f 1 
 

 I^e^o L L e C T 10 N_5 
 
 FROM 
 
 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 BY JOHN H. LEWIS, 
 
 Ex-LlEUTENANT IN HuGER'S, AND R. H. ANDERSON'S, AND 
 
 Pickett's Divisions, Army oF„JNr»nrHs^fi Virginia. 
 
 Set OP CO/^ffJ> 
 
 ^^y'^^fSHT 
 
 ^CTT^n^ 
 
 OP 
 
 OM. 
 
 Washington, IX C.:' ^S^ ^J 
 Peake & Company, Publishers. 
 1895. 
 
OmC^ Weill ©GlPFip, 
 
 Gonfedepafe Veterans, 
 
 PORTSI^OUTH, VIRGIN^. 
 
 ^LL WHOM IT MAY CCWER/V: 
 
 Wc do /?c/'c/>y c/ech'-c snid urr'tify tli^t 
 
 } JOHN H. LEWIS 
 
 j y the Military Service of The GonFederafe 
 kes of Arpspiea on tiie 20tti day of April, 
 , as a private in Company G, 9th Va. Reg't, 
 was Second Lieut, of same company at the end 
 e ivar, and ivas on the 21 day of Dec, 1887, 
 ?d a member of StoDeWall Garnp, ^nd 
 due proof of the above Military Record has 
 ^vi/arded this certificate. 
 
 I of In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands ana 
 if:. V. - 3f^:xed the seal of this camp this 19th day of Ap-^il, IS93 
 
 H C. HUDGINS, Commar^ier. 
 
 J. ThOS Dunn, Adjutant. 
 
 ;..siEn r PY.] 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 „ nf tliis little book does not claim to > 
 "^'^ treelre.pecttofindanygvea.ae 
 
 scholar, nor ^^^^^ ^ ^,^„ ,,,e,nents of ae. 
 
 :;r:ra:dr;:.eLti..,de.ri.edin.- 
 
 :5.1y at fault in many tUings, but the tnc^d 
 lu. .his booU were .oindelii,ly>n,p-sed 
 
 •. n.o+ the errors are few, if ai 
 • 1 ^f ihp writer that tne enuio 
 
 Recollections. 
 
 V 
 X 
 
>fe 
 
^' ReCOLLeCTIONS 
 
 FROM 
 
 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 TO With Incidents of Catnp Life, Descriptions of 
 
 Battles, The Life of the Southern Soldier, 
 
 His Hardships and Sufferings, And the 
 
 Life of a Prisoner of War in the 
 
 Northern Prisons. 
 
 / 
 
 BY JOHN H. LEWIS, 
 
 Ex-LlEUTENANT IN HuGER'S, AND R. H. ANDERSON'S, AND 
 
 ' Pickett's Divisions, Army of Northern Virginia. 
 
 bee I 
 
 Sior. . , — , - A — — -♦ _ y A 
 
 (La • ^ J\n OM. 
 
 Washington, D. C: 
 
 Peake & Company, Publishers. 
 
 1895. 
 
 I -■-». 
 
 ^7 
 
Entered accordin3 to act of Conaress in the year 
 1895 by 
 
 JOHN H. LEWIS 
 in the office of the Librarian of Congress at 
 
 Washington, D. C. 
 
 
RECOLLECTIOnS 
 
 —FROM— 
 
 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 CHAPTER I.— State of feeling in the South 
 before the election.— After the election.— 
 The Border States to April, 1861.— Unity of 
 the Border States.— Arrival of troops from 
 the South.- First brush with the enemy.— 
 All heroes from their standpoint. 
 
 In the spring of 1860 the writer of this little book 
 was in the city of Savannah, State of Georgia. 
 There had been unrest in the South for a number of 
 years, but since the John Brown raid the year before 
 it had somewhat increased, until now it had culmi- 
 nated in talk of separation, and even war. In April 
 of this year the Democratic convention met at 
 Charleston, South Carolina, and had dissolved in 
 discord, which caused things in political circles to 
 assume a very threatening outlook, for unless the 
 
4 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 Democratic party both North ond South united there 
 was a possibility — in fact, a great probability — that 
 the Abolitionists, or Black Republican party, as it 
 was then called, would elect the President; and that 
 event to the people of the extreme South seemed to 
 mean separation, or perhaps war, as in all this talk of 
 separation there was always linked with it a possi- 
 bility of war. 
 
 This subject continued to be discussed everywhere, 
 and finally in June the Black Republican party met 
 in Chicago, Illinois, and made its nominations for 
 President and Vice-President, Lincoln and Hamlin. 
 On the receipt of this news the people of the South 
 became more earnest in their talk, and did not hesi- 
 tate to openly talk of secession and war. They 
 even at this early date commenced to form clubs for 
 war purposes. Thus things went on, and the bitter- 
 ness grew as the time for the election approached. 
 I being a Virginim by birth and a Southerner by 
 education naturally sided with the South, and op- 
 posed the Republican party; but not being quite as 
 hotheaded as the extreme Southerners, I looked on 
 the situation with more coolness than they. 
 
 In the early days, or in fact from June to Novem- 
 ber, as I said, the talk of war increased. It was 
 thought by the people of the North that only slave 
 owners were engaged in this war talk. This was 
 an error; the major portion of the people of the city 
 of Savannah, and I think of all the extreme South- 
 ern States, were, or seemed to be from my observa- 
 ion, generally united on the subject. It was not a 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 5 
 
 question of slaves, or of dollars and cents; but 
 among intelligent citizens of all classes it was prin- 
 ciple and right, as they understood it. As I said, 
 being a Virginian I was not quite as hotheaded as 
 the people of this city, and I listened to the talk of 
 war with a hope that in some way it would be 
 averted. I was no politician, and did not know how 
 it might be done; it was all hope with me. 
 
 The latter part of October I returned to my home 
 in Virginia (Portsmouth), and I found that war and 
 secession was also the general topic there, but not 
 quite to the extent that it was further south. Still 
 the question was never lost sight of, and it grew as 
 time passed. The election came, and the wires 
 flashed through the country the election of Lincoln 
 for President of the United States. 
 
 The smoking embers of discord at once broke into 
 a flame, and commenced to burn with fearful feroc- 
 ity. As had been surmised, the people of the States 
 of South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Flor- 
 ida, and Alabama openly asserted that they would 
 not submit to the rule of the Black Eepublican 
 party, and would secede from the Government of 
 the United States. 
 
 While there were but few out-and-out Secession- 
 ists at this time in Virginia, 90 per cent of the Vir- 
 ginians were in sympathy with their sister States of 
 the South, and while they hoped there would be no 
 war, and were in favor of using all honorable means 
 to avert such a calamity, yet Virginia, with all of 
 the border States, deep down in their "heart of 
 
6 r.ECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865- 
 
 hearts," had fully determined that if the Southern 
 States did secede, that no troops should cross their 
 border to coerce them into submission. 
 
 As early as December 20 South Carolina had for- 
 mally seceded from the United States, and the States 
 of Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Alabama 
 had followed her in quick succession. Time passed 
 on, and the early spring of 1861 found the country 
 in great unrest and excitement. In the month of 
 March there were differences of opinion in the bor- 
 der States as to the action they would take, but I 
 was of the opinion that, when all honorable means 
 of settlement had been exhausted, that the border 
 States would take sides with the South. It could 
 not well be otherwise; and so it proved. Time passed 
 with this continual excitement; Virginia had elected 
 members to a convention to meet in Richmond in 
 April, to decide the course Virginia would take. It 
 was rather of a Union complexion, but while in 
 session events took place that altered the entire sit- 
 uation, and on the 18th of April, 1861, the conven- 
 tion passed the ordinance of secession. The news 
 was flashed over the State, and all differences of 
 opinion disappeared, with few exceptions . And the 
 grand old State bared her bosom for the conflict; 
 she had cast her lot with her sisters of the South. 
 And taking in consideration her former position 
 among the States, and her high and honorable ca 
 reer in ^the past, there was no doubt that she as a 
 State would remain steadfast to the end. 
 The people felt that they had exhausted all hon- 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. t 
 
 or able means to avert the catastrophe; they had 
 stood as mediators between the extremists of the 
 North and South, and there was but one course left; 
 she chose what she believed to be the path of honor 
 and what she believed to be right. 
 
 I well remember the receipt of the news and its 
 effect in my town, Portsmouth. Up to that time 
 there had been differences of opinion; but imme- 
 diately on the seceding of the State the whole pop - 
 ulation became united, as they had been taught 
 from childhood that while it was a duty to love 
 their country, it was obligatory to love their State 
 and obey her decrees "first, last, and all the time." 
 Believing thus, it is no wonder that when on April 
 20 the Government called out the Third Virginia 
 Regiment of Volunteers seven hundred men 
 promptly answered the call, and were ready to do 
 battle for the State and the South. 
 
 This regiment was assembled at one o'clock on 
 April 20, 1861, and on that night the war commenced 
 jn earnest ; it is true that'Sumter had been fired on and 
 evacuated; but that night, atthe Gosport navy-yard, 
 was seen the terrors of what war would be; the yard 
 with all its shipping and buildings, and vast stores 
 of ammunition, went up in flames; and amid the 
 red glare of fire, with the boom of artillery from 
 loaded guns left on the old battle ship Pennsylvania, 
 and as the fire reached them were discharged; amid 
 this glare and the passing of the Federal fleet down 
 the river, with shotted guns and ports open for 
 action, bearing on the two cities, that section of Vir- 
 
8 BECOLLECTIONS FKOM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 ginia, and the whole State was firmly cemented to 
 the cause of the South; and men who had been 
 opposed to war, and were lukewarm, became hot 
 advocates and rushed to do battle for their State 
 and the cause of the South. 
 
 All of the border States soon followed Virginia 
 and the South became united "for weal or woe," 
 and so remained until the final climax at Appo- 
 mattox. There might have been, and probably 
 was, mismanagement on the part of the civil Gov- 
 ernment of the Confederate States, but there was 
 no weakness, no shrinking, in her soldiers. From 
 each and every part of the South her sons came for- 
 ward to the support of her cause, and from Manassas 
 to Appomattox in the East, and from Jhiloh to the 
 surrender of Johnson in North Carolina, and beyond 
 the mighty Mississippi, all stood shoulder to shoulder 
 as they had bound themselves in the beginning, and 
 they fell together in the mighty crash, everything 
 gone save honor and the memory of the graves of 
 their comrades. These were left them as a heritage, 
 as a reminder of the heroic struggle, and it becomes 
 the duty of the living to see that the memory of our 
 dead does not suffer, and to teach our children and 
 the youth of our southland their duty to the mem- 
 ories of their ancestors. 
 
 In a few days after Virginia joined hands with 
 the Southern States troops began to arrive within 
 her borders from the South, this being tidewater 
 one of the important points they naturally were sent 
 here. And, being myself in this locality, Ports- 
 
RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 9 
 
 mouth, Virginia, I shall commence my recollections 
 at this point, and give them as I progress from place 
 to place. Remember that these recollections are 
 written from memory, and perhaps dates may vary 
 a little, but in the main will be correct. The state- 
 ments will be given as they occurred, without 
 drawing on the imagination. In fact, I shall try to 
 make these recollections true to history as regards 
 the incidents therein. 
 
 Naturally, all was bustle and hurry; war was 
 new to us. With soldiers arriving and to be pro- 
 vided for, new officers to appoint, such as quarter- 
 masters and commissaries, the vast amount of camp 
 equipage and rations, kept everybody on the move, 
 but soon things began to assume shape, and quiet 
 and order were restored. The Virginia troops and 
 all of the material of war captured in the Gosport 
 navy -yard remained under the Virginia authorities 
 for a time, about two months; the heavy guns were 
 being shipped to various points south, and distrib- 
 uted to the different batteries in the harbor. Soon 
 we were in condition in and around Norfolk and 
 Portsmouth to resist any fleet that might attempt 
 to enter. The troops as they arrived were placed in 
 camp, and began the routine life of the soldier, 
 drillirg, doing guard duty, eating and sleeping; in 
 fact, in a month or so a great many of the soldiers 
 began to look on the matter as a holiday, and few 
 thought they would ever be called on to fight . it 
 seemed to the great fear at this time with many of 
 the soldiers that the war would close before they 
 
10 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 would have th e pleasure of killing some one; many 
 of us had in after years worried for fear somebody 
 might kill us. , 
 
 Thus the days went by, and with the pranks of 
 the boys who were learning all kinds of deviltry, as 
 soldiers in camp generally learn; even then camp 
 hung heavy on all hands; but this was only the be- 
 ginning. New things and new duties were to come, 
 of which we little dreamed. Great numbers of 
 soldiers had assembled in that vicinity, and were 
 placed first under the command of General Gwynn, 
 but at the time of which I write were under the 
 command of General Huger, of South Carolina. 
 There was possibly 10.000 men in that vicinity, and 
 all seemed to be trying to do as little as they could , 
 and get as much pleasure out of the situation, and 
 all were always ready to draw their rations and 
 pay. I recollect the first pay was paid Virginia 
 troops by the State, and the next pay was by the Con- 
 federate States, in new Confederate notes, and the 
 people were paying 20 per cent premium for it as 
 souvenirs. Some of the people who bought at that 
 time had boxes of it at the close of the war One gen- 
 tleman, a dealer in wood, at that time told me at 
 the close of the war he had about ir'200,000 of it, and 
 as Congress made no provision for its redemption I 
 suppose he has it yet. But at the time of which I 
 write there were few people who did not believe 
 the war would be over in less than a year, with the 
 independence of the South. 
 
 We had quite a long line of coast and considerable 
 
HECOtiLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 11 
 
 back territory to guard in that department, but very 
 little fighting in the first year. One incident took 
 place early in June that varied the monotony for a 
 time. Early in May the company to which I be- 
 longed had been posted at Pigs Point, at the mouth 
 of the Nansemond River, and had constructed a 
 battery, mounting several heavy guns. On June 5 
 the steamer Harriet Lane approached within about 
 one and one-fourth miles, and opened fire on us. 
 The battery was in command of Catesby Jones of 
 the Confederate Navy, who afterwards was second 
 officer of the Merrimac, the famous iron clad. The 
 men had been drilled by him, and among other ac- 
 complishments they were taiaght to lie down to 
 escape the fire of an en«my,and it was surprising to 
 see them execute this movement. They would fall 
 at a flash, seldom waiting for any command, hut 
 sure to obey it promptly when given. The fight went 
 on for about 20 minutes, and tho steamer withdrew 
 with several wounded. This little affair was looked 
 upon as quite a battle, and created siderable excite- 
 ment in that vicinity, and in Norfolk and Portsmouth. 
 As it was only 13 miles from from those two cities, 
 the news soon reached them with various shades of 
 truth; many were killed by common report, but as 
 a matter of fact, no one was injured. But as we were 
 soldiers of Portsmouth it was but natural that there 
 would be some uneasiness felt by our friends. While 
 there was no one hurt, I assure you that every man in 
 that company, from the captain to the cook, became 
 
12 RECOLLECTIONS FROM I860 TO 1865. 
 
 heroes in their own estimation, and all of tbem de- 
 sired at once to go to town that they might show the 
 people what a hero looked like. 
 
 I have often in after years looked back on this event 
 and smiled at the vanity of man, but as I write this 
 memory also goes back to the past and deep feelings 
 of sorrow rise up when I remember many a man, who 
 was present on that occasion, now sleeping in bloody 
 graves on far distant fields, who had become real 
 heroes, and died amid the shock of battle, giving 
 their lives for a cause that they believed to be right 
 and just, and leaving a name and memory behind 
 them that should be cherished and remembered with 
 honor, as should the memories of all the soldiers of 
 the South as long as the sun shines on this Southland 
 of ours. The North has its pension list as a reminder 
 of its glory, but the South has nothing but its honor 
 and its graves, as a reminder of duty done, and may 
 this and all future generations resolve to protect the 
 one and cherish the memory of the other by contin- 
 uing to scatter flowers on their graves. I thank G-od 
 that the rising monuments of lasting granite and 
 marble throughout tne South give evidence that the 
 present generation will leave reminders for future 
 generations that we did reverence and honor our dead, 
 and may every old soldier teach his children and the 
 rising youth that they should as a duty to themselves 
 protect the honor and memory of their ancestors. 
 
CHAPTER II.— Battle of Manassas.— Its Effect 
 in the Sottth.— Fight Between the 
 Merritnac and Monitor. — Evacuation 
 of Norfolk. — Seven Pines. 
 
 "f- 
 
 Memory goes back to the days of '61, and when I 
 compare it to the later days of the war I smile at the 
 pomp and splendor of our soldiers of that day; to 
 see the officers with their new regulation coats of 
 glittering gold lace it seemed that our Secretary of 
 War was under the impression that gold lace and 
 splendid uniforms would frighten the Yankees into 
 submission, and close the war. At • this time a 
 single officer had more gold lace on the sleeves of 
 his coat than would in after daj^ have designated 
 all the officers of a whole brigade, and I have no 
 doubt that a second lieutenant with his gold lace felt 
 himself or more importance and carried a greater 
 weight of responsibility on his laced arms than did 
 five brigadiers later on in the war. 
 
 In this department, to many of the first volunteers 
 at least, then stationed in and around the vicinity of 
 Norfolk and among Huger's command, the life of a 
 soldier was becoming irksome: they were getting tired 
 
14 RECOLLECTIONS PKOM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 of camp life and routine duty; the novelty had worn 
 off, and many were looking for soft details and fur. 
 loughs. At Manassas and around Roanoke Island, on 
 the Carolina coast, things looked a little warrish, and 
 gave hope to some of the men who joined for fighting 
 and glory that possibly there might be some fighting 
 and perchance some one hurt. 
 
 "While in this state of unccrt^-inty and repose, the 
 news of Beauregard's great victory at Manassas was 
 received, and the soldiers and citizens concluded 
 that the war was really over, and it would be only a 
 matter of dividing the property satisfactorily. Some 
 of our soldiers who wanted to fight were out of sorts 
 and so far forgot their duties as to request to be sent 
 to the seat of war, so that they might have a chance 
 to join in the closing ceremonies. Thus event after 
 event occurred, adding new features to the situation; 
 we soon found out that the battle of Manassas had 
 not closed the war, by a large majority, nor was there 
 any immediate prospect of its close. Nearly a year 
 had passed, aud the talk was of reenlistments for three 
 years or the war. This department continued m 
 inactivity, but was soon to be called to active duty. 
 The Federals had been menacing Roanoke Island, on 
 the coast of North Carolina, for some time, and not 
 unexpectedly the news come that thej'- had captured 
 it, and were therefore in rear of our position. Imme- 
 diately there Avas hurry aud bustle; troops were hur- 
 riedly sent to Sou4:h Mills, North Carolina, to check 
 the advance of Bnrnside's march inland. 
 
 The Third Georgia, the Fourth Georgia, and the 
 
15 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 First Louisiana were sent forward, and in a few days 
 we received news of a fight betv/een the Third G-eor- 
 gia and some troops commanded by G-eueral Reno, of 
 the Federal army. The Federals were checked and 
 retired. On the receipt of this news other bodies of 
 troops, with some artillery, (Griines' Portsmouth 
 Artillery) were sent forward to their support. Among 
 these troops was the company to which I was at- 
 tached; we arrived a day too late, or perhaps I would 
 not be writing these recollections. It was at this 
 place that I first saw any dead, killed iu action, and I 
 must say that it did not make a very favorable im- 
 pression on me as to the glories of war; in fact, it had 
 just the opposite effect, and I found myself looking 
 for a bookstore that I might buy a prayer book to 
 fit myself for the situation. Fortunately I am here 
 yet. 
 
 While at South Mills I remembered that in the 
 dingy little magistrate's office at this place I was mar- 
 ried, but I had no desire that my funeral should be 
 held in the same room. All of the troops centered 
 there seemed to be ready aud anxious to get into 
 trouble with somebody; as for me, I felt that I had 
 always been a peaceable man, and could not see why 
 our boys should be so desirous to go hunting around 
 the country in the way they did looking for trouble. 
 Still, I followed them to see what would come of it. 
 My company was attached as a separate company to 
 the First Louisiana, who were a devil-may-care set 
 and with their marching songs aud general good humor 
 
16 KECOLLECTIONS FROM 18G0 TO 1865. 
 
 we soon banished all fear of war and took things as 
 we found them (not chickens). After a few days in 
 this vicinity (where we first learned the real life of a 
 soldier, which I found in after years was but a shal- 
 low education, compared to the full course, that wo 
 would learn later) the troops were soon recalled, as 
 new developments were taking place in our depart- 
 ment. The authorities had determined to evacuate 
 this section, and as early as May 1, 1863, it was going 
 on. We, of course, did not know it ; but about May 
 8 it became aj^arent to all that we were to leave this 
 region for a field of more activity and a better chance 
 of getting killed. There was from the two cifies and 
 the two counties about 5,000 men, whose homes were 
 in the territory to be evacuated. These 5,000 men left 
 their homes to the mercy of an invading foe, leaving 
 their wives, mothers, sisters, and sweethearts, and in 
 many cases unprovided for. In fact there were numer- 
 ous cases where the soldier who was retreating from 
 his home know not where his wife and family would 
 get their next meal. All in that retreating army left 
 behind loved ones that perhaps they would never meet 
 again; but the sacrifice was willinoly made, and such 
 acts and sacrifices were being done all through the 
 South. 
 
 Thus on the 10th day of May, 1862, the soldiers of 
 this department were to become -soldiers in fact as 
 well as in name. It so happened that the company 
 to which I belonged was held back to destroy the 
 stores of tobacco, &c., that could not be removed. 
 Thus we were the last troops to leave town, and on 
 
BECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 17 
 
 this occasion our exit was made amid the fire and 
 smoke of the Gosport Navy- Yard. On tne first day 
 of our service the same yard was fired by the Fed- 
 erals to keep it from falling in our hands; and now 
 the thing was reversed, and amid the flames and smoke 
 we retired from the city with the Federals close in 
 our rear. 
 
 As an illustration of the Southern soldier showing 
 that they were in earnest and sincere in the belief of 
 the justness of their cause, not for any personal gain, 
 nor for avarice, but they were moved by the most 
 lofty principles, I would say that this company were 
 all citizens of the town of Portsmouth ; that they all 
 had mothers, sisters, wives, and sweethearts to leave 
 behind. They had all opportunities to desert their 
 colors and remain at home ; and yet out of 95 men 
 there was but one to yield to the temptation. Such 
 was the case throughout the entire South in the first 
 days of the war. And let me add here, that the 
 women of the South, in all cases, looked suffering, 
 trials, and even insult in the face, and bid their hus- 
 bands, fathers, brothers, and sweethearts go and do 
 their duty to their States, separately and jointly, and 
 in all cases of weakness they crushed back their tears, 
 smothering the rising sobs, and with the heroic fire of 
 the Southern women commanded the weak one to go 
 or lose their respect and love for all future time ; and 
 this heroic fire of the women of the South was stead- 
 fast during the entire war and burns undimmed to- 
 day. It is to them that we are indebted for the love 
 of the survivors and the care of the graves of the 
 dead. 
 
18 BECOLLECTIONS FKOM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 On the 10th of May Portsmouth, Korlblk, and the 
 surroundinf? country occupied by Huger's troops was 
 evacuated, and the troops assembled at SuflFolk, Va. 
 During the night the Federals advanced by way of 
 Ocean View and entered Norfolk, the city being sur- 
 rendered by the mayor. During the night of the 10th 
 Commodore Tatnall, commanding the ironclad Merri- 
 mac, then known as the Virginia, abandoned and de- 
 stroyed her, and her crew joined Huger's troops at 
 Suffolk, Va. 
 
 In this connection I will give my version of this 
 fight of the 8th of March, 1862, between the frigates 
 Cumberland and Congress and the Monitor, as seen by 
 me, being stationed at Pig's Point at the time, about 
 4 miles from Newport News. I had a very clear view 
 of the engagement on both days; and as there has 
 been claims made by Northern writers, and it seems 
 that the people have generally believed that the Moni- 
 toa gained a victory over the Merrimac, I shall give 
 the statement just as it occurred, being, as I said, an 
 eye witness of the affair. On the 8th day of March, 
 1863, the Merrimac was seen from our battery slowly 
 moving down near Craney Island, at the rate of about 
 7 miles an hour, heading for Newport News, where at 
 that time lay at anchor the frigates Cumberlaud, 24 
 guns, being the heaviest in the United States Navy 
 at that time, aud the Congress, 44 guns. The shore 
 was dotted with white tents and numerous batteries. 
 There seemed to be no fear, and the two frigates, as 
 soon as they saw the queer looking monster coming, 
 
19 RECOLLECTIONS FBOM i860 TO 1765. 
 
 began to get ready for action, and as soon as the Mer-' 
 rimac was within range of their guns they opened on 
 her with solid shot. In the meantime could be seen 
 in the distance coming down the James River the Pat- 
 rick Henry and the James River fleet. TheMerrimac 
 seemed to pay no attention to the fire directed at her 
 but steamed slowly on, as if nothing was going on* 
 Passing the Congress she deliberately fired her broad, 
 side guns and made direct for the Cumberland, lying 
 at anchor about a mile up the river. On approaching 
 her she opened with her bow gun, raking the decka 
 of the Cumberland fore and aft, and then steamed 
 directly for her, and forcing her iron prow into her, 
 making a hole sufficiently large to cause the Cumber, 
 land to fill rapidly. Then slowly backing off she 
 l)assed on up the river, receiving the broadside of the 
 frigate, with seemingly no hurt to the ironsides. This 
 fire was delivered at very short range. She then 
 turned and gave her attention to the Congress. That 
 vessel had in the meantime, seeing the fate of the 
 other vessel, slipped her cable and was trying to make 
 her escape. And here let me pay a just tribute to gal" 
 lantry. Although an enemy the officer commanding 
 the Cumberland displayed as great a degree of bravery 
 as it would be possible for any man, he must have 
 seen the fate of his vessel, and yet he fought her as 
 she was going under water. All honor to him and his 
 crew.' While we regarded him and his crew as an 
 enemy, we knew that these men were American sea. 
 men, and in justice we must give them the credit due 
 gallantry wherever displayed. 
 
SECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 2( 
 
 Bei'ore the Congress could get out of the way she 
 grouiideci on the shore, and the Merrimac sent shot 
 and shell, raking her decks and doing horrible execu- 
 tion. She soon ran up the white flag in token of sur- 
 render. A small tender was sent alongside to take 
 the prisoners of war ofl". The officers came on board 
 and delivered their swords and requested to be allowed 
 on their honors to relieve and assist their wounded. 
 They were jDermitted to go, and notwithstanding the 
 flag at her peak, the man on shore fired on the ten- 
 der and wounded several of the men who were show- 
 ing mercy to their comrades iu arms. Consequently 
 the tender had to return, as they were in musket 
 range of the shore, and several regiments of infantry 
 and several batteries of artillery were firing on them. 
 
 The Congress had grounded at a shallow point on 
 the water, and the Merrimac could not get close to 
 her; but she finally set fire to her with hot shot. In 
 the meantime the Minnesota audthe St. Lawrence 
 were coming up from Old Point to the assistance of 
 their friends. The Minnesota grounded about three 
 miles before reaching the Congress, but as the water 
 was shallow the Merrimac could not get nearer than 
 amile and a-half. From that distance she sent her 
 shot and shell, doing considerable damage, so much 
 in fact that the commander of the Minnesota was 
 about to abandon and destroy her during the night, 
 and if tlie Monitor had not arrived he would perhaps 
 have done so. The tide made it necessary for the 
 Merrimac to withdraw and defer her final work for 
 
21 KECOLiiECTlONS FROM 1360 TO 1865. 
 
 the morrow, and about sundown she steamed for 
 Sewell's Point. 
 
 On Sunday, the 9th day of March, at about 9 
 o'clock, the Merrimac came out from Sewell's Point 
 to complete her work of the day before. Approach 
 iiig the Minnesota, something moved out to meet her. 
 It was an odd-looking concern, often compared to a 
 raft with a cheese box on it, but it proved for its size 
 quite formidable. This Ericson Monitor had been 
 building in 'New York as an ofiset to the Merrimac, 
 and had arrived in the Roads on Saturday night, 
 after the close of this days' battle. These two mon- 
 sters of naval destruction, new to the science of naval 
 war, that would and did revolutionize the navies of 
 the world; the monitor had the advantage of 
 the larger vessel, being of lighter draft, about 
 9 feet, while the Merrimac carried 32 feet of 
 water. She was also shorter, and therefore could be 
 handled quicker than the heavy vessel; the Monitor 
 when pressed would run into shoal water, and thereby 
 prevent the Merrimac from closing in with her. This 
 running, circling fight continued for several hours 
 without any seeming victory to either vessel; finally 
 the commander of the Monitor was blinded by the 
 concussion of a shot striking the pilot house, and the 
 command devolved on the second officer, and the 
 Monitor soon withdrew from the fight, and the Merri- 
 mac also steamnd over to Sewell's Point, and the 
 day's battle closed. The writer of this is of the 
 opinion that had Commodore Buchanon not been 
 disabled onthe first day there would have been more 
 
BECOLLECTIONS PEOM I860 TO 1865. 22 
 
 loss of life and destruction of property than there was, 
 not that Catesby Jones did not fight well, but his 
 judgment was at fault in not ignoring the Monitor 
 (after finding out her qualities) and destroy the 
 wooden vessels. It was evident that these two ves" 
 sels could not hurt each other to any extent. 
 
 The writer of this saw the Merrimac in the dock 
 at the Gosport Navy- Yard a few days after the fight, 
 and as far as he could see there was very little dam- 
 age done and she was soon ready to go down again 
 which she did. She steamed over towards Fortress 
 Monroe and ofi'ered fight to the Monitor, which she 
 refused, and even when the Merrimac cut out two 
 schooners - under her very nose, she positively re- 
 fused to make any attempt to prevent her. Thus 
 ended the career of this wonderful engine of war, 
 and the world must give the South credit for con 
 structing, from comparatively nothing, one of the 
 most gigantic engines of destruction up to that date. 
 The nations of the world were set to thinking, and 
 perhaps the great loss of life on that occasion was 
 a blessing in disguise, and saved many thousands of 
 lives and much property, for by the revolution of 
 modern warfare on the sea it perhaps has caused 
 nations to go slow in declaring war. 
 
 As I said, the troops of Huger assembled at Suf- 
 folk, Va., and from this time on they, who had been 
 in good quarters, vs^ith comparative ease and com- 
 fort, with plenty to eat, were soon to see some of 
 the real hardships and dangers of war, for in fact 
 
33 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 the war up to this time had not been felt, and it had 
 really just began. This was the 11th of May, 1862 
 From this point we proceeded to Petersburg and 
 were organized into regiments and brigades, the 
 whole comprising Huger's division. All of us were 
 well clothed and fairly equipped. Soon we were 
 ordered to Richmond , and on the last day of May, 
 1862, we were to receive our first baptism of fire. 
 
 It amuses me to-day to look back and see ourselves 
 with our new clothes and hear the soldiers of Manas- 
 sas and Williamsburg, who were lying on the road- 
 side, and as we passed (as I thought insulting us) 
 by telling us to come out of those clothes, and in- 
 sinuating that we would be somewhat spattered by 
 the morning ; and it was so. We did not have to 
 wait until morning. By night we were as dirty or 
 nearly so as the boys who had insulted us, and be- 
 gan to look like old soldiers. I w«ll remember that 
 march and the approach to the field of battle, which 
 had commenced. 
 
 I have often since been asked how a man felt when 
 going into battle or on the eve of it. On this occa- 
 sion, when I heard the clash of musketry and the 
 roar of the artillery, with the screeching of shell, 
 that I was not quite as anxious as some of the boys 
 seemed to be to get there. We were halted on the 
 road and ordered to load. The boys commenced to 
 tighten their knapsacks and to be all hurry to go; 
 but while I made up my mind to go I was in hopes 
 that the Federals would all go away before I got 
 there. In fact I did not have as much sympathj^ for 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1875. 24 
 
 these fellows in front perhaps as I should have had , 
 I was willing to pat them on the back at a distance 
 and tell them to go in, but it seemed to me that I 
 would rather be out of range ; but I went and found 
 no one there but dead ones, and they were not dan- 
 gerous. We got in the Federal camp (Casey's) just 
 at sundown, and it was wonderful to see with what 
 energy the boys gathered the spoils of the camp. 
 They would load up with every kind of plunder, but 
 still kept going from tent to tent; finding something 
 thst suited them better, they would disgorge to 
 make room for it, and sometimes circle around in 
 the twilight and find the same thing twice^ ^ I recol 
 lect that I wanted shoes, and had no desire for any- 
 thing else. I soon found a pair of boots, a little too 
 large, but they would do. In the latter days of the 
 Confederacy they would have been worth about 
 $400. During this time the fighting was going on, 
 but not near us. It soon ceased, and all became 
 quiet, and we slept in Casey 's Camp that night. The 
 battle had resulted disastrously for the Federals. 
 Johnson had gained quite a victory ; had driven 
 back the left of McClellan's army some 2 miles, but 
 had also met with considerable loss. To me it seemed 
 wonderful how men could approach the Federal 
 lines through the abatis, interwoven as it was, and 
 not all be killed.'"^ In fact, after I saw more of war, 
 I wondered how so many got out alive and unhurt. 
 Early Sunday morning, June 1, we were still in 
 Casey's camp, and the boys looking for more plun- 
 der. It was about 8 o'clock, I think, when we were 
 
25 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 ordered forward to take a new position. There 
 seemed to be no thought of Yanks in the front. We 
 had no skirmishers out, and if the Yanks did they 
 fell back quick J y ; but, be that as it may, we moved 
 up to a country road, about 500 yards, and halted. 
 Our old general had a very powerful voice and could 
 be heard a long distance. He dressed the line ; 
 all was still ; brought the troops to an order arms ; 
 gave the command to fix bayonets, and his next 
 command would have been to stack arms. At that 
 moment Hooker's brigade opened fire, at 60 yards, 
 with 4,000 muskets. (I afterwards learned it was 
 Hooker's troops.) For new troops that was rather 
 a surprise. (For old ones, too, as for that matter.) 
 I don't know what anyone else thought ; but as for 
 me I began to think that th t. world had come to an 
 end, and that the splinters were coming that way. 
 In fact I was dazed. I could not comprehend how 
 it was that we were there and had not been informed 
 that we were expected to find Yanks \ but such was 
 the fact. I don't believe that from the general (who 
 ought to have known) down to the private soldier 
 that anyone thought that there was a Yank within 
 3 miles (other than dead ones) at this stage of the 
 war, and being new troops I need not tell old sol- 
 diers what we did : We got back, of course. We 
 fired some, but not long. After going back about 
 300 yards we halted (that is, some of us), faced 
 about, and moved to the front again (but not so fast 
 as we came away a few momt nts before, and there 
 was not so many of us). Some of the boys just at 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865T 26 
 
 that time seemed to have urgent business in Rich- 
 mond. It was said of a certain lieutenant, who was 
 going to the rear at a pretty lively gait and his eyes 
 were sticking out so as you might have knocked 
 them off with a stick, when asked by a comrade 
 where he was going in such a hurry, replied that he 
 was going to Richmond to request Jeff Davis to put 
 a stop to that murderous proceeding. It was more 
 than probable that there were many others in that 
 episode that felt just the same way, but kept it to 
 themselves. 
 
 All soldieis at one time or another have been put 
 in action under just such circumstances as the above. 
 At that time I felt sore and my pride was wounded 
 at the action of my brigade ; but I soon learned that 
 the circumstances made the soldiers, and in no case 
 did the soldiers make the circumstances ; but that it 
 was the duty of the officers to see that there was no 
 surprises and thereby gain the confidence of the 
 men, and when that was done the men would fight 
 all right. 
 
 While there was not a regiment in the service of 
 the Confederate States but what could boast of its 
 record, there were but few that had not on some 
 occasion lost its head from some cause or force of 
 its surroundings (at this time we know that there 
 never was any better soldiers on the face of the earth 
 than the soldiers of the South, no matter from what 
 State they come ; and not only have the people of the 
 South just cause to be proud of their soldierly quali- 
 ties, their bravery, and endurance, but they were 
 
27 •recollections from 1860 to 1865. 
 
 Americans, and the whole united country has an 
 interest in them. ) 
 
 There was not much fighting on the 1st day of 
 June, only an hour oit so in the morning; and quiet 
 settled over the field of blood, the losses on both 
 sides had bee a severe. The fighting of the first day 
 ha 1 been murderous, and both armies were learning 
 to be veterans ; and the day would come when they 
 would meet on greater fields of slaughter. 
 
CHAPTER III.— Incidents of camp life around 
 Richttiofld. — Seven days* fight. — Enters 
 Pope.— Cedar Mouti tain.— Second Man- 
 asas.— Exit Pope. 
 
 It is true that the battle of Seven Pines, while a 
 success for the Confederates, the victory cost them 
 dear ; but it had the effect of demonstrating to Mc- 
 Clellanthat they vsrere in some strength and thereby 
 giving time that Lee might be fully ready to act. 
 Among the wounded in this battle was the com- 
 mander. Gen. Joseph. E. Johnston. This made a 
 vacant place for the time, and the position was given 
 to Gen. Robert E. Lee, who at that time had not 
 been prominent before the Southern masses, but was 
 known to be a good officer and able engineer. He 
 had resigned from the old Army of the United States 
 to cast his lot with his State. His name was to be- 
 come from this time one of the best known in his- 
 tory. On June 3d the army fell back to its works 
 near Richmond, and the usual routine of camp 
 life began, which soldiers so much disliked ; but 
 to the above duties were added the additional one 
 of dodging bullets and shells, which was to me very 
 
KECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 29 
 
 distasteful, to say the least. Camp life is tiresome 
 to the soldier ; and yet it is not all a blank, as there 
 is always some " all-life " fellow in each company 
 that manages to keep with his pranks both himself 
 and the rest in hot water ; and it is well that there 
 are such dispositions. It drives dull care away and 
 makes the life of a soldier endurable. 
 
 My division at this time was in camp on the York 
 River Railroad and in ran^e of a Federal battery, 
 which caused us some trouble (that is, dodginj?). As 
 an illustration, how careless men become in war this 
 incident is cited. Just to our left was a regiment, 
 and one of its men had picked up a shell, fired from 
 the battery spoken of, that had not exploded. Pos- 
 sibly he wanted it as a souvenir to send home. He 
 passed our company going to his camp. We had seen 
 the effect of them before, and one of the boys advised 
 him that he had best put it down. But this man was 
 one of the class that could not be either taught or ad- 
 vised, and intimated that we had best mind our own 
 business and that he would take care of that shell. 
 It was one of the percuasion kind. He passed on with 
 his shell. In about five minntes there was an explo- 
 sion up his way. "He had monkeyed" with that 
 shell and took himself to ''glory," and invited two of 
 his companions to go with him. They went along, 
 how willingly the writer can not say ; but they went, 
 and deprived the Federals of the pleasure of shooting 
 them at some future day. 
 
 It was at this camp that Serijeant Murphy, by his 
 emphatic decision of a point in question, distinguished 
 
<?0 BECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 himself. At the battle of Seven Pines we had lost our 
 color-sergeant, and the adjutant of the regiment tX- 
 sired, with the consent of the colonel, to appoint one 
 to fill his place. Our adjutant was one of those im- 
 pulsive fellows, a good soldier, and earnest in all that 
 he did. Sergeant Murphy was a tall, soldierly look- 
 ing fellow, and the eyes of the adjutant naturally 
 turned to him as the man, and, approaching him with 
 the colors in his hand, he thrust the staff in the earth, 
 and thus addressed Murphy: "Sergeant Murphy, 
 will you take these colors and carry them to the 
 death." Murphy, recollecting Seven Pines and how 
 the other fellow had been shot, looked at the officer 
 with a kind of wild stare, created by the word death, 
 and replied : "Ko ; I'll be damned if I do." And the 
 adjutant had to look further for a «oior-sergeant. 
 
 For nearly a month the army, then commanded by 
 Gen. Robert E. Lee, enjoyed this life of care and 
 watchfulness. But the time was very near when they 
 would assist in making more history and graves. 
 During this month Lee had been planning to strike a 
 blow that would surprise McClellan and astound the 
 world. He was about to hurl his 80,000 men against 
 the 110,000 men of the Federal Army, and say to 
 them, "Go back, or be slaughtered where you are." 
 Lee in this short month seemed to have learned the 
 qualities of his men, and what they were capable of 
 doing, and had no fear for the final result He be- 
 lieved in them, and taught them to believe in him- 
 He had struck the keynote, had gained the confi. 
 
RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 81 
 
 deuce of that army, and he held its love, its respect, 
 and its very life-blood to the end. History does not 
 tell that in any age there ever existed a commander 
 who had the love, the confidence of his men, to the 
 extent that did R. E. Lee. They followed him in 
 blind obedience wherever he led, and cheered him as 
 he passed, even in their death struggles; and Leo 
 loved his men. 
 
 It is a fact, in history, that not only Lee's men but 
 generally all soldiers of the Confederate army gave 
 this same confidence to their leaders, and fought with 
 a courage and dash that no soldiers of the world ever 
 surpassed. Jackson who, in the past few months 
 had added new laurels to his name of Stonewall by 
 his dash in the Valley, had driven Banks, Milroy, and 
 Fremont out of the Valley, badly whipped ; had also 
 caused the diversion of McDowell's army from Rich- 
 mond, and was at liberty to obey the command of Lee 
 to come to his assistance at Richmond ; and he had 
 been rapidly but quietly approaching for three days. 
 Lee had matured his plans, and on the 25th of June, 
 Jackson having arrived, his troops were put in mo- 
 tion, and in a few hours commenced one of the fiercest 
 and most prolonged battles of modern times. For 
 seven long days that section of country for 30 miles 
 was to be made a scene of blood and carnage. Men 
 were to grapple in their death struggles ; to fall and 
 die in each others embrace. Nothing like it had been 
 seen on this continent. Two hundred thousand 
 American soldiers were to meet in mortat combat (at 
 this time the Federal Army were mostly Americans j 
 
33 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865 
 
 the South had few but Americaus at any time), each 
 side fully believino- that they were right, and on that 
 field they were going (as on many others in after 
 days) to teach the world what American soldier meant. 
 June 25 Jackson was in motion for the right of the 
 Federal Army — to place himself between them and 
 their sui^jjlies. Early in the afternoon the troops 
 were in position and the battle commenced, and amid 
 the smoke and fire, the clash of musketry, and roar 
 of artillery men rushed together like wild beasts, and 
 fell and died unknown, to sink in the swamps of the 
 Chickahominy. The Federal Army fought with des- 
 perate courage. They received Lee's men on their 
 bayonets ; but they could not stay, with all their cour- 
 age and the tons of lead and iron missiles, the mad 
 rush of Lee and Jackson ; and at night of the 25th of 
 June McClellan saw that his only safety was in flight, 
 and he bent all his energies to this end. History has 
 told of this retreat, and called it "masterly;" and 
 so it was. For seven days it was march and fight, 
 night and day. Death marked every footstep of these 
 two armies. Long lines of wounded were continually 
 passing to the rear — v/ounded in all imaginary manner, 
 with legs off, arms off, eyes out, and yet these men, 
 as they passed, cheered their comrades as they ad- 
 vanced to the front. It would be almost impossible 
 to picture the scenes of havoc that was occurring all 
 along this line. The troops of Georgia were beside 
 the men of Texas. The men of North Carolina stood 
 shoulder to shoulder with men of Alabama ; while 
 Virginia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Caro- 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 33 
 
 lina stood side by side and mingled their blood to- 
 gether. The dead of each State lay close up to the 
 Federal line. After six days' fighting the climax 
 came at Malvern Hill, a natural fortress held by 50,000 
 infantry and 100 guns. The scene on that July day 
 was sublime. The rush of Lee's men on Malvern 
 Heights surpassed anything that had been seen on 
 this continent up to this time; Jackson, with Hill, 
 Longstreet, Magruder, and Huger, dashed themselves 
 to pieces against this impregnable fortress, and left 
 their dead within the Federal lines. Such courage 
 as was seen that day equaled Waterloo ; but the po- 
 sition was impregnable, and night closed this scene 
 of blood with McClellan stitl in possession of the hill ; 
 but when morning came again he was in full retreat 
 to the James River, and on July 2d he was hemmed 
 in, crippled, and defeated, driven 30 miles, and with 
 a loss of 25,000 of his best troops. 
 
 We of the Confederate army had victory and the 
 spoils of war to cheer us : but we also had to mourn 
 the loss of many loved officers and comrades. In fact 
 there was few companies in the vast army but what 
 had lost some loved friend. 
 
 About the 6th of July the army of Lee commenced 
 to fall back to their works, near Richmond, to repair 
 and rest for other trials, marches, and battles yet to 
 come. The army lay quiet for several weeks, talking 
 of i^eace and speculating on the chances of the war 
 being over or near its close. Each soldier thought 
 that the great defeat of the army of the Potomac 
 
H RECOLLECTIONS FllOM 1.860 TO 1865. 
 
 would end the matter. The great idea was foreigii 
 intervention, peace, and home. 
 
 Notwithstanding the sadness created by the loss of 
 comrades, we were seemingly joyous, and, like selfish 
 human nature, forgot for the time the sorrow that 
 was caused in the homes of the widows and orphans, 
 both North and South, who would be waiting for the 
 footsteps of those that would never come. 
 
 Soldiers are not heathens ; but the life of danger 
 seems to cause them soon to forget the past. They 
 take no thought of the future, and nothing but the 
 present lives with them ; and they make the most 
 of it. 
 
 After such hardships as we had passed through, the 
 quiet of the camp was very acceptable and pleasant. 
 Yet, while we were at rest, the "powers that be" at 
 the heads of the two armies were busy planning com- 
 plex movements for our amusement. Of course we 
 soldiers knew nothing of this ; but wo found it out 
 as we went along. It was probably well that we did 
 not know of it at the time or there might have been 
 more of us on the sick list. There are other kinds of 
 sickness that soldiers have beside sea-sickness. Just 
 before a battle weakness in the knees and various 
 other kinds of weakness — sometimes a weakness to 
 want to be anywhere but there. 
 
 There was a man by the name of Pope, not much 
 known to fame, who suddenly burst on the horizon 
 of war. He had, it was said (in fact he said so 
 himself), his headquarters where his hindquarters 
 ought to have been, in the saddle. He also stated 
 
BECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 35 
 
 confidentially that he was from the West, but did 
 not say how long he was going to stay in that 
 locality. Perhaps he" did not know at that time; he 
 was not a well-read man ; nor did he consult either 
 Banks, Milroy, or Fremont, which, had he have 
 done, perhaps they would have informed him that 
 there were a couple of men who came that way 
 sometimes by the names of R. E. Lee and Stonewall 
 Jackson, who might object to his lying around and 
 cause him serious trouble, and without his consent 
 direct his retirement. Pope soon found this to be 
 the case. Lee seeing that the army of McClellan 
 at Harrison's Landing was paralized, concluded to 
 send Jackson to Culpepper Court-House to investi- 
 gate Pope. Accordingly he gave the order, and the 
 " Man of Destiny " moved forward. He s(-on found 
 Pope scattered around the country, making war on 
 the defenceless inhabitants of that section. He 
 (Pope) was seemingly teaching a "School for 
 Scandal;" in other words making thieves of his 
 whole army by orders of Major-General John Pope. 
 Jackson, you know, was a sort of churchman, and 
 he objected ts this mode of procedure. His orders 
 were liberal, and allowed him to act at his discre- 
 tion. Falling in with his old commissary. Banks, 
 Jackson concluded to tell him, and through him 
 Pope, that this mode of plundering the people must 
 stop. He put his army in motion, and the battle of 
 Cedar Mountain was the result. Banks as usual 
 sent that same old story to Pope that he could man- 
 age this little affair by himself, as the rebels were 
 
.86 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 in full retre .t. This was at 4 o'clock p. m., August 
 8, 1863. Almost before the courier had fairly started 
 with his disfjatch Banks and his whole command 
 was after him, and Jackson's men after them both. 
 At sundown Banks was in full retreat through the 
 cornfields, and Jackson had quiet possession of the 
 corn and many other little things, such as artillery, 
 muskets, baggage, and prisoners of war. There was 
 the usual pow-wow. Pope said it was Banks, and 
 Banks said it was Pope. But "it was so, all the 
 same." Jackson quietly withdrew next day, and 
 gave Pope a chance to send dispatches to Washing- 
 ton, as suited the occasion. 
 
 ■'In the meantime Lee was coming up with his old 
 veterans. For, be it known that all of his troops 
 could jusily be designated as such, it was not long 
 after this that the word ragged was added, making 
 them Lee's ragged veterans, "of whom Lee re- 
 marked that he never was ashamed of when fight- 
 ing." This march is well remembered by tlie writer. 
 The weather was very hot, the m:^rchiDg and count er- 
 marchin-T: was rapid, and the troops suffered greatly, 
 many falling by the roadside in utter exhaustion- 
 many perhaps never to be heard of again. 
 
 To the old soldiers I need not tell of these hard- 
 ships and sufferings of l he troops ; and if it were 
 possible for me to describe it as it w:^s to the rising 
 general ion,^t hey would perhaps look on it as a pic- 
 ture of ihe imagination. (But it is for the youth 
 that we of that day should wri^e and relate, that 
 they may le irn what the sufferings of the men of 
 
RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. Zi 
 
 that day were and learn the value of a faithful ad- 
 herance to what they believe, as we believed, to be 
 right. I will not raise the question here, nor do I 
 desire to raise it at all, or to brin^ any argument in 
 this book to prove one way or the other, but I do 
 not hesitate to say, without any attempt to justify or 
 excuse, that we, the Southern people of that day, 
 did fully believe in the rightousness of our cause-; 
 and as proof of this assertion see our 300,000 graves, 
 our thousands of wido^YS and orphans, and at the 
 close of the war our impoverished homes ; but even 
 better proof exists than even that. See the surviv- 
 ors, in all honor, submitting quietly to the arbitra- 
 ment of war, to which they had submitted their 
 cause, teaching their youtli to become good citizens 
 of thisuni'ed country, neither casting or desiring to 
 cast from the close of the war to the present time 
 any impediment to its growth or glory, but by their 
 efforts assisting in both. Let all the people of this 
 vast country look at these facts, and say whether 
 the people of the South were not earnest in their be- 
 lief that they were right. ) 
 
 Lee having arrived with the balance of his army 
 the game of war commenced between him and Pope. 
 (The army was at this time divided in right and left 
 wings, Jackson commanding the left and Longstreet 
 tho right.) It seemed to be the intention of Lee to 
 make t'nis campaign short and sharp. McClellan 
 had been quietly beheaded , and his army was being 
 forwarded to Pope by sea. It was Lee's desire to 
 do Pope up, and retire him before the men from 
 
38 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 Harrisons Landing should arrive to his support*. To 
 this end he gave his energies. About August 5 he 
 conceived the bold plan of sending Jackson to the 
 right and rear of Pope's army — that is, between 
 Pope and Washington — while Longstreet should 
 amuse him in front on the Rappahannock River. 
 Jackson moved by quick marches, passing Manas- 
 sas, and destroying vast quantities of stores. It was 
 at this point, where vast quantities of sutler's stores 
 were destroyed, that was seen the most novel sight 
 that perhaps was ever seen before in an army. 
 These stores, of course, were intended for the Fed- 
 eral soldiers, and composed all kinds of delicacies. 
 The men of Jackson nere told to help themselves, 
 and then were seen men, 6 feet tall, ragged, acting 
 like school boys, with a stick of candy in one hand 
 and a pickle in the other, a laughing, howling, f rolic- 
 ing set, who a few days before had been living on 
 green corn, were feasting on sardines and wine and 
 other delicacies. But time was of the greatest im- 
 portance, and with sorrow, and their haversacks 
 full, they had to leave much to the flames. Of 
 course the Yankee sutlers lost nothing by this de- 
 struction; they simply charged double price to the 
 Yanks until the price was made up. 
 
 About the 28th Jackson was well posted, but Pope 
 was between him and his friends, and as usual he 
 telegraphed to Washington that he had Jackson 
 bagged and would soon commence to tie the bag up. 
 He sent orders to his different commanders how 
 to move and when to commence tieing the bag. 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 39 
 
 They moved, and like the Irishman's flea, Jackson 
 was not there. 
 
 Longstreet in the meantime was hurryinj? up by 
 forced marches, night and day; he pressed forward, 
 and ere Pope was aware of it he was deploying on 
 Jackson's right. 
 
 History tells how Pope attacked Jackson under 
 the impression that he (Jackson) was in full retreat; 
 how he told the Washington people that the awful 
 bugbear, Stonewall, was gone up; history will also 
 tell you how, on the 80th of August, the bag of 
 Jackson burst asunder, and its fragments were 
 scattered from Manassas to Washington with a 
 pretty good slice on its way to Richmond as prison- 
 ers of wai . It will also tell that the head of Pope 
 that day fell in the basket along with them that had 
 gone before, and that in two short months the Man 
 of the West, with his headquarters in the saddle, 
 vanished from view and was placed among the 
 things'^ that might have been." Thus ended the 
 fame and glory of Pope; his name has never been 
 mentioned in that locality since. Thus closed the 
 battle of Manassas and the career of Pope in the 
 Army of the Potomac. 
 
CHAPTER IV —" Maryland, My Maryland/'— 
 Harper's Ferry. — Lee's Strength at 
 Sharpsburg. — Over the River Again. — 
 Bunker Hill Camp.— Incidents of the 
 Campaign. 
 
 Pope had disappeared from the scene, but still the 
 war went on; it seemed that with every disaster the 
 North grew stronger, but in the present dilemma it 
 was necessary that the powers at Washington should 
 move quick, as the body of McClellan was not quite 
 dead, although it had been beheaded. The powers at 
 Washington, includin<? War, Navy, and even the 
 Fish Commission, called loudly to awaken him, Mac, 
 back to life, that he might again place himself at the 
 head of the dispirited Army of the Potomac, and 
 make some effort to stay the victorious march of Lee. 
 
 September 3 found Lee and his victorious army on 
 his way to the Potomac with little opposition, with 
 the intention of crossing into " Maryland, My Mary- 
 land." His aim seemed to be to read the riot act to 
 the United States Government, and to invite the peo- 
 ple of that State to accept the freedom that it was 
 said had been denied them by the Federal authori- 
 ties. While in Baltimore and eastern Maryland there 
 were thousands who favored the Southern cause, and 
 would have welcomed Lee and his army, yet in this 
 
41 EECOLLECTIONS FROM I860 TO 1865. 
 
 section there were few to respond to Lee's invitation. 
 As an instance of the feeling of the people of Balti- 
 more, I relate one circumstance that occurred to my- 
 self. In 1863 I was captured at Gettysburg, Pennsyl 
 vania, in the battle of the third day, in the charge of 
 Pickett's division I was carried to Baltimore in a box 
 car, with many others; we were delayed just outside 
 the city limits for three or four hours; it was July 5, 
 and the sun was extremely hot. The battle of Get- 
 tysburg had just been fought, and my wife being 
 within the Federal lines, I knew that she would get 
 the report, and naturally suffer great anxiety, know- 
 ing that I wa.s in the division of Pickett, which had 
 been so badly cut up. Therefore I was desirous of 
 getting word to her as soon as possible, and knowing 
 that Baltimore contained many that sympathized 
 with us, I resolved to make the attempt to get word 
 to her. Standing as near to the cars as the guards 
 would permit were two young ladies, about 20 years 
 of age; they seemed to take great interest in us, and 
 looked symi)athetic. 1 procured a piece of paper and 
 pencil, and wrote on it my name and the address of 
 my wife, requesting that she be informed that her 
 husband was well and unhurt. As the guards were 
 going from me, having rolled the paper up, I threw it 
 at the feet of the young ladies; they seemed to know 
 my desire; and one of them immediately put her foot 
 on it and looked at me, and I knew from the look my 
 wife would hear of me. She dared not pick it up, but 
 with the patience and fortitude of a martyr she stood 
 for over two hours in that July sun, until the train 
 
42 KECOLLECTtONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 moved off, and in a day or two my wife received an 
 unsigned letter from Baltimore, stating that the writer 
 had seen her husband as a prisoner of war, and he 
 was well. I have blessed that lady from that day, and 
 classed her as near the angels as any mortal ever can 
 get in this world. 
 
 There were, as I said, thousands of glorious women 
 and men in Baltimore and eastern Maryland, yet Lee's 
 manifesto of peace and freedom fell flat on the peo- ' 
 pie of western Maryland, and the thousands that 
 we had expected to get dwindled down to perhaps 
 one company. However, we were in Maryland, feed- 
 ing on green ct)rn. The army of Lee had turned to 
 horses as far as feed went; we had our regular six 
 ears to the man (or horse, as you please) [fact]. 
 
 History records the lost order of Lee, and hov/ by 
 that means McClellan was enabled to press so closely 
 on Lee. At Frederick, Maryland, the army was di- 
 vided from its purpose of capturing Harper's 
 Ferry. 
 
 My division, R. H. Anderson's, was with McLaw's 
 command in the Pleasant Valley, and on Maryland 
 Heights, with Jackson on the Virginia side, and Con- 
 federates on London Heights. The officer command- 
 ing Harper's Ferry made very little resistance, and 
 the place fell with 11,000 prisoners, 73 guns, vast 
 quantities of stores, munitions of war, wagons, etc. 
 
 Then came tbe race for Sharpsburg, where Lee was 
 with the remnant of his army, and the near approach 
 of the Federal army made it look serious. The race- 
 horse speed of Jackson brought him to Lee on Sep- 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FEOM 1860 TO 1875. 43 ' 
 
 teniber 16, and somewhat altered things; but Lee, 
 with his depleted army of not more than 25.000 men 
 was far from safe, in the face of 90,000 Federal troops 
 under McClellau, whose head been replaced upon his 
 body for this occasion only. Poor Mac; your lot was 
 hard. While there were no full generals killed in 
 action on the Federal side, there were numbers of 
 them buried in oblivion; nearly every battle, at the 
 beginning of the war, was sore death to its com 
 mander; that is, he was relieved from further ser- 
 vice. 
 
 The battles as the war progressed seemed to in- 
 crease in violence, and each one was more severe 
 than the preceding one, so at Sharpburg this rule 
 was followed, and this battle proved to be one of 
 the bloodiest fought up to that time. The odds were 
 fearfully in favor of the Federals, being at some 
 points as many as ten to one, and the aveiage three 
 to one during the entire action. The estimate of 
 Lee's force was taken from the morning reijort of 
 the 16th, and it is no criterion to judge his strength 
 on the 17th. At that time I was orderly sergeant of 
 Coropany G, Ninth Virginia Infantry. My report 
 > f September 16 showed 40 men for duty. When 
 going into action on the 17th I commanded the com- 
 pany" .'is sergeant, and had only six men. This is 
 ■ •nViy ricjcounted for. My brigade made anight 
 c:^. from Harper's Ferry, and halted at midnight 
 ... V ' - . ■ hour; soon an order came urging us forward, 
 I .. ' he men had fallen asleep and did not wake; at 
 I ^T\;o-thirds of the brigade were left in the 
 
44 RECOLLECTIONS FROM I860 TO 1865. 
 
 woods; some will say that these men were shirkers; 
 it was not so; these men were but human, and their 
 endurance had reached its limit. All these men, 
 with few exceptions, were soldiers that could be 
 depended on in any emergency, and they came up 
 as soon as they could. 
 
 Lee's army was in better condition on the 18th 
 than it was on the 17th, even allowing for the loss, 
 according to my observation. It is not necessary to 
 go into history as regards this battle; the accoui.t is 
 short; Lee, with his army of not more than 80,000 
 men, repulsed the attacks of McClellan's 90,000 men, 
 held the field until night of the 18th, and then 
 quietly withdrew his force across the river without 
 the loss of a single gun. Early that morning I saw 
 Lee and Jackson in the middle of the Potomac, 
 sitting quietly on their horses, watching the last of 
 their troops pass over. 
 
 The Army of Northern Virginia had on these Sep- 
 tember days added glory to its name, and was more 
 closely cemented together by the blood of its com- 
 rades, and if possible had learned to love Lee and 
 Jackson, and their immediate commanders, better 
 than ever. 
 
 There is one incident of this battle that attracted 
 my attention. During the 17th it became necesoary 
 to move our brigade by the left flank, and the fire 
 of shot and shell was very heavy and dangerous, 
 Jackson was sitting on his horse just in rear of us. 
 Our general had been wounded, and Colonel Hodges, 
 of the Fourteenth Virginia Regiment, was coni- 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 45 
 
 manding. We were moving in common time; Jack- 
 son, seeing the danger to which it was exposed, told 
 the colonel to move in double quick time out of dan- 
 ger. This incident only goes to show how thought- 
 ful Jackson was in small things, and how careful he 
 was of his men, when it was possible, and yet when 
 fighting was necessary he was all fire, and life for 
 the time being amounted to very little. With him war 
 meant fight, and fight meant kill, and that was the 
 secret of his success, combined with his race-horse 
 speed of movements, The men of our army were 
 as a general rule as true as steel; but there were 
 exceptions, as in the case that I shall relate. When 
 crossing jbhe Potomac, going to the field, one of the 
 men, who was accustomed to being in the rear when 
 a fight was in progress, and at the same time have a 
 plausible excuse for it, was on this occasion, as he 
 said, nearly caught. He had crossed the canal, and 
 to save his shoes had taken them off. He had no 
 idea of a fight at this point ; but while washing his 
 feet, preparatory to putting on his shoes, a gun in 
 front gave notice of something wrong [^oing on. He 
 listened intently for further evidence of the situa- 
 tion, and hearing several guns in quick succession 
 he deliberately threw his shoes in the canal, with 
 the expression (alluding to the shoes), you came 
 very near getting me in trouble this time, and re- 
 tired to the rear, giving as an excuse no shoes. To 
 the reverse of this I have seen on the line of battle 
 men barefooted, with feet bleeding, facing death 
 in all forms of horror, and pleading no excuse to 
 
46 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 escape from what they felt to be their duty. There 
 is no place better than a field of battle to test the 
 higher qualities and the nobility of man. 
 
 My division (R. H. Anderson's) was the rear guard 
 on this occasion, and my regime at was left on the 
 river as a picket line, and w^e suffered for want oi 
 something to eat. Rations were furnished us at 
 Harper's Ferry on the 16th, and not much then. 
 
 It was r,ow the 18th, and nothing had been fur- 
 nished since ; nor did we get any until the 19th. I 
 did not eat anything for at least forty-eight hours. 
 You may not possibly know how it feels to go that 
 long, and to be marching ni^ht and day; I assure 
 you that a man is not in the best of spirits. Such 
 was the case often in the Confederate army at this 
 date, and in the latter days it was a general thing, 
 with only an occasional exception, to prove the 
 rule. 
 
 On the niftht of the 18th of September, as I said, 
 Lee crossed the river, back to Virginia. When go- 
 ing over the river the boys were singing ''"Mary- 
 land, my Maryland." Bnt all was quiet on that 
 point when we came back. Occasionally some fel- 
 low would strike that tune, and you would then 
 hear tiie echo, '' Damn My Maryland. " All seemed 
 to be dis usted with that part of Maryland. 
 
 The army continued ito March to Bunker Hill, 
 near Winchester. Grand old Winchester, who's his- 
 tory in the past stood out in littering bri ,htness 
 and honor, was by the action of her people, their 
 fortitude, patience, and sufferin ;, to add new j^lory, 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 47 
 
 if possible, to that history ; and to-day their enemies 
 of that day, after cool reflection, and remem- 
 bering the days of '76, must give them credit for 
 their firm adherence to principles that are truly 
 American and ori.^inated in America. 
 
 These people of the Sonth were descendants of 
 some of the greatest heroes and most learned men 
 of our country. The blood of the heroes of the 
 Alamo, "who had no messenger of defeat," flowed 
 through their veins, and while in the heat of pas- 
 sion, while blinded by political dissensions and 
 demarvogisvi, there was some excnse for con- 
 demnation. To-day there should be nothin- but 
 praise when we hold up as examples of American 
 manhood the soldiers of both North and South as 
 an illustration to the world of what America is, a ad 
 the South, with the North, should at least siiare 
 some of the glory attached to the name of America. 
 
 Let the North and the South have their own iDnvate 
 opinions as to past days ; but let the soldiers of both 
 armies now living resolve that they will not them- 
 selves, nor will they permit politicians to, make capi- 
 tal for themselves by causing discord between the 
 men of both armies, who, by their heroism, the 
 dauntless bravery of the living, and the graves oi the 
 dead, have taught the world to keep their hands oft' 
 American affairs. 
 
 Here at Bunker Hill we rested for some time from 
 marches and battles. Cold weather was approach- 
 ing, and many of the jinen were poorly clad and num- 
 bers without shoes ; but we were getting used to that. 
 
48 KECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 damp life is uot good for soldiers. It gives him time 
 to think of home, and in our case sad thoughts would 
 arise when we looked back to home and loved ones, 
 and knew, while our sufferings were great to feel, 
 that those we loved were, perchance, suffering more 
 than we. 
 
 It is true that the Southern women sent cheerful 
 messages to camp when in many cases their hearts 
 were filled with sadness. It is no wonder that the 
 women of the South of that day were looked on as 
 very near the angels by all of the Southern soldiers. 
 
 It was at this camp that my first attempt was made 
 as a poet. I shall ever recollect that night of Ko- 
 vember, with the howling blast of early winter pass- 
 ing thruogh the trees, with men sleeping around on 
 the bare earth, with nothing to shelter them or to 
 cover with. There, sitting over a smoking fire, with 
 thoughts of home, and, rubbing my eyes, smarting 
 from the smoke of the fire, I have often, in after 
 yearSj in thinking of that night, wondered how it v^^as 
 even possible for my thoughts to run in a poetical 
 channel ; but they did, and the following is what 
 was produced, on brown j)aper and by the light of 
 the fire, as near as I can reccollect at this time. It 
 has not been altered in any manner. I gave it the 
 title of ''Face the Foe Again," and dedicated it to 
 Bunker Hill ; but I little dreamed at that time that I 
 would ever print it : 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 18G0 TO 1865. 49 
 
 Face the Foe Again. 
 
 T'was night, and wintei* winds blew keen 
 O'er the soldiers lonely bed ; 
 And the sentry walked his lonely post, 
 His thoughts to home had fled. 
 Fond recollections to them from his soul, 
 Before sleep ; his eyes have closed, 
 And from dreams to reality he wakes 
 Again to face his foes. 
 
 The drnm sounds out its dreadful notes, 
 Which float upon the air, 
 And wakes him from his lonely sleep 
 And tells him danger's near. 
 He wakes again to hear that word : 
 "Turnout!" "turnout!" "fall in!" 
 And duty tells him he must go 
 To face the foe again. 
 
 Yes ! face the foe, which oft he's done, 
 And never yet knew fear, 
 For which at first he left his home 
 And all that he held dear. 
 A sacrifice which he had made, 
 And had not made in vain. 
 To strike for them a vengeful blow 
 And face the foe again. 
 
 Our duty to our country done 
 We' 11 fly to those we love, 
 Who now sit waiting our return. 
 And trusting God above 
 For a safe return of their gallant brave, 
 Whose trials are almost o'er, 
 His country's liberty he has won 
 And he strikes at the foe no more. 
 
50 RECOLLECTIOKS FROM 1300 TO 1865. 
 
 We soon fitted a tune to these lines and sung them 
 at our camp-tires at night to drive dull caro away. 
 The reader may judge from the last few lines of this 
 poetical "delusion" that the writer at that time 
 thought that things looked bright for peace. In fact 
 it was whih2 at this camp that various rumors of rec- 
 ognition by France, England, and other powers began 
 to look to us as truth, and such talk would send our 
 spirits up, only to fall again. But up to this time 
 there was really no despondency among the men in the 
 army. There were some few that were ahvays croak- 
 ing, but not a great many. 
 
 About this time I met a man from my town that I 
 had not seen for years, and his words were prophetic. 
 He was in a Texas regiment, and he having left home 
 several years prior to the war I was glad to meet him, 
 and among other things I asked him what he thought 
 of the war. He said that it was his opinion that in 
 two years we would be down on the "G-ulf of Mexico, 
 with the seat of our jjants out (mine were out then), 
 fishing for our breakfast with a pin-hook." I said, 
 "I guess not ; " but he was near right ; for in about 
 two years many of us were not only fishing for our 
 own breakfast, but without even bait on the hook. 
 Which all goes to prove that the Americans aic a 
 great people, and as shown by the people of tlio Soutli 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FllOM 1860 TO 1865. 51 
 
 and its progress that tlicy will get there, bait or no 
 bait, iDants or iio pants ; and it teaches also a lesso^ 
 to all foreign powers at this late day that even with 
 a small Navy and no fortifications for harbor defense 
 that we would be a bad people to catch even with our 
 "pants down,'' so to speak. 
 
CHAPTER V — Retirement of McClellan.- 
 BMrnside in Commatid.— From Buiiker 
 Hiil to Fredericksburg. — Battle o1 
 Fredericksburg. — Fighting Joe Hooker 
 — Chanceilorsville. — Death of Jackson" 
 
 While Lee's army was quiet at Bunker Hill, recruit 
 ing in numbers and gaining in bodily strength after 
 the severe campaign of the summer, the powers at 
 Washington were urging McClellan on, to raise cane 
 with Uncle Bob Lee ; but they could not get him to 
 go. Lee was not only at Bunker Hill, but he was on 
 his own "dung hill ;" and Mac knew it, and knew he 
 would spur, as he had been there before. Finally the 
 Federal Army commenced to slide down toward 
 Fredericksburg in a kind of half-hearted way, alto- 
 gether too slow for Stanton, and off went the head of 
 McClellan, and that was the end of him. He retired 
 to New Jersey, and became a looker-on. 
 
 Burnside, the man that gave tholiame to the v/his- 
 kers, was appointed to fill his place. He told these 
 folks at Washington the plain truth : That he could 
 not lick Bob Lee's army ; but they would not believQ 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 53 
 
 him, and patted him on the back, aud told him "to 
 go in;" hurried him forward to Fredericksburg, 
 thinking that he would be there before Lee. It was 
 no go. As usual there was someone there to receive 
 him, dei3Utized by Lee for that purpose, with the 
 usual instructions to give the gentlemen a very warm 
 reception, if he desired to visit the old town, and in- 
 form him that he must first get a permit from K. E. 
 Lee. 
 
 "It was told that Mr. Lincoln, on being applied to 
 for a pass to go to Richmond, told the applicant that 
 a pass from him would do no good, as he had given 
 to McClellan and about 200,000 men just such a pass 
 to go to Richmond, and that those people down near 
 Richmond either could not read or paid no attention 
 to it, as it had been nearly two years, and'they had 
 not got there yet." 
 
 In the meantime Lee, with the remainder of his 
 army, was quietly coming southward to assist in the 
 reception to be accorded the visitors at Fredericks- 
 burg. ^^ 
 
 That march from Bunker Hill to Culpepper Court- 
 House will be long remembered by the men of the 
 Army of ISTorthern Virginia, or that part of it to which 
 I was attached at that time — R. H. Anderson's divi- 
 sion. "We were poorly clad, and in ray company, out 
 of about 57 men, we had 17 without shoes. (I was 
 orderly-sergeant at that time and made the report as 
 to the numberc) It was in November, and very cold 
 for that month, I remember when we forded thq 
 
54 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 ShenandDali River that the ice was one-half inch 
 thick. At Culpepper the shoeless men got shoes. 
 They were made from the green hides of the cattle 
 killed for food, sewed up with thongs or strips cut 
 from the hide, the hair-side being inside, next to the 
 foot. These moccasons, or whatever you may call 
 them, were about 16 inches long, and the beef 
 were on them. The men put them on while green, 
 and in a few days they dried, and there was no get- 
 ting them off without cutting them. It was lucky 
 that there were no dogs in camp or they would have 
 given us trouble. We were bad off in the clothing 
 line. 
 
 I a*-*, fully satisfied that were I to appear on any 
 srage to-day clad as I was at that time, including 
 those shoes of hide, that I would be a drawing card 
 for the show. (These are facts, not colored.) 
 
 We contmued our march in a few days to Freder- 
 icksburg, and arrived there about the 4th of Decem- 
 ber, 1862. Soon after our arrival the surrender of 
 Fredericksburg was demanded by Burnside. . Tiiat 
 request could not be granted just then, and he was 
 quietly so informed. 
 
 While Burnside was waiting for his pontoons, Lee 
 was assembling his host on the hills back of the old 
 town, and early in December all were up and waiting 
 the visit of our friends over the river. It was deter- 
 mined by Lee and his generals, with the assistance of 
 his old army, when they did come over to tender them 
 the hospitalities of tjie State of Virginia in a manner 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 55 
 
 becoming the occasion, and to make that reception 
 as warm as possible. In a few days the demand was 
 again made for the surrender of the town ; but L^e 
 said no ; but if it would be any accommodation he 
 would request the people of Fredericksburg to vacate 
 for a short time. Which he did. This was Decem- 
 ber, cold and bleak. 
 
 Reader, do you wonder, when the Southern sold- 
 iers saw the women and children tramping from their 
 homes at that inclement season, and camping in the 
 woods without shelter, I say, do you wonder that 
 every soldier in that army made a vow that such 
 treatment should be avenged. Let history tell how 
 fearfully it was kept. 
 
 On the morning of December 11, 1862, about 3:30 
 a. m., I was up. I had some early cooking to do. 
 There was but one utensil for that purpose in our 
 company ; and one of the boys had the evening before 
 became possessed of some corn- meal and had given 
 me some of it. Under the early-bird rule that got 
 the worm, I concluded that the early soldier would 
 get the skillet, and therefore got his meal cooked 
 first, and I was the only one that got my meal cooked 
 that morning. Just as I had finished cooking it a 
 Whitworth gUn from Lee's hill sent a sound forth 
 that intimated to me, as orderly-sergeant, that I had 
 better form my company. I soon had the company 
 astir and in line. That gun told Lee's army that 
 Burn side was crossing the river, and the people of 
 Fredericskburg were to be avenged. Yes ; the peo- 
 
56 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 pie of Fredericksburg were to be avenged ! and ond 
 of the most bloody repulses was to be inflicted 
 on Burnside's troops that had occurred during the 
 war. 
 
 I shall merely glance at this battle, giving such 
 statements as I was an eye-witness to, or such as was 
 well authenticated by other persons who saw it in 
 other parts of the field. During the 11th Lee quietly 
 began placing his troops in line of battle. There 
 seemed to be no hurry or confusion. There was a 
 place for all, and the troops were slowly marched to 
 ^heir places. 
 
 I remember tbat our division marched very slowly, 
 and did not get on the line until night. Probably this 
 was done to conceal our movements. I presume it 
 was, as we could have been in position in two hours, 
 if necessary. Burnside maae the attempt to lay his 
 pontoons early in the morning of the 11th, but was 
 prevented by the sharpshooters of Barksdale's Misis- 
 sipians, which so enraged him that he opened his ar- 
 tillery on the town and caused great destruction of 
 property by fire, but very little loss of life. After 
 several hours of this artillery fire he matfe another at- 
 tempt to lay his bridges ; but the Mississippians were 
 still there. He finally sent, in boats, a large force, 
 and Barksdale fell back by Lee's orders, as the pur- 
 pose was only to delay Burnside until Lee was ready. 
 It never was the intention of Lee to prevent them 
 from crossing. All day of the 11th and 12th the 
 
RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 57 
 
 Federal Army was getting Bver the river, and Lee 
 was quietly awaiting on the hills his advance. 
 
 About 9 o'clock on the morning of the 13th we 
 knew that the battle would soon commence, and one 
 hour later it was in full fury. It happened that my 
 regiment was sent out as a picket line, just to the 
 left of JacksoB, and as we were not engaged I had a 
 full view of the Federal lines as they advanced to at- 
 tack Jackson's lines at Hamiltons Crossing. It was 
 Meade's division that led the advance, and I must say 
 that the troops moved forward in splendid order and 
 stood the fire well. They advanced well up, and it 
 was horrible to see the slaughter. One line would 
 melt away and another take its place to meet the same 
 fate until five lines had been cut to pieces. For about 
 one hour the slaughter went on, and then Meade 
 withdrew near the river. These men had no chance 
 of success from the beginning, and it looked like 
 murder to send them in there. With the falling back 
 of Meade the fighting ceased on this part of the line 
 (the right). I did not see the fighting on the left ; 
 but history tells us it was even worse.' At Maryes 
 Heights it was bloody. I saw a man coming out from 
 that point. He said that he had looked at the dead 
 until he was sick, and I think he told what was so, as 
 he stated that there v/as no danger where he was, and 
 he simply was tired of killing men (sharpshooter). 
 There had not been more than one-third of Lee's 
 army engaged, and his losses were amall compared 
 to Burnsides, about 3,000, while Burnside's (officially) 
 
58 recolIjECTions from 1860 to 1805. 
 
 was 12,000. Thus the people of Fredericksburg ware 
 fearfully avenged. 
 
 The people of Washington now believed what Burn- 
 side told them : That he could not whip Lee. But it 
 cost them 12,000 killed and wound ec" be convinced 
 of what he had said when appointea. irnside re- 
 tired across the river, and the powers at Washington 
 soon retired him from command of the army. 
 
 Lee's army went in winter quarters. Around in 
 this section where we rested for the winter — my divi- 
 sion was near Guinea Station on the Richmond and 
 Fredericksburg Railroad — nothing to do to keep my 
 miud employed, I was again struck with the idea 
 that I was a poet, and laboring under that delusion 
 I managed to produce the following doggerel, which 
 we used to sing to the tune of Caroline of Edinburg- 
 town. Some of the old people recollect that song, 
 and if they think they can sing I have no objection 
 that they should try the following. It is copyrighted; 
 but if the words don't kill them and their neigh- 
 bors, I have no objection to the use of it, provided 
 I am not held liable if any damage should occur : 
 
 Tl)€ Bailie of Fredepiel5sl)(ipg. 
 
 It was on the 11th of December 
 The cannon's fiercest roar 
 The quiet of the doomed city broke ; 
 The streets ran red with gore, 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FKOM 1860 TO 1865. 59 
 
 Wiien Burnsiilo, with his mighty host 
 In battle's drciid array, 
 Advanced and drove our pickets in, 
 And thus began the fray. 
 
 J : troops amid the hills had seen 
 And their hearts were filled with pity 
 For the many sacrifices made 
 By those of the doomed city. 
 The roadside marked the winding path 
 Of the feeble and slender form, 
 And the woods the only shelter 
 From December's wintry storm. 
 
 Longstreet's veteran corps was there, 
 
 Likewise Hill's command, 
 
 And by the side of Jackson 
 
 They did resolve to stand, 
 
 And there repeat again the deeds 
 
 They had done on fields before 
 
 And cause the plains of Fredericksburg 
 
 To run red with Yankee gore. 
 
 Meagher's famous Irish Brigade, 
 The Northern boast and pride, 
 Was met by Southern lead and steel 
 And dauntless valor tried. 
 It Tfas hurled back in confusion, 
 And the sacred soil made red, 
 While his wounded moaned in agony 
 And countless were his dead. 
 
60 RECOLLECTIONS FROM i860 TO 1865. 
 
 Night closing in upon tlie scene 
 Of fearful carnage done, 
 Our boys sat thinking over their loss 
 And the glorious victory won, 
 And giving thanks to God above, 
 Who to them that day gave » 
 
 A glorious victory to the South 
 And many a Yankee grave. 
 
 Thus runs the thoughts of the soldier after a bat- 
 tle—grief for the comrades gone and thanks for a 
 victory gained ; and yet both grief and thanks are 
 soon forgotten in his own trials and sufferings. 
 
 General Burnside gave us very little trouble the 
 balance of the winter, except making us move out 
 of camp on the 9t'i of January, to meet what is 
 known as the mud march in history. It did not 
 amount to much, only to put his ov^ and our troops 
 to inconvenience and cause a great deal of profane 
 languige among the men. While the winter was 
 hard iT did not cause Lee's army much suffering. 
 We pssed the time in quarters, or holes in the 
 ground, huts, and such other shelter as we could 
 provide. 
 
 Two of Longstreet's division (Hood's and Pick- 
 ett's) were sent to Suffolk after meat early in March, 
 and not only succeeded in getting considerable meat, 
 but drew quite a large number of troops to that 
 point to prevent us from taking possession of Nor- 
 folk. I was in Pickett's division at this time, and 
 
Recollections from 1860 to 1865. (U 
 
 we had quite a number of men belongino; 'o that 
 section of country, ail near our homes ; and here 
 was again tested the manhood of our boya. They 
 had been away from home for a year, and were in 
 a position to leave the army and go home. The 
 temptation was great ; yet there were no desertions. 
 Every man did his duty ; and nhen, on the 3d of 
 May, we withdrew from that point, the honor of 
 each man had been tested, and each had proved his 
 manhood. V/hile I was at Suffolk the battle of 
 Chancellors ville was fought. After the failure of 
 Burnside at Fredericlisburg his head soon fell in the 
 basket as commander of ihe army, and ^^igh in^ 
 Joe Hooker was appointed to the command. _^ ^ 
 
 I feared Hooker. I had considered the idea that \ 
 he would do some damage, and from his manifesto j 
 to his army in the latter part of April it looked as ' 
 though he thought so, too. In s > many words he 
 told his army that Lee, including Jackson and i 
 Stuart, in fact the whole outfit of the Confederacy, 
 was the lawful property of the Army of the Poto- j 
 mac ; and as he was now, about May 1st, ready , he f 
 determined not to wait until Hood and Pickett got 
 up from Suffolk, but would go over and take pos- 
 session of what was in sight. 
 
 We know that this was not the first time that such 
 claim of property had been set up. McDowell at 
 the first battle of Bull Run set up just such a claim. 
 On July 21, 1861, and on the 22d, a great many of 
 his men were looking for Beauregard an i his ani- 
 
62 IlEdOLLKOTIONS FROM 18G0 TO l965. 
 
 mals in the city of New York, wi.hout guns (o kill 
 or lassoes to tie .he animals with. 
 
 Lee was a just nnd honorable mm, and as Hooker 
 had claimed him and his army he had no desire to 
 go off and thereby defraud him of his property. So 
 when Hooker started out to fulfill his mission of 
 taking possession of the 50,000 men of Lee, Lee 
 simply placed them so that Joe could get them with 
 the least difficulty. 
 
 The battle of Chancellorsville was the outcome of 
 this arrangement of Hooker. We all know that 
 Hooker got his property, but it was too hot and 
 heavy to take over the river when he went back. 
 There were numerous other things which he did not 
 take with him, such as guns, small arms, munitions 
 of war, and he left his dead and wounded, with 
 numbers of real live men as prisoners of war. 
 
 I shall not go into details of this battle, as I was 
 not there, and what I would say would only be 
 from the knowledge of others. We know that when 
 Joe was safe from harm he told the people of the 
 North and his men that he and they had done pretty 
 well (I suppose he meant in getting away), and 
 gained quite a victory ; but I have never yet found 
 any one that believed that. 
 
 While there was great rejoicing at the Soulh for 
 this vie; ory, there was also great sadness for the 
 loss of Jackson, who by his great generalship and 
 success had endeared himself to the entire South ; 
 and in fac; his name was known throughout the 
 entire world at this time. 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 63 
 
 From the first Manassas, where he gained the 
 name of Stonewall, in each successive move he had 
 added to his fcime new laurels, until that day at 
 Chancellorsville when, wiih 25,000 men, he was 
 about to place himself in the rear of Hooker, with 
 90,000, aud teach the world new features in warfare ; 
 but on the eve of what was to be his greatest achieve- 
 ment, and would have classed him t^ie greatest gen- 
 eral of the age. In the twilight of the evening by 
 his own men he fell, and the en; ire South was 
 filled with grief ; but he uttered no word of con- 
 demnation on his men. He quietly submitted to the 
 will of that AUwise Providence, and passed from 
 darkness into light. But we missed him on every 
 battlefield from that time to the end ; and to-day 
 there is not one liigh-minded man throughout 
 this entire country that will refuse to pay a just 
 tribute to the memory of Stonewall Jackson. 
 
CHAPTER VI.— Incidents of the IVlarcli from 
 Fredericksburg to Gettysburg.— The 
 Battle of Gettysburg, July 1st, 2d, 
 and 3d. 
 
 Soon after the battle of Chancellorsville Hood's 
 and Pickett's divisions Joined Lee near Culpepper 
 Conrt-House. The South was in good spirits. Vic- 
 tory had perched on the banners of the Confederacy, 
 and it was determined to again try invasion. The 
 army was being reorganized into three corps — com- 
 manded by Longstreet, the right ; Hill, center, and 
 Ewell, the left. The army was fairly well clothed 
 and equipped. Just before starting there was a re- 
 view of all the cavalry and part of the infantry at 
 Culpepper Court-House. There I saw for the first 
 time Belle Boyd, the noted rebel spy. She was not 
 a handsome woman, but might be called dashing ; 
 that is, she looked so to me, as I was not in the habit 
 of seeing many women those days. 
 
 About the middle of June Ewell 's corps started 
 for the Valley. Hooker seemed to know nothing of 
 
niSCOLUJCTIONS PKOM 18(10 TO 1805. 65 
 
 this more, and lay quietly at Fredericksburg, refit- 
 tin ; and organizin;- his army. 
 
 It was wonderful how much killing those Irish 
 t^eFTl" ?' ^'"'''■•■' --y-ullsta^d But 
 m.n to fill up the places made vacant. There was 
 much bonnty in the North and much bounty Jum^! 
 ing. In many instances the same fellow w^ 
 h.red several times, and is s ill alive and drawing 
 h s pens.on to-day like a little hero, and to hea? 
 hm alk you would think !>e ought to have been 
 
 t^ 1 r^f "'^'k'""' '° ''""' ^"^-^ °"Sht, under 
 the rules of war, been huu-. It was this ni==. 
 
 that greatly helped to create th: 12 debt td 
 helps .0 impoverish the country with the vast pen- 
 sion list. The real soldiers of the North should see 
 to It that aU such are dropped fr, m the rolls"/ such 
 a thing IS possible. 
 
 But I am digressing. I said that Hooker was 
 quiet and seemed to know little of Lee'smove 
 ments un u from the Valley came the astoundTng 
 news that Winchester had beencap.ured and nearly 
 all of the army of Milroy destroyed. Longstreet 
 was following Ewell northward. Hooker hearing 
 the above news moved from Falmouth and set Hilf 
 kLwr^^ '° '"""" Longstreet. Lee must have 
 known his man well to make this audacious move 
 m the face of 100,000 men; that is, stretching Ws 
 army out over 100 miles, making of it a very aTn 
 skirmish line. It can only be accounted for by sup^ 
 
6G RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865- 
 
 posing Hooker to be completely demoralized ; nd 
 feared to appro ch Ljc Theie is no wonder ; for 
 when a man gets as badly whipped as Hooker was 
 at Chancellorsville it takes him a long time to get 
 over the fright. I don't think Hooker ever did get 
 fully over it, as he soon asked to be relieved. Alter 
 the capture of Vv^inchester Lee moved forward with 
 little difficulty, and nothing of note occurred until 
 the army crossed the Potom .c, about the 24th of 
 June, Ewell in advance. Hill and Longstreet well 
 closed us. As we advanced into Matyland, amid 
 the green fields, the spirits of the troops seemed to 
 gain new life. It began to look to them as if they 
 were on their road to plenty, if not peace. 
 
 On the 27th Ewell was on his way to Carlisle, and 
 Lonustreet and Hill at Chambersburg. 
 
 On the 28th Hooker was relieved from the Army 
 of the Potomac and Meade appointed to the com- 
 mand. Meade said but little on takin < command. 
 I suppose he knew the story of the poll parrot that 
 did too much talking, and got its neck w-rung, and 
 . he therefore kept quiet. But there was one thing 
 that he did say that went to show that he was not 
 so su;e of the final outcome, and that was to order 
 the immediate shooting of any soldiers who did not 
 stick, therefore placing a fellow between two fires. 
 If he did he'd be shot, an 1 if he did not he'd be shot. 
 He also told his generals lo make speeches to the men 
 and tell them the necessity for sticking.'- Lee never 
 had to issue such orders to his men. There is one 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 67 
 
 other notable thin.? that, although Virginia had suf- 
 fered ihe wanton destruction of private property, 
 in some cases virtually by orders of the officers 
 commanding, as in the case of Pope and lesser offi- 
 cers, yet Lee, by his published orders, would not 
 permit any wanton destruction of private property. 
 The contrast was so great ihat some of the North- 
 ern papers commented. But many of the people of 
 Pennsylvania seemed to think that we would eat 
 them. I v/as amused at a Dutch family near Cham- 
 bersburg. I, with two of my company, ^ot leave to 
 go out to get cherries. We carried our arms with 
 us by orders. We approached a house. (In that State 
 they bake bread for the week at a time). T.;e lady 
 was at her baking. I poliiely asked her if we could 
 get some cherries. Her husband came up, and joined 
 in the conversation. He told me that he had been 
 trying to get a baking of bread f ^ r his family, and 
 as fat as he got it done some of the soldiers wouJd 
 come and buy it from him (of course paying for it 
 in Confederate money), and what he had in the 
 oven was the last flour that he had. 1 said, ^' Why 
 do you sell it to them ? "" He intimated th it he was 
 affraid to refuse. I told him that he stood in no 
 danger. The next soldier who wanted to buy his 
 bread to lell him the state of affairs, and not sell it. 
 With his consent I went up the cherry tree, and 
 while there had the satisfaction of hearing tie lady 
 refuse the next buyer, and she \\ as su prised at the 
 gentlemanly manner in w hich he took the refusal. 
 
68 Recollections from 1860 to 1865. 
 
 It is true that our commissary purchased all of the 
 goods in the different towns ; but then they, like any 
 other customer, paid for them in f,rood Confederate 
 notes, and was perfectly willing, if there was any 
 change, to take it in greenbacks, or even gold, or, if 
 they preferred, to give them an order on the United 
 States Government. The seller, as a general thing, 
 doubted the possible acceptance of such orders ; but 
 at the close of the war they were of great use to the 
 smart ones who took them as proof of their claim for 
 loss. 
 
 Some of the people around that section were equal 
 to bounty jumpers. It was related to me by a Fed- 
 eral soldier (he had a leg off) that a man living near 
 Gettysburg, after the war, put in a claim for $400 
 against the Government and a like amount against 
 the State also. This gentleman was sent to investi- 
 gate it. He found the losses sustained as follows : 
 House used as a hospital by the rebels ; parlor wall 
 spattered with blood ; keeper off the front door : well- 
 house filled with straw for wounded ; the loosing of 
 one calico dress, cost about one dollar ; twenty chick- 
 ens ; the whole not exceeding $25. Taking such 
 charges as this in consideration we can readily see 
 how such vast fortunes were made and how the war 
 debt reached up in the thousands of millions. 
 
 Ewell was, on the 28th, on his way to Harrisburg, 
 Longstreet at Chambersburg, and Hill near them. 
 Immediately on Meade assuming command of the 
 Army of the Potomac, then at Frederick, Md., he 
 
RECOLLECTION FROM 1860 TO 1865. 69 
 
 put it in motion for G-ettysburg ; but his engineers 
 were looking for a line near Pipe Creek. In fact, 
 wliile he was going forward, he was looking for a 
 place to get back to (history), and I have no doubt 
 that he fully expected to do so. 
 
 At that time Lee was without his cavalry, and his 
 information was not as reliable as it should have been. 
 Receiving the intelligence that Meade was moving on 
 Gettysburg Lee knew that his communications would 
 be endangered, and therefore ordered Ewell back 
 from Harrisburg to Gettysburg, and put Hill in mo- 
 tion for the same place ; also two of Longstreet's di- 
 visions ; Hood's and McLaw's were ordered to Gettys- 
 burg ; Pickett's remaining at Chambersburg as a rear 
 guard of the army. Thus we find, the last day of 
 June, both armies approaching Gettysburg. Destiny 
 had pointed out the path. They were following it. 
 
 I shall describe what I saw of this battle and what 
 I learned of it from men who were on different parts 
 of the line, and were reliable, with more minuteness 
 than I have other battles, because it is conceded that 
 this was the turning j^oint of the war. On the last 
 day of June, or rather the morning of July the 1st, 
 Gettysburg was virtually surrounded by nearly 
 200,000 men of both armies, varying in distance from 
 8 to 30 miles. 
 
 The old world is dotted with historical points and 
 numerous battle fields that are famous. This conti- 
 nent, or the United States, had just commenced to 
 make its hirtoric spots. Virginia had nearly all of 
 
70 EECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1866. 
 
 note up to this time ; but now Gettysburg, with its 
 diverging roads, was about to become the most famous 
 town and spot on this continent. It was an inland 
 and obscure town, but by the decree of fate the cur- 
 tain of obscurity was withdrawn, and Gettysburg, Pa., 
 was to become, on this 1st day of July, 1863, known 
 throughout the civilized world. Two armies, com- 
 posed of American soldiers, were about to meet in 
 deadly conflict. Two armies, such as this continent 
 had never seen before, commanded by the ablest sol- 
 diers of the age, and each fighting for what they con- 
 scientiously believed to be holy, right, and just. The 
 soldiery qualities of the American people were +o be 
 tested to their full extent, and on these beautiful 
 fields, amid the hills, where nature seemed to have 
 expended vast labor to beautify. Soon they were to 
 be turned into a pandemonium, and amid the rattle 
 and roar, smoke and fire, the passions of men and 
 his powers of destruction were to be witnessed. 
 
 On the 1st day of July, 1863, Hill's Confederate 
 troops were in motion, advancing toward Gettysburg, 
 on the Chambersburg pike. Buford's cavalry was 
 also in motion, moving through Gettysburg. About 
 two miles west of the town they met, both officers de- 
 ployed their troops, and the dropping fire of small 
 arms told that the battle had begun. Soon General 
 Keyuolds came up with part of his first corps Each 
 side was being reinforced, and General Buford gath- 
 ered up his cavalry and retired to the rear, so as 
 the infantry might have a chance. Thus at about 10 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 71 
 
 o'clock the battle was growing strong. The Feder- 
 als were pressing on as though they meant figlit, and 
 Hill's advance was getting the worst of it. Soon Gen- 
 eral Reynolds was killed. Howard was soon on the 
 field. His eleventh corps was coming into line on the 
 night of the first, and at nearly right-angles with it, 
 and covering Gettysburg to the north. Hill was be- 
 ing pressed, but was holding on well, bringing for- 
 ward his troops as fast as he could ; but soon this 
 would change. About 1 o'clock, from the nori h, one 
 of E well's divisions were seen in the distance ap- 
 proaching. He soon had his artillery in position, and 
 its thunder was added to increase the storm of battle. 
 Soon the second division came up, taking places on 
 the left of Rhodes, he extending to the right, and 
 about 3 o'clock he found an opening in the Federal 
 lines between the two Federal corps. Rhodes was 
 a good soldier. He did not hesitate, but hurled his 
 men into the opening, and the fight for that day was 
 won. The right of one and the left of the other corps 
 of Howard was driven back. Hill was relieved of 
 the pressure. Early advanced on the left and Hill on 
 the right, thus completing the victory, and^in a lew 
 minutes the Federal troops were in full retreat 
 through the town of Gettysburg, and being i^ressed 
 by the Confederates. The loss of Hill was severe ; 
 but we were fully compensated for it. The 1st and 
 11th corps were nearly ground up. They left 5,000 
 prisoners in our hands, besides their killed and 
 wounded. 
 
"^^ EECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 Thus ended the first day. The battle closed at 5 
 o'clock. Why was it ? Let history answer. To say 
 that Hill's and E well's troops fought with their 
 usual gallantry would be useless at this time. The 
 world has long since admitted that the soldiers in 
 the army of the Confederate States were the equal 
 of any soldiers of the world, and it takes but few 
 w^ords to express their qualities — bravest of the 
 brave. Of course I am prejudiced ; yet I have the 
 world at large as my authority. 
 
 The first day at Gettysburg was only a prelude 
 of what was to follow. During the night both 
 armies were being hurried forward by their com- 
 manders. Meade had determined, at the sug lestion 
 of Hancock, to make his stand here, and wisely. 
 Nature had made this locality for a field of battle, 
 if nature does such thinss. The position held by 
 Meade was one of the best for defense that could 
 have possibly been found in this locality ; and dur- 
 ing the night to the natural strength Meade was 
 adding artifical works, and by 12 o'clock, July the 
 2d, it was almost impre^xnable to any other but Lee, 
 and to any army but his it would have looked that 
 way. But Lee know his army, and knew that if 
 such a thing was possible at his command they 
 would accomplish it. And beins" placed in such a 
 condition that he must cripple his adversary before 
 retreating, if it should become necessary, Lee de- 
 termined to make the attempt to carry Meade's 
 lines by assault. To that end he commenced to 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 73 
 
 make preparation, and ordered Longstreet to assault 
 Meade's left and Ewell to advance on his right. 
 
 The Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of 
 the Potomac had often before met amid the smoke 
 of battle and clash of arms ; but this day, July 2, 
 1863, was destined to surpass in blood and death all 
 former struggles. Men were on this day to grapple 
 in the agonies of death aud fall side by side and ex- 
 pire. 
 
 At 4 o'clock iu the evening Longstreet was readj . 
 Opposite were the lines of Meade, bristling with 
 steel, sullenly awaiting the onset, not knowing 
 when or where the blow v.ould fall ; but it soon 
 developed. Longstreet gave the command, and at 
 his word 100 guns belched forth their smoke and 
 flame, and sent out howling, shrieking, crashing 
 across the field their iron messengers of death. 
 The wager of battle was accepted by Meade, and 
 the answering thunder of his guns added more con- 
 fusion to the storm of battle. This infernal din and 
 destruction was kept up for n ore than half an hour, 
 and then vvas seen to move forward the veterans of 
 Longstreet. Steadily they advanced across the 
 field. The crash of musketry joined the roar of ar- 
 tillery, and amid smoke and fire these men moved 
 steadily forward. Sickel's troops had been thrown 
 forward, and they were the first to receive the 
 shock. Bravely tbey held their ground for a time ; 
 but Loiigstreet's men fought with a desperation that 
 could not be resisted, and gradually Sickle's was be- 
 
•74 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1965. 
 
 iug forced back by McLavv's men. Inch by incli, foot 
 by foot, the f?ronnd was given. The fight was terri- 
 ble. Breast to breast men fought, fell, and died. 
 Suddenly we see Hood, with his Texans, press for- 
 ward to the right of McLaw and envelope Sickle's 
 left, and his line gave way. The tide of battle was 
 in favor of the men in grey. Hood, sweeping to the 
 right, sees that the key of the position is Little Round 
 Top. He immediately placed himself in front of his 
 men and ordered them forward to that point. Then 
 the rush for victory commenced. Up that steep and 
 rocky ascent those men of Hood went. Nearing the 
 top they met the fire of musketry in their faces, and 
 then commenced a struggle for the mastery like the 
 world had never seen before. With bayonet thrusts,fir- 
 ing in each others faces at three yards, dying together, 
 and falling down the mountain side as they died. 
 This bloody work went on until the mountain side 
 was red with blood. But the end was coming. 
 Hood's men were being decimated by shot and shell — 
 outnumbered. Finally they fell back, amid a shower 
 of musket balls, to the low ground. Sickles was still 
 being pressed back by McLaw' s, and this continued 
 for more than a mile. For three hours this hell on 
 earth was kept up until night put an end to it. The 
 losses on both sides had been severe, and Longstreet 
 had accomplished nothing to recomiDense him for it. 
 After night the grey lines fell back near their old po- 
 sition, and thus ended one of the most bloody and 
 persistent attacks of the war. On the right (Meade's) 
 
RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 75 
 
 Ewell's success had been better. He had cha.-ged 
 with his division uj) the rocky steep of Gulp's Hill 
 and penetrated the Federal lines, and at night held 
 them. Thus thS 2d day of this modern battle closed. 
 The valor of the troops had been tested to their full- 
 est extent, and in no case found wanting. But the 
 bravest troops in the world can not accomplish im- 
 possibilities. 
 
 It is useless to mention regiments and brigades. 
 Suffice it to say to that these men were of the Con- 
 federate army. 
 
 At night, July 2d, the men were resting on their 
 arms, wornout with the day's fighting, and thinking 
 of comrades who had fought their last fight. Thou- 
 sands of homes, both North and South, would be 
 filled with sorrow for the husband, father, or brother 
 who would never come again. 
 
 The silent stars looked down on the faces of the 
 dead and blushed for the passions of men. The 
 wounded were being cared for as well as possible 
 under the circumstances, and the living were think- 
 ing of the morrow. Thus passed the night. 
 
 July 3, 1863, daw^ned, and all was activity. Both 
 commanders were astir early and in council with 
 their subordinates. This day, perhaps, would deter- 
 mine the success or failure of one of these armies. 
 Meade during the night had straightened his lines 
 and were in a better condition than tl^e day before. 
 Lee viewed his lines, looking for the place that 
 might show some signs of weakness, but found 
 
76 RECOLLECTIONS FR03I 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 none. He had tried both wings, and now, after due 
 reflec. ion, de ermined to strike the center of Meade's 
 arniy, and if he could break throu^ and reach the 
 Baltimore pike, then good bye to Meade's army, 
 and his head would fall in the basket. Thus we 
 find the situation on the morning of July 3, 1863. 
 This day was to become one of the days memorable 
 in hist *ry. Yet the quiet that jDre vailed in the early 
 morning gave no signs that within the radius of 10 
 miles were concentrated nearly 150,000 soldiers, and 
 that two days' fighting had taken place in the vicin- 
 ity. Yet such had been the case, and at that time 
 every house and barn within miles around were 
 filled with the wounded of the two armies. 
 
 Soldiers know little of what is taking place out- 
 side of their immediate commands. They hear the 
 roar of artillery and crash of battle, and see the 
 wounded coming from the front and hear all kind 
 of rumors and reports, and there their knowledge 
 ends. 
 
 Lee having determined to make the attack the 
 orders were given to Longstreet, and he began to 
 make ready for the attack. Pickett's division of 
 Virginia troops, to which I belonged, had arrived on 
 the evening before. (I shall tell this from actual 
 knowledge.) We had moved from Chambersburg 
 in the early morning of the 2d, anl marching 27 
 miles halted, and went into camp about 4 miles in 
 rear of the line of battle. We knew that a severe 
 battle was going on in front, and we also knew that 
 
RECOLLECflONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 77 
 
 there had been a fight on July 1st, and that our 
 army had been very successful. 
 
 AT hough the roar of artillery was sharp at the 
 front and the wounded were being taken to the 
 rear, we of Pickett's division were tired and hun- 
 gry, and paid at ention to the part of hunger at 
 once. After eating and resting a short time we 
 were ready to hear the news of the day. 
 
 Of course rumors of all kinds reached us. It was 
 finally known to us that, while the battle was some- 
 what in our favor, that it was not decisive. As 
 early as 9 o'clock that^ night we knew that our serv- 
 it es would be required in the morning, but were in 
 hopes that it was for pursuit only, as our division 
 was the reserve of the army. 
 
 As early as 3 o'clock on the morning of the 3d of 
 July the division was stirring and under arms, 
 ready to move forward. We little dreamed what 
 was before us on that memorable day. We moved 
 slowly forward, and about 10 o'clock we took posi- 
 tion on the line of battle, facing Meade's left cen- 
 ter and on the ri-;ht of Hill's division and slightly 
 in advance. It soon became known that our (Pick- 
 ett's) division was to attack during the d ly. It had 
 been slightly hazy, with fleeting clouds, but the 
 sun had come out in all its brightness, and it was 
 extremely hot and opjjressive on the men, many of 
 them in the open field. As the day progressed it 
 became a certainty that we were on the eve of some- 
 thing desperate, and finally each regiment was in- 
 
78 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 formed what it had to do and what was expected 
 of it. 
 
 Up to this time, near 1 o'clock, all had been quiet; 
 artillery had been movin ; into line and taking- po- 
 sition ; but there was not even an occasional shot 
 to disturb the quiet. About 1 o'clock the sound of 
 twoWhitworth tuns broke the stillness, and imme- 
 diately 125 L uns, all alone? the line, joined in. In a 
 few moments the Federals opened with about 80 
 guns and joined in the infernal din that fairly shook 
 the mountains. The smoke soon darkened the sun, 
 and the scene produced was similar to a gigantic 
 thunder-storm, the screechin.? of shot and shell pro- 
 ducing the soun I of the whistlin ? blast of winds. 
 Man seldom ever sees or hears the like of this but 
 once in a lifetime ; and those that saw and heard 
 this infernal crash and witnessed the havoc made by 
 the shrieking, howling missiles of death as they 
 plowed the earth and tore the trees will never for- 
 get it. It seemed that death was in every foot of 
 space, and safety was only in flight ; but none of the 
 men did that. To know the tension of mind under 
 a fire like that, it must be experienced ; it can not be 
 told in words. There is nothing to which I could 
 compare it so as it would be made plain to one who 
 ha;l never been there. For two long hours this pande- 
 monium was kept up, and then, as suddenly as it 
 commenced, it ceased. For a few moments all was 
 quiet again. Then was to come the work of death. 
 (I was a member of Armistead's Brigade.) The com- 
 
BECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 79 
 
 mand attention was heard, and the men rose from the 
 ground, where they had been lying during the fire of 
 artillery. 
 
 If I should live for a hundred years I shall never 
 forget that moment or the command as given by 
 General Louis A. Armistead on that day. He was 
 an old army officer, and was possessed o^' a very loud 
 voice, which could be heard by the whole brigade, 
 being near my regiment. He gave the command, in 
 words, as follows : "Attention, second battalion ! bat- 
 talion of direction forward ; guides center ; march ! 'j 
 I never see at anytime a battalion of .soldiers but 
 what it recalls those words. He turned ; placed him. 
 self ■about twenty paces in front of his brigade, and 
 took the lead. His place was in the rear, properly. 
 After moving he x)laced his hat on the point of his 
 sword, and held it above his head, in front of him. 
 Much has been written of this charge, and it has be- 
 come historical. 
 
 It is not egotism in me to be partial, because I was 
 a soldier in it. For this charge and the gallantry 
 shown by this division on that occasion is not only 
 the property and glory of its men, not only the glory 
 and pride of Virginia, but it belongs with all its glory 
 to the entire people of the South as much so as do 
 the deeds of the Confederate armies. 
 
 Therefore I am simply trying to describe this onset 
 of Pif^k it's division with a trut t and accuracy as I 
 saw ii and as I re(H>llect it, and will try not to exag- 
 gerate the action of the division or cast reflect'oa on 
 others. 
 
80 KECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 In a battle like Grettysburg, when all did their duty; 
 when men faced death with seemingly no fear ; whem 
 nearly every State in the South was represented, and; 
 to-day have to mourn the loss of hundreds of their sonSy 
 whose bodies sleep beneath the soil of Pennsylvania, 
 in unmarked but honored graves. When these sSmes 
 sons, in life as one grand whole, made up the Army 
 of Northern Virginia, commanded by that great and 
 noble man, Robert E. Lee, I say that the acts of 
 every regiment, brigade, and division, of every officer 
 and soldier, added glory to that army. That it was 
 the property of all, and all should cast aside any feel- 
 ing or thought that would tend to cloud the title of 
 any to an equal share in the glorious deeds of that 
 army, which the world has admitted to have been 
 one of the greatest, in all respects, of modern times. 
 With this explanation of my position I shall pro- 
 ceed. 
 
 I said that this charge had become historical, and 
 yet little has been said of the gallant Armistead ; 
 therefore I must devote some few words to him. , 
 With his hat on his sword he led his brigade, being 
 in front of it, and cheering it on. His men saw him. 
 They saw his example. They caught his fire and de- 
 termination, and then and there they resolved to fol- 
 low that heroic leader until the enemy's bullets 
 stopped them. It was his example, his coolness, his 
 courage that led that brigade over that field of bloo:', 
 through a fire of shot and shell, that the world had 
 scarcely ever witnessed before, and the survivors of 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1360 TO 1865. 81 
 
 that brigade wherever met will testity to his gal- 
 lantly and their love and respect Tor his memory. 
 
 The division moved forward at command, in com- 
 mon time, and as it cleared the woods its work was 
 seen before it. Long lines of bristling bayonets and 
 the blackened month of numerous artillery, which at 
 the time were quietly awaiting to deal death and de 
 struct'on to us. But the men in that line, by their 
 steady step and well-dressed lines, seemed to be de- 
 termined to do or die. 
 
 (The writer of this was a second lieutenant and 
 file-closer at that time ; that is, in rear of his com- 
 pany, and could see all that was in front.) 
 
 All was quiet ; we had cleared the woods, and ad- 
 vanced about 200 yards. (We had about one mile to 
 go before reaching the Federal lines.) Suddenly 
 about fifty pieces of artillery opened on our lines. 
 The crash of shell and solid shot, as they came howl- 
 ing and whistling through the lines, seemed to make 
 no impression on the men. There was not a waver ; 
 but all was as steady as if on parade. Forward was 
 the command, and steady, boys, came from the offi- 
 cers, as we advanced. Crash after crash came the 
 shot and shell. Great gaps were being made in the 
 lines, only to be closed up ; and the same steady, 
 move-forward; the division was being decimated. 
 Its line was shortening, but as steady as ever, the 
 gallant Armistead still in the lead, his hat working 
 down to the hilt of his sword, the point having gone 
 through it. He seemed to be as cool as if on drill. 
 
82 BECOLLECTIONS FBQM I860 TO 1865. 
 
 with not a sound of cannon near. We were nearing 
 the Emmittsburg road. There were two fences at 
 that road, but they were no impediment. The men 
 go over them, and reform and forward again. At this 
 point the crash of musketry was added to the roar of 
 artillery. Men were falling in heaps. Up to this 
 time no shot had been fired by this division. 
 
 Within 300 yards of the Federal works Garnett's 
 brigade give their usual yell and strike the double- 
 quick. At 100 yards they- deliver their fire and dash 
 at the works with the bayonet. 
 
 Kemper's brigade takes up the yell, fire, and dashes 
 at them with the bayonet. Armistead, who is a little 
 to the left and rear,catches the enthusiasm, joins the 
 yell, and, on the run, Armistead fell back to the rear 
 to give his brigade a chance to fire. They fire and 
 rush at the works and to the assistance of Garnett 
 and Kemper. There are shouts, fire, smoke, clashing 
 of arms. Death is holding high carnival. Pickett 
 has carried the line. Garnett and Kemper are both 
 down. Armistead dashes through the line, and, 
 mounting the wall of stone, commanding follow me, 
 advances fifty paces within the Federal lines, and is 
 shot down. The few that followed him and had not 
 been killed fall back over the wall, and the fight goes 
 on. Death lurks in every foot of space. Men fall in 
 heaps, still fighting, bleeding, dying. The remnant 
 of the division, with scarce any officers,look back over 
 the field for the assistance that should have been 
 there; but there are no troops in sight; they had 
 
RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 83 
 
 vanished from the field, and Fickett's division, or 
 what is left of it, is fighting the whole Federal 
 center alone. 
 
 We see ourselves being surrounded. The fire is 
 alreadj' from both flanks and front ; but yet they 
 fight on and die. This can not last. The end must 
 come ; and soon there is no help at hand. All the 
 officers are down, with few exceptions, either killed 
 or wounded. Soon a few of the remnant of the divi- 
 sion started to the rear, followed by shot, shell, and 
 musket-balls. 
 
 Out of 4,800 men in line that morning there was not 
 more than 600 left to tell the tale of our annihilation. 
 Fully sixty per cent were dead or wounded and the 
 balance in the hands of the enemy. This ended the 
 battle of Gettysburg. 
 
 The climax of hard fighting was over. Begun by 
 Hill and Ewell on the first day, continued by Long- 
 street on the second day, and closed by Pickett on 
 the third day. 
 
 At 5 o'clock that evening Lee was at bay, and woe 
 to the troops that dared to advance against him. His 
 old army was there, just as defiant, just as full of fight 
 as ever ; and Meade knew it, and took the wise pre- 
 caution of not attacking. 
 
 On the night of July 3d, over on Seminary Ridge, 
 stood the old veterans of Longstreet, Hill, and Ewell 
 just as defiant as ever. They had seen their com. 
 rades on the past three days give their lives freely as 
 they had often seen other comrades do before. They 
 
84 RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 knew that they had met with a bloody repulse and 
 great loss ; but they knew that Lee was still there 
 and they were ready to obey his command and fol- 
 low where he ordered. Their confidence in him was 
 not the least shaken, nor would it be even to the end. 
 
 While the Army of Northern Virginia was for the 
 time checked, it had shown to the world of what 
 stuff it was made ; and in the three days' fighting it 
 had shown to the world a gallantry that would go 
 down the ages and grow in brightness as time rolls 
 on. 
 
 Meade by his action in not moving forward ad- 
 mitted its greatness. He knew that it was intact and 
 could not be demoralized ; and when that fact, under 
 the circumstances, was admitted by an enemy, there 
 is no reason why we should not be proud of the old 
 heroes. They stood defiant for two days, awaiting 
 attack, and then at Lee's command moved back to 
 Virginia, checked, but not a defeated army. 
 
 Here I leave you, grand old army, loved Lee, and 
 comrades of my sufferings. A new life is before me. 
 I had passed over that field of fire and death. I 
 had followed Armistead until I saw him fall. I 
 had walked back over the wall, and being the only 
 officer at that point I assumed command. The men 
 fought with desperation, cool and courageous, until 
 surrounded on all sides. I finally gave orders to all 
 to look out for themselves, and my duties ceased as an 
 officer from that time. Believing it my duty to re- 
 main at that wall as long as there was any hope, I 
 
RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860to 1865. 85 
 
 remained until the question was whether I would 
 die or be captured. I chose the latter, and found 
 myself a prisoner of war. In passing to the rear of 
 Meade's army I saw that which, if it had been known 
 to Lee, even then the battle might have changed. In 
 fact at that point Meade' s army was wh ipped. Worse, 
 it was demoralized, and to a large extent ; but this 
 knowledge was of no value. I could not eommuni- 
 cate it to heaaquarters. 
 
CHAPTER VII— Prison Life.— Home Again. 
 Conclusion. 
 
 Virtually I was dead as far as my services to the 
 Confederacy was concerned. Classed among the 
 missing on the report of my company ; but I turned 
 up within the Federal lines, alive and well in body, 
 but not in mind. The surrounding circumstances 
 were strange, and created a feeling that I recollect 
 at the time was unexplainable. The word dazed 
 about expresses it. But in a few hours I began to 
 realize the situation. I was in a camp with about 
 1 ,800 others, from all parts of our army. The Yanks 
 had seemingly made a haul. At 9 o'clock that niuht 
 the provost-marshal-general made a speech to us. 
 Among other things he said ''that General Long- 
 street was captured and various other generals 
 killed or captured. In fact that Lee's army was 
 gone up," and wound up by saying "that we were 
 surrounded by several hundred guards, and at the 
 first attempt to escape he would open fire and 
 slaughter us indiscriminately." 
 
 July the 4th we were taken to Baltimore. Rough 
 
RilCOLLECTION FROM 1860 TO 1865. 87 
 
 marching and some brutality among the guards to- 
 ward the prisoners. For a few days we remained 
 at Fort McHenry, and where then sent to Fort Dela- 
 ware. At that point the officers were separated 
 from the privates and sent to Johnsons Island, Ohio, 
 in Lake Erie. 
 
 I did not have much time to see prison life at Fort 
 Delaware. The trip to Ohio took three days. We 
 were fed at Pittsburg. Arriving? at the island, in 
 Lake Erie, at sundown our names, rank, etc, were 
 taken, and we were committed for the offense of 
 being in rebellion, and at times were to enjoy about 
 the same treatment that was accorded to American 
 prisoners on the prison ships by England in '76. 
 
 All have read or heard of the reported treatment 
 of Federal prisoners at Belle Isle, Libbey, and An- 
 dersoiiville. Such might have been the case. It 
 might have been true ; but there was some excuse 
 for it. The Confederacy could not feed their armies. 
 It was impossible to care for the sufferin'^ popula- 
 tion near these prisons ; but in the wealthy Norths 
 with is fields teemin :; with grain, amid plenty, it 
 may perhaps sound harsh, but it is a fact when I say 
 that men suffered, yes, starved, at Johnsons Island, 
 Ohio. At this late day it is not necessary to call up 
 recollections only for the truth of history. This 
 state of affairs as regards prisoners of war was 
 brought about by ignoring the cartel of exchange. 
 Vv^e know that the South had nothing to do with 
 that, as we were always ready to deliver prisoner for 
 
8S recolleOtioKs from 1860 to 1865. 
 
 prisoner, and toward the latter part of 64 we wei-e 
 willing to send North men even without men in 
 exchange. Therefore the blame must fall on Stan- 
 ton, who was Secretary of War. And from my 
 standpoint as a Confederate prisoner, and I believe 
 from the s andpoint of Federal prisoners, that we 
 were justified in visiting the severest condemnation 
 on him while living, and to try and forget, now that 
 he is dead, that he ever lived. 
 
 On our arrival at Johnsons Island, we were in- 
 formed by the prisoners there before us that the 
 ladies of Sandusky, Ohio, which was just across the 
 lake, gave a party, with wine, cake, and their pres- 
 ence, to any soldier who shot a rebel, and that we 
 would have to be very careful or we would pay the 
 price of a party. I don't know about the party 
 part, but I do know that several prisoners were shot 
 on slight provocation, but the men who shot them 
 had r.ever been to the front, or it would not have 
 been so. Life in all the prisons of the North was 
 about the same — one of misery, suffering, and many 
 deaths. It is not perhaps generally known, but it is 
 a fact iha*^ ihere were more deaths in Nort' ern than 
 in Southern (statistics say so) prisons. 
 
 It is true that there were times when men forgot 
 thMr sorrows, and life was endurable. We had men 
 of all classes in the different prisons, (I visited for- 
 cibly Point Lookout, Fort Delaware, and Johnsons 
 Island). Store keepers, manufa turers of bone 
 trinkets, jewelry, in fact most anything, could be 
 
KECOLLECTIONS FKOM 1860 TO 1865. ''0 
 
 bought, provided a man had the money. We lad 
 some amusements— singing, preach ng, debating 
 clubs, etc. I was a washer W'>man; I did wi-shing 
 and ironing, and by them made my tobacco; for be 
 it known that we had millionaires in prison, men 
 with money. 
 
 After returnin ; home in '65 I suggested to my 
 wife that I could help her iron the clothes; she let 
 me try, and decided that I was not a Chinaman in 
 that respect; but I managed to make the rebels at 
 the Island think so. 
 
 One evening, after my washing was done, sadly 
 thinkini>- of what was and what " might have been '' 
 that Great Delusion of mine got the upper hand of 
 my judgment, and I again imagined that I was born 
 a poet, and while in that mood I wrote the follow- 
 ing: 
 
 Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863. 
 
 It was morning, and the cloudless sky gave token 
 Of a day of beauty on earth by storm unbroken. 
 Along the road in lines of darkened form 
 Moved men who amid the battle's storm 
 That soon would break over the field. 
 
 They moved in silence, yet fearless ot the coming storm 
 That soon would break and number many a form 
 Of manly virtue with the dead, whose names 
 On history's page to come would be a mark to ages, 
 Telling them of deeds of valor done 
 And teach them never to tyrants yield. 
 
90 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 The deafening thunders broke the stillness of earth, 
 And the sun obscured by smoke that from 
 The blackened cannon's mouth sent death 
 In each discharge to many of that gallant band, 
 Who waited but the order charge, to march defiant 
 To the cannon's mouth and teach the foe to yield. 
 
 The order was given in manly tones 
 
 That caused each heart to swell with pride, 
 
 As over that blood-stained field they trod, where many 
 
 fell, 
 Hurling defiance in the enemy's teeth, who but a 
 Moment before, in pride and self-relianee, stood 
 
 And felt himself secure from Pickett' s relentless steel. 
 
 Garnett, Kemper, Armistead, with heroic courage. 
 Led ou. Virginia's sons, who oft before on many 
 Fields of carnage, won and wore the laurel wreath 
 Of victory. With pride they trod the plain. 
 Amid the shriek of shell and leaden rain. 
 To teach the foe how freeman feel. 
 
 While Pickett stood watching the steady onward stride, 
 With hopes, with prayers, God speed and guide 
 The footsteps of that hero band, who's eyes flashed de- 
 termined fire, 
 Resolved to conquer, or on that bloody field expire 
 And to God their spirits yield. 
 
 Nearly every day there would be rumors of the 
 renewal of the cartel of exchange, but it never 
 
K12C0LLECTI0NS FROM i860 TO 1865. 01 
 
 came; we all know at this time, and knew then, that 
 it would not do to ;:ive Lee any more men; the 
 Federals could get all they wanted, and could afford 
 to let their men die in Southern prisons, and help to 
 eat up what little food we had. " Oh, Stanton, how 
 is it with your soul. " 
 
 Time passed by, and this liTe in prison was almost 
 unendurable. Numerous schemes were tried to es- 
 cape; one or two attempts on a large scale were 
 started, but failed; finally in January, '65, the ex- 
 change was commenced, but very slowly, so slowly 
 that only a few got through before the close of the 
 war. I was on my way to Richmond when it fell, 
 and was sent to Fort Delaware, and was kept there 
 until June 13, 1865. It was a question with us 
 what was to be our fate; it was said that all of the 
 officers \^ere to go to the Dry Tortugas, and it did 
 bezin to look that way, but on the 13th of June I, 
 with about 300 others, was released, given trans- 
 portation, and told to go and sin no more. I arrived 
 home on the 15th, to find my wife on Ihe verge of 
 the grave. My lit'le children did not know me, and 
 wondered what right I had there, but as their mother 
 made no objection I remained, and I have been 
 there ever since. Those little boys and that little 
 girl are now married, and I have numerous grand- 
 children. My wife suffered all that it was possible 
 for a woman to suffer and live. I found her health 
 broken, with eyes impaired from constant sewing to 
 keep bread for her children. We are now growing 
 
92 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 
 
 old, and looking back and remembering all of our 
 trials, the friends that are gone, we can say that 
 both of us were honest in our opinions. "That we 
 believed then that we were right and that we believe 
 now that we were right then." 
 
 FINIS. 
 
PRESS OF 
 
 Hayworth PubIvIshing House, 
 
 615 F Street, N. W., 
 
 WASHINGTON, D. C.