ring 
 down upon me from a ho U -op of the boat. About four 
 ' c]cK ' k ' -oiia stopped to take in wood; I 
 fan to feel very hungry, it being then about thirty-tv, i 
 
 I to a house which wi 
 . er, and asked the lady if I could 
 I dinner was over, but she could g 
 read ; accordingly she , me corn bread 
 
 and returned to the Magnolia, whose bell 
 rang to start just as I leaped aboard; in a short time th M 
 nolia tied up at the wharf in X by; I then pi** - 
 
 the hotel and stayed all night ; next morning I returned 
 wharf, shifted my ordnance stores to the steamer " Hope" and 
 tinned up the river; I found that the Hope had more sol- 
 diers aboard than t< „lia, consequently I, with several 
 others, spent the night without sleeping any ; in the morning 1 
 ed at Fo erton ; <;• ordnance stem - 
 
 • the boat -landing, cast my eyes down the river, and 
 saw the : >g « fall speed on the return to Yazoo City ; 
 
 there I was, left amid an army of strange soldiers, with no place 
 t0 glee ^ w rred of tbem if 
 
64: MANOEUVRES IX MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 there was any dwelling near ; they said there was none ; the 
 country was overflowed by the back waters of the Mississippi 
 river on one side of the fort, and the enemy was encamped on 
 the other. 
 
 I then reported my condition to Colonel T. X. Waul, who 
 wa3 commanding the fort and garrison ; hv informed me that, 
 in all probability, it would be several weeks before a boat would 
 be up at the fort again, and that I had best cross the river, and 
 go down to General Tilghman's headquarters, about two miles 
 down the river, and there I would probably find a boat, it being 
 a regular boat landing ; accordingly I started across the river 
 iu a flat bottomed boat, which was oared by about half a dozen 
 Creoles, not one of whom I could understand. 
 
 We had not quite reached the main current of the stream, 
 when I heard something strike the bottom of the boat, and it 
 stopped suddenly ; the boat was just about balanced on a stump, 
 which was under it, near the centre ; it was then about three 
 o'clock in the evening ; there I and those Creoles pushed, pulled 
 and tugged until the sun was just hiding himself behind the 
 western horizon, when we all gave a simultaneous pull with the 
 oars, which carried the boat from over the stump. 
 
 As I stepped out of the boat on the bank of the river, I began 
 running, and did not take a step slower than the double-quick 
 until I reached General Tilghman's headquarters ; I tried to get 
 lodging on the steamer "John Walsh," which was tied up at 
 the landing, and found it to be in the same condition of the 
 Magnolia. 
 
 I then started to the batteau landing, some three hundred 
 yards below, to cross over to a dwelling which stood near the 
 opposite bank of the river; I had just reached the plage where 
 the batteau lay, when I saw two men coming at full speed on 
 horseback, from General Tilghman's headquarters; they told 
 me to " about face ;" that I had to go before General Tilghman ; 
 very well, was my reply, and I immediately turned and went 
 with them ; a guard met us before we got there, acid I marched 
 np before General Tilghman under the point of the bayonet ; ( 
 took from my pocket the receipts for my ordnance stores, also 
 the order detailing me to accompany them to Fort Pembertou, 
 and handed them to the General, who perused and handed them 
 back to me, remarking at the same time, " all right, Lieutenant; 
 
TEH? TO I>EK.. 
 
 you being a Strang A in cit. .ng a 
 
 place to lodge, I thought it best to ascertain wh 
 
 how you came here;'' be then stepped ii ' &nd wrote 
 
 to the i^ly who resided in the house mi the oppo; 
 
 river, which note read 
 
 "Mrs. Leslie will com- 
 
 modate Lieuteuair A., for the ni 
 
 ranger here and ha-> no place to sta; 
 March 25, 
 
 The lady had a great deal of , but being a particular 
 
 friend of General Tilghman's ah< ted for me to stay; next 
 
 morning I bough 4 , provisions enough to las- Vicksburg, 
 
 and hired a negro to cook them ; tha ird the 
 
 John "Walsh, which soon started for Yaaoo city; I spent the 
 night without sleeping, as all tl i been taken off the 
 
 boat ; reached Yazoo < 
 
 Hartford City" and s' v on a pile of ■ 
 
 day I reached Vicksburg. 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 R TRIP ' 
 
 April 6. Left Vicfcsb 
 
 night, and at break of day reached the boat land 
 
 der's Bluff, and immediately started up the rhrer on t ; 
 
 Peyton; we travelled up tl until we 1 louth' 
 
 e Sun Flower river, which W<j travelled up until v. 
 Lake George, from which place the Hope took uj up to Rolling 
 Fork, where we had to travel two miles in flat-bottom boat* 
 oared by negroes ; we got on board thee ', and 
 
 reached the landing, two miles distant, at one o'clock in the 
 night ; my patience was worn out, for we were M-van hour* 
 going two miles ; we advanced up the stream inch by iuch ; as 
 we stepped out of the boat one of the boys remarked that he 
 "thought a snail could have crawled that distance while we wer« 
 travelling it ;" we cooked rations immediately, and began march- 
 ing up Deer Creek; we marched thirteen miles up the creek, 
 and back five by night. 
 
56 TEIP TO DEER CREEK. 
 
 April 10. Marched back and established our. camp at the- 
 fork of Deer Creek. In Washington, the adjoining county, the 
 enemy had a large force, who were plundering and destroying 
 a great deal of property ; a great many negroes were taken off 
 the farms, and a great many dwellings were burnt; in facta 
 great many wealthy, citizens were almost reduced to extreme 
 poverty; numbers of refugees passed by our camps every day. 
 Here I became convinced that the u Yankees had no regard for 
 honor, nor respect for human feelings." 
 
 Deer Creek, Issequena county, Mississippi, April 23, "1863* 
 Hung a negro at ten o'clock, A. M., for bearing dispatches for 
 the Yankees, which he had concealed in a plug of tobacco ; he 
 hung until night, when he was taken down and dissected by our 
 army surgeon. Our regiment remained on Deer Creek eighteen 
 days, during which time our. principal employment was fishing;. 
 I scarcely ate a meal while we were there, without having fish. 
 
 April 28. Received orders to return to Vicksburg, and got. 
 aboard the boat in the evening. 
 
 May 1. Landed at Snyder's Bluff, travelled nearly all night,, 
 and reached Vicksburg a short time before day. 
 
 Vicksburg, Mississippi, May 3. Ordered to proceed immedi- 
 ately to Grand Gulf, as reinforcements for our army who are in 
 close contact with the enemy. Received news to-day of the 
 loss of General Tracy and a considerable number of men, and 
 that our forces are falling back this side of Big Black River. — 
 Late in the evening, fifteen miles from Vicksburg, received or- 
 ders to move in the direction of Big Black bridge. 
 
 May 4. Stacked arms at the fork of a road, where the sign 
 board are marked thus : " To Vicksburg, ten miles ; to Hall's- 
 ' Ferry, ten miles ; to Warrenton, nine miles." Here we awaited 
 for further orders. We passed by the residence of Dr. Xailor 
 to-day, whom we all admit fr> be the most patriotic citizen that 
 we have met with in Mississippi ; he had barrels of cool cistern 
 water, which is a valuable " item" in Mississippi, and which his- 
 servants had just drawn from the cisterns. Sitting at the road 
 side, he and bis whole family were busily engaged in giving 
 each soldier a drink and tilling his canteen. His table, free of 
 charge, was setting for one and all. Dw Xailor said he had 
 been feeding soldiegs ever since the beginning of the war, and 
 never had exacted one cent, in return. 
 
BKK. o7 
 
 \ 12. Genera] A. Camming, of Georgia, took command 
 ot our brigade to-day ; began marching at nine o'clock in the 
 night, and continued until tl -:k • the following evening 
 
 we crossed Big Blf ... ■ J two miles southeast 
 
 of Edward's station. 
 
 May 15. It rah.' yesterday, and the ground 
 
 being wet I slept • d of raii 
 
 M., started to the I y down to sleep about mid- 
 
 • near the enemy. 
 The following Pemberton\s address to his soldiers, 
 
 b was printed and distributed among them a few day- 
 viov Creek : 
 
 HEADQUARTI i 
 
 51FP1 and East Louisiana, ,- 
 Vicksburg, May 12t; ) 
 
 Soldiers of the Army, in and around Vicksburg: 
 
 The hour of trir.. i A e ! The enemy who ha* so long 
 
 threatened V: n front, ba% at last, effected a landing in 
 
 this department ; and his march into the interior of Mississippi 
 een marked by the devastation of one of the fairest por- 
 tions of the State ! He ^««ks to breuk the communication^ be- 
 the member* and to control the navi- 
 
 gation of*th<' Mississippi River ! The issue involves everything 
 .rnder. The enemy fights for the pri\ 
 
 You fight for your country, homes, 
 ! Your com- 
 manding General, g in the truth and saeu-dness of this 
 - lot with you, and stands ready to peril his 
 
 it! God, 
 rules in the affairs of men and nations, lo\ • and 
 
 aisesoj tram- 
 
 in the dust. In the day of conflict let each man, appealing 
 to Him foi home for victory, and our triumph 
 
 ritry will hai' liver- 
 
 id cherish th< may fall as martyr- 
 
 in her defer. 
 
 — and the 
 efforts with i 
 
 C. PEMBERTOX, 
 
 >mmand 
 
58 BATTLE OF BAKERS CREEK. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 BATTLE OK BAKER'S CREEK, MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 May 16. A terrible battle was fought to-day. General Pem- 
 berton moved to within a short distance df the enemy, and 
 arranged his troops in line of battle; an engagement commenc- 
 ed, and continued until late in the evening. 
 
 The Fifty-Sixth Georgia Regiment was in the thickest of the 
 engagement, and its killed, wounded and missing are considera- 
 ble. Among the wounded is Colonel E. P. Watkins, who acted 
 gallantly and nobly during the engagement. Colonel Watkins 
 had been in ill health six months previous to the battle, and 
 was under medical treatment at Vicksburg. When he beard 
 that his regiment was marching to the battle-field he immedi- 
 ately started for the scene ©f action, and although ho was 
 scarcely able to sit upon his horse he hurried on, and his tall 
 and slender form appeared before his regiment, just as it was 
 taking its position in front of the enemy. I am proud to say, 
 however, that Colonel Watkins' wound is only slight. 
 
 I regret very much to have to record the death of General 
 Lloyd Tilghman, who fell during the day ; he died the patriot's 
 death, " amid the roar of cannon and din of battle." 
 
 The enemy being superior to us in numbers, we, after fight- 
 ing them all day, sustaining heavy loss, retired in the evening, 
 and turned up our heads next morning inside the fortifications 
 at Big Black bridge. 
 
 May IT. General Pemberton left a brigade at Big Black 
 bridge, and with the remainder of his army proceeded to the 
 fortifications at Vicksburg. 
 
 The enemy attacked Big Black bridge, and after a tenible 
 battle the bridge, together with the majority of the brigade, 
 fell into his hands, not, however, until the bridge was all in 
 Hames, which was soon reduced to ashes. 
 
[AFTER X\ 
 
 ' r-SEYBK DAYS IV Till 
 
 Upon record 
 
 it equal to compare with any placed upon ai 
 cm records, I deem it I r to giv 
 
 more complete the even' - as they * 
 
 pired, to give a com pi 
 • 
 
 The city of [ 
 "Hill City," ii i on a number of small hills, which ex- 
 
 Had along the eastern bank of th -ippi River. This 
 
 same range of hilla . and 
 
 •y; in consequence of wl little 
 
 Villages, ravin- gullies int mile from 
 
 Itjr a chain of these hills ' .' the riw . and 
 
 about the i*amc distance from the c.ty, until they 
 reach the river above, forming a heini- 
 
 nearly in the shape of a half moon. This half circle is of such 
 uniform regularity, that it seenr* a- though it was form- 
 rreat crisis of 
 
 The fortifications extended around on tic Bummits of this 
 cuam of hills, and inside of this small I nera! 
 
 Pemberton's command, which « 1 could as- 
 
 certain, of abojit thirty thousand nun. The entrenchments were 
 about three feet in width, and about four feet in depth ; and at 
 the centre of each regiment, which wore st wd in 
 
 them, was situated n nattery. vents, 
 
 filled with sand, and laid on t<>j> the outer bank of the ditches. 
 At the distance of thirty paces in front ntrenchni 
 
 3 of timber four feet long, the ends of which u 
 cned, were driven into the earth, inclining out ward- at an 
 of about forty-five degrees. At some places brush wi 
 ;instead of timber, the limbs of which were trimmed to - 
 .point?, and extended in the direction of the enemy. Just in 
 front of this timber and brush a wire was fixed about thn 
 from the ground ; all of which were to prevent the enemy from 
 charging our breastworks. In the rear of our fortifications, 
 ditches were dug from the entrenchments on the tops of th« 
 
60 SIEGE OP YICKSBURG. 
 
 hills to some distance down them, in order that the men might 
 pass into them, and out again, without being exposed to the 
 fire of the enemy. 
 
 In front of the city, which is immediately west, the Missis- 
 sippi river, which is one mile wide, runs immediately east, and 
 about two miles from the city, (which is in plain view) the river 
 turns, running north something over a mile, when it turns again 
 east, circling until it runs due south, forming in front of the 
 city a peninsula something over a mile in length, and about one 
 mile in breadth, and on this peninsula the Yankees planted about 
 half a dozen large mortar guns, from which they commenced 
 shelling the city at the beginning of the siege, and cortinued 
 day and night until the siege was over, killing at times sick and 
 wounded soldiers, also, women and children ; our large siege 
 batteries commanded the river from the First bend above the 
 city, to where our fortifications joined it below. 
 
 I have often heard of the days that u tried men's souls," but 
 in the besieging of the city of Vicksburg, both the souls and 
 bodies of its defenders were beyond the " shadow of a doubt" 
 thoroughly tried, which can be learned by perusing the follow- 
 ing facts, as penned by one of the surviving defenders : 
 
 We took our positions in the entrenchments on the 18th day 
 of May, and were relieved on the fourth day of July by a ca- 
 pitulation of our commanding General. 
 
 The sufferings which the Southern troops endured during 
 their forty-seven days confinement to the ditches, day and night, 
 in the hot parching sun, in. the hard pelting rain, can better be 
 imagined than described. „ 
 
 During this time of trial, rations were issued to us as follows : 
 the first week half rations of beef and corn bread; the second 
 week half a loaf of pea bread, a piece of beef the size of a hen 
 egg, and a small quantity of sugar each day, (the pea bread was 
 made of the common pea ground and mixed with half its quan- 
 tity of corn meal ;) the commissary then issued flour enough 
 for two biscuits to each man a day, a small quantity of bacon, 
 pens and rice ; the next issue each man only had enough flour 
 to make one small biscuit a day and quarter rations of peas, 
 rice and sugar; the rations continued at this until the third of 
 July, when male meat was issued to us, some of which was 
 eaten by the soldiers; peas sold at one dollar per quart; biscuits. 
 
 
SISG1 O? TCGKSBUBQ. q\ 
 
 one dollar each; and pea meal seventy-five dollars per bushel 
 dnring the siege. 
 
 I visited the infirmary, and there I saw a scene of suffering 
 which can scarcely be described ; around me lay the sick, the 
 wounded, the dying; the wounded were in great numbers; 
 some with arms torn off, some with eyes out, and some « 
 legs broken ; my sympathies were touched, but mere sympathiz- 
 ing with the suffering soldiers added nothing to their comfort. 
 The number of horses and mules belonging to our army 
 considerable, and many of them were killed every day. 
 
 AH the citizens had hiding places dug in the hills to protect 
 their families from the shot and shell which fell almost as thick 
 as hail during the siege; signs of th will be seen for 
 
 hundreds of years to come. 
 
 During the whole siege we sUyod in the batches 
 following orders : No one allowed to take ofi* his cartridge-box, 
 shoes or any article of clothing, day nor night : 
 men to be on guard all the time. 
 The enemy made a great man; 
 time, after sustaining heavy loss, were driven back in confusion; 
 one charge was made and there waa scarcely a man on the i 
 my\s ride who survived the charge; nearly the entire regiment 
 making the charge was killed within thirty paces of our bre 
 works. The enemy approached so near our fortifications at 
 some points, that each part] with hand grenades; at 
 
 one place the enemy mined DM .cm 
 
 up with powder; our men, being aware of whl 
 take place, erected new breastworks and do 
 rear of the original one-, and fell back to I ene- 
 
 my had the tunnel completed ; when the explosion took place, 
 the enemy made a charge, thinking that they would bayc 
 what few of our men were not killed by being blown up, and 
 then march inside the fortifications; but a volley from our n 
 in the new ditches, killing about half of them, warned I 
 vivors of the trick, and they lied in wild confusion. 
 
 One day a flag of truce was sent out, the bearer of which 
 informed the Yankees that permission was granted for them to 
 bury their dead; all firing immediately ceased, and our m 
 rose up out of their entrenchments and stood upon the bank, 
 while the blue-looking Yankee army stood on top the embank- 
 
(52 SIEGE OF V'K K9BURG. 
 
 ment of their fortifications, some two hundred yards distant ; 
 numbers from each party met on the half way ground and con- 
 verse*d with each other. 
 
 The dead were buried in this manner : shallow holes dug, the 
 bodies thrown in, and the dirt thrown on top of them. After 
 iio-htino- desperately during the day, our men and the Yankees 
 would talk to one another during the night. 
 
 The pickets were sent out at dark, and remained on post du- 
 ring tile whole night; terrible picket fighting was continually 
 <*-oing on. It is impossible for me to tell the number that were 
 killed and wounded during the siege ; a great many were killed 
 and wounded each, day inside of our lines, but the enemy's loss 
 must have been a great deal heavier than ours. 
 
 We lost but one General during the siege, and that was the 
 brave General Greene of Missouri, who was killed at his post 
 while faithfully discharging his duty. 
 
 The gunboats and our land batteries fought an artillery duel 
 nearly every day, which would sometimes result in sinking a 
 boat or two. 
 
 After remaining in the ditches two or three weeks, we began 
 to look for relief from General Joseph E. Johnston ; dispatches 
 were afloat every day that couriers had run the blockade, and 
 brought dispatches from General Johnston, who was said to be 
 close in the rear, with a large army; some would imagine and 
 assert that they heard his cannon roaring in the distance; at 
 night} as I lay down in my ditch, I thought wonders might be 
 wrought in twenty-four hours; I knew not in such eventful 
 • iines what "a day might brine-- forth/' for we lived on the hope 
 of the morrow. 
 
 A Hag of truce was Bont out on the third of July, and the 
 Mirrender was made on the fourth. The following are the terms 
 «if capitulation : "All officers allowed to carry out their side 
 arms; held and staff officers allowed to carry out their horses ; 
 all servants aMowed to go with their masters if they choose to 
 
 do SO, 
 
\IE. 
 
 y\: wiv. 
 
 ■ 
 
 On 
 
 • d in the battle of Ba- 
 ..inent hi 
 to his iih n :« - ort and • loquent addre*6j telling them 
 although we meet with re> ought 
 
 :id for us 
 tnd firm by the banner of our would be 
 
 finally successful. Kwry Boldier in the F 
 
 ■Ion el Watkii 
 I 
 A Y;.; Lier riding through th< in a buggy with a 
 
 woman sitting 
 
 ■ 
 
 ; ; ' I 
 
 * 
 
 in 
 
 i 
 
 • 
 
 to Iris feet, i 
 learned thai aent. 
 
 • ran over two soldiers, break, 
 ill, and .. • . - so terril 
 died in a few moments. The night following we camped 
 the town of Raymond ; six miles from Raymond we 
 
 place called k '- Cooper's Well," 
 sort for the gay and fashionable. Late in the evening 
 ed Pearl ;. . :,n, and halted to 
 
 eamp. 
 
64 TRir yn^ii vicKssr sa homk. 
 
 E. Johnston, who wa3 in Jackson with an army of about thirty 
 thousand men, and the roaring of the cannon reminded us of 
 those that had been so lately sounding around the hills of Vicks- 
 burg. Leaving our camp near Pearl Iiiver on the morning of 
 the 15th of July, we soon arrived at the forks of the Brandon 
 and Enterprise roads, eight miles from the former place, where 
 we received orders to turn our course and march to Enterprise, 
 a distance of eighty miles farther, as General Johnston was 
 preparing to evacuate Jackson, and would be compelled to have 
 the use of the railroad to transport his own troops to Morton, 
 at which place he stopped his army and established headquar- 
 ters. 
 
 Our rations were then about consumed, and we subsisted un- 
 til we reached Enterprise principally upon green com. A great 
 many of the soldiers were very feeble, from the scanty rations 
 received while in the ditches, and upon learning that they had 
 to travel eighty miles farther, without drawing one pound of 
 subsistence from the government, they became discouraged, and 
 numbers of them took horses and mules and rode them to En- 
 terprise, without asking permission of their owners, or paying 
 them one cent ior the use of them. Chills and fever was a com- 
 mon complaint among the soldiers of the Vicksburg garrison, 
 and those who had them began to fall in the rear of the com 
 mand, among that number was myself. 
 
 The country through which we were then travelling is poor, 
 level, and principally covered with pine timber, and very thinly 
 settled ; provisions of all grades were at that time extremely 
 scarce, and the sick soldiers suffered for the want of suitable 
 •subsistence. I could hear of them dying every day during the 
 march. The brave and skillful General James Bowen, of Mis- 
 souri, expired at Clinton, Mississippi, in July, 18G3. He acted 
 bravely at the battle of Grand Gulf, and conducted himself no- 
 bly during the siege of Vicksburg ; he behaved so' gallantly 
 that he won the admiration and esteem of those who knew him. 
 
 My chills and fever grew worse each day, and upon reaching 
 a small town called Cato, I stopped, being unable to travel ; at 
 this little village, the houses of which were at that time mostly 
 evacuated by the inhabitants, our General established a hospi- 
 tal, and most of the vacant houses were soon occupied by sick 
 soldiers. 
 
TRIP FROM VI< KSBUBG HOME. 65 
 
 The physicians left in charge of the hospital, spared no effort 
 in trying to get supplies for us, and failed in every attempt ; our 
 troops, consumed the provision of the country from Pearl river 
 to Knterpn leneral Pemberton'fl term, they marked 
 
 the country with devastation, and those travelling in the rear 
 could 8- obtain food enough to sustain HI 
 
 After remaining at Cato two (lays, I beg in feeling Booaawbat 
 convalescent, and again tool up the line of march for En 
 prise, and passed through the townt «-t Raleigh and Garlands 
 ville on the route, reaching Kir- . | late in the 
 
 even 
 
 While \< ,,]! ame up from 
 
 Mobile, to i f which a freight box, heavy ladened with 
 
 watermi , , | < ne 
 
 boys made what they termed a "chanTe 1 * on the load of water- 
 melons; before the owner had time t.> Kll the juices the boys 
 re all around, in and on top the car ; the confusion kept up 
 during the a charge," which lasted about fifteen minutes, was 
 quite amusing to those who were standing by as spectators . 
 hundreds of soldiers were crowded around the box car; every 
 one was trying to get a melon, at the same time all their v- 
 were sounding throw me the next on, ; after the " charge" 
 over, the boys learned that the load of melons belonged to a 
 wounded soldier, and came up and voluntarily paid him for 
 them. 
 
 On the 24th of July we tools th< Enterprise M 
 
 sippi, for our homes in Georgia; proceeded to Montgomery by 
 the way of Mobile, from thence to West Point, Georgia, at 
 which place we received furloughs on the 27th July, until the 
 13th August, at the expiration of which time we were ordered 
 to report at Demopolis, Alabama, to enter parole camps. About 
 one dozen officers appeared in Demopolis at the appointed time; 
 General Stevenson then ordered us to return home and report 
 at Atlanta on the 25th of August ; a sufficient number of the 
 command appeared at Atlanta to establish a parole camp. In 
 September, we moved to Stone Mountain, Georgia, and durin- 
 the same month we moved to Decatur, Georgia. 
 
 An exchange notice soon appeared in the public journals, that 
 General Stevenson's division was duly exchanged on the 12th 
 day of September, 1863. 
 
66 BASX TEX-NEb^iX BXFBDETiOK. 
 
 October 1st. Orders were received to ioio General Brftsr» 
 who then had the enemy nearly surrounded at Chattanooga; 
 accordingly we took the cars early that morning, and the fol- 
 lowing day we arrived at Chickauiauga station, just twelve 
 miles from Chattanooga by railway, and half that distance by 
 wagon route. 
 
 CHAPTER ^W 
 
 THE FAST TENNESSEE EXPEDITION 
 
 On the 18th October the regiment marched to Tyners sta- 
 tion, and on the 20th it travelled on the cars to Charleston, a 
 small town sitflated on the west bank of the Iliwassec river, at 
 the point where the bridge of the East Tennessee and Georgia 
 Railroad crosses, in Bradley county, Tennessee. The enemy 
 had destroyed the bridge, and were at that time retreating in 
 the direction of Knoxvillc. 
 
 General Stexenson had under his command two divisions, his 
 own and General Cheatham's; he advanced slowly along this 
 line of railroad until he reached Sweet Water, where he made 
 a temporary halt. General Stevenson was then making what 
 he termed an East Tennessee expedition. 
 
 Our cavalry, under command of Colonel J. J. Morrison, was 
 engaging the enemy at that time near a small railroad town 
 called Philadelphia, just six miles distant; General Stevenson 
 was preparing to reinforce Colonel Morrison, when he received 
 news that Colonel Morrison had succeeded in completely rout- 
 ing the enemy, and taking a large number of prisoners; the ene- 
 my continued the retreat until he crossed the Tennessee river 
 at Loudon, where he halted and established his camp along the 
 east bank of the river ; General Stevenson moved up and camp- 
 ed a short distance from Loudon. The two armies were then 
 camped in plain view of each other, being only separated by 
 the river. 
 
 On the second of November we moved from our camp near 
 Loudon to Simpkin's Cross lloads, just seven miles in the direc- 
 tion of Madison ville, and on the fifth of November General 
 Stevenson returned to Sweet Water, he being ordered to take 
 
BATTLE Oti MISSIONARY RlDO*. 67 
 
 General Longstreet's place on the Lookout mountain, and Gen. 
 
 Longstreet haying orders to tnkc his, and continue tl 
 
 tion in East Tennes 
 
 • Our brigade remained at 81 W it< r, waiting for trsu 
 
 tation until the eleventh of November, when 1 for our 
 
 place of destination. 
 
 On the night of the twelfth oi' November we camped'nenr 
 the foot of Lookout mountain, and the following night wj 
 moved op and took position on t«>p; we began ascending 
 mountain about dark, and just before reaching our pos 
 near the summit, which commands a view of Chattan I 
 
 the surrounding count: 1 and beautiful sceni 
 
 to our vie the camp fires inny, 
 
 numbering nearly one hundred thousand, ti ampraem 
 
 commenced at th< foot of Lookout mountain, and 
 several miles in Chat! illey, near the I 
 
 Ridge Upon 1 the very summit itself, that 
 
 great! j - from the camp fii 
 
 boUi armies, numb I t\\.> hundred thousand, l3y in sight 
 
 The Yankee army ocoupie I i mt of 
 
 Lookout Point. 
 
 CHAPTER A\\ 1 
 
 » 
 
 Being absent on business at the time oi the aboi 
 Kattle, which was principally fought on tun 25th of November, 
 1863, I cannot fully record the actions of oar troops durifl 
 
 engagement, but the foilou 1 bj I R 1 
 
 ton, who witnessed the greater portion of that day's fight, Viil 
 probably bo read with some interest. 
 
 About four o'clock in the afternoon oi the 
 
 General Cumminj d an order from Major Got 
 
 C\ L. Stevenson, commanding forces on tlte loft, to form hi 
 is quickly as possible, to vacate the position which I 
 had occupied for the previous eight or ten days on the moun- 
 tain, and proceed to occupy the line which had just been vacated 
 by General Gist, (Walker's) Division. He was at the ^irno time 
 
68 BATTLE OF MISSIONARY RIDG&'. 
 
 informed that Jackson's brigade, commanded by Colonel Wil- 
 kerson, would assist him in holding the line in question ; owing 
 to the bad condition of the road, number of wagons met, and 
 the darkness, he did not reach the line until nine o'clock, P. M. 
 Colonel Wilkerson was already in the ditches, and General 
 Cumming's brigade fell in on the right; the following day the 
 brigade witnessed the disaster which befell our troops on the 
 mountain. After the mist had slowly and gradually vanished 
 from the crest of the mountain, the heavens were clear, the 
 moon shone with unsurpassed brilliance, and apparently smiled 
 approvingly upon that brave but small band of patriots; at 2£ 
 o'clock General Cumming received orders to march to the right 
 as rapidly as possible, and report to Lieutenant General W. J. 
 Hardee ; about nine o'clock on the morning of the 25th of No- 
 vember, General Cumming's brigade formed line of battle on 
 Missionary Ridge ; in a short time the skirmishers of the enemy 
 appeared in the open country, which lay some distance in front 
 of our line ; at the foot of the hill, some two hundred yards 
 distant, stood a small collection of houses, which the enemy's 
 skirmishers, supported by heavy columns in the rear, were ad- 
 vancing to take possession of; General Cummings immediately 
 sent the Fifty-Sixth and Thirty-Ninth Georgia Regiments down 
 to take possession of the houses; upon reaching the houses a 
 brisk skirmish fight occurred between a brigade of Yankees and 
 the two regiments above named, after which they retired to the 
 top of the ridge, when Captain W. P. Milton, of the Thirty - 
 Ninth Georgia Regiment, took command of four companies, 
 proceeded to the houses again, set fire to them, and returned to 
 his regiment with nine prisoners. 
 
 About 4 o'clock in the afternoon, our troops in the outer line 
 were being shot down by the enemy who were completely un- 
 der shelter, which rendered it necessary for a charge to be 
 made, which was immediately performed by the Fifty-Sixth 
 Ga. Regiment, commanded by Captain John A. Grice, and the 
 Thirty-Sixth Ga. itegt, commanded by Capt. Jacob L. Morgan, 
 As soon as the command " forward" was given the two regi- 
 ments leaped over the men in the ditches and breastworks, and 
 rushed on the enemy at a charge bayonet, and drove him from 
 his annoying position, and again returned to the top of the 
 ridge. 
 
fcAUT.L 01 inSSIOKABT Ell 
 
 The enemy being lomewhat impudent soon appeared at the 
 foot of the hill again, when the charge was repeated, and the 
 enemy was again repulsed with confusion. During the day the 
 left and centre gave way, which made it necessary for our army 
 to fall back, which was done under cover of the night. General 
 Cummiag's brigade retired to Dalton, and at the time T am- 
 writing, viz: 1st January, 1864, we are comfortabl j situated 
 in winter quarters at the last named place. Colonel J. T. M< 
 Connell, Thirty-Ninth Georgia Regiment, was killed durin 
 engagement. Lieutenant-Colonel J. T?. Slaughter, Major J. P. 
 Brewster, Lieutenant-Colonel A. M. Wallace, and Colonel J* A 
 \Y. Johnson, all of General Cumming\s brigade, irere wound 
 ded. Boon after this battle General Bragg retired from tin: 
 army, and Lieutenant •( ieneral BardeetOOK command until I 
 era] Joseph E. Johnston, to whom > ;ned the r >m 
 
 < f this army, arrived and entered upon his dutu 
 
 General Cummini rieve their ch 
 
 ter, and erase tlie blemish which had been wrongfully an 
 justly imposed upon them at tin- disastrous and unfortunate 
 battle of Baker's Creek, and led en by their ii I 
 Brig. Gen. A. Camming, three times char Demy, routing 
 
 him and taking several colors, Whatever i m the 
 
 issue as regards other coalman ' rf this 
 
 ide can look back at the battle i I M - 
 recall their repulse of « mlt ( .| the . :. 
 
 cess in holding their position,— -with the | 
 whose " strong arms and stout heart- em tc 
 
 the gratitude an 1 admiration of th^ir country. 
 
?0 MEMBERS OF THE dAMPBKLL SPARTANS. 
 
 The following is a list of the members of the " Campbell 
 Spartans," as originally organized. The officers have all been 
 promoted, and James T. Loveless was elected second lieutenant, 
 junior, on the 1st of January, 18GH. Since the organization <>} 
 the Fifty-Sixth Georgia Regiment, the" Campbell Spartans" ha* 
 been known as company " A," Fifty-Sixth Regiment, Georgia 
 Volunteers. 
 
 Captain J. P. Brewster. 
 
 First Lieutenant B. W. Cochran, wounded and taken prisoner 
 at the battle of Missionary Ridge— right leg broken. 
 
 Second Lietenant C. M. Polk. 
 
 Second Lieutenant, junior, O. A. CantreJl. 
 
 First Sergeant W. S. Abercrombie, died at Fairburn, Geor- 
 gia,- June 13, 1862. 
 
 Second Sergeant W. A. Tanner, wounded at the battle of 
 Baker's Creek. 
 
 Third Sergeant B. F ('amp, died at Chattanooga, Tennessee, 
 September 0, 1.862. 
 
 Fourth Sergeant A. M. Rogers, 
 
 Fifth Sergeant E.R.Thornton, now chief clerk a1 General 
 Camming 1 s headquarters. 
 
 First Corporal B. D. Brewster, now Fifth Sergeant. 
 
 Second Corporal D. S, Taylor, died at KnOxvHle, Tenn 
 July 4, 1862. 
 
 Third Corporal R. D. Nichols, died at Lexington, Kentucky, 
 September 10, 1862. 
 
 Fourth Corporal P. A. McBride. 
 
 Private J. R. Abercrombie, hired J. L, Jones a* a substitute, 
 August 14, 1 802. 
 
 Private James Allen. 
 
 Private Levi Ballard, now Commissary Sergeant, Fixty-Sixth 
 Georgia Regiment. 
 
 Private B. F. Ballard, 
 
 Private W. M. Banks. 
 
 Private N. G. Bennefield, died in hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, 
 July 14, 1802. 
 
 Private W. R. 11. Black, died in Knox County* Kentucky, 
 September 17, 1802. 
 
 Private W. L. E. Boyd, enlisted August 6, 1803. 
 
 Private D. F. Brewster, now Sergeant Major, Fifty-Sixth 
 Georgia Regiment. 
 
Private Joel Brock. 
 
 Private Thomas Brock. 
 
 Private K. 11. Camp, discharged June 
 
 Private Thomas Carnes, enl i sted October I -. 
 
 Private G, fi decUer, died nt Manchester, Tennessee, De- 
 
 Private W. J. ( leckler, nojv Fiftl • nl. 
 
 Private H. II. Cleckl 
 
 Private C. C. Clinton. 
 
 Private W. A. Clinton. 
 
 Private Eli P. Cotton, i nli •!• •-! Vug \ 
 
 Private J. II. < taggin. 
 
 Private W. E. Curry. 
 
 Private .1. II. Dalrymple, died at I H< intain H 
 
 il, Tt nm ssce, in J 
 
 Private J. M. Darnell, wounded and taken prisoner tl the 
 battle of M iona 
 
 Private J. T. Darnell. 
 
 Pi ivate P. E. 1 >eaione) . 
 
 Private James Dunlap, di< I at Petei 
 27, 1 
 
 Private 1 >a\ id Eidsou, now S 
 
 Private J ani t Vicksburg, Mississippi, July 
 
 i l. i 
 
 ftivatc f. S, Ellis. 
 
 Private Matthew I H 
 
 Vital, Tennessee, in ] 
 
 Private J. II. Gibson. 
 
 Private J. T. (Tiles. 
 
 Private Thomas Gill, died at knoxville, T« 
 ber, 1863. 
 
 Private W. P. Ginniu 
 
 Private G. W. Griffith, killed in Campbell County G< 
 August 2 
 
 Private J.L. Harper, transferred from Company 
 January I, 1804. 
 
 Private R. M. Hartsneld. 
 
 Private G. W. Hartsfield, died in Campbell County, Georgia, 
 July 1, 1862. 
 
 Private J. 2s". Hicks, wounded and taken prisoner at the bat- 
 
72 MEMBEES OF THE CAMPBELL SPARTAXo. 
 
 tie of Missionary Ridge, November 25, 1863,— foot was am- 
 putated. 
 
 Private J. E. Hicks. 
 
 Private E. E. Horton, enlisted December 2, 1863. 
 
 Private W. A. Hunt, enlisted October 10, 1863. 
 
 Private Alfred Hunter, enlisted August 14, 1862. 
 
 Private J. T. Hunter. 
 
 Private J. M. Huey, enlisted June 13; 1863,— wounded and 
 taken prisoner November 25, 1863. 
 
 Private T. J. Howard. 
 
 Private T. C- Holloway. 
 
 Private James Johnson, died in Coweta County, Georgia, 
 November 14, 1863. 
 
 Private James M. Johnson, transferred from Company " I " 
 to Company " A," January 1, 1864. 
 
 Private James Jones, received in the company August 14, 
 1862, as a substitute for J. R. Abercrombie. 
 
 Private John N. Jones. 
 
 Private Thomas G. Laton. 
 
 Private A. M. Lee. 
 
 Private J. A. Lindsey. 
 
 Private J. T. Loveless. 
 
 Private J. M. Lowry, died at Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, 
 October 28, 1862. 
 
 Private J. G. Mason. 
 
 Private CVS. McElreath. 
 
 Private J. P. McKelvey. 
 
 Private C. A. McKinly. 
 
 Private B. F. McKoy, now Third Corporal. 
 
 Private W. A. McLarty, died at Tazewell, Tennessee, No- 
 vember 6, 1862. 
 
 Private J. H. McLarty. 
 
 Private A. D. McLarty, died at Lookout Mountain Hospital, 
 Tennessee, August 10, 1862. 
 
 Private B. G. Miller. 
 
 Private K. B. Mobbs. 
 Private Henry Morris. 
 
 Private A. J. Morris. 
 
 Private W. M. Morris, died at Loudon, Tennessee, Novem- 
 
MEMBERS OF TI1E CAMPBELL iFABTANft. 73 
 
 Private J. W. Morris, transferred to company I, January 1st, 
 1864. 
 
 Private David McWilliams. 
 
 Private W. J. Payne. 
 
 Private W. II. Polk, died at Tazewell, Tennessee, November 
 5, 1862. 
 
 Private II. C. Phillips. 
 
 Private J. A. Rogers, died in Campbell county, Georgia, Sep- 
 tember 18, 1862. 
 
 Private W! II. II. Rogers, now Third Sergeant. 
 
 Private W. W. Shadix. 
 
 Private W. II. Shadix, 
 
 Private Cicero Serret. 
 
 Private Sandt-.rd Serfett, enl'iated D nh inber 3, 18(32. 
 
 Private A. MoSrnith. 
 
 Private George M. Souter. 
 
 Private J. II. Stephens. 
 
 Private W. T. Stewart, now First Corp »ral. 
 
 Private Henry Strickland. 
 
 Private Levi S. Strickland. 
 
 Private Joseph Suttl-s. 
 
 Private I). G. Suttles, now Fourth Qorporftl. 
 
 Private Wm. Teal, died at Chattanooga, Tennessee, about 1st 
 of August, 1862, 
 
 Private John W. Terry, now First S : Ant. 
 
 Private John W. Thomas. 
 
 Private Balani Thomas, enlisted December 3, 1862. 
 
 Private C. C. Tolbert, substitute for Thomas A. Enterkin. 
 
 Private Eli Vansant, died in Campbell oonnty, Georgia, July 
 30, 1862. 
 
 Private Emanuel Vansant, died at Lookout Mountain Hospit- 
 al, Tennessee, August 10, 1802. 
 
 Private Noah Vansant. 
 
 Private F. M. Wilkerson. 
 
 Private Samuel J. White. 
 
 Private John C. White, wonnded on the 8th and died en the 
 15th January, 1863, at Yicksburg, Mississippi. 
 
 Private D. P. Woodruff. 
 
 Private J. M. Wright. 
 
 Private Isaac C. Wright. 
 
... ■