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34 chapters
PREFACE.
PREFACE.
A readable book should instruct, entertain and amuse. The author, outside of the historical interest of this little book, has aimed to cover a broad-enough field for all classes of readers to find some nourishing food—at least in the way of variety and shifting scenes—from the standpoint of a young private. And in order to understand his viewpoint, a brief sketch of the author is admissible. Born in Cleveland County, N. C., about midway between Charlotte and Asheville, July 12, 1845. His father,
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Jamestown and Its Significance.
Jamestown and Its Significance.
The English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, was the beginning of the highest civilization in the liberty of man and the establishment of the purest and best political government the world has ever known—perfected through many vicissitudes, stands as the beacon light of human liberty for all the world....
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The Jamestown Exposition.
The Jamestown Exposition.
The 26th of April, 1607, is the date that will linger in history after many a dreary record of battle and coronation has been swept away. For on that date the first permanent colony of English speech made its landing on the soil of North America. It is fitting that the three hundredth anniversary of this event should be marked by the opening of the Jamestown Exposition. The founding of Jamestown was not a step in a struggle, but a trophy of victory. And, though it began the westward march of the
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A Tribute to Virginia.
A Tribute to Virginia.
Here is to Virginia, “The Old Dominion” State. At last with the young Confederacy linked her fate. Go search the annals of history back to the days of Abraham; trace Jewish civilization; compare Greek and Roman progress; weigh the Crusaders of the Middle Ages and the Reformers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Then look to the English people who first wrested the great Magna Charta—the Bill of Civil Rights—and human freedom from King John, and implanted these principles first in Virginia
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History of Co. F.
History of Co. F.
a list of the officers and men of company f, fifty-sixth regiment n. c. t., c. s. army, with a sketch of its service from spring of 1862 to 1865. This was one of the last companies raised in Cleveland County, and was composed three-fourths of married men. I joined the company as a recruit, 17th of August, 1863, at Halifax, N. C., and was with it constantly in all its service except from the 28th of July, 1864, to the 15th of October, 1864, when I was away at hospital and on sick furlough. It was
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Supplemental to History of Company F.
Supplemental to History of Company F.
The names of Joseph Hasten and Ephraim Wilson, who died early in the service, and Jesse Willis, a senior recruit who served faithfully to the end, were omitted. These are all I can get up. My comrades at this time can give me but little information. People ask how I can recollect so well after so many years. I kept a diary of all important events. Then my mother, who is still living, has all the letters I wrote home during my service in the army. I had nine first cousins in the regular army, and
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Confederate Monument at Shelby.
Confederate Monument at Shelby.
The Soldier’s Monument at Shelby seems to be all that could be desired from anyone’s standpoint. There’s nothing boastful, nothing flattering or inconsistent. It simply expresses a patriotic duty performed in the greatest crisis in the history of our country. That generation passed through an ordeal second to none in the annals of modern history. Their descendants by whom it is erected have no apologies to make. The massive granite column, to last for ages, will tell the simple story of pride in
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A Patriotic Recruit.
A Patriotic Recruit.
The soldiers life, even in the most strenuous and dangerous campaigns, finds some relief in jest and laughter, like flowers strewn along the thorny paths of hardships. When you hear an old soldier boast of his exploits and miraculous escapes, you can credit him for having been both a good forager and a good dodger. The best soldiers are ambitious, patriotic, jovial, patient and uncomplaining. When our Company F, Fifty-sixth Regiment, had been in the Camp of Instruction a few weeks, a young, enth
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A Bad Case of Itch.
A Bad Case of Itch.
In the fall of 1863, while my regiment, the Fifty-sixth North Carolina, was on detail service arresting conscripts and deserters in the middle and western counties, our company headquarters then being at Hannah’s Cross Roads in Davidson County, a stout, strapping boy of 18 came from Catawba County to join the army with us. He had two uncles in our company who were off with a detachment; and he, being a stranger to all present, and noticing that he had a bad case of itch, all stood aloof from him
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Longstreet’s Corps Was on the Way to Chickamauga.
Longstreet’s Corps Was on the Way to Chickamauga.
The same fall I was at High Point, N. C., and saw Longstreet’s Corps pass. The trains all stopped there and I mingled and talked much with them. I never saw soldiers in higher spirits. As they had come through Raleigh, they had destroyed the late ex-Governor W. W. Holden’s Raleigh Standard printing press. They exhibited papers fastened to sticks like flags, with handfuls of type. Holden had been advocating peace and they considered him a traitor to the South. They said those western Yankees had
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Shooting an Outlaw.
Shooting an Outlaw.
While operating in Randolph County, N. C., in September, 1864, we wounded in the foot and captured a man who had not been in the army but was said to head a band of outlaws. His name was Northcut. He was tried by a little drumhead court marshal and shot on short notice one mile north of Ashboro as we were leaving that section for Wilkes County, where there was a strong Union sentiment hard to hold down. After operating in the mountains several months, where much apple brandy, fat beef, milk and
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Removing Federal Prisoners From Richmond, Va., to Andersonville, Ga., February and March, 1864.
Removing Federal Prisoners From Richmond, Va., to Andersonville, Ga., February and March, 1864.
I was on a detail and made three trips via Raleigh, Charlotte, Columbia to Branchville, S. C. These prisoners had been confined on Belle’s Island, in James River, and were in a most pitiable condition—half starved, half naked. Most of them had been in prison for months and very few had a change of garments. They were ragged, lousy, filthy and infested with smallpox, and most of them had diarrhœa and scurvy and were so weak that when they would swing down out of box-cars their legs would give awa
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Navigating the Appomattox River.
Navigating the Appomattox River.
It has been mentioned in a former chapter that I was on a detail in winter, commencing the 15th day of January, 1865, to boat wood for the men in the trenches. The detail for Ransom’s brigade, composed of six men from each of the five regiments, commanded by Lieut. A. C. Sharpe, of Forty-ninth Regiment. Those from my regiment, Fifty-sixth North Carolina, were Company B, .... McMillan; Company D, .... Parker; Company F, J. C. Elliott (this writer); Company G, Wm. A. Condrey; Company I, Thomas Rob
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Incidents on the Lines.
Incidents on the Lines.
The Yankees always showed a disposition to be friendly and wanted to talk to us, but our officers would not allow us to talk much, but had us to keep up a sharpshooters’ fire on them all the while. However, we would occasionally exchange a few compliments. We used to inquire if they had any more Negroes they wanted buried; if they did, to blow out another hole and send them over and we would cover them up. One night, in front of the Twenty-fifth North Carolina Regiment, they changed their line,
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Reminiscences of Point Lookout Prison.
Reminiscences of Point Lookout Prison.
When we got there, the 27th of March, 1865, Negro troops guarded the outside walls and white men patrolled inside after night, and I saw nothing to criticise in the prison management; but those who had spent the winter there told some horrible and ludicrous stories of outrageous treatment by the Negro guard which, for awhile, guarded both outside and inside. A Negro guard would hear some one say, “Lay over or let me have some more cover.” If the Negro guard heard it he would say, “Who dat talkin
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A Negro Sergeant Who Claimed He Carried White Ladies’ Hair.
A Negro Sergeant Who Claimed He Carried White Ladies’ Hair.
When I went out one day on a work detail I carried out to sell a watch chain made of the hair from a horse’s tail or mane, and showed it to a Negro sergeant, who seemed to greatly admire its artistic beauty and inquired if the man who made it could make one of a lady’s hair—that he wished to have one made from a lock of his sweetheart’s hair that he possessed. I said I did not know; probably it would be too fine—when he answered, “It’s no nigger wool; it’s white lady har; my girl am a white lady
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Begging Crumbs From a Negro’s Table.
Begging Crumbs From a Negro’s Table.
One morning as I went out with the stable detail, as we were passing a Negro house, a six-year-old boy came to the door with a plate full of crumbs and crusts to throw out, when we asked him to give it to us. He gleefully held it out, while we rushed for it like hungry hogs. I got a handful. Then I thought; then I hesitated—subjugated, humiliated and degraded to begging the crumbs from a Negro’s table. Then all the proud English, Irish and German blood in my veins rose up in protest, and I dashe
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Two Patriotic Soldiers and One Who Was Out for the Bounty.
Two Patriotic Soldiers and One Who Was Out for the Bounty.
One day while working at the quarters of a German artillery company, located on the isthmus next the Potomac side, an American Yankee soldier came around and raised a friendly conversation about the war issues and boasted about how he had fought for the Union and how much longer he would fight. A Louisianian made issue with him and showed all the enthusiastic patriotism for the South. When they had exhausted their patriotic vocabularies the Yankee passed on, our German guard, a young, good-natur
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On the Wharf Detail and Wanting to Steal Something from Uncle Sam’s Plentiful Stores.
On the Wharf Detail and Wanting to Steal Something from Uncle Sam’s Plentiful Stores.
Several of us were in the big commissary prying around to get into the bean and potato barrels, when a wagon drove up and a Negro commanded us, saying, “Four you men go upstairs and bring down some cracker boxes and load dis wagon.” I got in the push and, as soon as we reached the cracker boxes we give a box a fling from the top of the pack and bursted it, when we all began eating like hogs. In a minute here came the Negro. “What you-ens doin’ dar? Dems our rations youse eatin’.” “A box fell and
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The Invasion of Home Land After Lee’s Surrender.
The Invasion of Home Land After Lee’s Surrender.
Our section was never visited by an hostile army until some regiments of General Stoneman’s cavalry passed from Rutherfordton to Lincolnton and back. They marauded the country in quest of horses and provisions. They scattered away from the main road and two came to my father’s home. One held the horses and the other came in the house and said he wanted to search the house for arms, and soon went through bureaus, chests, etc. My mother’s big, red chest had a double till in it with $10,000 of Conf
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A Faithful Negro Servant.
A Faithful Negro Servant.
All our good Negroes were true and faithful in helping to hide horses and other valuable property, but some mean Negroes would tell them where things were hidden, etc. My aunt, Mrs. Cabaniss, lived on the public road, and as Stoneman’s men passed down they took a good mare out of the plow and carried it away. She only had two horses—the other was a blind mare. A week later they returned, going back towards Rutherfordton, followed by a drove of Negroes on foot. As they were passing Mrs. Cabaniss’
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Would Not Let Them Take All the Meat the Man Had.
Would Not Let Them Take All the Meat the Man Had.
Amos Harrell, a good liver of the same county, tells how he saved his bacon. He hid it all out but three pieces. When the troopers came and raided his smoke-house an officer, looking in, ordered them out, saying, “You shall not take all the man’s meat; leave him one piece.” He locked the door and put the key in his pocket and carried it away....
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Confederate Troopers Commit Outrages, Plunder and Murder.
Confederate Troopers Commit Outrages, Plunder and Murder.
Joseph Biggerstaff, of Rutherford County, a farmer and country merchant, was visited by six Confederate troopers, who claimed to be Wheeler’s men, on their way home. They demanded his money and, searching his house, found about $600 in specie. Four of them in the house put the money on a table to count it, while two men held the horses. Biggerstaff said he would die before they should take his money, but they paid no attention to him, when he attacked them with an axe, killing two and had the th
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A Hearty Conscript.
A Hearty Conscript.
John Buncombe Crowder entered the army in 1863 as a 38-year-old conscript, and as a good family man had proved successful; but it was hardly expected that a man of his age should enter enthusiastically into the strenuous life of a soldier in times of great stress. However, John was inclined to hold up his end and made a faithful record. But the long, cold winter of 1865 in the trenches in front of Petersburg tired out his patience and he got powerful hungry. He stood six feet three inches and hi
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Scenes at Appomattox—stragglers in the Union Army.
Scenes at Appomattox—stragglers in the Union Army.
Dr. Thomas L. Carson, my mother’s youngest brother, who was in the Thirty-fourth North Carolina Regiment, Scale’s Brigade, tells the following: “We had stacked our muskets in surrender in the open beside the road, awaiting our paroles, when a large column of Federal troops passed us in steady, quiet tramp, followed by the rear guard bringing up about 2,000 stragglers. These stragglers wore a conglomeration of every trashy type to be found in the Yankee army. Foreigners of every tongue, mixed wit
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A Patriotic Darkey.
A Patriotic Darkey.
While working outside on a detail at Point Lookout, a young colored soldier, filled with patriotic enthusiasm, called on us and remarked: “Hadn’t been for us colored troops I don’t spec dese here Yankees ever would whipped you-uns.” “Did the colored troops fight much?” “Well, not ’zactly fitin’; but we do de gard duty so all de white soldiers could fight you, and den it seems like dey had all they could do.”...
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An Aggrieved Union Soldier Seeks Sympathy From His Southern People.
An Aggrieved Union Soldier Seeks Sympathy From His Southern People.
About the same time and place a young mulatto called on us and began to berate his comrades. He said, “Dese old, black Pennsylvania Niggers ain’t got no sense nohow. Dey jest as mean as dey can be.” I said, “Ain’t you a Pennsylvanian?” “No, sir; I’se a Southerner, I is. I is a Virginian and I’se no kin to dem old, black Pennsylvania Niggers; but I’se some kin to you Southerners.” We told him we were sorry he had got into such bad company. He said, “Yes, Southern folks heap the best.” A Southern
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Field Officers of Fifty-sixth Regiment North Carolina Troops.
Field Officers of Fifty-sixth Regiment North Carolina Troops.
The field officers were all young, fine-looking men. Col. Paul F. Faison was tall, dark eyes, of the finest type of soldier, and we understood a West Point cadet. Lieut.-Col. Luke was about thirty years old, stout, medium size, sanguine temperament. Maj. John W. Graham, the son of an illustrious father, who served his State as Governor and United States Senator, William A. Graham. Major Graham, promoted from Captain of Company D, was quite young, stout and hardy, always at his post except when d
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A True Virginia Boy and a Bit of Romance.
A True Virginia Boy and a Bit of Romance.
While this writer was located on the canal, boating wood for the men in the trenches at Petersburg, winter of 1865, he became acquainted with a widow lady, Mrs. Dean, and family of three children; a grown daughter, Miss Jennie, and a younger daughter, Miss Lucy, aged about twelve, and a little son, aged about ten years. They occupied a neat cottage near his quarters. They were a nice, intelligent family, then in deep mourning for a son and brother, the hope and mainstay of the family, who had fa
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Col. Billy Miller’s Upright Farm in the Upright Regions of Cleveland County, and How He Came to Own it, with Sketches of the County and Some of its People.
Col. Billy Miller’s Upright Farm in the Upright Regions of Cleveland County, and How He Came to Own it, with Sketches of the County and Some of its People.
This famous county, the place of my nativity as well as that of many others of more or less national and local prominence, such as Thomas Dixon, Jr., of the Clansman fame; Hon. E. Yates Webb, Congressman Ninth District; Col. A. M. Lattimore, of Lattimore; Capt. O. D. Price, the old-time singer; Capt. Pink Petty, the famous fox-hunter with the silver-mounted horn; Capt. Nim Champion, the standing candidate for the Legislature on the one-plank platform—the restoration of the whipping-post. Then we
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Uncle Abe Wallis Visits Washington.
Uncle Abe Wallis Visits Washington.
A few years ago a story was current of an old darkey from Salisbury, N. C., visiting Washington, D. C., to see the President and obtain social recognition. We name him. Uncle Abe Wallis was an industrious, well-behaved matter-of-fact old darkey who had accumulated the snug sum of forty dollars, and concluded to spend it in the advancement of his social position, and he reasoned that the shortest way to get to the top quick would be to call on the President for recognition. So he paid $15.00 for
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An Irish Socialist.
An Irish Socialist.
Patrick Finnegan had been studying socialism and told his friend, Barney O’Brien, that socialism was a good thing, both charitable and Christian, and if the people would adopt it all would be prosperous and happy. Barney says, “Pat, if ye had two homes, would ye give me one?” “To be sure I would,” says Pat. “Then if ye had two horses, would ye give me one?” “Then certainly I would,” says Pat. “Then if ye had two hogs would ye give me one?” “No. To hell with ye, Barney; ye know I’ve got thim.” “W
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Seven Days’ Fight Around Richmond.
Seven Days’ Fight Around Richmond.
Reminiscences of Dr. Alexander, of Charlotte, N. C., recall to me the scenes of those battle-fields of the Seven Days’ battles of McClellan, 1862, when we passed over the ground in June, 1864, on our way to the Chickahominy River. Many of the Federal dead had scarcely been buried at all, as the rank weeds over the naked bones and blue rotten uniforms showed, where groups of a score or more had been bunched in shallow graves and lightly covered. “Out of the 2,700 soldiers furnished the Southern a
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The Negro Problem.
The Negro Problem.
Say what you will, it is the cause of all the sectional prejudice and hatred ever engendered in this country. Thousands of millions of money and hundreds of thousands of lives of good white men have been sacrificed in the solution of the Negro problem for this country, and still it hangs over us the darkest cloud that obscures the bright vision of peace and good will to all men. And as the biologists say, “He stands out in his dark isolation a perpetual challenge to the dogma of the unity of the
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