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diff --git a/old/63820-0.txt b/old/63820-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 11b8fe4..0000000 --- a/old/63820-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4530 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Company K, First Alabama Regiment, by Daniel P. Smith - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Company K, First Alabama Regiment - or, Three Years in the Confederate Service - -Author: Daniel P. Smith - -Release Date: November 20, 2020 [EBook #63820] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMPANY K, FIRST ALABAMA REGIMENT *** - - - - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - - COMPANY K - FIRST ALABAMA REGIMENT, - OR - THREE YEARS IN THE CONFEDERATE SERVICE - - BY - DANIEL P. SMITH. - - PRATTVILLE, ALA. - PUBLISHED BY THE SURVIVORS. - 1885. - - BURK & MCFETRIDGE, - Printers, - 306-308 Chestnut St. - Phila. - - - - -INTRODUCTORY. - - -The First Alabama Regiment of Infantry was organized under the Act of -the Legislature authorizing the enlistment of troops for twelve months. -Three companies were raised in Barbour county by Capts. Alpheus Baker, -John Clark and Jere. Williams; two in Pike, by Capts. Augustus Owen and -Dawson; one in Wilcox, by Capt. I. G. W. Steadman; one in Tallapoosa, by -Capt. J. D. Meadows; one in Talladega, by Capt. L. F. Johnson; one in -Lowndes, by Capt. J. D. Conyers; and one in Mobile, by Capt. Ben. Lane -Posey. The companies were ordered to rendezvous at Pensacola, for the -purpose of relieving the independent companies at that time occupying the -captured forts, Barrancas and McRae, and the navy yard. About February -10, 1861, the first companies arrived at Pensacola, and the others -rapidly followed. It was not until April that the regimental organization -was completed, by the election and appointment of the following officers: -Colonel, Henry D. Clayton; Lieutenant-colonel, I. G. W. Steadman; Major, -Jere. Williams; Quartermaster, Capt. L. F. Johnson; Commissary, Capt. -Henry Shorter; Adjutant, S. H. Dent; Surgeon, J. D. Caldwell, M. D.; -Assistant-Surgeon, Walter Curry, M. D. - -Soon after its organization, by Act of the State Legislature, but with -its own consent, the regiment was mustered into the service of the -Confederate States, and was assigned to duty in Fort Barrancas and the -heavy batteries along the shore of the bay. Many of these batteries were -thrown up by the men of the First Alabama, who, thus early in the war, -were accustomed to the use of entrenching tools. Military instruction was -not neglected; and, while industriously wielding pick and shovel, the men -were thoroughly drilled, both as heavy artillery and infantry. - -A portion of the regiment was engaged in the fight on Santa Rosa -Island, and then the whole regiment served in the batteries during the -bombardments of the 23d of November, 1861, and the 1st of January, 1862. -For its gallantry on these occasions it received complimentary mention in -Gen. Bragg’s orders. - -At the close of twelve months’ service, the regiment was called upon to -re-enlist for the war, and seven companies promptly responded. Capts. -Baker’s, Clark’s and Posey’s companies were mustered out, and were -replaced by Capt. Knowles’ company, from Macon county; Capt. William -Pruitt’s, from Barbour; and Capt. J. F. Whitfield’s, from Autauga. The -regiment was reorganized by the election of the following officers; -Colonel, I. G. W. Steadman; Lieutenant-colonel, M. B. Locke; Major, S. L. -Knox; Adjutant, S. D. Steadman; Quartermaster, Capt. Duncan Carmichael; -Surgeon, Dr. Schackelford (afterwards succeeded by Dr. Hamilton). The -companies were commanded respectively as follows: Co. A, Capt. J. D. -Meadows; Co. B, Capt. Ramsey; Co. C, Capt. Stubbs; Co. D, Capt. R. H. -Isbell; Co. E, Capt. Woods; Co. F, Capt. Williams; Co. G, Capt. Riley; -Co. H, Capt. Knowles; Co. I, Capt. William Pruitt; Co. K, Capt. John F. -Whitfield. - -In the following pages will be found a sketch of the services of Co. K, -of Autauga county. Although the author makes no higher pretence than to -be a company historian, yet he has embodied in the story all the facts -connected with the history of the other companies, and of the regiment as -a whole, that were in his possession. From the day that Co. K joined the -regiment, in March, 1862, until the surrender of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, -it shared in all the toils, privations and dangers of the gallant -“First,” and its history is indissolubly blended with it. Therefore, with -the kindest feelings, the writer dedicates this little work, not only to -the members of Co. K, but to all his comrades in the - - FIRST ALABAMA. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - ORGANIZATION OF THE JOHN GILL SHORTER ARTILLERY—CHANGE OF - DESTINATION—AT ISLAND 10—ROLL OF COMPANY K—MYSTERIES OF THE - CUISINE—A SHAMEFUL WASTE. - - -In February, 1862, John F. Whitfield, Esq., obtained the authority -to recruit one of the three companies necessary to complete the -reorganization of the First Alabama Regiment, C. S. A., serving at that -time as heavy artillery at Pensacola, Fla. Meeting with Merrill E. Pratt, -Esq., of Prattville, he proposed to that gentleman to raise one-half -the company, he himself expecting to bring thirty or forty men into the -field. Mr. Pratt was thinking, at this time, of joining another regiment -with a small squad of men, who desired to be with him in the army, but, -seeing now a wider field for usefulness, he accepted the proposal. In -a few days, through his personal influence and popularity, he enrolled -the names of nearly fifty volunteers, including some of the best men -in Autauga county, and, had he not been restricted by the terms of his -agreement with Capt. Whitfield, he could, without difficulty, have -recruited a full company. On the 7th of March, Lieut. Pratt and his -men proceeded to Montgomery, and, on the following day, were mustered -into the service of the Confederacy, styling themselves, in honor of -the Governor of the State, the “John Gill Shorter Artillery.” John F. -Whitfield was elected Captain; M. E. Pratt, First Lieutenant; Dixon S. -Hall, Second Lieutenant, Jr.; and Charles E. Tuttle, Orderly Sergeant. -The second lieutenancy was left vacant, to be filled by the squad -of men Capt. Whitfield still expected to secure. For the failure of -these men to report, Capt. Whitfield was in no manner responsible, he -acting throughout in good faith. No officer had more the confidence and -affection of his men than Capt. Whitfield, and this esteem he retained -from first to last. - -While in Montgomery, enameled cloth knapsacks and haversacks, and cedar -canteens, were issued to the men, but they provided their own uniforms, -no two of which were alike. - -When enrolled the men expected to go to Pensacola, but upon arriving in -Montgomery, it was learned that the regiment had left that place for -New Madrid, Mo., a fortified post on the Mississippi River. As this -change in destination, from a warm to a cold climate, and from garrison -to field duty, necessitated a change in clothing, leave of absence for -two days was given the members of the company to return home and make -needed preparations. There was a general cutting down in the amount of -_impedimenta_, though most of the men loaded themselves with twice the -amount that could be carried on a march. - -On the morning of March 10th, the company reassembled in Montgomery, and, -under the command of Lieut. Hall, started for Memphis. Monday night they -camped at Atlanta, not being able to proceed farther on account of the -crowded trains. It was not till Wednesday noon that the company reached -Memphis. The regiment was just leaving the city by the boat, and could -not wait for the company to join; Lieut. Hall, however, reported, and -received orders to proceed by the steamer “Republic,” which left the next -day at 5 P. M. Thursday night the boat reached Fort Pillow, where it was -learned that New Madrid had been evacuated, and that the First Alabama -had been ordered to Island No. 10. Friday evening the “Republic” arrived -at Tiptonville, and the men disembarked; but, the boat being detained, -they slept on board that night. Saturday they again landed, and marched -across from Tiptonville to Island No. 10, a distance of six miles. The -regiment was found encamped without tents in a newly-cleared field, and -the company, thus early in its service, began roughing it. It was not -till the 18th that they received any tents; they then were moved into a -wood, some three-quarters of a mile from the river. On the 25th the camp -was again moved, and tents pitched in regulation order in an open field -in the rear of Batteries Nos. 5 and 6; a camp guard was detailed, and the -military routine of guard-mounting, drill and dress-parade began. - -Capt. Whitfield and Lieut. Pratt arrived on the 18th, receiving a hearty -welcome. There now being no hope of the other squad reporting, it was -decided that Lieut. Pratt should return home and recruit the company to -its full strength. - -Lieut. Dixon S. Hall was promoted to the second lieutenancy, and Orderly -Sergt. C. E. Tuttle, who had ably performed his duties and looked after -the comfort of the men, was made junior second lieutenant. The following -is the roll of the company, as it stood at that time:— - - _Captain_, John F. Whitfield. - _First Lieutenant_, Merrill E. Pratt. - _Second Lieutenant_, Dixon S. Hall. - _Second Lieutenant, Jr._, Charles E. Tuttle. - _Orderly Sergeant_, Norman Cameron. - _Second Sergeant_, A. J. Thompson. - _Third Sergeant_, J. C. Rodgers. - _Fourth Sergeant_, A. J. Merritt. - _Fifth Sergeant_, E. T. Sears. - _First Corporal_, John Williamson. - _Second Corporal_, W. L. Ellis. - _Third Corporal_, J. M. Royals. - _Fourth Corporal_, W. H. Hutchinson. - -_Privates._ - - N. K. Adams, - E. L. Averheart, - O. M. Blaylock, - G. R. Bledsoe, - A. P. Brown, - C. W. Brown, - E. F. Brown, - J. W. Cook, - W. A. Dennis, - J. H. Durden, - W. Farmer, - Wm. H. Fay, - John Frank, Jr., - J. A. Fergerson, - John Griffin, - M. M. Hancock, - Elijah Hearn, - G. W. Hearn, - J. C. Hearn, - J. W. Hearndon, - J. G. Holston, - Joseph Hurd, - J. W. Killough, - J. M. May, - C. J. Moncrief, - W. L. Moncrief, - J. D. Rice, - J. L. Robinson, - Junius Robinson, - T. J. Roe, - C. H. Royals, - G. H. Royals, - Daniel P. Smith, - J. F. Smith, - Mac. A. Smith, - J. G. Tarleton, - J. S. Tunnell, - Joseph Tunnell, - Fletcher Wilkins. - -Total, 4 commissioned officers, 9 non-commissioned officers and 39 -privates. - -W. H. Hutchinson was soon after detailed as a member of the drum corps, -and O. M. Blaylock was appointed corporal in his stead. Joseph Hurd was -detailed at the same time as fifer. All the above were present for duty, -except Private Griffin, who received a furlough when he enlisted, and -reported to Capt. Isbell after the surrender of the Island. Muskets were -not issued to Co. K for two weeks after their arrival, but details for -fatigue and guard duty were made after a few days. When Capt. Rucker’s -company was relieved at Battery No. 1, on the third or fourth day of the -siege, a detail of sixty men from the First Alabama was ordered there, -with daily relief. Co. K furnished four or five men of this detail. - -The men were quickly initiated into the mysteries of the _cuisine_, and -from the first day some were quite good cooks, while others made most -amusing blunders. A camp-kettle, half full of rice, was a source of -much worry to an amateur who attempted to boil it—there were not enough -utensils in the company to hold South Carolina’s favorite dish as it -swelled in the pot. Commissary stores were plentiful, and there was a -shameful waste. Fresh beef was hauled off and buried by the wagon load; -barrels of corned beef remained untouched in the camp; while rice, flour, -molasses and sugar were issued in larger quantities than could possibly -be eaten. These were the last days of the “Flush times of the First -Alabama.” - -On the 30th of March, Lieut. Pratt and Corp. Ellis left for Alabama to -enlist recruits. About the same time Privates M. A. Smith and J. L. -Robinson were honorably discharged on account of physical disability, and -left for their homes. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE OF ISLAND NO. 10—THE BATTERIES—AT - RUCKER’S BATTERY—CANAL CUTTING—A NIGHT ATTACK—RUNNING THE - GAUNTLET—AN UNFINISHED MEAL—THE ATTEMPTED EVACUATION—RETREAT - TO TIPTONVILLE—MACKALL’S ORDER—THE SURRENDER—ACROSS REEL-FOOT - RIVER. - - -Island No. 10 is, or was, in the Mississippi River, opposite the -boundary-line between Kentucky and Tennessee. The river approaches the -island in nearly a southerly direction, then runs to the northwest about -twelve miles to New Madrid, where it makes a semi-circular sweep, and -takes its course to the southeast for sixteen miles to Tiptonville, -Tenn., forming a great horseshoe bend of six miles in width, and opening -to the southeast. Across this opening, a few miles to the eastward, -is Reel-Foot River or bayou, emptying into the Mississippi below -Tiptonville; in high water expanding into a lake, and connecting with the -Mississippi above Island No. 10, cutting off all approach except by boats. - -At the beginning of the bombardment, Gen. McCown was in command of the -Confederate forces, augmented, by the evacuation of New Madrid, to some -ten or twelve thousand men. More than half these troops were, however, -withdrawn about the last of March. The batteries, which had been ably -planned, but imperfectly constructed, under direction of Capt. Harris, -of the Engineer Corps, contained forty-four guns, mostly 32 and 42 pound -smooth-bores, with a few 64-pounders and one or two 100-pound rifles. -Twenty-seven guns, not mounted, were scattered along the river bank -and on the Island. The batteries were distributed as follows: On the -Tennessee bank of the river were six—No. 1 (Rucker’s), six guns; No. 2, -four guns; No. 3, three guns; No. 4, four guns; No. 5, two guns; No. 6, -seven guns; total, twenty-seven. On the Island were four batteries—No. -1, six guns; No. 2, four guns; No. 3, five guns; No. 4, two guns; total, -seventeen. A floating battery—the old Algiers floating dock—was moored to -the left bank of the Island; and on the deck of this nondescript craft, -wholly unprotected, were eight guns. - -The enemy, upon the evacuation of New Madrid, established batteries there -and soon after at Point Pleasant, opposite Tiptonville—thus cutting off -approach to the island by river. Boats made a landing at Tiptonville -and—when it became too warm there—at a point just below, and thus -communication was kept up till the gunboats ran the Island 10 batteries, -a few days before the surrender. - -On the morning of March 15th the Federal fleet arrived from above, and -opened fire upon the Confederate works. There were seven iron-clads: -the “Benton,” “Louisville,” “Carondelet,” “Conestoga,” “Pittsburgh,” -“St. Louis” and “Mound City,” armed with ten heavy guns each, and -eight mortar-boats, each carrying one thirteen-inch mortar. Their fire -concentrated on Rucker’s and the Island batteries, was continued all day -and slowly on Sunday, the 16th. Monday morning the iron-clads, lashed -three together, dropped down the river, stern foremost, to within a mile -and a half of Rucker’s Battery and anchored. They maintained a heavy fire -all day, throwing, with the mortar fleet, 1,350 shot and shell, of which -1,000 were hurled at Capt. Rucker’s guns and 350 at the Island. There -was no one hurt on the Island, though there were many narrow escapes. -At Battery No. 1, on the main land, a shot passed through the parapet, -dismounting a gun, killing Lieut. Clark, of Capt. Rucker’s company, and -wounding several men. These were the only casualties during the siege. - -Elcon Jones, of the Signal Corps, was stationed at Rucker’s Battery. -During the day his signal-flag was twice shot from his hand. In one -instance he was transmitting a message, and he picked up the flag and -continued his communication without missing a word. He was afterwards -complimented in general orders by Gen. Beauregard and promoted. - -The Confederate artillery practice was very good; the iron-clads were -repeatedly hit, and before night they hauled off, continuing their fire -with their long-range rifles. One shot struck the “Benton,” passed -through her iron-clad side into the Captain’s cabin, bounded from the -floor to the ceiling and landed on the table. The dismounted gun at -Battery 1 was placed in position again that night, not having been -seriously damaged. - -Tuesday the bombardment was resumed, but the fleet did not come within -good range of the Confederate smooth-bores, and our fire was, in -consequence, slack. Capt. Rucker’s company, exhausted by its severe -labors, was relieved by the First Alabama. The river continuing to rise, -the working of the guns in Battery No. 1 was rendered difficult, if not -impossible, by the water, which was two feet deep on the platforms. All -the powder and shell had to be removed from the magazine, and, without -other protection than a tarpaulin, stowed in an angle of the breastworks. -On rainy days some of the guards would creep under the tarpaulin, -propping it up with a handspike so as to get air; but this improvised -tent would invariably attract the enemy’s attention, and a shell would go -shrieking over, causing the hasty striking of the shelter. A deep slough -connecting with Reel-Foot Bayou cut off all approach to this battery -except in boats, and as the relief details had to be sent up after dark, -a trip on stormy nights was attended with some risk. On one occasion a -boat was carried by the swift current into the swamp and capsized; the -crew were not rescued till daylight—passing the night, cold and wet, on -stumps or driftwood. - -In the meantime the enemy’s engineers were clearing a channel, or canal, -through the swamps and bayous on the west side of the river, from a point -above the Island to one below, to enable them to get small transports -below the batteries and to transport troops across the river and take the -Confederates in the rear. But little digging was required, as the high -stage of the river gave the necessary depth of water; but the trees had -to be cut out of the way. The trees were felled, leaving the stumps just -above the water. A cross-cut saw, forming the lower side of a triangular -frame, was then pivoted by the upper angle to the stump, so as to swing -freely—the blade of the saw being four feet below the surface of the -water. Twenty men on a side operating this simple device could cut off -a stump two feet in diameter in a few minutes. The canal was completed -early in April, and several transports were at once sent through, -arriving safely at New Madrid. As the gunboats were of too deep draught -to use the canal, preparations were at once made to run one of them by -the batteries, and, as a preliminary step, it was decided to spike the -guns in the dangerous upper battery. - -On the night of April 1st five boats were made ready with crews from the -gunboats “Cincinnati,” “St. Louis,” “Benton,” “Pittsburgh” and “Mound -City,” and volunteers from the Forty-Third Illinois Infantry, all under -command of Col. Roberts. In each boat were twenty men, exclusive of -officers. Every precaution was taken to insure secrecy; the oar-locks -were muffled, and the expedition did not start till midnight, when all -was quiet. The night was dark and stormy, and the only difficulty was in -finding the battery; but a flash of lightning revealed its position as -they got abreast, and a landing was effected without opposition. But two -sentinels were on the battery; these fired their guns and ran back to -the main guard, who were on the parapet of the breastwork in the rear. -By the time the alarm was fairly given the enemy had spiked the guns and -re-embarked. The successful termination of this attack was due largely -to the fact that the battery being submerged except the parapet, there -was no place for the guard immediately around the guns, though there -was, undoubtedly, carelessness in not having more men on duty. A boat -was despatched to camp with the alarm, and a fresh detachment of men was -sent up. Co. K, prior to this event, had received no arms, but during the -alarm a lot of old muskets and ten rounds of cartridges were distributed. -Two of the guns were unspiked during the nights of the 2d and 3d. - -The night of April 4th set in dark and threatening; in the midst of a -terrific thunder-storm the long-roll sounded, and the battalion was -hastily formed in line of battle in the rear of the batteries. Mingled -with the almost continuous roll of the thunder was the roar of a heavy -cannonade, while the lightning and the flashes of the guns, rendered more -vivid by the intense darkness of the night, combined to render it a scene -of wonderful grandeur. The firing continued but for a brief period, and -quiet being restored, the men were dismissed to their quarters. - -In the morning it was ascertained that the iron-clad “Carondelet,” -protected by barges of baled hay, had successfully run the batteries. -She was first discovered by the sentinels at Rucker’s Battery, who fired -their muskets, giving the alarm. An attempt was made to use the two guns -which had been unspiked, but the charges were damp, not having been drawn -after the guns were unspiked, and they could not be fired. - -During the 5th the fleet shelled the camp of the First Alabama and other -regiments, but no one was hurt. The following night the enemy crossed -a small force opposite New Madrid, and spiked the batteries of light -artillery stationed there, but immediately retired. - -Sunday, the 6th of April, was clear and pleasant, and passed quietly. At -dress-parade the troops were ordered to be in readiness to march at the -sounding of the long-roll. The signal came while the men were preparing -or eating supper, and leaving everything—the tents standing, cooking -utensils scattered around, in some cases the food half cooked in the -kettles—the battalion of the First Alabama in camp, numbering about 325 -men, formed on the parade-ground and marched to the general headquarters. -About 350 of the regiment stationed on the Island, 60 at Battery No. 1 -and a considerable number sick in camp were left behind. - -The commander of the forces at this time was Gen. Mackall, Gen. McCown -having been relieved April 1st. It was dark when the troops, about -fifteen hundred in number, left headquarters, the First Alabama in the -advance. After marching ten miles, the column was halted in the woods, -and formed in line of battle about half a mile from the river and nearly -opposite New Madrid. It soon began to rain, and as fires were not -permitted, the condition of affairs was anything but pleasant. The object -of the move was, ostensibly, to prevent a landing of the enemy, crossing -from New Madrid. The night, however, passed without alarm, except a -slight stir caused by pickets bringing in a prisoner. A heavy cannonade -in the direction of Island No. 10 announced that another iron-clad had -stolen by in the darkness. This vessel, it was afterwards learned, was -the “Pittsburgh;” she was protected in the same way as the “Carondelet,” -and received no injury. Daybreak found the men cold, wet and hungry, -many of them having eaten no supper. The wagons arrived about 7 o’clock; -flour, bacon and cooking utensils were issued to the companies, and an -attempt was made to prepare breakfast; but orders to resume the march -compelled the men to leave the half-cooked meal on the coals. Information -had been received that the Federal troops were crossing lower down the -river, and that the garrison was in danger of being cut off. Many of -the troops were unaccustomed to marching, and upon leaving camp had -overburdened themselves with baggage. As a consequence, the road along -which the men were hurried was strewn with every kind and description -of apparel and not a few blankets. It was nearly dark when the command -approached Tiptonville, and, making a detour, passed around and below -it. That landing was already in possession of the enemy, and a force -of their cavalry were following close in the rear of the retreating -Confederates, picking up stragglers. While opposite Tiptonville there was -an alarm, and the column was halted and brought to a front; but no attack -was made, and the march was resumed. About three-quarters of a mile below -Tiptonville the command was formed in line of battle, and there remained -all night, the men sleeping in ranks, with their arms by their sides. -Gens. Gantt and Walker, who had been stationed opposite New Madrid, had -retired with our command, and the combined force numbered between 2,000 -and 3,000 men. - -At 11 o’clock, Monday night, Gen. Mackall arranged terms for the -surrender of his army, but the soldiers were not made aware of it until -the next morning, otherwise many would have made their escape. The -universal feeling among men and officers was, that the surrender was -utterly uncalled for, and that the greater portion of the force could -have been safely taken out while a few men held Gen. Pope’s army in -check. Many denounced Gen. Mackall as a traitor, and asserted that the -surrender had been arranged several days before. While this report was -wholly without foundation, yet of his incapacity no one who was present -could have any doubt. Gen. McCown was removed by Gen. Beauregard because, -after the fall of New Madrid, he had pronounced the position at Island -No. 10 untenable, and Gen. Mackall was ordered there, with instructions -to hold it at all hazards until further orders. On the morning after -the gunboat “Carondelet” passed the batteries, he issued the following -address to the troops:— - - HEADQUARTERS, ISLAND NO. 10, April 5, 1862. - - SOLDIERS:—We are strangers—the commander to the commanded, and - each to the other. Let me tell you who I am. - - I am a general made by Beauregard—a general selected by Gens. - Beauregard and Bragg for this command when they knew it was in - peril. They have known me for twenty years; together we have - stood in the fields of Mexico. Give them your confidence! Give - it me when I have earned it! - - Soldiers! the Mississippi Valley is entrusted to your courage, - to your discipline, to your patience. Exhibit the vigilance and - coolness of last night, and hold it! - - (Signed) - - WILLIAM D. MACKALL, - _Brig.-Gen. Commanding._ - -Gen. Beauregard, in a communication published since the close of the war, -expressed himself as satisfied with Gen. Mackall’s performance of the -trust, but his troops saw only a series of blunders. - -Gen. Mackall surrendered 3,000 men, 4,000 stand of arms, 75 siege guns -and 24 pieces of light artillery. The enemy captured four transports -afloat, and two transports and the gunboat “Grampus” which had been -scuttled, and a considerable amount of stores and ammunition. - -The following are the members of Co. K who were surrendered at -Tiptonville: Capt. J. F. Whitfield, Lieut. D. S. Hall, Lieut. C. E. -Tuttle, Sergts. Thompson, Rodgers, Merritt and Sears, Corps. Williamson -and Blaylock, Privates Adams, Bledsoe, C. W. Brown, Cook, Dennis, -Farmer, Frank, Fay, Hurd, Killough, May, C. H. Royals, Rice, Roe, D. -P. Smith, J. S. Tunnell and Josiah Tunnell; total, 3 officers and 23 -enlisted men. The commissioned officers were sent to Columbus, Ohio, -and afterwards transferred to Johnson’s Island; the enlisted men were -sent to Camp Butler, near Springfield, Ill. Several of the company were -sick, and, with their attendants, were taken prisoners at the camp or -in the hospital, viz.: Privates A. P. Brown, E. F. Brown, Fergerson, -J. C. Hearn, Hearndon, C. J. Moncrief, W. L. Moncrief, J. F. Smith and -Tarleton; total, 9. These were sent to Madison, Wis., and afterwards -transferred to Camp Douglas, Chicago, Ill. J. F. Smith, mentioned above, -started from the Island 10 camp with the company, but was attacked with -measles, and was sent back to the hospital. Several hundred of the troops -escaped across Reel-Foot River by wading and by boats. Among these were -the following members of Co. K: Sergt. Norman Cameron, Corp. J. M. -Royals, Privates Averheart, Durden, Hancock, Hutchinson, Elijah Hearn, -George Hearn, Holston, Junius Robinson, G. H. Royals and Wilkins; total, -12. Some of these were on detail at Battery 1 and elsewhere, and others -were on the sick-list when the company left camp. - -The companies of the First Alabama stationed at the Island batteries were -surrendered by direction of Gen. Mackall to Commodore Porter, Monday -night, and were afterwards sent to Camp Butler, Ill. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - PRISON LIFE IN 1862—IN THE MUD—BIVOUAC AT NEW MADRID—A - FRIENDLY IRISHMAN—AT CAMP BUTLER—SCANT WATER SUPPLY—ESCAPE - OF PRISONERS—AN ASTONISHED SENTINEL—PLAYING GUARD—LOST ON - THE PRAIRIE—A PRISONER SHOT—HEALTH OF THE CAMP—MORTALITY - STATISTICS—CURIOUS PHENOMENA—DEATH VISITS THE COMPANY—COL. - FUNDY IN COMMAND—PRACTICAL JOKES—TRINKET MAKING—NEWS FROM - COMRADES—HOMEWARD BOUND—ARRIVAL IN DIXIE. - - -At daybreak on Tuesday, April 8th, the retreating garrison were quietly -aroused from their leafy, but not otherwise romantic, couches in the -woods below Tiptonville. It was a cold, cloudy morning, and the men, who -had been without food or fire for twenty-four hours, stood impatiently in -line of battle eager for something to be done that would warm up their -chilled limbs and bodies. To continue the retreat, or to fight either -would have been a welcome change, but the order that was passed down the -lines was received almost in a spirit of mutiny by both officers and -men. All knew that “Do not fire on the enemy” could mean nothing but -surrender. Rations were served out, cooking utensils distributed, and -fires built; but while busy cooking the men were ordered to “fall in,” -“stack arms” and “march,” and breakfast was abandoned or eaten half raw. -Upon arriving at Tiptonville the surrendered army was formed in close -column, in an open field, and surrounded by guards. The field had been -cultivated in corn, the previous year, and though the hollows between -the rows might in dry weather, have offered rather tempting couches, -they were treacherous ones in a wet season, while the black swamp mud -was not conducive to cleanliness. During the day flour and bacon were -served out, and the men had plenty of time to cook and eat. With night -came on a storm, and the prisoners made such shelters as they could with -fence rails and blankets. The only fuel was that offered by fences, -with the stumps of the newly cleared land for _pieces de resistance_. -Those who essayed the blanket shelters were roused by trickling streams -of water from above, to find themselves lying in ponds of water one or -two inches deep. Sounder sleepers would not awake till some rascal had -filched their blankets, and the fire-builders had stolen their rails. By -midnight the majority of the twenty-five hundred prisoners were packed, -in circular groups, six or seven deep, around the fires, which dotted -the field, or were wandering disconsolately from fire to fire hoping to -find some place where a gleam of the flames could be seen. The anathemas -of the men were bestowed quite impartially upon the weather, the Yankees -and Gen. Mackall the Confederate Commander. Words and invective were -exhausted in showering curses upon the last. Had they not been prisoners -the discomforts of the night would have been of little moment, but -under the existing circumstances it was dismal beyond description. Day -at last dawned, and the men were almost ready to welcome with a cheer -the arrival of the transports, which were to take them away from such a -mud-hole, even though it was to a military prison. The boats were small -stern-wheelers and conveyed the men only to New Madrid, Mo., where they -were landed in the mud. New Madrid mud is red, contrasting well with -the Tiptonville black, and, as there was no opportunity for ablutions, -mud and smoke soon rendered the Confederates as varied in hue as Indian -braves. Abundant rations of hard tack, bacon and coffee were served -out, and, although the storm had not ended, the situation was much more -comfortable than during the preceding twenty-four hours. The officers -were now separated from the enlisted men—something akin in pain to -parting parents from children. - -Thursday afternoon the prisoners were again embarked, and, under convoy, -the boats steamed up the river. At dusk the fleet passed Island 10, -stopping for a short time; the next morning Columbus was left behind, -and by 10.30 A. M. a landing was made at Cairo. The prisoners were here -transferred to close box-cars, which to sight and smell, bore evidence -of having, very recently, been used to transport cattle. A bale of -hay was rolled into each car, to serve—when spread over the floor—as -seats and bedding. To secure the safety and welfare of the passengers -one guard was placed in each car, and was not relieved till the train -reached its destination. The sentinel in our car was an Irishman, a -social, friendly fellow, considerate of the prisoners’ feelings and -reposing great confidence in their honor, which confidence was not -abused. Probably his superiors would have been somewhat astonished at -his ideas about guard duty, which were not those laid down in army -regulations. Whenever the train stopped, even after nightfall, he would -either allow some of the prisoners to jump out and fill their canteens, -or go himself. During the night he handed his musket to one of the -Confederates, laid down in the hay and went to sleep. His brother, the -guard in the next car got uproariously drunk, and about midnight came -stumbling into our car. He was so quarrelsome that we put him out, in a -few minutes he was back, this time bringing his musket and threatening -vengeance, but our slumbering guardian being aroused quieted him with a -few words, more forcible than elegant, and sent him back to his post. -Placed under a _quasi_ parole of honor by the kindness of our Irish -friend, not a prisoner attempted to escape from his car though there -was abundant opportunity. In one village through which we passed in -the night citizen’s dress was offered to some of the men to enable -them to escape if they so desired. The train reached Camp Butler, four -miles from Springfield, Ill., Saturday afternoon, April 12th. In the -surrounding fields patches of snow were still visible, but the camp -itself was a mud-puddle. When we left Alabama, a month previous, the -fruit trees were in blossom, planters were busy ploughing, and the air -was mild and balmy; on our arrival at Island 10 it was cold and the -trees were bare, the first signs of Spring appearing as we left; now, -for the third time, we were to have wintry weather. There were at Camp -Butler fifteen or eighteen hundred prisoners taken at Fort Donelson, -these occupied eighteen out of the twenty barracks within the prison -lines, two being used as hospitals. The new arrivals were ordered from -the cars and marched to the parade ground for inspection; blankets -were unrolled, knapsacks unstrapped and the persons of the prisoners -searched for concealed weapons, but no money or valuables were taken. -Some three hundred of the prisoners were then sent to the barracks, and -to the remaining six or seven hundred were allotted tents, one to every -six or eight men, boards were distributed for floors and before night -the men were comfortably sheltered. The barracks were about sixty feet -long by twenty wide, standing twenty feet apart, and were intended to -accommodate one hundred men each. In front of the barracks—a street fifty -feet wide intervening—the tents were pitched. Immediately to the rear -of the line of tents was the guard and dead line; the dead line at the -ends was within a few feet of the lines of barracks and tents and about -two hundred feet to the rear of the barracks, thus enclosing in round -numbers a parallelogram 800 feet long by 300 or 350 feet wide. As the -warm weather came on, a second line of tents was pitched in the rear -of the first and the crowded barracks relieved. The supply of water on -our arrival was drawn from five or six wells within the enclosure; each -barrack was supplied with a rope, and each mess used its own camp-kettle -for a bucket, attaching it to the rope and drawing it up hand over hand. -The scene around the wells was a lively one, especially just before the -time for preparing meals. During the rainy season the supply of water -in the wells was tolerably plentiful, though it would occasionally give -out. By the first of May, however, the wells began to fail, and on May -7th it is recorded in the writer’s diary: “Water is getting to be a -luxury, the wells are exhausted before sunrise.” After that time water -was hauled from Sangamon river—about a mile distant—details of prisoners -going with the wagons to fill up the hogsheads and barrels. It was -esteemed a great privilege to go with the wagons as it gave opportunity -to bathe and to gather mussels in the river. The fresh country air too -was a wonderful contrast to the stifled atmosphere of the prison camp -on a hot day. Outside the guard lines was another prison hospital, -set apart for erysipelas cases, of which there were many among the -prisoners. Its occupants burned in stripes with lunar caustic and painted -with iodine, were a horribly grotesque crowd. Side by side with this -hospital was the dead house, always tenanted with bodies waiting burial. -At the head of the street, which separated the barracks and tents, was -the “headquarters” of the Commandant of the post; at the other end of -the street was the guard house with its dreaded “black hole,” a cell -without light or ventilation. In an addition to these buildings were the -Commissary’s, Quartermaster’s and Sutler’s stores, and the barracks for -the guard. - -When the Island No. 10 prisoners arrived the camp was not enclosed, and -there had been in consequence many escapes. It was quite common to hear -in the morning the announcement, “A squad of prisoners left for home last -night.” As calling the roll was entrusted to non-commissioned officers -among the prisoners—there were no commissioned officers prisoners at -Camp Butler—and as their reports were verified not oftener than once -a week, several days were usually allowed to elapse before absentees -were reported, thus giving them a fair start in the race for the Ohio -or Mississippi Rivers. As many as nine broke through the guard lines in -a single night; nor were escapes confined to the darkness, sometimes a -break would be made in the broad daylight, and as the cavalry patrolled -the lines during the day with sabres, the only risk was that of -recapture. In one case, as the astonished sentinel saw prisoner after -prisoner flitting by, he cried out, in accents of despair, “Corporal of -the guard! corporal of the guard! run here quick, all the rebels are -getting away!” These frequent escapes of prisoners soon led to more -rigorous measures. Those recaptured were incarcerated in the black hole -for a week or ten days; all prisoners were required to remain in their -barracks from dusk until reveille, under penalty of being shot, and a -board fence ten feet high was built around the camp. The fence, made -chiefly by volunteers from among the prisoners, small wages being paid -them, was completed early in May, and served to check the flight of -the prisoners, though it did not prove an effectual barrier. Not many -nights after its completion, during a storm, a party of four scaled it -by aid of a short ladder they had constructed; a flash of lightning -revealed them to the guard, who fired, but without effect. Some of the -prisoners who worked on the fence, broke short the nails with which -certain marked boards were fastened; making a dash for the fence one day -they pulled off one of these planks, and three got through before the -sentinel could fire. Two of the three were recaptured while running the -gauntlet of a militia camp, just outside the enclosure and did penance -in the “black hole,” the third escaped. An attempt was made to tunnel -out, but it was betrayed to Maj. Fundy, and stopped when the tunnel had -nearly reached the fence; it was started from a freshly dug sink. Those -engaged in it escaped punishment by pledging their word not to renew the -work. The cavalry regiment guarding the camp having been relieved by -ununiformed militia, a novel plan of escape was successfully tried. A -lot of rusty muskets had been found in one of the barracks by the Fort -Donelson prisoners on their arrival, these had been carefully concealed -with a view that they might sometime be useful. After the wells began -to fail, and before the hauling of water in wagons had been begun, -squads of prisoners were allowed to go out with guards to neighborhood -wells and fill buckets and canteens. Procuring or fixing up costumes -sufficiently like those worn by the militia to be mistaken for them, -and brightening up the old muskets so as to pass muster, some of the -prisoners played the part of guards and escorted out several squads who -did not return. Another scheme was successfully played on the militia, -who were very ignorant, many being unable to read. Hospital attendants -were given passes to cross and recross the guard lines, they giving their -paroles not to escape; noting carefully those of the guards who read -these passes equally well bottom or right side up, bogus passes were -prepared, no attempt being made to imitate the writing of the Federal -officials, and the guards passed the holders out. No less than thirty -left in this manner before the imposture was detected. None of those -under parole violated their pledges, nor were they in any way connected -with the writing of the spurious passes, but they suffered, as all -passes were revoked. The regulations were henceforth so stringent that -but few were able to elude the vigilance of the guards. During the six -months that elapsed from the arrival of the prisoners to their departure -for exchange, 225 escaped from Camp Butler. Not all of these, however, -got back to Dixie, quite a number being recaptured and sent to other -prisons. Among those who escaped by bogus passes was John Frank, Jr.; -starting for the Mississippi River, he, and one or two companions, lost -themselves on the prairies and, after wandering around for several days, -made their way to a farm-house, where they procured something to eat, -though they were suspected of being rebels. They next, unfortunately, -wandered into Alton, where, finding themselves objects of suspicion, -they surrendered. Frank rejoined us only when on our way to be exchanged. -The first tragedy under the regulation requiring the prisoners to go into -the barracks or tents at dusk, occurred on the evening of May 2d. One of -the prisoners was seated on the steps of his barrack washing his feet, -when “retreat” sounded; a guard, standing almost beside him, ordered -him in, but the man was a little slow in complying, as he had his feet -in the water; the guard repeated the order twice, and then fired on the -prisoner, inflicting a wound from which he died in about three weeks. The -sentinel’s conduct was approved, and he was promoted to be a corporal, -but the precaution was taken not to place him on guard over the prisoners -again, for fear of his meeting with an “accident.” - -On our arrival at Camp Butler the commander of the post was Col. -Morrison, a superannuated officer of the regular army, kind hearted but -very irascible. In his conduct towards the prisoners he was generally -very lenient; soon after their arrival he had clothing and blankets -issued to those who were insufficiently clad, and did them other favors. -Towards his own men he was a martinet. On one occasion the colonel -crossed the guard line and the sentinel failed to salute him; crossing -a second time to make sure the sentinel saw him, he halted in front of -the negligent guard, and in thundering voice demanded: “Do you know who -I am, sir?” “Yes, sir,” was the quavering response. “Why did you not -salute me?” and without waiting for a reply, he seized the volunteer by -the collar and administered to him a sound kicking. To the prisoners, -accustomed to a perfect equality between officers and men, this was a -novel sight and excited various comments. To the commissary officer -of the post, a Virginian, and, it was said, a Southern sympathizer, -the prisoners were greatly indebted for full rations and the privilege -of trading any surplus for luxuries and merchandise at very reasonable -rates. He had the reputation of being “square” in all his dealings, and -was consequently much liked. - -On our arrival, and for sometime after, the mortality at Camp Butler was -great; up to the 25th of May there had been 318 deaths, a rate equivalent -to 56 out of every 100 per year. During the month of May Maj. Fundy, of -the Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, was given supervision of the Camp, and, -by stricter sanitary regulations, the death rate was diminished, there -being but 162 deaths from May 25th to September 6th, a rate of about -22½ out of every 100 per year. If it be taken into consideration that -several hundred prisoners had escaped, the percentage of deaths will be -somewhat greater than stated. Up to September 6th, the date of exchange, -225 had escaped, leaving 2,613; the average time of imprisonment was -nearly twenty-six weeks—that is 1800 men 200 days and 1000 men, 146 days; -the total number of deaths was 480, or 18⅓ out of every 100 for the six -months, or 36⅔ per 100 a year. In this connection it is but fair to state -that the provision made for the sick was ample; a good assortment of -medicines was kept in the hospital drugstore, which, after our arrival, -was placed in the charge of Joseph Hurd, of Co. K, a competent druggist. -Among the prisoners were several surgeons, and in addition to these, -Dr. J. Cooper McKee, U. S. A., was surgeon of the post. While he was in -charge he ordered large additional supplies of medicine, and a room was -fitted up exclusively as a drug store. When he was relieved, the latter -part of July, a Springfield physician was placed in charge. The nurses -were volunteers from the prisoners, among them N. K. Adams and Wm. H. -Fay, of Co. K; D. P. Smith was Mr. Hurd’s assistant. - -To resume the company diary: On the Sunday following our arrival it set -in to storm, and on Monday there was a heavy fall of snow, a novelty -to many who witnessed it. Spring now rapidly advanced, and by May 1st -the trees were beginning to leaf, the grass was green and violets were -in bloom. On the 23d of April there was seen the curious phenomenon of -four mock suns, the real sun being in the centre. There was a brilliant -electrical display on May 30th; for nearly an hour the flashes of -lightning were almost incessant, but a few seconds intervening, while at -times, for several minutes together, the play of electrical light would -be absolutely without intermission. Occasionally great nebulous balls -of fire would roll up from the horizon to the zenith, then would follow -flashes of chain and forked lightning, diverging to every point of the -heavens. No rain accompanied the electrical storm, but during its entire -continuance there could be heard the distant low roll of thunder. - -May 3d the camp was shocked by a tragedy in one of the barracks occupied -by Mississippians: one of the prisoners, in a quarrel with a companion, -seized a billet of wood and struck a fatal blow. The murderer was taken -to Springfield and put in jail, but was not brought to trial, and when -the prisoners were exchanged he was sent with the others. - -May 9th, Thomas G. Roe (private, Co. K) died of measles. This was the -first death in our company, and caused sincere sorrow. On the following -day he was buried in the prisoners’ graveyard, near the camp. Col. -Morrison kindly permitted the company to accompany the body to the grave. -William H. Fay read a chapter in the Bible and made a prayer. The grave -was marked with a headboard inscribed with the name, company and regiment -of the deceased. - -Early on the morning of May 14th, A. J. Merritt (sergeant, Co. K) died of -measles. Both he and Mr. Roe were sick from the time of our arrival. Mr. -Merritt refused to give up, and remained in his tent till within a day -or two of his death, when he became so weak as to be forced to go to the -hospital. He was much depressed from leaving home and family, but both he -and Mr. Roe died very peacefully. - -On the morning of July 7th, John N. Cook (private, Co. K) died, and was -buried the same day, the company receiving permission to attend. This was -the last death in Co. K at Camp Butler. - -On the 22d of June, Col. Fundy succeeded Col. Morrison as commander of -the post. He was much less of a martinet, and was also popular with the -prisoners in consequence of his showing them some favors. Occasionally -through the summer he allowed the prisoners—several hundred at a -time—to go to the river to bathe, under guard and an implied parole -not to escape. The prisoners never, to the writer’s knowledge, abused -his confidence. He would listen to complaints, and, if well founded, -would remedy the evil. At one time the militia—or, more properly, the -recruits in an adjoining camp of instruction—made a practice of firing -their muskets, loaded with ball, in such a direction that the balls fell -in the prison enclosure. The whizzing of lead became a sound of daily -occurrence, but the prisoners stood it very patiently till one of their -number was struck and seriously wounded. A committee was then sent to -Col. Fundy, to remonstrate and to plainly intimate that if the nuisance -was not abated, the prisoners would themselves go out and stop it. He -gave them patient audience, and promised them there should be no more -trouble. About the middle of July he attempted an exercise of authority -that cost him much of his popularity. For some time it had been customary -to make details of the prisoners to do work outside the camp, they not -being averse, as it gave them a slight relief from the monotony of prison -life. On the 14th of July a detail was made as usual, but when they found -that the duty was to bring in a Federal flagstaff and assist in raising -it, they promptly refused to work. An attempt was made at coercion, -but Col. Fundy, seeing that they would rather be shot down than obey, -sent them back to quarters. Finding that none of the prisoners would -volunteer, as a punishment, he cut down their rations, which, prior to -this time, had been according to army regulations. Nothing more was done -in regard to the flagstaff for a week, when a detail of Federal soldiers -brought in the spar, and on the 29th attempted to raise it in front of -headquarters—a large crowd of prisoners watching the operation, and -greeting with a yell each failure. Finally, the blue-coats accomplished -the feat, and, their hands relieved, they gave vent to their wrath by -hurling a volley of sticks and brickbats at the jeering “rebs.” The -latter were not slow to send the missiles flying back, and the Federals, -finding that in this game they were getting worsted, started for their -muskets. Of course the Confederates at once dispersed, but a battery of -artillery was brought out, so as to rake the street, and the guards were -in a state of chronic scare for a day or two. The feeling between the -prisoners and guards was not very friendly, and the former delighted in -keeping the latter in fear of an outbreak. When there was a prospect of -stormy weather, the prisoners in the tents would listen for the tramp of -the sentinel, and when he approached within earshot, they would discuss -the question of an outbreak, intimating that there was a plot to escape -on the first stormy night. On several occasions the ruse succeeded so -well that the garrison was kept under arms in the rain nearly all night. - -Practical jokes were common among the prisoners, and served to relieve -the monotony of their durance. A jovial Irishman in Co. E, on one -occasion, went to the quarters of Co. K, and informed a number of his -acquaintances that his mess had a pot of soup that they did not want, -and invited them to bring their cups down and get some. The guests, with -tin-cups and spoons in hand, followed their host to his tent, to find -that the soup-kettle had been accidentally upset and its contents spread -over the ground. Watching their opportunity, the disappointed soup-eaters -invited their joking Irish friend, as he passed by, to sit down to a -plate of fritters. He accepted, only to get a mouthful of cotton covered -with batter and browned in the frying-pan. Sometimes the jokes were of a -rougher character, as when a member of Co. C, who had eaten a very hearty -dinner, was given a drink of sherry, wine of ipecac, surreptitiously -obtained from the hospital. - -Of books and other reading-matter there was a dearth, and, as at -other prisons, the men resorted to trinket-making as a pastime. Rings, -breastpins, crosses and similar articles were turned off in great -quantities, every barrack and every tent being a manufactory. Bone, -vulcanized rubber, cocoanut-shell, mussel-shells, gold and silver -were the materials; old case-knives made into saws, files, camp-made -bow-drills, pocket-knives and sand-paper the tools. From the rations -of beef was obtained the bone; mussel-shells were gathered in Sangamon -River by the water-details, the scanty pocket-money furnished the gold -and silver, while the files, sand-paper and rubber in the form of -buttons and rulers were procured by trading rations with the commissary. -The delicately-shaded pink and white shells answered admirably for -mother-of-pearl for inlaying. No little taste and ingenuity were -displayed in the making of these articles. - -The reception of the mail was an occasion of daily excitement, and the -postmaster was surrounded by an eager crowd while the names of the lucky -few were called. Correspondence was limited to one page to a letter, but -the number of letters was limited only by the prisoner’s ability to pay -postage. But few letters came through from the South, and the bulk of -the mail was for the Tennessee troops and those having friends in the -North. On June 28th a letter dated Camp Douglas, Chicago, was received by -Eli Sears from J. Hearndon, giving us the first intelligence of those of -the company who were left at Island 10, sick. As previously mentioned, -these—nine in number—were sent to Madison, Wis., where J. F. Smith died, -May 15th, and C. J. Moncrief on June 6th. Subsequently, we learned that -E. F. Brown died September 4th, at Camp Douglas, to which camp they were -transferred in June. The treatment of the prisoners at these two camps -was very different from that at Camp Butler. No privileges were allowed; -the rations were insufficient to satisfy the cravings of hunger, and as -they were served to the prisoners cooked, there was not the variety which -tends to keep men in health. - -About the middle of August the prisoners were enlivened by the hope -of exchange, and on the 1st of September the work of making out the -exchange-rolls began. N. K. Adams, of Co. K, assisted, and from him were -obtained the following figures:— - - Prisoners arriving at Camp Butler, 2,838 - Deaths, 480 - Escaped, 225 - Took the oath of allegiance, 270 - --- - Total casualties, 975 - ----- - Remaining for exchange, 1,863 - - _First Alabama Regiment._ - - Arriving at Camp Butler, 326 - Deaths, 30 - Escaped, 27 - --- - Total casualties, 57 - ----- - Remaining for exchange, 269 - -On September 2d, those who took the oath of allegiance—mostly from -Tennessee—left for their homes. On the 6th, one-half of those to be -exchanged took the cars for Alton, there to embark for Vicksburg; and -on the following day the remainder started, excepting a few sick. The -First Alabama prisoners were among the second detachment. Many of the -cars were open platforms, and the trip in the hot sun to Alton was quite -trying to those who had been so long imprisoned. At Alton the prisoners -were transferred to transports, which left on the 8th and arrived at -Cairo on the 9th. There the remainder of the Fort Donelson and Island 10 -prisoners joined us, and, on Thursday, September 11th, the fleet steamed -down the river. Several gunboats accompanied the fleet, which proceeded -only during the day, anchoring or tying up to the bank at night. On the -12th, the fleet passed Island No. 10, whose deserted earthworks were -fast caving into the river. At Memphis the fleet remained two nights -and a day. While there Jerry Stuart, of Co. C, First Alabama, died -and was buried. There were some twenty-one or twenty-two deaths among -the prisoners while on the way down the river; and nearly every night -or morning there was one or more rude graves dug on the bank wherever -the fleet was lying, and the uncoffined dead left behind. On the 18th -we passed a fleet of transports returning from Vicksburg with Federal -prisoners. Sunday morning, September 21st, the fleet anchored above -Vicksburg, at the appointed place of exchange; and on Monday morning -the prisoners were disembarked and marched across the bend to the ferry -opposite Vicksburg, where they crossed over. The sick on the hospital -boat were transferred to a flag-of-truce boat from Vicksburg. The -citizens had prepared a bountiful barbecue, and did everything for the -prisoners’ comfort that their limited means permitted. Lieuts. Hall and -Tuttle met Co. K at Vicksburg—Capt. Whitfield going on to Montgomery, -Ala., on a brief leave of absence. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - CAPT. ISBELL AND HIS BATTALION—ARRIVAL AT PORT HUDSON—BATTLE - OF CORINTH—THE REUNITED REGIMENT—PORT HUDSON—LAND DEFENCES—RED - RIVER SUPPLIES. - - -Upon its arrival at Vicksburg, the First Alabama Regiment was quartered -in the public-school building, where they remained several days. The -city, even then, bore marks of the havoc of war. Shot and shell had torn -huge rents in the walls of the houses, and ploughed up or dug great holes -in which could have been buried a horse and cart. On the bluffs, and -along the water-front, were batteries of heavy artillery, and soldiers -were everywhere. Such an air of desolation pervaded the city that it was -a relief to be ordered away. Two days after our arrival, on September -24th, A. P. Brown died of disease contracted at Camp Douglas. W. A. -Dennis, who also returned sick, was sent to the hospital at Lauderdale -Springs, where he died October 10th. On Saturday, September 27th, the -regiment took the cars for Jackson, and, arriving there about noon, -marched four miles out of the city, and went into camp near the Sweet -Water Church. Here it remained till Wednesday, October 1st, when orders -were received to proceed to Port Hudson. The regiment went by rail to -Tangipahoa, La., and thence marched 33½ miles to Clinton, arriving on the -morning of October 4th. The rest of the journey (20 miles) was made via -the Clinton and Port Hudson Railroad. This road was not first-class, -either in road-bed or equipment—flat rails, on rotten stringers and ties, -one locomotive, one passenger car and half a dozen platform and box cars. -Only half of our regiment could be transported at one trip; and, as it -was the rule to run off the track at certain points, night had fallen -before the two trips were made. The regiment encamped on the bluff in the -rear of Battery No. 1 (afterwards Battery 2), between the village and -depot. - -After the surrender of Island No. 10, those who escaped, and others -absent on leave, were collected at Fort Pillow and organized into -three companies, under the command of Capt. R. H. Isbell. In this -battalion there were the following members of Co. K: Lieut. M. E. Pratt, -O. S. Norman Cameron, Corp. W. L. Ellis, Privates E. L. Averheart, -Josiah Durden, John Griffin, E. Hearn, G. Hearn, W. H. Hutchinson, -Junius Robinson and G. H. Royals. The battalion was attached to Gen. -Villipigue’s brigade; and soon after its organization was ordered to -Grenada, Miss., where it remained some ten days doing provost duty. -Thence it was ordered to North Mississippi to meet a raid of the Federal -cavalry, but the enemy retired before its arrival. The summer months were -spent in camp at Abbeville and Cold Water. - -Late in September, Gen. Villipigue’s brigade, including Capt. Isbell’s -battalion, was ordered to join Gen. Van Dorn. The brigade arrived at -Corinth, and was attached to Lovell’s division, forming a part of the -right of the army. The first day’s fight (October 3d) resulted favorably -to the Confederates. On the second day it was planned that Gen. Price -should attack in force on the left, and that, while thus engaged, -Lovell’s division should press forward and attack vigorously on the -right. The attack was unfortunately delayed by the failure of Gen. -Herbert to advance till 8, A. M., giving Gen. Rosecrans time to bring -up fresh troops. Price drove the enemy before him, and penetrated into -the streets of the town. Here his thinned brigades were attacked by the -fresh troops of the enemy, and driven in disorder back over the ground -they had won. Lovell, in the meantime, was advancing in pursuance of his -orders, but had not yet engaged the enemy, when he received orders to -throw Villipigue’s brigade rapidly to the centre to cover the retreat -of Price’s broken ranks. This was gallantly done; and if Capt. Isbell’s -men had no opportunity to win laurels in the battle, they won a glorious -meed of praise as a portion of the rear-guard in covering the retreat. -So well was the duty performed that Rosecrans did not attack, and Gen. -Van Dorn retired in safety. The only serious molestation was a skirmish -at the Hatchie Bridge. After the retreat of the army to Oxford, Gen. -Villipigue’s brigade was ordered to Port Hudson, where it arrived -November 5th. There was great rejoicing in the reunited company and -regiment. - -Gen. Villipigue died soon after his arrival (Nov. 9th), of cholera -morbus, and his remains were sent to Richmond for interment, Corp. Ellis, -of Co. K, being one of the escort. - -The regiment now numbered nearly 700 muskets, having lost about 150 men -since leaving Pensacola. Capt. Isbell’s battalion brought with it a -brass band; and, as the regiment was by this time fairly well drilled, -it made a good military appearance on parade. The citizens of Mobile -had presented the regiment with a uniform on its return from prison. -Its guns, though in good order, were of a nondescript character—rifles, -Springfield muskets, altered flint-locks and flint-locks; Co. K, being -last on the list, had to put up with flint-locks. All the guns were, -however, provided with bayonets, which gave them a uniform appearance. -The men were in excellent spirits and condition. On the arrival of the -regiment in October Cos. A, B and G were assigned to batteries, and on -December 31st Co. K was assigned to a battery to be constructed. - -Capt. Whitfield, who received a furlough after his exchange, arrived at -Port Hudson on November 8th; Lieut. Pratt, on November 17th; and Lieut. -Hall, who was furloughed at Jackson, December 5th. - -Port Hudson is in East Feliciana parish, La., on the east bank of the -Mississippi River, 25 miles above Baton Rouge. Before the war it was a -place of considerable activity; about 30,000 bales of cotton and 2,000 -hogsheads of sugar were shipped there annually; there were twelve or -fifteen stores, and a population of some three hundred. The bluff is very -high—nearly 80 feet above low water. At the time of the arrival of the -First Alabama, there were fourteen or fifteen guns mounted, varying in -size from 24-pounder siege guns to 8-inch shell guns, and one 10-inch -Columbiad. During the following winter and spring several batteries were -constructed and additional guns mounted, so that at the beginning of the -siege, in May, 1863, the batteries and guns were as follows:— - -Battery No. 1 (signal battery)—Co. K, First Alabama, one 30-pounder -Parrott, calibre 4⁶²⁄₁₀₀ inches, siege carriage; one 20-pounder rifle -(brass), calibre 4⁶²⁄₁₀₀ inches, siege carriage. - -Battery No. 2—Co. A, First Alabama, one 42-pounder, smooth-bore, barbette -carriage; one rifle (old 24-pounder, smooth-bore rifled, but not -strengthened), barbette carriage; one ditto, siege carriage. - -Battery No. 3—Co. G, First Alabama, one smooth-bore, 42-pounder; one -rifle, calibre 6 inches (old 32-pounder), both mounted on barbette -carriages. - -Battery No. 4—De Gournay’s battalion, one 10-inch Columbiad and one -8-inch Columbiad, Columbiad carriages. - -Battery No. 5—Co. B, First Alabama, one 10-inch Columbiad, Columbiad -carriage; one 32-pounder, barbette carriage. - -Battery No. 6—De Gournay’s battalion, one rifle (old 32-pounder); one -rifle (old 24-pounder). - -Battery No. 7—Tennessee company attached to De Gournay’s battalion, -hot-shot battery, two 24-pounders. - -Batteries Nos. 8 and 9—De Gournay’s battalion, each one 24-pounder, siege -carriages, water batteries. - -Battery No. 10—De Gournay’s battalion, one 8-inch shell-gun, barbette -carriage, water battery. - -Battery No. 11—Miles’ legion, one 20-pounder Parrott, extreme right of -the land defenses. - -The batteries were nearly all provided with bomb-proof magazines, but -with no protection for the men except the low parapet. From Battery No. 1 -to 11 it was a little over one mile. - -A system of land defenses had been planned, and work slowly progressed -during the winter of 1862-3. The full plans of the engineers were never -carried out, and at the commencement of the siege the works on the -northern side had not been begun. As planned the defenses began at -Battery No. 11 and extended in a semi-circular direction for a distance -of over four miles, striking the river near the mouth of Sandy Creek, -about one mile above Battery No. 1. The earthworks, where completed, -consisted of a crémaillère line, broken by occasional lunettes and redans -for artillery. Where the ground was open and favorable to assault, the -ditch was from three to four feet deep and five or six feet wide. From -the bottom of the ditch to the top of the parapet it was, in no case, -more than seven or eight feet, except when increased by the natural -features of the ground, as in front of Battery No. 11, where there was -a deep ravine. In Northern publications, maps are given showing a very -complete system of defenses, with inner and outer lines, but these, if -planned, were not constructed—there being but a single line of works, -except that during the siege inner lines were constructed across points -mined by the enemy, as at the northeast angle and Battery No. 11. - -During the autumn and winter of 1862-3 communication was open between -Vicksburg and Port Hudson, and both places were supplied with provisions -from the Red River country. Transports arrived quite regularly from Red -River at Port Hudson, until interrupted by the blockade established by -Farragut in March, 1863. Cattle were driven from Texas for the use of -the garrison; great herds of long-horned oxen swimming the Mississippi, -was a curious but not uncommon sight. The cattle arrived in very good -condition, but as there was but poor pasturage at Port Hudson some became -skeletonized before they were slaughtered. - -The commissariat during the six months preceding the siege was generally -good. Plentiful rations of corn meal, beef, sugar, molasses and salt -were issued, and sometimes potatoes. Some extras could also be purchased -in the surrounding country, while the river and cypress ponds furnished -fish. - -The cooking was done in camp, the messes detailing some of their own -number or hiring negro cooks. Ladies from the neighborhood quite -frequently visited camp and showed much interest in the culinary -department. A motherly old lady, on one occasion, after watching the -movements of one of Co. K’s cooks for some time, told the amateur, who -had felt somewhat complimented by the attention, that she thought it -would improve his kettles if he would burn them out. It is needless to -say that he took the first opportunity of getting rid of the surplus soot -and grease on his cooking utensils by following the advice. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - INCIDENTS OF THE WINTER OF 1862-3—AN UNEXPECTED SALUTE—A - PARROTT FOR CO. K—WHITFIELD’S LEGION—FARRAGUT’S FLEET—RUNNING - THE BATTERIES—THE MIDNIGHT BATTLE—A CRIPPLED FLEET—BURNING OF - THE “MISSISSIPPI”—COMPARATIVE LOSSES—THE LAND ATTACK—INCIDENTS - IN APRIL, 1863—A SABBATH MORNING AT TROTH’S LANDING—CLOSE - QUARTERS—SKIRMISHING. - - -Col. Steadman at once began a strict system of discipline and drill. The -following was the order of the day: Reveille at daybreak with roll-call, -inspection of arms and policing of camps; 6 A. M., drill in the school -of the soldier; 7 A. M., breakfast; 8.30 A. M., guard mounting; 9 A. -M., non-commissioned officers’ drill; 10 A. M., drill in the school of -the company; 12 M., dinner; 1 P. M., skirmish drill; 3 P. M., battalion -drill; 5 P. M., dress parade; sunset, retreat; 9 P. M., taps. Companies -assigned to batteries drilled at the guns at the hours for the company -drill. Strict regimental guard was kept up, all the requirements of the -army regulations being enforced. - -The first call to action was on Sunday, November 16th, 1862, when the -Federal fleet appeared at the head of Prophet’s Island, below Port -Hudson. The regiment was ordered to strike tents and pack knapsacks; -while the left wing, including Co. K, was deployed along the bank as -sharpshooters. In a short time the fleet retired and the troops were -ordered back to camp. - -On the evening of December 13, 1862, Capt. Boone’s company of Light -Artillery, supported by Co’s D and F of the First Alabama, crossed the -river and after dark moved down opposite the anchorage of the iron clad -Essex and a wooden vessel. The guns, consisting of two smooth-bore -6-pounders and one 12-pound howitzer were planted behind the levee, and -at daylight the next morning fire was opened on the wooden vessel. The -fire was so effective that the Essex had to steam up and interpose her -iron sides for the protection of her consort. Both vessels then retired -down the river. Although the Federal vessels kept up a heavy fire our -loss was but one man wounded. - -During the early part of December the regiment was busy constructing -barracks of willow logs, the roofs covered with cypress boards. Co. K -built two cabins, which were completed about the last of the month. They -were 18 by 22 feet, with a large fireplace at each end. The chimneys were -built of sticks daubed with clay. An open door way furnished entrance and -light, while ventilation was secured by leaving the upper cracks between -the logs unchinked; bunks were built in tiers along the walls, and the -men were very comfortably quartered for the winter. - -On December 31st Capt. Whitfield received the promise of a one gun -battery—a 30-pound Parrott gun—on the condition that his company build -the battery and magazine. The battery was laid off above the redan, then -known as Battery No. 1, but separated from it by a deep ravine. Co. K -worked alone on their battery till January 8th, when details were made -from the infantry companies of the regiment to assist them. By the 18th -of January the work was so nearly completed that the gun was brought up -from Battery No. 11 and put into position. The magazine was not completed -till the last of February, the powder being stored in it on March 2, -1863. The gun was christened the “Lady Whitfield.” - -On December 26th, Lieut. Tuttle and Corp. John Hearn left for Alabama to -secure recruits for Co. K. They returned in February having secured 45, -as follows:— - - Adams, Jesse, Mobile Co. - Alexander, J. L., Autauga Co. - Boggan, Jno., Wilcox Co. - Boggan, T. M., ” ” - Boone, —— Autauga Co. - Byrd, J. H., - Callens, R. H., Butler Co. - Clark, —— Mobile Co. - Deno, M., - Douglass, Wm., - Dubose, Wm., Pike Co. - Durden, G. W., Autauga Co. - Glenn, Simeon, ” ” - Golsan, P. G., ” ” - Gorman, John, Mobile Co. - Haley, —— - Hamilton, John, - Hern, M., - Hays, J., - Jenkins, E., Pike Co. - Kirkpatrick, V., Butler Co. - Lamar, M. D., Autauga Co. - Leysath, E., Butler Co. - Lewis, J., Montgomery Co. - Martin, G. F., Autauga Co. - Merritt, —— - Mills, —— - McCarty, J., - McDonald, —— - Owens, J., Autauga Co. - Scott, B. L., ” ” - Scott, C. H., ” ” - Shaver, J. H., Conecuh Co. - Simpson, J. L., Butler Co. - Shoals, J., Montgomery Co. - Schein, J., - Smyth, A. C., Butler Co. - Smith, Henry, - Stuart, J. J., Wilcox Co. - Tarleton, M., Lowndes Co. - Tharp, J. P., - Vaughn, Wm., - White, A. J., Autauga Co. - Wilson, T. A., - Winslett, —— - -In addition to these Henry Fralick, of Autauga Co., joined the company in -September, 1862. - -Second Lieut. Dixon S. Hall having resigned from ill health, Junior -Second Lieut. Tuttle was promoted, and an election was held March 4, -1863, for Junior Second Lieutenant, resulting as follows: John Frank, -Jr., 35; Norman Cameron, 20; N. K. Adams, 8; John Frank, Jr., was -thereupon duly commissioned. - -On March 12, 1863, Moses Tarleton, of Lowndes Co., one of the recruits, -died, and was buried with military honors. This was the only one of the -company, owing in other cases of death to lack of opportunity, to whom -these honors were paid. - -Company K, having a full complement of men, and having but one gun in -its battery, was divided as to duty. One portion was drilled as heavy -artillery, another portion as infantry, while Lieut. Tuttle with the -remainder was detailed to act with a detachment of the regiment under -command of Major Knox as river police. The company was jocularly known, -in consequence of this division, as “Whitfield’s Legion.” - -On the afternoon of March 13, 1863, several of Admiral Farragut’s -vessels appeared in sight below Port Hudson, anchoring near the head of -Prophets Island, and when the fog lifted on the morning of the 14th, -his whole fleet lay at anchor just out of range of our guns. There were -eight magnificent war steamers, one iron clad and six mortar boats. -The flag ship was the steam-frigate “Hartford,” with an armament of 26 -eight and nine-inch Paixhan guns. The “Richmond,” a ship of the same -class, was armed with 26 eight and nine-inch Columbiads; the side-wheel -steam-frigate “Mississippi” had 19 eight-inch guns, 1 ten-inch, 1 -twenty-pound Parrott and 2 howitzers in her tops; the “Monongahela,” -steam-sloop of war, carried 16 heavy guns; the gunboats “Kineo,” -“Albatross,” “Sachem,” and “Genesee” each carried 3 heavy Columbiads -and 2 six-inch rifles. All of these but the “Mississippi” were screw -propellers. In addition to the above vessels all of which, except the -“Sachem,” were to attempt to run the batteries, there was the iron clad -“Essex” carrying 10 heavy guns and also six mortar-boats, each carrying 1 -thirteen-inch mortar. These last were to cover the advance of the fleet -by fiercely shelling the Confederate batteries. The mortar-boats were -moored close under the river bank at the head of Prophets Island, and -were protected from the Confederate batteries by the bluff which at that -point curved almost at a right angle. The “Essex” was anchored in the -stream opposite the mortar-boats, and the other vessels some distance -lower down but in sight. - -On the afternoon of the 14th, the fleet opened fire apparently to get -the range of our batteries. About seventy-five shot and shell were -thrown, but the batteries made no response. All the batteries were manned -as night approached, while the infantry were at the fortifications on -the land side, prepared to resist any attack by Gen. Banks’ forces. -Until 9.30 P. M. all was quiet, then a red light was displayed from -the mast-head of the “Hartford,” the signal for the fleet to prepare -for action. As the vessels passed his station, about 11 P. M., Capt. -Youngblood, of the Confederate signal corps, sent up a rocket and the -sentinels on the batteries fired their muskets, conveying the alarm from -the lower to the upper works. In a few minutes the eighteen guns in -position along the bluff were ready for action. At the wharf lay two Red -River transports unloading; on board all was confusion, the shrieks of -the women, the shouts of the officers to their crews, the glare of light -from the cabins and furnaces, contrasted strangely with the death-like -stillness and darkness of the batteries on the bluff. Just as the -transports steamed away from the wharf on their way to Thompson’s Creek, -up which they sought safety, Gen. Gardner came dashing up to Battery No. -1, and seeing the lights on these vessels and mistaking them for the -gunboats called out to Capt. Whitfield, “Why don’t you fire on those -boats?” John Hearn, not recognizing the General, replied, “They are our -transports, you infernal thief.” The commandant, either not hearing or -concluding that under some circumstances deafness was commendable, made -no response. - -So soon as the alarm was given, the Federal fleet began firing; the -mortar-boats—the “Essex” and the “Sachem”—moored to the bank or lying at -anchor, with guns trained during the preceding day, had quite accurate -range; but the practice of the moving vessels was somewhat wild till -they were at close quarters. Orders had been issued to permit the enemy -to get well in range before opening fire, and it was not until the -leading vessel was nearly opposite Battery No. 11 that the first gun -was discharged from the bluff. Instantly flash after flash revealed -the positions of the Confederate artillery. The “Hartford,” with the -“Albatross” lashed to her larboard side, was in the advance; the -“Richmond” and “Genesee,” the “Monongahela” and “Kineo” followed, and the -“Mississippi” brought up the rear. - -At Battery No. 1 the upward passage of the fleet could only be traced by -the flashes of its guns. Huge bonfires had been built under the bluff -to illuminate the river, but the smoke of the pine wood only served to -render impenetrable the darkness of the night, and they were immediately -extinguished. Later in the battle, the signal corps, on the other side of -the river, fired an old building, and the flames from this in a measure -revealed the position of the vessels as they passed between it and the -batteries. So soon as the Confederates opened, the fire of the fleet, no -longer directed at random, was redoubled, and the roar of its hundred -heavy guns and mortars, added to that of the rapidly-served artillery of -the garrison, was fearful. Howitzers in the tops of the steamers swept -the bluffs and gave some annoyance to the gunners. Leaving the rest of -the ships to follow as best they could, the “Hartford” and her consort -moved steadily on past the fortifications, rounded the point, and, -pouring a farewell broadside of grape and shrapnel into Batteries Nos. 1, -2, and 3, steamed out of range up the river. - -The “Richmond” and “Genesee” followed close in the wake of the “Hartford” -till opposite Batteries Nos. 4 and 5, when a rifle-shell piercing the -steam-drum of the former disabled her, and another shot passing through -the smoke-stack mortally wounded Lieut. Boyd Cummings, her commander. -A dozen other wounds in hull and rigging attested the accurate gunnery -of the Confederates. Turning, by aid of her consort, both steamers came -close under the bluff, where, for a few minutes, they were protected, -and some one on board yelled out, with an oath, “Now let us see you hit -us!” A moment later, as they ran out into the channel, both were raked. A -shell exploding in the ward-room of the “Genesee” set the vessel on fire, -but the flames were speedily extinguished, and after running the gauntlet -a second time, the crippled ships got back to their anchorage. - -The “Monongahela” and “Kineo” met with but little better fortune. A -32-pound cannon-ball cut the tiller-ropes of the former, another shot -demolished the bridge and seriously wounded Capt. McKinistry, her -commander, while her decks were strewed with dead and wounded. About the -time the tiller-ropes of the “Monongahela” were shot away, a 32-pound -ball struck the rudder-post of the “Kineo.” Both thus disabled, the -“Monongahela” ran into the bank, and the hawsers which lashed the ships -together parting, the “Kineo” shot ahead and also ran into the bank. -Backing off, the “Kineo” dragged with her the “Monongahela”; but the -propeller fouled in the parted hawser, and the two vessels drifted -helplessly down the river, letting go their anchors when out of range. - -The pilot of the steamship “Mississippi,” confused by the smoke of the -battle, ran that vessel ashore at the point directly opposite Batteries -Nos. 3, 4 and 5. Her commander, Capt. Melancthon Smith, used every -endeavor to get his vessel off, but in vain. In the meantime her guns -poured forth an almost continuous sheet of flame. Deserted by all her -consorts she received the concentrated fire of the batteries. A rifle -shot, probably from Battery No. 1, knocked a howitzer from her maintop -clear of the vessel into the water. One after another her heavy guns had -been disabled, and thirty of her crew had fallen, when her commander -gave the order to abandon her. The dead were left on the decks, four -of the wounded were taken ashore, others leaped into the river; those -who were unhurt got to shore some by swimming and others in the boats. -Before all had left the doomed vessel flames burst forth, by whom set -is a disputed question. Capt. Smith reported that he fired the vessel, -while the men in the hot-shot battery as strenuously insisted that she -was fired by them, another report stated that a shell exploded in some -combustibles arranged on her deck for the purpose of firing her. Some -of those who escaped to shore made their way down the river bank to the -fleet, swimming the crevasses; 62, including two officers, were taken -prisoners the next morning. The flames spread rapidly, soon enveloping -the hull and shrouds. As the flames reached the larboard guns, they were -discharged one after another towards the vessels which had gone up the -river, while shells on her decks kept up a constant fusilade. From the -time that efforts had been given up to get her off, there had been a -constant shriek of escaping steam from her safety valve. Lightened by -the flames she floated off the bar and drifted, a huge pyramid of fire, -down the river illuminating its broad expanse till all was bright as day, -and revealing the shattered vessels of the fleet as they hastily steamed -out of the way of their dangerous consort. Long after she had passed -around the bend the light of the flames reflected on the sky marked her -progress. About 5 A. M., when at almost the identical spot where the -Confederate ram “Arkansas” was blown up, the fire reached the magazine -and the “Mississippi” existed only in story. The shock of the explosion -was felt at Port Hudson, twenty miles distant. - -The battle lasted from about 11 P. M. to 2 A. M. Co. K fired their -one gun 32 times. Lieut. Pratt had immediate charge of the gun, Capt. -Whitfield being also present. Sergeants Ellis and Royals were the gunners -and Wm. H. Fay the ordnance sergeant. Lieut. Tuttle was on duty with the -river patrol. The eighteen Confederate guns fired altogether about six -hundred shot and shell. Of which, according to Federal reports, at least -one hundred struck the attacking vessels, as the “Hartford” alone was -struck over thirty times. The loss of the First Alabama was three men -slightly wounded. One man was killed at the land fortifications, and one -man wounded in one of the lower batteries. Not a gun was injured. - -The enemy’s losses may be summed up as follows: the “Mississippi,” -burned; the “Richmond,” completely disabled and obliged to return to -New Orleans for repairs; the “Genesee,” slightly damaged by fire; the -“Monongahela,” bridge shot away and tiller ropes cut; the “Kineo,” rudder -disabled and rigging badly cut up. Casualties, “Hartford,” 3 killed and -2 wounded; “Albatross,” 3 killed and 2 wounded; “Richmond,” 4 killed -and 7 wounded; “Monongahela,” 7 killed and 21 wounded; “Mississippi,” -22 killed and 8 wounded; and 62 prisoners: total 39 killed, 40 wounded -and 62 prisoners, including 2 commissioned officers. One of the latter, -Midshipman Francis, was paroled in consideration of his gallant efforts -to save the lives of some Confederate prisoners, who fell overboard -from the flag of truce steamer “Frolic,” at Baton Rouge, a few weeks -before, while en route to be exchanged. The other prisoners were sent -to Richmond. Federal accounts of the battle state that the fire of the -batteries was so accurate as to threaten the destruction of every vessel -exposed. The gunners of Battery No. 1 labored under a disadvantage, as -the smoke settled in a dense bank in front of the battery, but there was -reason to believe that their gun did good execution. - -Gen. Banks with 25,000 men was to have attacked by land, while Farragut -assailed the river defences. On the evening of the 13th the divisions -of Gens. Grover and Emory left Baton Rouge and were followed the -next morning by Gen. Augur’s division. Gen. Banks establishing his -headquarters at the crossing of the Springfield road, seven miles below -Port Hudson. Friday afternoon the enemy’s advance guard encountered the -Confederate pickets and a sharp skirmish followed, in which several men -were killed and wounded. The following day there was another skirmish in -which the Federals were worsted, losing a number of officers, killed, -wounded and prisoners. They made no further demonstration till Monday -when Gen. Rust’s brigade attacked their rear guard as they were retiring -and drove them six miles. The main body made no offer of battle, and -the rear guard burned the bridges to prevent further pursuit. Thus -ingloriously ended this attempt to capture Port Hudson by a force many -times that of the garrison. - -The mortar fleet, “Essex,” and one or two other vessels, remained -until March 28th, shelling the batteries, camps and transports at the -wharves nearly every day, without, however, coming within range of the -Confederate guns. On the 18th, the enemy landed a force of infantry and -artillery on the west bank and burned the residence of Capt. Hines, the -lower batteries shelling the raiders that night. - -The “Hartford” and “Albatross” having gone up to Grand Gulf leaving the -Red River open, several transports with supplies came down. On the 21st, -while these were unloading, just above Battery No. 1, the fleet opened -fire forcing them to steam up Thompson’s Creek. The rifle shells fell -around our battery and camp. On the 24th, the enemy fired a sugar-mill -opposite Port Hudson, our batteries shelling them as they retired. A -battery of light artillery planted by the enemy behind the levee shelled -our lower batteries on the 25th but without effect. On the 28th the fleet -steamed down the river. Admiral Farragut with the “Hartford,” “Albatross” -and ram “Switzerland,” the last named having run the Vicksburg -batteries, appeared above Port Hudson on April 6th, and on the 7th -several vessels came up from below and exercised their guns for a while. -There was a false alarm on the night of April 9th, caused by a raft with -a fire on it floating down the river; it was boarded by the river patrol -and the fire extinguished. - -Rev. Mr. Baldwin, who had been appointed Chaplain of the regiment, -preached his first sermon on Sunday, April 12th. Nothing of special -interest beyond an occasional visit from the gunboats occurred until -May 5th, when the fleet above Port Hudson fired the “Hermitage” and -another building. On May 6th Co. K received another gun, a rifled brass -piece, 4⁶²⁄₁₀₀ inches calibre, captured on Amité river. It was clumsily -mounted on a 24-pounder siege carriage, and christened “The Baby.” In -anticipation of receiving this gun a battery had already been prepared -for it beside the old one. - -The mortar fleet, the “Essex” and the “Richmond,” having appeared again -below Port Hudson, orders were received on May 9th for a detachment of -Co. K to take “The Baby” to Troth’s landing and at daylight on the 10th -open fire on the fleet. The entire expedition under command of Lieut. -Col. DeGournay consisted of one 24-pounder rifled, with a detachment from -DeGournay’s battalion; one 4⁶²⁄₁₀₀ inch brass rifle, detachments from -Co. K, First Alabama Regiment; one 20-pounder and one 12-pounder Parrott -guns, with detachments from Miles’ Legion. Of Co. K there were 17 men, -Sergeants Ellis and Royals, gunners, under command of Lieut. Tuttle. -Soon after dark on the evening of the 9th a fatigue party began work, -and during the night constructed a rude redoubt 12 by 24 feet, sinking -it eighteen inches in the ground and throwing the earth to the front, -thus forming an open earthwork with a parapet just high enough for the -muzzles of the guns to project over. In this were placed the two larger -guns, while the two Parrotts were placed in an old battery a few hundred -yards lower down. From 11 P. M. till 1 A. M. the mortars shelled the -batteries, but did not discover the working party. Shortly after 4 A. -M. the earthwork was completed and the guns were put in position. While -the fatigue party were still standing around, the flash and roar of the -mortars caused a stampede of the non-combatants. As before, the shells -were thrown at the batteries above, showing that the expedition was still -undiscovered. The guns were loaded and so soon as it was sufficiently -light were aimed at the “Essex;” then the command rang out “Fire!” The -percussion shell from “The Baby” striking on the projecting point of -land between us and the “Essex” exploded, the fragments rattling on the -iron sides of that vessel. The guns were now loaded and fired as rapidly -as possible, being directed at the “Essex” and mortar-boats. The latter -were, however, moored close under the bluff and were secure except from -fragments of bursting shells. As we afterwards learned the surprise of -the enemy was complete; it took them but a few minutes, however, to -recover, and shells from the mortars soon transcribed a shorter curve, -exploding over our guns or burying themselves in the earth around them. -Next the eight and nine-inch guns of the “Essex” opened, and a few -minutes later a 100-pound rifle missile from the “Richmond” burst just -as it passed the battery. The earth fairly shook as mortars, Columbiads, -rifles and bursting shells joined in one continuous roar on that pleasant -Sabbath morning. At the twenty-eighth shot, owing to the breaking of -a chin-bolt holding on the trunnion-cap, “The Baby” was disabled. A -few minutes before this the “Richmond” moved from her anchorage, and -steamed towards the batteries; the last shot from the brass gun went -hurtling through her rigging, and the last shot left in the locker of -the 24-pounder struck her under the quarter; the Parrotts, from lack of -ammunition, or some other cause, had ceased firing, so the batteries were -silent. The “Richmond” came steadily on until within about 400 yards -firing rapidly, then turning and giving in succession both broadsides -she steamed back to her anchorage. The fleet now ceased firing and a -death-like stillness followed the terrific roar of the battle. - -Co. K had one man, Clark, wounded, a fragment of a shell cutting off two -of his fingers. One man was mortally wounded and a Lieutenant severely -wounded at the Parrott guns. There was also one or two casualties in the -infantry support, and a man was killed in one of the regular batteries. -The damage to the enemy was trifling; the “Essex” was struck about a -dozen times by fragments of shell and once fairly by a solid shot. Four -shot hit or passed through the rigging of the “Richmond.” One of the -mortar-boats was struck in the bow and another on the deck by fragments -of shells, and it was reported that several of the crews were wounded. - -As soon as the firing ceased ropes were attached to the trails of the -guns, and they were drawn out of battery, limbered up and taken back to -camp. The enemy, curiously, did not re-open fire during the removal, thus -showing that they were very willing to have the guns taken away. When -the “Richmond” was seen to leave her anchorage, Lieut. Pratt with the -30-pounder Parrott started for Battery No. 11, but before he could get -there the steamer was out of range. - -On May 12th and 14th the infantry companies of the regiment were sent -to the breastworks in anticipation of an attack, a body of the enemy -having cut the railroad between Port Hudson and Clinton. On the 14th -there was a skirmish at Plain’s store, six and a half miles from Port -Hudson. Communication with Clinton was reopened on the 15th, and the -accumulated mails of several weeks arrived, some 1,500 pounds of letters, -greatly rejoicing the whole garrison. On Saturday, the 16th, there was -another alarm, and a detachment of Co. K, with the brass rifle, was sent -to the breastworks, remaining till Monday night, when they returned to -camp. On the 18th a cavalry force under Col. Grierson made a raid on a -small Confederate detachment guarding cattle, capturing the beeves and -about 40 men. The same day four or five officers and privates of the -First Alabama, who were fishing west of the river were captured. It was -reported that Simpson of Co. K was among those picked up, but he came in -the next day. On the 19th the infantry companies of the First Alabama -were sent across the river and had a skirmish. Several of the enemy were -killed, but our regiment suffered no loss. There was also skirmishing in -the direction of Plain’s store on the 19th and 20th. The fleet below had -for some days been regularly shelling the batteries but without effect. -On the 17th the “Genesee” came up within range of Battery No. 11 and was -fired upon with a 20-pound Parrott. An Admiral’s salute of seventeen -guns was fired at noon on the 18th by the “Richmond,” announcing, it was -supposed, the return of Admiral Farragut. This brings us to the memorable -siege of Port Hudson. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - SIEGE AND SURRENDER OF PORT HUDSON—THE - INVESTMENT—SKIRMISHING—THE FIRST GRAND ASSAULT—ASSAILED AND - ASSAILANTS—DOUBLY ARMED—LIEUT. PRATT AT BATTERY 11—THE “ESSEX” - DRIVEN OFF—LIEUT. ADAMS ELECTED—ARTILLERY PRACTICE—ASSAULT - OF JUNE 14TH—EFFECT OF BUCK AND BALL—BANKS’ INHUMANITY—LEAD - FOR WATER—A GALLANT CORPORAL—BATTERY 11 SILENCED—GALLANT - SCHURMUR’S DEATH—THE SUNKEN BATTERY—MULE AND PEAS—THE - FALL OF VICKSBURG—UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER—GEN. GARDNER’S - SWORD—CASUALTIES OF THE FIRST. - - -The initiatory steps of the siege of Port Hudson may be reckoned from May -20th, 1863, when Gen. Augur, with his own and Gen. Sherman’s division, -advanced from Baton Rouge. Gen. Banks, who had been campaigning in the -Teche country, embarking his troops at Shreveport, landed at Bayou -Sara, five miles above Port Hudson, on the 21st. His forces consisted -of the divisions of Gens. Grover and Emory, Gen. Weitzel’s brigade of -sappers and miners and two regiments of negro troops. A junction was -effected with Gen. Augur’s command on the 22d, thus closely investing -the position. Gen. Banks then assumed command, his forces consisting -of four divisions, one brigade and two unattached regiments, numbering -from twenty-five to thirty thousand men. To resist this army, Gen. Frank -Gardner had Beale’s brigade, consisting of the First and Twenty-ninth -Mississippi regiments, the Tenth and Fifteenth Arkansas and the -Forty-ninth Alabama; Lieut.-Col. Miles’ Legion; the First Alabama acting -as heavy artillery; DeGournay’s battalion of heavy artillery; a Tennessee -company of heavy artillery; several companies of Mississippi light -artillery, and some dismounted cavalry—all told, about six thousand men. -Col. DeGournay, in an account of the siege, also mentions the Twelfth, -Sixteenth, Eighteenth and Twenty-third Arkansas regiment, First Arkansas -battalion, Ninth Louisiana battalion, a battalion of Texans from Maxey’s -brigade; but he places the number fit for duty at the beginning of the -siege at only five thousand, the Arkansas regiments being skeletons. - -On the 21st, Gen. Gardner sent out Col. Miles, with 400 cavalry and a -battery, to reconnoitre in the direction of Plain’s Stores. About four -miles from Port Hudson they encountered Gen. Augur’s advance, and a -severe skirmish of two and a half hours followed. The Confederate loss -was thirty killed and forty wounded. At the same time Col. Powers’ -cavalry, 300 strong, had a skirmish on the Bayou Sara road, and, being -cut off, did not return to Port Hudson. When night fell the other -forces were recalled within the fortifications. From Saturday, the 23d, -to Tuesday, the 26th, the enemy were engaged in taking positions, the -close investment being completed on the 24th. The First Alabama, with -the exception of detachments at the guns, went to the front on the 23d, -and were stationed on the northern line, at that time unfortified. Col. -Steadman having been assigned to the command of the left wing of the -garrison, Lieut.-Col. Locke commanded the regiment. Gen. Beale had -command of the centre, and Col. Miles of the right. On the 24th there was -heavy skirmishing, the First Alabama being engaged. The same day an order -was issued for the brass rifle to be taken to a redan near the Jackson -road. Lieut. Frank, with a detachment of the sick and cooks—the only men -of the company in camp—went with the gun and opened fire at long range -upon a battery of the enemy, which was soon silenced. This gun remained -at the Jackson road redan during the entire siege, the gunners suffering -severely, and the gun being several times dismounted. On the 25th the -First Alabama was again heavily engaged skirmishing, keeping back the -enemy, while at the same time hurriedly fortifying, and lost twelve or -fifteen men in killed and wounded. On the 26th the 30-pound Parrott was -sent down to Battery No. 11 with a detachment of Co. K, under command -of Lieut. Pratt, Sergt. Williamson, gunner, and a 24-pounder, rifled, -was transferred from Battery No. 2 to No. 1. Lieut. Tuttle was in charge -of Battery No. 1, and Lieut. Frank remained at the Jackson redan with -the brass gun. Most of the 24-pounders were transferred from the river -batteries to the fortifications, their places being supplied with Quaker -guns. On the 26th there was but little firing, both armies preparing for -the work of the following day. - -Early on the morning of the 27th the enemy opened a heavy fire from both -the land batteries and the fleet, and at 6, A. M., the Federal troops -advanced to the assault. The heaviest attack was directed against the -Confederate left, the assaulting column consisting of Grover’s and -Emory’s divisions, Weitzel’s brigade and the two regiments of negro -troops. On the extreme left the negroes, supported by a brigade of -whites, crossed Sandy Creek and assaulted the position held by Col. -Shelby with the Twenty-ninth Mississippi. They advanced at a double-quick -till within about 150 yards of the works, when the 24-pounder in Battery -No. 1, manned by Co. K, and two pieces of light artillery on Col. -Shelby’s line, opened on them; at the same time they were received with -volleys of musketry from the Mississippians. The negroes turned and fled, -without firing a shot. About 250 of them were killed and wounded in front -of the works; but the Federal reports stated that 600 were killed and -wounded. If this were correct, they must have been shot down by the white -brigade in their rear; and, indeed, volleys of musketry were heard in the -direction of their flight. The First Alabama, Lieut.-Col. Locke, and the -Tenth Arkansas, Col, Witt, engaged the enemy outside the entrenchments in -the thick woods, and fought most gallantly; but were compelled, by the -heavy force brought against them, to fall back across Sandy Creek. Col. -Johnson, with the Fifteenth Arkansas, 300 men, occupied and fortified a -hill jutting out from the line, and held it till the close of the siege, -though desperate efforts were made to dislodge them; on the 27th they -repulsed a very heavy assault, the enemy’s dead in front of the position -numbering eighty or ninety. Gen. Beale’s command in the centre, and Col. -Miles’ on the right, were assailed by Augur’s and Sherman’s divisions -about 2, P. M., but the enemy was everywhere repulsed with heavy loss. At -the Jackson road the detachment of Co. K, Lieut. Frank commanding, who -were serving the brass rifle, were, with but one exception, killed or -wounded. While ramming a charge home, Private Henry Smith was mortally -wounded by a sharpshooter; Corp. Fergerson promptly stepped to his place, -and was instantly fatally shot. In the meantime Private Hayes had been -stricken down. Private Sears was busy attending the wounded and Lieut. -Frank and Sergt. Ellis fired the gun themselves several rounds, the -former pointing and the latter loading. While doing this Lieut. Frank -fell, pierced by a Minie ball; by his request, Sergt. Ellis carried him -out of the battery to Gen. Beale’s headquarters, and gave him some water -from the General’s canteen. Sergt. Ellis then asked for more men, and -the General sent his courier to the rear for a detachment, which came -under Lieut. Tuttle’s command. Lieut. Frank and Corp. Fergerson died -that night; Private Smith lingered until July 10th; Private Hayes’ wound -was slight. Near the camp, Private Winslett was instantly killed by a -shell while on his way to Battery No. 11 with the Parrott gun. The final -effort of the day was made about 3, P. M., when the enemy, under cover -of a white flag, made a dash on a portion of our lines, but they were -easily repulsed. All day the fleet kept up an incessant firing upon the -lower batteries, but did no damage. The Confederates had about 5,500 -muskets at the breastworks; and had the men been evenly distributed, they -would have been about three feet apart. Fortunately, the nature of the -ground enabled Gen. Gardner to leave long stretches of the works defended -only by pickets; and, as the charges were not simultaneous, troops were -hurried from one point to another where most needed. The fortifications, -as previously stated, consisted of an ordinary field earthwork, over -any portion of which, at the beginning of the siege—it was materially -strengthened during the 48 days at exposed points—a fox hunter could -have leaped. In some places, in fact, as in front of the First Alabama, -there were no breastworks. Against this small force and weak defences -Banks hurled nearly his whole army of 25,000 men, who fought bravely, but -were badly handled. Gen. Banks loss was 293 killed and 1,549 wounded; -the Confederate loss was about 200 killed and wounded. The Confederates -picked up outside the works the following night a considerable number -of Enfield rifles. These guns, with others subsequently captured, were -retained at the works, and ere the close of the siege most of the men -were armed with two guns each—a musket loaded with buck and ball for -use at close quarters, and a rifle for sharp shooting. As the fixed -ammunition for the Enfield’s became exhausted, the men used the powder -from musket cartridges, and for lead picked up Minie balls fired into the -place by the enemy. These Yankee leaden missiles were also used instead -of canister and were so thick on the surface of the ground within our -lines, that it was but the work of a few minutes to pick up enough to -charge a 12-pounder gun. - -During the bombardment, on the 27th, a rifle shell from the fleet struck -in Battery No. 5 disabling the 10-inch Columbiad carriage and killing -a private of Co. G, First Alabama. A squad from Co. K worked in that -battery on the nights of the 27th and 28th in dismounting and remounting, -after the repair of the carriage, this 10-inch gun, which was ready for -service again on the 29th. The man who was killed was standing on the -carriage and was literally torn to pieces. - -On the 28th there was a cessation of hostilities at the breastworks -for the purpose of burying the dead. Gen. Banks did not deem it worth -while to bury the colored troops who “fought nobly,” and their bodies -lay festering in the sun till the close of the siege, when the colored -regiments gathered the bones of their unfortunate brothers-in-arms and -buried them. - -At 7 P. M. the truce ended and the enemy made a furious rush upon the -position held by the First Alabama. The fighting lasted nearly an hour, -but the enemy were gallantly repulsed. The armistice did not embrace the -river batteries and fleet, and the firing from the latter was unusually -heavy. As previously mentioned Lieut. Pratt had received orders to take -the 30-pounder Parrott, with a detachment from Co. K to Battery No. 11. -An old 24-pounder, rifled, manned by a detachment from Col. DeGournay’s -battalion was also ordered to report to him at the same battery. His -orders were to open upon the enemy’s fleet at daylight, but owing to -the darkness of the night and the road being torn up by shells, it was -after sunrise when the guns were got into position. The battery was very -small, having been built for one gun only, and the parapet was but little -over knee-high. About 6 A. M., everything being in readiness, Lieut. -Pratt opened fire with the two guns upon the “Essex” anchored one mile -or more distant. Within ten minutes the little battery was receiving -the concentrated fire of the fleet including the six mortar-boats. The -“Essex,” owing to her position, was the most accurate in her fire; three -shells from her nine-inch guns exploded on the platform of the battery, -and one struck a canteen hanging on the knob of the cascable of the -Parrott. Private Joe Tunnell was slightly wounded by this shell; he was -thrown upon his face and it was supposed he was killed, but he got up -and brushing the dirt from his face exclaimed, “Well, boys they liked -to have got me.” His wound though not serious disabled him, and Lieut. -Pratt, in addition to his own duties as commander, had to assist in -serving the gun. Lieut. Pratt was himself wounded during the action, but -did not leave the battery; he was standing on the parapet watching the -effect of the fire, when a shell exploded in the earth under his feet, -and threw him into the battery, while fragments of the shell struck him -on the hand and hip. Never did men act with more coolness than those at -these guns, nor has artillery often been more ably served. There were -fired from Co. K’s gun 49 shot and shell, and from the other piece 50. -The enemy’s vessels were struck repeatedly; one shell from the Parrott -was seen to enter a port-hole of the “Essex,” after which she closed -her ports and, without firing another shot, retired out of range. The -“Genesee” was also struck, and it was thought partially crippled. In -addition to the casualties in Co. K, one man at the other gun was wounded. - -The enemy made no more general assaults upon the works until June 14th, -but in the meantime were approaching by parallels and planting batteries -of heavy siege and naval guns. A steady fire was kept up day and night -both by the fleet and the land batteries. There were about eighty siege -pieces in these latter. An eight-inch howitzer so planted as to enfilade -a portion of the southern line of defences, caused much amusement as well -as annoyance to the Confederates. It was fired with light charges so as -to make the shell ricochet and was, in consequence, christened “Bounding -Bet” by the men, who speedily sought cover whenever they saw a puff of -smoke from it. The deadly missile would go rolling and skipping along -the inside of the line of works, finally exploding; one, that failed to -burst, was opened and found to contain 480 copper balls of less than half -an inch in diameter. - -The sharp shooters were constantly engaged, and a man could scarcely show -his head above the breastworks, at the more exposed points, without its -being made a target. On May 31st the Parrott gun in Battery 11 fired a -few rounds at the fleet. Soon after this Co. K was given a 24-pounder -siege gun on the south side of the works named, by the company that -had formerly used it, “Virginia,” and the Parrott was transferred to -DeGournay’s battalion. - -On the 3d of June an election was held in Co. K to fill the vacancy -caused by the death of Lieut. Frank. N. K. Adams received 37 votes, W. -L. Ellis 7, scattering 4, and Lieut. Adams was duly commissioned. Hot -weather had now set in, and this, coupled with constant exposure in the -trenches, caused much sickness among the troops; camp fever, diarrhœa, -chills and fever soon reduced the number able to report for duty nearly -one-third, and many of Co. K were among the sick. The company now served -only at the artillery; Lieut. Pratt had charge of the “Virginia,” on -the south side of the fortifications, Lieut. Tuttle had “The Baby,” -brass rifle, at the Jackson Road, Lieut. Adams remained at Battery No. -1, occasionally relieving Lieuts. Pratt and Tuttle. Capt. Whitfield was -placed in command of the Batteries 1, 2, 3 and 5, manned by detachments -from Cos. K, A, G and B, respectively. The detachments of Co. K, at the -“Virginia” and “Baby,” were daily relieved by the men held in reserve -at Battery No. 1. The fire of the enemy’s land batteries was now very -annoying, and the Confederate artillery could not fire a gun without -having the fire of a dozen pieces concentrated upon it. Co. K’s brass gun -was in this way several times silenced, and during the siege had two or -three sets of wheels cut down. Finally the artillerists were compelled to -withdraw their guns from the batteries and only run them in when a charge -was made. In a measure to meet this emergency, the ten-inch Columbiad in -Battery No. 4, on the river, was turned around and brought to bear by -calculation on the batteries giving the most annoyance, and fire opened, -apparently with considerable effect as the enemy’s fire slackened. Quite -a number of eight and nine-inch guns were landed from the fleet, and -placed in positions where they did much damage to the Confederate works. -A battery of seven of these guns were located in front of Gen. Beale’s -centre, one of six guns to the right of the Jackson Road, in front of Co. -K’s brass gun, and one of seven guns in front of Col. Steadman’s command. -From all of these a constant fire was kept up. - -A singular phenomenon occurred on the night of June 13th; after a heavy -cannonading an immense wave, at least six feet in height, rushed up the -river, and at the same time Battery No. 6 caved into the river, one gun -being lost. Whether the wave caused the bluff to cave in, or the bluff -caving caused the wave, was a disputed question in camp, the general -opinion, however, was that not a sufficient mass of earth fell to cause -such a disturbance of the river. - -About 3 A. M. on the 11th, after a heavy bombardment, the enemy made an -attempt to storm the southeast angle of the works, but were repulsed. -On the morning of the 13th a tremendous bombardment was opened, and a -show of force was made. The firing then ceased and Gen. Banks sent in a -flag of truce, demanding the surrender of the place. He complimented the -garrison and commander in high terms; their courage, he said, amounted -almost to heroism, but it was folly for them to attempt to hold the -place any longer, as it was at his will, and he demanded the surrender -in the name of humanity, to prevent the sacrifice of lives, as it would -be impossible to save the garrison from being put to the sword when the -works should be carried by assault; his artillery was equal to any in -extent and efficiency, and his men outnumbered the garrison five to one. -Gen. Gardner simply replied that his duty required him to defend the post. - -Before day on the morning of June 14th the enemy’s land batteries and -the fleet opened fire with unusual rapidity, and about daylight the -assault began. From the northeast angle to the Jackson Road the fighting -was the most severe; the line between these points was defended by the -First Mississippi and Forty-ninth Alabama and three or four pieces of -artillery, including Co. K’s brass rifle at the Jackson Road. Gen. Banks’ -plan of attack was as follows: two regiments of sharp shooters were -ordered to advance as skirmishers, these were followed by a regiment with -hand grenades, while another rolled up cotton bales to fill the ditch. -Weitzel’s brigade and two brigades commanded by Cols. Kimball and Morgan, -all under command of Gen. Weitzel, formed the storming party. On the left -of this command was Gen. Emory’s division under command of Gen. Paine. - -The Federals advanced, through their parallels, to within three hundred -yards, and then, under cover of the dusk of the early morning and the -smoke of their artillery, formed their line of battle, and advanced to -the assault, in many places approaching to within ten feet of the works. -They were received, however, with so deadly a fire of “buck and ball” -that they were everywhere driven back with heavy loss, or crouched in -the ditch for protection. By mere physical pressure of numbers some got -within the works, in front of the First Mississippi and Forty-ninth -Alabama regiments, but were instantly shot down. Co. K’s brass rifle -did good execution; Lieut. Tuttle was in command and Sergt. Royals was -gunner. In the midst of a terrific shower of rifle balls, it was served -with coolness and deliberation. The enemy’s hand grenade experiment -proved an unfortunate one for the assailants, as very few exploded when -thrown in—they were percussion grenades—but when thrown back by the -Confederates, from the slightly elevated works, into the midst of the -Federals below, they exploded, carrying death to their former owners. -The fight lasted, with great severity, for about two hours, when the -infantry fell back, but a heavy artillery fire was kept up all day. -About one hundred prisoners were captured in the ditch near the Jackson -Road, being unable to retreat. Among the Federal troops, who especially -distinguished themselves here, were the Eighth New Hampshire and -Thirty-eighth Massachusetts regiments. The fighting was very severe in -front of the First Alabama, but the enemy did not get so near the works. -On the right a feint was made, but the enemy did not approach to within -close musketry range. In front of the 24-pounder, “Virginia,” manned by -Co. K, they approached near enough for shrapnel, and Lieut. Pratt sent a -few shell into their ranks, but they soon withdrew. The enemy’s official -report of the losses, was 203 killed, 1,401 wounded, 201 missing, total -1,805. Probably many of those reported missing were killed, as there were -260 Federal dead buried in front of the centre alone, while the number of -prisoners taken was but about 100. - -After this repulse, Gen. Banks sent no flag of truce for the purpose of -burying the dead or removing the wounded for three days. On the 17th -Gen. Gardner sent out a flag and requested the Federal commander to bury -his dead; but he replied that there were no dead to bury. Gen. Beale, at -Gen. Gardner’s request, then sent a flag to Gen. Augur, who commanded -in his front, calling his attention to the unburied dead. Gen. Augur -replied that he did not think there were any there, but would grant a -cessation of hostilities to see. Parties of Confederates were detailed to -collect and pass over to the Federals the dead near our lines, and, as -above stated, 260 were thus removed. Among the dead was found a wounded -officer—a Captain—who had been lying exposed to the sun for three days -without water, and was fly blown from head to foot. At the close of the -siege the writer was informed that this man recovered. During the three -days many wounded must have perished on the field, as they could be heard -crying piteously for help. A Confederate, more tender-hearted than Banks, -was shot by the enemy while carrying a canteen of water to a wounded -Federal who lay near the works. In front of Col. Steadman’s position the -dead were not buried, and their bodies could seen from the breastworks, -at the time of the surrender, twenty-five days after the fight. - -On June 15th Co. K removed a 42-pounder, smooth-bore, barbette carriage, -from Battery 2 or 3 to Battery No. 1, to replace the 24-pounder siege -piece which had been sent to the land defences. - -During the remainder of the month, there was an incessant fire of sharp -shooters and artillery. To the left of the Jackson Road, the enemy built -up a tower of casks filled with earth, two or three tiers in height, from -which their sharpshooters were able to over look the Confederate works, -and keep up an annoying fire. It was not more than 60 yards from our -lines, but the two or three pieces of artillery which could be brought -to bear on it, were commanded by a score of the enemy’s heavy guns, and -could not be used to batter it down. At other portions of the line the -enemy rolled bales of cotton to within close range, and surmounted them -with sand-bags, arranged with narrow loop-holes, for the sharpshooters. -On the 25th, Corp. L. H. Skelton, of Co. F, First Mississippi regiment, -crawled out and placed port-fires in the bales of cotton and fired them; -the first attempt failing, he went out a second time and succeeded in -burning a number of bales. On the night of the 26th, 30 men made a -sortie near the southeast angle, spiked the guns of one of the enemy’s -batteries, and captured seven prisoners. - -Co. K began about the last of June to make an excavation, partially -behind the Jackson Road redoubt, in which to place their brass rifle, -with a view of battering down the sharp shooters’ tower. It was intended -to be so constructed as to be protected from the enemy’s artillery, but -as the work could only be done at night, it was not completed in time to -be of essential service. J. McCarty was killed at the brass gun, on June -23d, by a fragment of a shell. This was the last casualty in the company -during the siege. - -While these events were in progress in the centre, the enemy had been -busy, on the extreme right, preparing to assault Battery No. 11, which -was the key to the Confederate works. They erected a battery containing -17 eight and nine-inch smooth bore guns and 20-pounder Parrotts, on the -opposite side of the ravine and distant only 150 yards. On the opposite -bank of the river, Parrott guns, manned by United States Regulars, were -planted. Lieut. Schurmer, of DeGournay’s battalion, was in command of -Battery 11, and its defense could have been entrusted to no more gallant -gentleman. Gen. D. H. Hill, in a letter to the writer, said, “I knew -Schurmer well at Yorktown,” and in a subsequent number of his magazine -related the following incident connected with the siege of that place, -where Schurmer was under his command: Schurmer was in charge of a -42-pounder, and especially distinguished himself by the accuracy of his -fire. It was regarded as remarkable, even in the Federal army, and one of -the French princes, on McClellan’s staff, made mention of it in a report -of the operations at Yorktown. When Yorktown was evacuated he remained -in Fort Magruder firing the 42-pounder all night, thus contributing -essentially to the deception of the enemy. He attempted to escape the -next morning on foot, but, exhausted, fell asleep by the wayside and was -captured. - -In Battery No. 11 was the 30-pounder Parrott formerly in Battery No. -1. On Friday morning, June 26th, the fleet and land batteries opened a -terrific fire on the earthwork, and in a few minutes Co. K’s old gun -was forever silenced. One shell exploded in the muzzle, breaking off -about a foot of it, while the carriage was struck by five or six shots -and cut down. Three times during the day the Confederate flag was shot -away, falling outside the works, and each time Schurmer, regardless of -the storm of shot and shell, replaced it. Without intermission by day or -night, the enemy kept up this fire until the 30th, and under cover of -it advanced their parallels down through the ravine to within fifteen -feet of the battery. Gallant Schurmer never relaxed his heroic devotion -to duty, and on the 29th fell dead at his post. The next day while the -Confederates were rolling ten-inch shells over the parapet into the -enemy’s ditches, a storming party of some two hundred men made a rush -for the battery. Its squad of defenders were hastily reinforced and the -assailants were driven out, leaving sixteen dead inside our lines. On -July 4th the Federal sappers were driven out of their ditches by hand -grenades, but they claimed, after the surrender, that they had mined -Battery 11 and had 3,000 pounds of powder under it ready to explode had -the siege been further prolonged. The enemy’s batteries, on the west bank -of the river, occasionally opened but were always silenced by Batteries -3, 4 and 5. On the centre of the south side the enemy kept quiet, and the -detachment of Co. K, at the 24-pounder, had but little to do. A few shots -were fired on the 2d of July. - -At the northeast angle the enemy, during the latter part of June and the -first of July, were very busy mining, but the Confederates were no less -industrious. An inner line of works extending across the angle was thrown -up, the enemy’s mine was countermined, and on the 4th blown up. The -enemy’s sappers were also constantly annoyed by rolling ten-inch shells -into their ditches. On July 4th the enemy fired salutes from all their -batteries with shotted guns, making it a warm day within our lines. - -On the night of the 6th, Co. K completed the sunken redoubt for the brass -rifle, and on the following morning opened fire on the sharpshooters’ -castle; but the embrasure was incorrectly laid off, and the gun could -not be brought to bear on the tower without firing so close to the side -of the embrasure as to cause the earth to cave in; so that, after firing -three shots, the gun could no longer be brought to bear on the mark. -Owing to the fire of the sharpshooters, nothing could be done to correct -the mistake till night. The necessary changes in the earthwork were made -that night, and on the morning of the 8th the detachment was at the gun -ready to open fire, when the flag of truce was raised. - -The condition of the garrison was now such as to limit further resistance -to a few days. Early in June the enemy’s shells had fired the commissary -building and mill, destroying several thousand bushels of grain and the -chief means of grinding what was left. Fortunately, the only locomotive -of the Clinton and Port Hudson Railroad was at Port Hudson. This was -blocked up, and furnished power to drive a portable mill. The corn, with -the exception of two or three days’ rations, held in reserve for an -emergency, failed the last of June, and the supply of meat failed about -the same time. There still remained a considerable stock of field peas -and mules. When the men of the First Alabama were asked if they would -eat mule, they replied, “Yes; give us dog if necessary.” The same spirit -animated the whole garrison. Mules were slaughtered, and the meat issued -on the 29th or 30th of June; the peas were issued whole and also ground -into meal. Those sick in camp and hospital were fed by their comrades -upon rats, daintily served up as squirrels. In the pea diet there were -some drawbacks; the peas were stored in bulk on the floor of the church, -and the concussion of the bombardment had broken in every pane of glass -in the building. This, in comminuted form, was mingled with the peas; and -it was no unusual incident to be made painfully aware of its presence -in masticating the peas. There were some among the garrison who could -not stomach the mule, and, to satisfy these, an unexpected discovery -was made of sixty barrels of corn beef. Some wonder was expressed as to -this windfall, but it was accepted, eaten in good faith and pronounced -excellent. It was not until after the surrender that those who ate it -knew that it was carefully corned mule. - -The ammunition, although it had been economized, was so nearly fired away -that another general assault would have exhausted the supply. Nearly -every cannon on the land fortifications had been disabled, and in the -river batteries there remained but nine or ten fit for use. - -On the first day of the siege there were 5,500 men at the breastworks; -some 600 had been killed and wounded; many had died of disease, and at -least 2,000 were suffering from camp-fever and diarrhœa, many of them -being unable, under any emergency, to fire a musket. - -This was the situation when, on the 7th of July, salutes from the enemy’s -batteries and fleet, and continued cheering all along their lines, -announced some great event. The lines were so close that the garrison -was not long kept in ignorance that Vicksburg had fallen. That night -Gen. Gardner summoned a council of war, consisting of Gen. Beale, Cols. -Steadman, Miles, Lyle and Shelby, and Lieut.-Col. Marshal J. Smith. They -decided unanimously that it was impossible to hold out longer, inasmuch -as the provisions were nearly exhausted; of ammunition there remained but -twenty rounds per man, with a small supply for the artillery; and a large -proportion of the garrison were sick or, from exhaustion, unfit for duty. -A communication was at once sent to Gen. Banks, stating what had been -heard in regard to the fall of Vicksburg, asking for official information -and notifying him that, if the report was true, Gen. Gardner was ready -to negotiate for terms of surrender. Gen. Banks’ reply, enclosing a -despatch from Gen. Grant, announcing the fall of Vicksburg, was received -before day. Gen. Gardner at once appointed Cols. Miles and Steadman -and Lieut.-Col. Smith commissioners to arrange terms of surrender. To -represent the Federals, Gen Banks appointed Brig.-Gen. Chas. P. Stone, -Brig.-Gen. Wm. Dwight and Col. Henry M. Birge. The following terms were -drawn up and signed:— - -_Article I._—Maj.-Gen. Frank Gardner surrenders to the United States -forces, under Maj.-Gen. Banks, the place of Port Hudson and its -dependencies, with its garrison, armaments, munitions, public funds and -materials of war, in the condition, as nearly as may be, in which they -were at the hour of the cessation of hostilities, namely, 6 o’clock, A. -M., July 8, 1863. - -_Article II._—The surrender stipulated in Article I is qualified by no -condition save that the officers and enlisted men comprising the garrison -shall receive the treatment due to prisoners of war according to the -usages of civilized warfare. - -_Article III._—All private property of officers and enlisted men shall be -respected, and left to the respective owners. - -_Article IV._—The position of Port Hudson shall be occupied to-morrow at -7 o’clock, A. M., by the forces of the United States, and its garrison -received as prisoners of war by such general officers of the United -States service as may be designated by Gen. Banks with the ordinary -formalities of rendition. The Confederate troops will be drawn up in -line, officers in their positions, the right of the line resting on the -edges of the prairie south of the railroad depot, the left extending in -the direction of the village of Port Hudson. The arms and colors will be -conveniently piled, and will be received by the officers of the United -States. - -_Article V._—The sick and wounded of the garrison will be cared for by -the authorities of the United States, assisted, if desired by either -party, by the medical officers of the garrison. - - CHAS. P. STONE, _Brig.-Gen. U. S. A._ - W. N. MILES, _Col. Com. Right Wing, C. S. A._ - WM. DWIGHT, _Brig.-Gen., U. S. A._ - I. G. W. STEADMAN, _Col. Com. Left Wing, C. S. A._ - MARSHAL J. SMITH, _Lt.-Col. & Chief of Art., C. S. A._ - HENRY W. BIRGE, _Col. Com. 5th Brig., Grovers Div., U. S. A._ - - Approved, - N. P. BANKS, _Maj.-Gen._ - - Approved, - FRANK GARDNER, _Maj.-Gen._ - -On the morning of the 9th, the garrison was formed in line and two -officers were sent, by Gen. Gardner, to conduct in the Federal officer -deputed to receive the surrender. This was Gen. Andrews, who entered the -lines on the Clinton Road shortly after 7 o’clock. Gen. Gardner met him -at the right of the line and delivered up his sword, saying, “General, I -will now formally surrender my command to you, and for that purpose will -give the command “Ground arms.” Gen. Andrews replied, that he received -Gen. Gardner’s sword, but returned it to him for having maintained his -defence so gallantly. Meanwhile the Federal infantry moved in, and the -wings resting on the river cut off any attempt to escape. A few officers -and men, including Maj. Knox, of the First Alabama, concealed themselves -near the outer lines, prior to the surrender, and the following night -made their escape. There were, all told, 6,233 prisoners surrendered, -but this included many non-effectives, such as teamsters, commissary, -quartermaster and ordnance employees. At no time were there more than -5,500 muskets at the works. There were also surrendered 5,000 stand of -firearms and 51 pieces of artillery, the latter including a number of -small cast-iron guns, not mounted, and a number of disabled guns. The -small number of muskets surrendered is accounted for by the fact that -many of the soldiers threw their guns into the river or broke them. - -The casualties in the First Alabama regiment during the siege were as -follows: - - Co. A, Killed, 3, Wounded, 17, Died of disease, 4 - ” B, ” 5, ” 4, ” 1 - ” C, ” 3, ” 9, ” 1 - ” D, ” 6, ” 7, ” 2 - ” E, ” 4, ” 6, ” 2 - ” F, ” 12, ” 6, ” - ” G, ” 5, ” 9, ” 1 - ” H, ” 4, ” 6, ” 1 - ” I, ” 2, ” ” - ” K, ” 4, ” [*]6, ” 4 - -- -- -- - Total, 48 70 16 - -Co. K’s casualties were as follows: Lieut. Frank, Corp. Fergerson and -Private Winslett killed May 27th; Private McCarty, killed June 23; -Private Henry Smith, mortally wounded, May 27th, died July 10th; Lieut. -Pratt and Private Josiah Tunnell, wounded May 28th; Private Clark, -wounded May 10th, at Troth’s Landing; Private Hayes, wounded May 27th -and Sergt. Williamson, wounded during the siege. Private Boon, died -June 29th, of disease, Private Scott, July 3d, Private Mills, July 5th, -Private Holston, July 6th. - -During the siege two or three private families remained in the town, but -suffered no casualties excepting one accidental; a boy having found an -unexploded shell was playing with it when it burst, seriously wounding -himself and mother. - -[*] One mortally. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - EXPERIENCES OF PAROLED PRISONERS OF WAR—A DISORGANIZED - REGIMENT—A HANDSOME TURNOUT—CLOSE QUARTERS—A FAITHFUL - SERVANT—PRESENT, OR ACCOUNTED FOR—IN CAMP AT MERIDIAN. - - -During the negotiations for the surrender, Gen. Banks refused to grant -terms permitting the release of the prisoners on parole, on the ground -that orders from Washington positively forbade it. On the day of -surrender, however, he suddenly changed his mind and decided to parole -all enlisted men, retaining the officers. Gen. Dick Taylor’s capture -of Brashear City, and his nearly successful attack on Donaldsonville, -threatening communication with New Orleans, may have had some influence -in causing the change of purpose. Gen. Wirt Adams’ audacious dash into -Springfield Landing and his destruction of a large amount of commissary -supplies stored there, seriously embarrassing the Federal commander -in feeding his own troops, also made the paroling of the prisoners -advisable. There is no doubt, however, that Gen. Banks was influenced -by an honest admiration of the gallantry and fortitude of the garrison, -and this was his avowed reason for paroling them. Blanks were at once -printed, Private J. C. Rogers, of Co. K, acting as the printer, and on -Saturday, July 11th, the giving of the paroles began. - -The paroling of the First Alabama was completed Tuesday forenoon (the -14th), and in the afternoon the regiment, with the exception of those in -the hospitals, bade farewell to their officers and marched out of the -fortifications. Of Co. K, but one was left behind—James Herndon, who died -a few days later. Altogether, about 500 enlisted men of the garrison were -left behind in the hospitals, sick and wounded. - -The regiment kept well together till they were fairly outside the enemy’s -lines, and then, in the absence of the commissioned officers, all -organization was at an end. About eight miles from Port Hudson the main -body of the regiment encamped, but some of the men marched on, and all -through the night squads were leaving. No attempt was made in the morning -to keep the men together. Maj. Knox, who escaped, and who joined the -regiment after it was outside Gen. Banks’ lines, rode forward to secure -rations for the regiment, but failed, and we did not see him again till -we reached Shubuta, where he made arrangements for our transportation to -Mobile. - -Most of Co. K, and of the First Alabama, took the direct road to Shubuta, -a station on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. At Clinton, Privates J. H. -Byrd and A. J. White went to the hospital, where both died on July 25th. - -The writer can only give the experiences of a party of eight, of which he -was one, on the homeward trip, but all probably fared about alike. Our -party consisted of Orderly Sergt. Cameron, Sergt. Fay, Corp. Blaylock, -Privates Bledsoe, Hurd, Lamar and Smith and a youth named Dennis, who -was with the company but not mustered in. On the second day after -leaving Port Hudson, members of the squad purchased a horse, mule and -Jersey wagon, with which to carry our baggage and sick. The wagon had -well-worn wooden axles which constantly broke; the horse was sore back -and skeletonized, but the mule was a very fair animal. With this team we -left Clinton on the morning of the 16th, but just before night halted for -repairs, having made fifteen miles. On Friday, the 17th, after the wagon -had been overhauled at the wayside smithy, we marched to Tangipahoa, -eighteen miles. Two of the party, with the wagon, left early the next -morning for Summit, Miss., while the others remained at Clinton till -Sunday afternoon, and then took the train on the N. O. & J. Railroad, -arriving at Summit at 9, P. M. So soon as we got off the Confederate -cavalry burned the train, to prevent it falling into the hands of the -enemy. The wagon detail arrived just before the train, having broken down -on the road, necessitating the making of two axles. On Monday morning we -started due east for Monticello, and camped after marching twenty-two -miles. At 11, A. M., Tuesday, we reached Monticello, where we found Gen. -Logan’s command (Confederate) crossing Pearl river. At Tangipahoa we -drew rations, and at Monticello Gen. Logan’s commissary honored Sergt. -Cameron’s requisition. From Monticello we took the Williamsburg road -through the piney woods, scoring for the day twenty-one and one-half -miles. Now began daily skirmishes for something to eat, as those who -were ahead of us had cleaned the section adjoining the road like a cloud -of locusts—there was little left to beg, buy or steal. On Wednesday we -scored nineteen and one-half miles, dining, for a consideration, with a -probate judge. A shower coming up, we stopped at dusk one mile west of -Williamsburg at a log cabin—one room and a shed. The family consisted -of a man, his wife, two sons and two daughters. The paroled soldiers -who had been passing for two days had nearly drained them of everything, -but they treated us very cordially, gave us supper and breakfast of -corn-bread and bacon, and spread us a pallet of quilts across the floor -in front of the fire. With difficulty could they be induced to accept -even a trifling compensation. In addition to our party of eight, there -were three other soldiers. The lady (poor and ignorant, she was a lady) -occupied the shed room with her two daughters, while the host, his two -sons and eleven guests slept in the main room. It was our experience all -along the route that, while there was no cause of complaint against any, -the poor were the more hospitable. Friday night our party went supperless -to our blankets in a roadside camp. - -Saturday afternoon we arrived at Shubuta, where we found collected a -large number of the paroled prisoners awaiting transportation. It was -about midnight when the train going south came along. As it was already -full to overflowing, those at Shubuta had to climb to the second deck -and take passage upon the roofs of the freight cars. It was a ticklish -position, but we lay down, secured ourselves as best we could and went to -sleep. At 9, A. M., Sunday, the train arrived at Mobile, and the smoke -and dust begrimed deck passengers of Co. K wandered down to the river and -performed ablutions in rain water collected in a lot of iron salt-boilers -lying on the wharf. At 1, P. M., we took the train for Montgomery, whence -the members of Co. K soon made their way home. - -As illustrating the faithfulness of the negro, it is worthy of record -that Lamar’s colored boy Floyd, who was with him at Port Hudson, and -who soon after the surrender was missing, was awaiting his master with -a horse at Washington Landing. He had got into a fight with a Federal -negro soldier, knocked him down and then fled, fearing that he would be -conscripted into the Federal army, and had made his way home. - -John Tarleton died on his way home, near Monticello. Seven men, Jesse -Adams, M. Deno, — Haley, M. Hern, — Merritt, J. Schein and J. Shoals -never afterwards reported to the company: Jesse Adams was known to have -made his way to Mobile. - -The other members of Co. K succeeded in getting to their homes, where -they remained, enjoying a well earned furlough, until Oct. 12, 1863, when -the First Alabama was ordered to report at Cahawba, Ala. - -Of Co. K, according to such imperfect records as the writer has at -his command, the following men reported at Cahawba, or soon after at -Meridian, Miss.: Orderly Sergeant, Norman Cameron, J. L. Alexander, E. -L. Averheart, O. M. Blaylock, J. Boggan, T. M. Boggan, G. R. Bledsoe, C. -W. Brown, Wm. Douglass, Wm. Dubose, George M. Durden, J. Durden, W. L. -Ellis, W. H. Fay, W. Farmer, Henry Fralick, P. G. Golsan, John Gorman, -John Griffin, J. Hamilton, J. C. Hearn, G. W. Hearn, E. Hearn, Joseph -Hurd, W. H. Hutchinson, E. Jenkins, J. Killough, V. Kirkpatrick, M. D. -Lamar, E. Leysath, J. Lewis, G. F. Martin, J. W. May, Wm. Moncrief, J. -Owens, James D. Rice, Junius Robinson, C. H. Royals, G. H, Royals, E. -T. Sears, J. H. Shaver, J. L. Simpson, D. P. Smith, A. C. Smyth, A. J. -Thompson. John S. Tunnell, Josiah Tunnell, Wm. Vaughn, John Williamson -and T. A. Wilson. J. J. Stuart and J. P. Tharp reported not very long -after, and R. H. Kirkpatrick was received as a recruit, total 53. There -were absent at the hospitals or invalided: R. H. Callens, at Selma, -and J. Hays, at Montgomery, both of whom soon after died; S. Glenn, J. -C. Rogers, B. L. Scott and F. Wilkins, all of whom soon after received -discharges for disability. Clark had been transferred to the navy during -the summer. - -The officers of Co. K, Capt. Whitfield and Lieuts. Pratt, Tuttle and -Adams, were taken by boat to New Orleans, and quartered on Rampart -street. Here they remained till Sept. 20th. They were then transferred to -Johnson’s Island, Lake Erie, where they arrived on Oct. 1, 1863. Lieut. -Adams was exchanged in the spring of 1864, rejoining his company in May. -Lieut. Pratt was paroled Sept. 16, 1864. Capt. Whitfield and Lieut. -Tuttle remained at Johnson’s Island till the close of the war. - -Of the regiment 610 enlisted men reported at the Parole Camp, and about -100 were absent, sick or unaccounted for. Of the regimental officers Maj. -Knox was the only one present, the others being at Johnson’s Island. -There were about a dozen company officers present; each company, with the -exception of _K_, having one or more representatives. - -On Nov. 10th the regiment arrived at Meridian, Miss., having been -assigned to Polk’s Corps, Army of the Mississippi, Gen. Joseph E. -Johnston, commanding. Some of the non-commissioned officers of -Co. K having requested to be restored to the ranks, the following -reorganization was ordered: O. Sergt., Norman Cameron, 2d Sergt., Wm. H. -Fay, 3d Sergt., C. Hardie Royals, 4th Sergt., M. D. Lamar, 5th Sergt., D. -P. Smith, Corporals, E. L. Averhart, O. M. Blaylock, G. Hearn and J. D. -Rice. - -Lieut. Haley of Co. G was assigned to the command of Co. K, but was in a -few weeks replaced by Lieut. Johnson, of Co. F. - -The regiment was armed with new Austrian rifles, and the old routine -of drill was once more resumed. Co. K made rapid progress and was -complimented by Maj. Knox, by being excused from evening drill after Nov. -26th on account of its proficiency. - -On Nov. 25th the regiment received two months’ pay to April 30th, and -on Dec. 4th, was paid to Oct. 31st, with all arrearages, including -$50 bounty and commutation for clothing; about $125,000 was disbursed -to the regiment at this time. A limited amount of clothing was also -issued, and some shoes, but the latter were scarce, only 15 pairs to the -regiment. Rations were of good quality, and much more plentiful than ever -afterwards, consisting of corn meal and a little flour, beef, bacon, -sweet potatoes, salt, vinegar and soap. Early in November orders were -issued to build log barracks for winter quarters, 18 by 22 feet each -designed for 25 men. - -The regiment had been declared exchanged on Oct. 16th, but it was soon -known in camp that the Federals had denied the validity of the exchange, -disputes having arisen in regard to the cartel. In camp the subject was -discussed with much interest, especially the question what would be our -fate if recaptured by the enemy. Political questions of the day now crept -into our camp fire discussions, especially the acts of the Confederate -Congress relative to the army. The act restricting furloughs and other -privileges and offering in lieu thereof increased pay, also the act -forcing men who had put in substitutes to report for duty were subjects -of debate, and the former was bitterly denounced. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - RETURN OF CO. K TO ACTIVE DUTY—ARRIVAL AT MOBILE—A FLOODED - CAMP—SHORT OF AMMUNITION—AT FORT GAINES—FISHERMEN’S - SPOILS—GOING TO SCHOOL—A SPY IN CAMP—IN NORTH GEORGIA. - - -The First Alabama Regiment was not required to do other duty than camp -guard and drill until about the 1st of December; three companies of the -regiment were then sent down the Mobile and Ohio Railroad to guard the -bridges, and heavy details were made from the remaining companies—about -125 men daily—for provost duty at Meridian. This made it necessary for -the men to go on duty every other day, and put an end to drilling. It -was very severe on the few commissioned officers present, and their -complaints finally led to the regiment being relieved of a portion of the -burden. - -December passed without any event of particular interest. On January -21, 1864, Cos. C, H and K were ordered to Jackson, Miss., and on the -following morning took the cars, arriving at Jackson on the 23d. We went -into camp on the east bank of Pearl River, opposite the city. Co. K had -33 men present for work. Shovels and picks were issued, guns stacked, -and on Sunday morning, the 24th, the detail began grading a road down -the bluff. The railroad bridge burned in the spring of 1863, not having -been rebuilt, the intention was to make a road, so that locomotives and -cars—of which there were a considerable number west of Pearl River—could -be ferried across the river. The bluff being a hard clay marl, the -progress was slow. - -On February 3d, Gen. Sherman advanced from Vicksburg with 30,000 men -and 60 pieces of artillery. On the 4th orders were issued to the three -companies of the First Alabama to cook up three days’ rations, and they -were attached to the Tenth Texas Regiment, Ector’s Brigade, French’s -Division. - -As the Federals entered Jackson at sundown on the 5th, the Confederates -evacuated the town and took the road to Brandon. The pontoon bridge -was cut loose and floated down the river. After marching twelve miles, -we halted till 4 A. M., when the retreat was resumed. Passing through -Brandon at sunrise, the battalion took the road to Morton, where, on -Sunday afternoon, we took the cars for Meridian, arriving during the -night. The three companies stationed on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad -proceeded to Mobile without rejoining the regiment, but the other -companies remained at Meridian until the 14th, except the sick, who were -sent with the regimental baggage to Demopolis by train on the 12th. When -Meridian was evacuated, on the 14th, the First Alabama, owing to its -excellent morale and discipline, was selected to form the rear guard -of the retreating army. They marched to the Tombigbee River, where the -First Alabama took the boat for Mobile, arriving on the 19th or 20th of -February. Here the three detached companies from the Mobile and Ohio -Railroad rejoined the command, and the regiment was, on the 22d, sent to -the land defences and given charge of seven of the outer redans or forts. -In two only of these were guns mounted, and nearly all were incomplete. -It was thought that Mobile was Sherman’s objective point, and a large -force of negroes was at work on the outer line of fortifications, the -inner lines being complete. Drilling, both in the heavy artillery and -infantry school, was at once resumed. Co. K was stationed at Redan E, -which was but just commenced. We remained here till March 8th, when the -danger of an attack from Sherman having disappeared, the regiment was -withdrawn from the lines and encamped on an open square on Government -Street. The day following there was a heavy rain which flooded the camp, -and portions of Government Street were knee-deep in water. In the tents -the men piled their knapsacks and blankets on benches and such other -articles of camp furniture as would keep them above water. - -Orders were received on Sunday, March 13th, to cook up two days’ rations, -and to be ready to march at 9, A. M., on Monday, for Alabama Port. It -was 3, P. M., when the regiment moved, and only nine miles were scored; -but on the following day a march of twenty miles brought us to our -destination. The Twenty-first Alabama was relieved, and on Wednesday -started for Mobile. Two companies of the First Alabama were sent to Cedar -Point to man the batteries there, while the others did picket duty along -the coast and on Fowl River. The camp was on the bay in a pine grove. The -men were furnished with tents, and were soon comfortably quartered. An -abundance of oysters could be had by dredging for them, while at several -of the picket posts the men could feast on bivalves all day. Under such -circumstances, the duty imposed on the regiment was not regarded as -onerous. - -On the 25th of March four companies of the regiment were ordered down -the coast to repel a raid of the enemy. It was necessary to collect -all the cartridges from the remaining four companies to fill the boxes -of those ordered away, as only twenty rounds per man had been issued -to the regiment since its return to duty, and there was not a round in -the ordnance wagon. Considering that the regiment had been acting as -rear-guard of Polk’s army, and had been sent down the bay to do picket -duty, it was a remarkable state of affairs. The alarm proved a false -one, and the detachment returned. On the 26th two companies were sent -to Fort Powell; and on the 27th another company was ordered to Cedar -Point, making three at that post. Co. K remained at Alabama Port. Lieut. -Johnson, who had for sometime been in command of Co. K, was, on the -27th, relieved by order of Maj. Knox, by Lieut. Jones, of Co. I; this -caused great dissatisfaction, as the latter was not liked. In a few days, -however, he was furloughed, and Lieut. Crymes, of Co. I, a most gallant -and popular gentleman, was placed in command. On the 1st of April our -rations were increased—the meat from 1¼ pounds per day to 1½, and the -bacon from ⅓ of a pound to ½ pound. The battalion of the regiment at -Alabama Port was ordered, on the morning of April 5th, to strike tents, -and at 8, A. M. started for Cedar Point, where a boat was in waiting to -convey seven companies of the regiment to Fort Gaines, Dauphin Island, -three being left at Fort Powell and Cedar Point. Only one-half of the -men could be carried at one trip, and it was after dark when the second -boat-load was landed. In the allotment of the guns of the fort to the -regiment, Co. K fared badly; for though it was one of the four companies -that served as heavy artillery at Port Hudson, and the only company -that served exclusively as such during the siege, yet it was sent to the -flanking casemates, while green companies were sent to the barbette guns. -The Thirtieth Louisiana Regiment was on duty at the fort on alternate -days with the first Alabama, but two companies of the First were sent -into the fort every night to man the guns. About the only relief from the -monotony of guard duty was the arrival of blockade runners, one or two of -which came in each week. They would slip in quietly at night, and in the -morning their low grey hulls could be seen lying under the guns of Fort -Morgan. - -On the 16th of April a scouting party of 100 men landed from the enemy’s -fleet on the western end of Dauphin Island, but were driven to their -boats by a picket guard of ten men. The only other incident of our stay -at Fort Gaines was on April 20th, when the C. S. gunboat “Gaines” ran out -near Fort Morgan to practice with her guns. About the same time a Federal -war ship began shelling a working party throwing up a battery near -Fort Morgan. The men crowded the ramparts in the expectation of seeing -a general engagement, as rumors had been in circulation for some time -that Fort Morgan was to be bombarded; but quiet was soon restored. Co. I -rejoined the regiment from Cedar Point on the 20th. - -Fishing constituted the chief amusement of the men, and they met with -great success. There was a large seine on the island, and with this wagon -loads of fish were caught; but those of the best quality were brought in -by the hook and line sportsmen—redfish, croakers, sea bass, blue cat, -sand mullet, drum and sheepshead being on their strings. The seine was -a dragnet for all kinds of monsters. On one occasion a sawfish 12 feet -10 inches long, and weighing 338 pounds, was caught; the sword or saw -was 2 feet 10 inches in length and from 4 to 6 inches broad. On another -occasion an immense sturgeon was hauled in; while among the smaller fry -were sting rays, horseshoe crabs, sea nettles, sea porcupines and a -variety of other curiosities. Porpoises were gamboling in the bay nearly -all the time, and in the lagoons on the island were alligators. - -May 3d, the regiment embarked on the steamboat “C. W. Durrance” for -Mobile, where it was quartered in the State Press Warehouse. Co. I was -sent to Dog River on the 4th, and on the 5th the other companies went -to Pollard, Ala. Co. K was immediately ordered back to Hall’s Landing -on Tensas River, where it arrived on the 7th. Co. C was ordered to -Greenville, and two companies were ordered to do picket duty on the -railroad to Pensacola. The camp of Co. K was about one mile from Hall’s -Landing, and there it remained for two weeks. Lieut. Adams, who had been -exchanged, joined the company about May 20th. On May 16th a number of -officers and men were detailed from the regiment to attend an artillery -school in Mobile. Of Co. K, Sergts. Cameron, Fay and Smith were selected. -They reported, but before the school was fairly organized the regiment -was ordered to North Georgia. The bill of fare at the school is worth of -preservation:—Breakfast, rye coffee and corn bread (of unsifted meal); -dinner, corn bread and boiled bacon, except on three days out often, when -molasses was issued in lieu of bacon; supper, corn bread and rice boiled -in the pot liquor left at noon. The order of exercises at the school -was as follows:—Reveille, 5 A. M.; police, 5.10; drill in infantry and -artillery, 5.30 to 6.30; breakfast, 7; guard mounting, 7.45; studies and -recitations, 8 to 12 M.; dinner, 1 P. M.; studies and recitations, 2 to -4.30; infantry and artillery drill, 5 to 6; police, 6.10; dress parade, -6.30; supper, 7; tattoo, 9; taps, 9.30. - -The detail rejoined the company on the 23d, and on the 24th the command -took the cars for Montgomery; the other companies started a day or -two earlier. During the six months that had elapsed since the company -reassembled it had lost a number of its members. W. H. Hutchinson had -been transferred to the cavalry, Wm. Douglass, E. Jenkins and Henry -Fralick to the navy, and, as previously mentioned, Callens and Hays -had died. While at Mobile and en route to North Georgia, the following -recruits joined the company: A. D. Ellis, Autauga Co., February, 1864; -— Harvey, March, 1864; George W. Gibbons, D. E. Holt and G. W. Hunt, -Autauga Co., May, 1864. In June, while in North Georgia, the following -recruits joined the company: A. G. Gresham, N. Landers, W. M. Trammel, -of Tallapoosa Co., and Isaac Ward, Montgomery Co. Harvey, who joined -the company at Mobile to avoid being conscripted, deserted before we -left there. The writer called the attention of the officer in command of -the company to the suspicious character of the man on the day that he -enlisted, but there was nothing on which to base charges, and no notice -was taken of the warning. Subsequent events demonstrated the correctness -of the suspicion that he was a spy. He stated that he had been employed -in the Mobile navy yard, and he was evidently familiar with the -construction of the ram “Tennessee,” as, in conversation, he explained -how she could be disabled. The rudder-chains, he said, lay along the -deck, protected only by a cast-iron shield, and they could easily be shot -away. A few months later the “Tennessee”; was disabled in precisely the -way he predicted. Whether he conveyed to the enemy the information of -this weakness of an otherwise powerful vessel is a matter of conjecture, -but it is certainly a singular coincidence. - -The strength of Co. K at the beginning of the Tennessee campaign, -including the new recruits, was probably about 62 men, of whom perhaps 40 -were present for duty. Lieut. N. K. Adams was in command. - -The company arrived at Montgomery on the morning of the 25th. A number -of them who lived in Autauga County received twelve hours’ furlough. -The company left Montgomery on the morning of the 26th, and rejoined -the regiment at New Hope Church, Saturday morning, May 28th. Knapsacks -and other _impedimenta_, with the exception of blankets, were left in -Montgomery. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - IN NORTH GEORGIA WITH JOHNSTON AND HOOD—RETREAT TO KENNESAW—A - GALLANT DEED—HOOD’S NEW POLICY—DEFENDING ATLANTA—THE VALLEY OF - DEATH—THE GALLANT FIRST—FATE OF THE WOUNDED—DEATH OF SERGT. - FAY—ELECTING A LIEUTENANT—EVACUATION OF ATLANTA—AT LOVEJOY’S - STATION. - - -The First Alabama Regiment, on its arrival in North Georgia, was attached -to Canty’s Brigade, but was soon transferred to Quarles’ Brigade -(Tennessee troops), Walthall’s Division, Polk’s Corps. The regiment, -excepting Co. K, arrived in time to take part in the battle of New Hope -Church, on the 25th of May. When Co. K reported, on the 28th, active -skirmishing was in progress along the entire line of Polk’s Corps, and -during the next few days the regiment lost a number of men, among them -being the Assistant Surgeon, Dr. Winnemore, who had an eye shot out. To -June 2d the loss was three killed and eight wounded in the regiment. - -On the night of June 1st the regiment was withdrawn from the front to the -reserve line, and on the following night the New Hope line was abandoned. -For several days it had rained heavily, and the clay roads were badly cut -up. At 10, P. M., the regiment moved into the road immediately in the -rear of the artillery and wagon-train. Every few hundred yards the wagons -or guns would stick in the mud, and the infantry would be brought to a -halt; but no opportunity was thus given for rest, as the road was liquid -mud, and not even the musket could be brought to an “order.” A drizzling -rain added to the discomfort of the men. At daylight on the morning -of the 3d we halted near the foot of Lost Mountain, having marched -five miles in seven hours. Fires were kindled, a ration of whiskey -distributed, and the men were allowed to rest till after 12, noon, when -the regiment was placed in position. Breastworks were, as usual, at once -constructed. Privates A. D. Ellis, W. L. Ellis, John Griffin, Joseph -Hurd and John Williamson were detailed at this time, with others of -the regiment, to act, till further orders, as sharpshooters. From Lost -Mountain the regiment moved to Pine Mountain, where it remained till June -18th. Daily rains made life in the trenches almost unendurable, and there -was considerable sickness. Gen. Johnston did all he could to alleviate -the discomforts of the soldiers; abundant rations of corn-bread were -issued, and occasionally a little genuine coffee. Meat was scarce and of -flour there was none. - -On the night of the 18th of June the army fell back to the Kennesaw line -of defence, and on the 19th entrenched. This night’s march, like that of -the retreat from New Hope, was one long to be remembered. The road was -ankle deep in mud and water, with occasional holes waist-deep, full of -thin mud. Into these the soldiers would frequently stumble, requiring -their comrades’ help to get out. During the early part of the night there -were showers, and early next morning, as the soldiers filed up the steep -wooded slopes of Kennesaw, a heavy fog saturated their clothing. By 10, -A. M., a line of works had been completed, and Co. K was then ordered to -assist in dragging two pieces of artillery to the top of Kennesaw. The -detail of sharpshooters was at the foot of the mountain, and was soon -actively engaged skirmishing. On the 20th the line was under a terrific -artillery fire, and A. D. Ellis, of Co. K, was seriously wounded by a -fragment of shell. He rejoined the company at Tuscumbia. While stationed -on Kennesaw, Sergt. Cameron performed a notable act of bravery; during a -heavy artillery fire a shrapnel shell fell in the entrenchments amidst -Co. K. Sergt. Cameron, without an instant’s hesitation, seized the -smoking missile and hurled it outside the works ere it exploded. - -In the severe battle of June 27th, when Sherman attempted to break the -Confederate lines, the enemy charged into the rifle-pits of Quarles’ -brigade, but were repulsed. Though under fire, the First Alabama was not -closely engaged in this battle; its loss was trifling, and in Co. K there -were no casualties. While on Kennesaw, Assistant-Surgeon Madding, of the -First Alabama, was killed by a sharpshooter. - -On the night of July 2d Gen. Johnston fell back from Kennesaw to the -line south of Marietta. A portion of Co. K was on picket, but overtook -the regiment without losing a man. Sherman followed close in pursuit, -and when the new position was reached, no time was lost in entrenching. -In less than thirty minutes from the time the First Alabama halted, the -men had constructed temporary breastworks and were ready and eager for -the fray. Sherman, however, finding Johnston prepared, contented himself -with shelling our lines. The fire of the enemy’s sharpshooters was very -annoying, and on the 4th, Corp. James D. Rice was wounded by them. He -rejoined the company prior to the Tennessee campaign. - -About 9 P. M. on the night of the 4th, the army again retreated, the -new line being that of the Chattahoochie River. Breastworks were again -constructed, and here the regiment remained till another flank movement -by Sherman compelled Gen. Johnston, on the 9th, to cross the river. The -regiment was stationed on the line south of Peach Tree Creek. While here, -Lieut. Adams was transferred to the Navy Department, Richmond; and an -election in the company, held by order of Maj. Knox, resulted in the -choice of Galvin Golsan as Second Lieutenant, Jr. Orderly-Sergt. Cameron -was also brevetted First Lieutenant for gallantry, and, pending Lieut. -Golsan’s examination for a commission, was placed in command of the -company. - -Gen. Hood took command of the army on July 19th. By five o’clock on -the morning of the 20th the sound of musketry on the right announced -the inauguration of the new policy of aggressive instead of defensive -warfare. The regiment was at this time deployed as skirmishers on Peach -Tree Creek, three-quarters of a mile in front of the works. Orders were -received to retire as skirmishers, and assemble on the main line. This -was done under a heavy artillery fire, in good order. The brigade having, -in the meantime, moved to the right, the regiment followed at a double -quick, overtaking it in position on the reserve line immediately in the -rear of the heaviest fighting. No call was made on the reserve, and at -the close of the day the regiment returned to its former position, but -was marching and countermarching all that night and the following day. On -the night of the 21st the regiment was withdrawn to Atlanta, and placed -on picket. Private Tharp was missing on the arrival of the company at -its new post, and was not again heard from. - -The usual work of entrenching was immediately begun, and in three hours -everything was ready for an attack. Late on the afternoon of the 22d -the regiment was ordered to the right to storm a twelve-gun battery; -but Hood’s attack had failed, and the order was countermanded when the -regiment was in position. It bivouacked there for the night, and on the -following morning returned to its former position. Here it remained till -July 27, when it was withdrawn 300 yards to the rear for rest. The same -evening, however, the regiment was ordered to fall in, with blankets -rolled, ready for marching, and it remained in line all night awaiting -further orders. It rained gently through the night, but when morning came -the clouds disappeared, and the sun rose bright and clear—for the last -time for many of the brave men of the First Alabama. - -About 10, A. M., came the command, “Attention!” “Right face!” “Forward, -march!” After marching two or three miles, the command was halted till -about 3, P. M., when it was again ordered forward. Soon the sound of -musketry announced that a battle was in progress immediately in front. -Hood, with Stewart’s and Lee’s corps, was attempting to break through the -enemy’s line near the Lickskillet, or Poorhouse Road. Gen. Quarles at -once placed his brigade in line of battle—the First Alabama on the left, -Co. K to the left of the color company—Brevet-Lieut. Cameron in command, -Lieut. Golsan, who had not yet received his commission, accompanying -him. In a few minutes the brigade was under fire, and, pressing forward, -passed over Canty’s brigade, which was lying down, and, crossing a rail -fence, charged down a slope— - - “Into the jaws of death, - Into the mouth of hell.” - -No sooner had they reached the foot of the hill, crossed a small run or -brook and begun to ascend the opposite side, than a withering flanking -fire swept down their ranks; while from the works in front, halfway -up the ascent and hidden in the edge of the woods, streamed forth a -constant blaze of musketry, while shots from the artillery pierced the -bank of smoke like flashes of lightning. Still the men made no halt, but, -with heads bent down as though breasting the cyclone, pressed onward, -till Gen. Quarles, seeing that none could survive to reach the enemy’s -lines, gave the order to halt and fall back to the run, now red with -blood, where a slight cover was afforded. They were within fifty yards -of the enemy when halted, and a gallant soldier of another command was -buried by the enemy where he fell just outside their works, and his -grave, carefully protected, was marked by them with a tribute to his -bravery. The charge was made over open ground, while the enemy were -wholly concealed in the woods and behind a breastwork constructed of a -rail fence and rock piled up. Lieut. Golsan fell early in the fight, and -Lieut. Cameron just before reaching the run at the foot of the hill. Both -were cheering on the men when stricken down. Co. K lost 19 men killed and -wounded out of 32 engaged, the casualties being as follows:— - - Killed—Brev. First Lieut. Norman Cameron; Junior Second Lieut. - Galvin Golsan; Privates William Dubose and John Owens: total, - 4. - - Mortally wounded—Privates A. C. Smyth, J. J. Stuart, and A. J. - Thompson: total, 3. - - Seriously wounded—Sergt. M. D. Lamar; Privates John Boggan, - George Durden, E. Leysath, J. L. Simpson and John Williamson: - total, 6. - - Severely wounded—Corpls. E. L. Averheart and O. M. Blaylock; - Private C. B. Brown: total, 3. - - Slightly wounded (not sent to hospital)—Privates J. C. Hearn, - John Tunnell and J. H. Shaver: total, 3. - -Of the regiment, 171 men, out of 325 present, were killed and wounded, -including 13 color-bearers. It was not till about dark that the shattered -remnant of the First Alabama was withdrawn. The names of those of Co. K -who escaped unharmed from this terrible gorge are, to the best of the -writer’s knowledge—Sergt. W. H. Fay; Corp. G. W. Hearn; Privates T. M. -Boggan, W. L. Ellis, W. W. Day, John Griffin, Joseph Hurd, G. W. Hunt, -R. H. Kirkpatrick, John Killough, Joseph May, Eli T. Sears and Josiah -Tunnell. - -Of the wounded, Privates Smyth and Thomson lived till they reached the -hospital at Griffin, where both died. There is some uncertainty in -regard to J. J. Stuart’s fate, several members of the company asserting -positively that he was mortally wounded in this battle, and died in -hospital; others, having equally good opportunities of knowing the facts, -being ignorant of his fate; and some asserting that he was not present. -His name does not appear in a memoranda of the killed and wounded made -about ten days after the battle by the writer, who was himself in -Montgomery, Ala., at the time. Sergt. Lamar received a bullet in the -hip and was never able to return to duty. Private Williamson received -a bullet in the shoulder, a second in the thigh, while a third chipped -a piece off of a front tooth. He, too, was permanently disabled, as -were Durden, Leysath and Simpson. The others soon recovered of their -wounds. For some days doubt existed as to Lieut. Cameron’s death, but the -lingering hope was dispelled by a member of another company, who saw him -breathe his last. Lieut. Golsan’s body was carried a little distance to -the rear by some of the company; but they had to leave him, and with the -other dead he was buried by the enemy. There was no foundation whatever -for the rumor, which reached his home, that he was not killed. - -Maj. Knox was seriously wounded, and the command of the regiment devolved -upon Capt. Williams. Sergt. W. H. Fay was ordered to take command of Co. -K. The brigade bivouacked for the night near the battle-field, and on the -29th returned to its former position on the defences, and the regiment -resumed picket duty. - -While out on picket, August 3d, Co. K suffered another great loss. -Private Farmer was slightly wounded, and expressing a desire for water, -Sergt. Fay volunteered to get some at a neighboring well. He took several -canteens, and succeeded in reaching the well in safety; but on his -return, while crossing an exposed opening, a ball pierced his heart. He -exclaimed, “Oh, men! oh, men!” walked about fifteen steps and sat down -under the shade of a small tree; and as Sergt. Royals, who ran to his -assistance, caught him in his arms, he struggled once or twice and died. -Thus perished, in the glory of early Christian manhood, one of the pure -and noble of earth. The company thus lost in less than one week two -officers commanding, and one who had been elected to command—three noble, -Christian men, Cameron, Golsan, and Fay. - -On the death of Sergt. Fay, Sergt. C. H. Royals took command, and held -it till relieved by Lieut. Jones, of Co. I. Private G. F. Martin was -slightly wounded on the 4th. On the 12th of August Private D. E. Holt -was severely wounded, a Minie ball passing through both thighs, but -fortunately missing the larger blood-vessels and bones. He was taken to -the hospital, where gangrene getting into the wound, he narrowly escaped -death, and was disabled from further service. - -An election for Junior Second Lieutenant was held on August 9th. John -L. Alexander received 9 votes, and Daniel P. Smith 10. Lieut. Smith -soon after successfully passed his examination for promotion, but did -not receive his commission till September 7th. John L. Alexander was -about this time made Orderly Sergeant. Corpls. Averheart and Hearn were -promoted to sergeantcies, and Josiah Tunnell and G. H. Royals were -appointed corporals. - -While at Atlanta, those of the soldiers who had any money could purchase -some few articles of luxury; rice could be bought for 75 cents per pound, -and flour for 50 cents per pound. The rations, as usual, consisted of -corn bread and beef. - -On August 19th the regiment was ordered down the railroad to intercept -a raid, but went into camp in the outskirts of Atlanta. Again, on the -21st, the regiment was sent three or four miles to the right of the -Confederate lines, where it constructed an abattis. The following day -it was ordered back to its old position at the breastworks near the -Chattanooga Railroad. On the night of the 25th the Federals withdrew -from around Atlanta, moving to the south; and on the morning of the 26th -Gen. Stewart’s corps occupied the abandoned works. The First Alabama, -with other troops, advanced to the Chattahoochie on a reconnaissance, -without meeting the enemy. In the afternoon the regiment was withdrawn, -and camped inside the city lines. Here we remained until the morning -of the 31st, when we were ordered down the Macon Railroad towards East -Point, some four or five miles. During the day the regiment was mustered -for pay. Towards evening the command returned to Atlanta, camping beside -the Macon Railroad. Early on the morning of Thursday, September 1, the -First Alabama was sent out on the Poorhouse or Lickskillet road on -picket, being stationed about half a mile from the battle-field of July -28th. Rations of hard tack, all that the men could carry, were here given -out. Returning to the city (leaving the picket line at 10.45 P. M.), we -found it evacuated with the exception of the cavalry rear-guard. On an -open square a huge pile of cotton was fiercely blazing, while down the -Macon Railroad heavy explosions told of the destruction of an ammunition -train abandoned through the negligence of the Chief Quartermaster. The -First Alabama, which formed the infantry portion of the rear-guard, made -no halt in the city, but took the road to McDonough, passing out of the -city limits about 1 or 2 o’clock on the morning of the 2d. Except for -brief intervals of rest, the march was continued till noon on the 2d, -when the command deployed and built breastworks. Just as these were -completed, orders were received to take the road again. At 10.45, P. -M., another halt was made, and the men were allowed to rest till 2.30, -A. M., Saturday, when they were ordered into line, but no move was made -till daylight. About 3, P. M., a halt was made four or five miles from -Lovejoy’s Station. Sunday morning, the 4th, the regiment marched four or -five miles, and deployed in a piece of thick woods. Sharp firing could be -heard in front, and occasionally a cannon ball went crashing through the -trees; but the firing soon ceased, and the regiment went into camp. - -There were twenty-two men present in Co. K when the retreat from Atlanta -began. Two or three, Private Hurd among the number, broke down on the -march, and were sent to hospitals. Lieut. Jones, of Co. I, assigned to -the command of Co. K, was left behind in Atlanta, and Lieut. Smith took -command of the company on the night of the 1st, though not commissioned -till the 7th. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - HOOD’S RAIDS ON SHERMAN’S RAILROAD COMMUNICATIONS—FINDING LOST - MOUNTAIN—HOLD THE FORT—TEARING UP RAILROADS—IN ALABAMA—A DISMAL - NIGHT—REVIEW OF THE ARMY—FORAGING IN TENNESSEE—CATCHING MUD - LARKS. - - -The First Alabama remained in camp at Lovejoy’s till Sunday, September -18th, a camp-ground was cleared up in the woods, and drilling was -resumed. During the Atlanta campaign the cooking was done at the -wagon-yards; now, cooking utensils were issued, and the men were enabled -to have comparatively decent fare. W. L. Ellis was detailed to go to -Montgomery after the company’s knapsacks, and also to procure clothing -from home for the men. On the afternoon of the day he left orders were -received to cook up two days’ rations, and at noon on the 18th the -command broke camp and marched to Fayetteville, a distance of ten miles. -At 2 o’clock Monday morning the reveille sounded, but it was 5.30, A. M., -before the march was resumed. At dark the regiment bivouacked three miles -beyond Palmetto, having marched eighteen miles. - -On Tuesday, after a march of five miles, the command was deployed and -orders given to entrench. The position was four or five miles from the -Chattahoochie and about twenty-five miles from Atlanta. While camped near -Palmetto, on Monday morning, September 26th, President Davis informally -reviewed the army, being greeted along portions of the line by cries of -“Give us Johnston!” - -Thursday, September 29th, the command again received orders to march. -Private W. L. Ellis arrived that morning with the company baggage and -boxes from home, and a hasty distribution had to be made of the contents -of the latter. Clean clothing from the knapsacks was donned, the baggage -repacked and sent into Palmetto to a private house for storage; it was -never seen again. - -At noon the command started, crossing the Chattahoochie that evening -on a pontoon bridge at the Pumpkintown, or Phillips, Ferry, and going -into camp after a march of eight miles. It was showery on the 30th, but -a march of ten miles was made on the Powder Springs Road. October set -in stormy, the rain falling all day and night, the command remaining in -camp. A march of twelve miles on Sunday, the 2d, brought the regiment -to familiar scenes, and it bivouacked three miles from Lost Mountain. -The troops recognized their old battlegrounds, and there was no little -enthusiasm aroused. After a march of ten miles on the 3d, the command -struck the railroad at Big Shanty Station, which was captured, with a few -prisoners, after a slight skirmish. - -Our division (Walthall’s) was deployed along the track, which was torn -up, ties piled and burned, and the rails—heated red hot—bent. This work -continued till 3 o’clock on the morning of the 4th. After a few hours’ -rest, the division moved up the road, tearing up the track and burning -the ties. At noon, tired and hungry—being without rations—the regiment -took the road towards Lost Mountain, and went on picket five miles from -Big Shanty Station. A march of seven miles was made on the 5th, and -just at dark the brigade began the ascent of Lost Mountain, the regiment -going on picket near the top. The mountain side was thickly carpeted with -prickly pear, and falls and ejaculations more forcible than pious were -frequent. On the 6th the command marched twelve miles, passing the site -of New Hope Church. - -Near New Hope, French’s shattered division, repulsed the previous day at -Allatoona Bridge, was met. Gen. French’s assault on the fort at Allatoona -was of the most desperate character, and resulted in placing half his -command _hors du combat_. Gen. Sherman, marching to the relief of the -beleaguered garrison, signaled from the top of Kennesaw Mountain to its -commander that despatch made memorable by Bliss’s hymn:— - - “Hold the fort, I am coming. - - W. T. SHERMAN.” - -The arrival of the Federal troops forced the Confederates to retire just -as they were about to reap the fruit of their tremendous sacrifices. - -Thus far it had rained every day since the army left Palmetto, but the -7th was pleasant, the roads were good, and a march of fifteen miles -was made towards Van Wirt. Another march of fifteen miles on the 8th -brought the regiment to Cedartown. This ended Hood’s first raid on the -railroad; ten or twelve miles of track had been torn up, and about 400 -prisoners taken. The First Alabama did not load their guns. Co. K lost -one man—Sergt. George Hearn—who was barefoot, and on the night that the -regiment ascended Lost Mountain was left behind, captured, and sent to -Rock Island, Ill. - -At noon on the 9th orders were received to march; the left wing of the -First Alabama, including Co. K, was the brigade rear guard, and did not -get into camp until 10.30, P. M., after a march of twelve miles. On the -10th the Coosa River was crossed at Coosaville, on a pontoon bridge, the -day’s progress being ten or twelve miles. Eighteen miles were scored -on the 11th, on the Dirt-town road, and on the 12th over twenty miles, -the regiment camping at 9, P. M., three miles from Resaca. Soon after -bivouacking it began to rain. An attack on Resaca having failed, that -post was flanked, and the railroad struck at Tilton at noon on the 13th, -which post surrendered to Gen. French. The track was torn up all the way -to Dalton, the ties burned, and rails bent. Dalton surrendered to Gen. -Cheatham with about 1,000 prisoners without a fight. The First Alabama -did good service tearing up track, and camped that night two miles south -of Dalton. On the 14th Rocky Face Mountain was crossed at Dug Gap, and -after marching twelve miles the regiment went into camp. The route on the -15th lay through the Chattooga Valley for eighteen miles. Passing through -Treadwell Gap and across Chattooga River, the regiment, after a march -of ten miles, bivouacked on the evening of the 16th, two miles beyond -Summerville, Ga. - -The second raid resulted in the capture of about 1,500 or 2,000 prisoners -and the destruction of twenty miles of railroad track. Co. K had no more -stragglers, but the men were weary and footsore, having, since leaving -Palmetto, marched some two hundred miles in seventeen days. - -On the 17th, at 2, A. M., the command again broke camp, and marching ten -miles halted for the day at sunrise. The army crossed the state line of -Alabama on the 18th, passed through Gaylesville, and camped three miles -beyond, having marched fifteen miles. Fifteen miles were scored again -on the 19th, the route taking us past the Round Mountain Iron Works, in -Cherokee County. Reveille sounded at an early hour on the 20th, and by 3, -A. M., the regiment was on the road; twenty miles were made by 2, P. M., -when we camped five miles beyond Gadsden. A welcome rest of forty-four -hours was here allowed the soldiers, and on the 21st some clothing was -issued to those most in need. Another treat was the distribution of a -large army mail, the accumulation of two weeks or more. The order to -march was given at 3, A. M., on the 22d, but it was countermanded before -we had gone three hundred yards, and it was 10, A. M., before the final -start was made; fifteen miles were, however, accomplished before camping, -the route being over Lookout Mountain. The army crossed the Black Warrior -River on the 23d, and, passing through Brooksville, added seventeen miles -to the march record. Though the road was very rocky, a march of seventeen -miles was also made on the 24th; the town of Summit was the only point of -interest. On the 25th the regiment marched thirteen miles to Somerville, -and on the 26th thirteen miles to the lines around Decatur, a total of -one hundred and thirty-five miles in ten days, including two days’ rest -at Gadsden. - -A brisk cannonade was in progress when the regiment arrived, and it was -at once ordered to the picket line. It had been raining at intervals -all day, and the night closed in cold and gloomy. When the picket line -was reached it was quite dark. At 10, P. M., an order was received to -advance the line one hundred and fifty yards and dig rifle pits. It -was impossible to see more than five feet in any direction, and as the -command was deployed as skirmishers, the movement was executed with -considerable difficulty, but the new line was at last formed. About -the time the rifle pits were completed, the men supplementing the few -entrenching tools with tin-cups and pans, the rain came pouring down, -filling the pits and converting the whole ground into a marsh. The men -were so exhausted that so soon as the rain had ceased and they had bailed -out the pits all but those on guard lay down in the mud and fell asleep. - -At daylight skirmishers were ordered forward, but finding the enemy in -force they fell back to the picket line with a loss of one man mortally -wounded in Co. E. Soon after daylight the regiment was relieved and -rejoined the brigade. It rained at intervals all day, and to add to the -discomfort of the soldiers no rations were issued except a little beef; -there was no bread for two or three days. At this time began the private -foraging, which later proved so disastrous to the discipline of the army. - -On the morning of October 29, the regiment left Decatur and marched -sixteen miles westward, along the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, -camping three miles east of Courtland. The line of march on the 30th was -through a level, fertile country, but desolated by Federal raids, nearly -every plantation building having been burned. We camped that night at -Leedam, having marched fifteen miles and passed during the day through -Courtland and Jonesboro. On the 31st a march of ten miles brought the -regiment to Tuscumbia. The march record from September 29th now footed up -three hundred and eighty-five miles. - -For several days after arriving at Tuscumbia it was rainy; it then -cleared off cold. On Sunday, November 6th, there was a general review and -inspection, and on the 12th Gen. Beauregard reviewed the army, which, -at that time, was said to number about 30,500 men. In Stewart’s Corps -there were 9,000 men. Corp. Rice and Privates A. D. Ellis and J. W. May -rejoined the company on November 2d, and Junius Robinson on the 4th, -making a total of 20 muskets. Our number was reduced by several sick sent -to the rear before we crossed the Tennessee. - -Monday, November 14th, the regiment marched to Florence and went into -camp, and on the 18th received several months’ pay, the first since -leaving Meridian. At this muster there were present Lieut. Smith, O. -Sergt. J. L. Alexander, Sergts. C. H. Royals and E. L. Averheart, Corps. -J. D. Rice and Josiah Tunnell, and Privates T. M. Boggan, C. W. Brown, -W. W. Day, A. D. Ellis, W. L. Ellis, E. Hearn, J. C. Hearn, J. Killough, -J. W. May, G. F. Martin, Wm. Moncrief and John Tunnell. Private Martin, -during the entire campaign, was detailed at the wagon camp as cook. - -One great want of the army when it started on this campaign in the depth -of winter was that of shoes. At the outset there were not a few who had -but apologies for shoes, and when Hood reached the Tennessee River on -his retreat, no less than 3,000 barefooted men straggled in the rear, -literally leaving a trail of blood along the frozen pikes. The lack of -rations was another serious misfortune; for a month prior to entering -upon the campaign the troops had been on short rations of a miserable -quality. Three-quarters of a pound of very coarse cornmeal and one pound -of fresh beef, bone and all—and generally the bone predominated—nominally -constituted a day’s rations. These rations were issued at the wagon-yards -or camps, where details from the companies cooked them. The beef was -boiled and the meal, wet up with cold water and made into “pones,” -was browned—not cooked—in “Dutch ovens.” Thus prepared, the food was -distributed—company commissioned officers and men sharing alike—the -bread, three days’ rations at a time, the beef every day. By the time -it reached the company the ration had so “shrunk in the pot” that the -writer has seen a lean and lank Confederate dispose of his three days’ -rations of bread and one of beef at one sitting. All the army had chronic -diarrhœa, and all were hungry. As a consequence of this latter fact, when -the rich fields of Tennessee—the “land of hog and hominy”—were reached, -no discipline could restrain the men, and thousands at a time were -scattered through the country searching for something to satisfy their -hunger. Company officers, themselves half-starved, sympathized with their -men, and would not have punished them for foraging had it been possible; -but what punishment could be inflicted upon men who were marching from -early morn till night? “Mud Lark,” as skinned hog meat was called by the -soldiers—who even in their suffering still indulged in jokes—was brought -in every night; six hundred pounds was captured one night by the foragers -of the “First.” The Regimental Commissary, who was on the lookout, seized -it and compelled a _pro rata_ distribution; but no other notice was taken -of the offence. Parched corn augmented the scanty ration of bread, and, -after marching all day, half the night would be spent by the hungry men -in cooking up what had been gathered along the road or after camping. - -In spite of the many hardships which our company had endured, the men, -when they crossed the Tennessee, marching northward, were cheerful and -willing for any duty or danger, and this was the spirit in the regiment -and army. - -A commander never uttered a more unfounded libel against his soldiers -than Gen. Hood when he published that his troops were demoralized and -could not be trusted in battle. Even when his half-starved legions left -one-fourth their number on the battle-field of Franklin, after fighting -for hours against a superior force, strongly entrenched, and at one time -penetrating the enemy’s line, he was not satisfied, but is reported to -have said, in private conversation, that if his old Texas brigade had -been with him he would have won the battle. In his book, however, he gave -the troops who fought at Franklin a scanty meed of praise. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - GEN. HOOD’S DISASTROUS CAMPAIGN IN TENNESSEE—THE FATAL - MISTAKE—BEFORE FRANKLIN—SCHOFIELD’S STRONGHOLD—EATING HIS - LAST RATIONS—THE BATTLE OF FRANKLIN—THE REBEL YELL—TERRIFIC - MUSKETRY—LOCKED BAYONETS—ONE-THIRD HOOD’S ARMY LOST—CO. K WIPED - OUT—LOSSES OF THE “FIRST”—FAITHFUL UNTIL DEATH—THE RETREAT FROM - TENNESSEE—THE LAST ROLL CALL. - - -It was raining slowly as, on Sunday, November 20, the First Alabama -formed and marched down to the Tennessee river, crossed the long pontoon -bridge, and went into camp four miles beyond. Monday, there was a light -fall of snow, and the command advanced but seven miles. At night it -turned off very cold, and Tuesday morning the roads were frozen hard. -During the day the army crossed the State line of Tennessee, marked -by a rough board sign placed by the roadside, every regiment cheering -heartily, Tennessee troops being especially enthusiastic. The day’s march -was thirteen miles. Wednesday saw us twelve miles on our journey. The -day was cold and wintry, and the soldiers, thinly clad and generally -without overcoats, suffered keenly. It was slightly warmer on Thursday. -As on Wednesday, the route lay through a hostile, mountainous country, -and the slow progress made by the artillery and wagon trains, as well -as the necessity of keeping the men well closed up, delayed the army, -and only twelve miles were made. The mountaineers were mostly Union -men, and showed no mercy to stragglers, either killing them outright or -horribly maltreating them. On Friday the roads were better; the mountains -were behind us; and as the troops passed through Henryville they were -met with friendly greetings. The First Alabama went into camp two miles -beyond Henryville, having marched fifteen miles, the best score since -crossing the river. Saturday, the people were still more cordial, and the -troops were cheered at Mount Pleasant. Sixteen miles had been tramped -when the First went into camp eight miles from Columbia. On Sunday, -the 27th, Stewart’s corps arrived at Columbia, invested by Lee’s corps -the preceding day. At dusk the First Alabama were sent to the skirmish -line. During the night the enemy evacuated the town, taking position -on the other side of Duck River. The regiment remained in camp Monday. -Gen. Forrest crossed four miles above Columbia on that day; and, a -pontoon bridge having been put down, Cheatham’s and Stewart’s corps and -Johnson’s division of Lee’s corps followed on the 29th. Schofield at once -withdrew, and now began a spirited race for Franklin on parallel roads, -the Federals having the advantage of holding the regular pike, while -the Confederates marched over rough by-roads and through the fields. -There was brisk skirmishing throughout the day between the flankers; -but Cheatham, who had forged far enough ahead to have thrown his corps -across the pike, failed to execute Hood’s positive orders to do so. Hood -then ordered Stewart’s corps to the front to make the attack, but by the -time they got up it was dark, and the men could not be got into proper -position to ensure success. The two corps bivouacked at Spring Hill, and -Schofield’s army, unmolested, filed by so near that their wagons could be -heard on the stony pike. This blunder lost Hood the Tennessee campaign. -Gen. Hood states that Gen. Cheatham afterwards magnanimously acknowledged -his error. Even Hood did not place any blame upon the army for this -failure to attack. The soldiers were greatly fatigued after the twenty -miles’ march of the day; but would have gallantly responded to the order -to attack, and themselves wondered why it was not given. - -On the morning of November 30th the race was renewed, but Schofield -had the advantage of being ahead of his foes. He was so hardly pushed, -however, that he was obliged to sacrifice a considerable portion of his -wagon train, overturning and burning the wagons or cutting down the -wheels, and shooting the animals whenever they blocked the retreat of -the infantry. In some cases whole teams could be seen lying dead in the -traces. At another point a quartermaster’s wagon had been overturned, -and for rods around the road and fields were strewn with blankets. About -noon, when four miles south of Franklin, the Federal cavalry deployed -along a wooded crest running at right angles to the Columbia pike, and -covered the wearied infantry while filing into the entrenchments at -Franklin. - -These entrenchments had been carefully constructed, and had already -received their baptism of blood the year prior (April 10, 1863), when -Gen. Van Dorn attacked Gen. Granger and was repulsed. The inner line was -a regularly constructed earthwork, with a ditch on the outside about -three feet deep and five feet wide. From the bottom of the ditch to the -top of the parapet was at least six or seven feet. Heavy timbers or -head logs crowned the top of the parapet, space being left between the -logs and earth to allow the soldiers to fire. An abattis of black locust -protected the front. Two hundred and fifty or three hundred yards in -front of this—an open field with gentle slope intervening—was another -connected line of earthworks, made by digging a ditch about eighteen -inches or two feet in depth, and throwing the earth to the front. Outside -of this, again, were detached rifle pits. This was the nature of the -works on each side the Columbia pike, where the heaviest fighting took -place. The works extended around Franklin in a semi-circle, touching Big -Harpeth River above and below the town, a length of a mile and a half. - -As Stewart’s corps, which was in the advance, came up, the Federal -cavalry also withdrew into Franklin. The Confederate forces rapidly -deployed, Stewart’s corps forming the right and Cheatham’s the left, -Johnston’s division of Lee’s corps being still in the rear. Stewart’s -corps was formed in line of battle between the Nashville and Decatur -Railroad and the Lewisburg pike, about one and a quarter miles from -Franklin and three-quarters of a mile from the Union lines. The corps was -so fronted that an advance would take it across the railroad, striking -the enemy’s main line near the Columbia pike. Walthall’s division was in -the centre, with Quarles’ brigade on the right. In front of Walthall was -a deep cut in the railroad, which was not discovered till the advance -had begun, and which necessitated his moving by the left flank, as -subsequently stated, to avoid the obstacle. Much straggling had been -caused by the forced marches of the two preceding days, and probably not -over 15,000 or 16,000 men of Stewart’s and Cheatham’s corps were engaged -in the battle, and Johnston’s division, say 2,000 or 3,000 men, did not -take part till the main attack had failed, about 7, P. M. The artillery, -with the exception of a section of two Napoleon guns, did not participate -in the battle. Forrest’s cavalry was held in reserve on the flanks, Gen. -Forrest himself being with the infantry during the charge. - -Gen. Schofield’s force was composed of the Fourth Corps, which was -officially reported ten days after the battle to have numbered 14,172 -men, the Twenty-third Corps, 10,207 men, and the Forty-fourth Missouri -and Seventy-second Illinois unassigned. A Federal officer present stated -that they had more men than could stand at the works, the lines being in -some places six deep, those in rear loading for those in front. - -The spirit of the Confederate troops, while not enthusiastic, was good. -While waiting the completion of the formation, the men of the regiments -first in line were quietly discussing the probable issue of the impending -battle; some with an eye to the future were picking white beans from the -dead vines in a field in our front; others, no less industrious, were -eating every crumb in their haversacks. Among the latter was poor Brown -of Co. K, who, on being remonstrated with for his imprudence, replied -that he would be killed; his forebodings proved too correct; one hour -later he was dead. - -About half-past three the command “Attention!” ran quietly along -Stewart’s lines; a detail was ordered to the front to throw down a rail -fence, and then came the orders “Forward!” “Double quick!” For two -hundred yards the advance was through a corn-field, the dead stalks -of which, of giant dimensions, were crossed and interlaced in every -direction. When the farther side of the field was reached the command was -halted, moved by the flank to the left, and the alignment corrected. The -enemy’s works were now in full view, and not over a half mile distant. -Immediately in the front of the First Alabama there was a valley with a -small stream of water at the bottom, the descent and ascent on the other -side being quite sharp. An open grove of sugar maples, entirely free -of underbrush, extended to the Federal rifle pits. Away to the right -the rattle of musketry showed that the battle had begun, and the order, -“Skirmishers to the front!” almost immediately followed. The latter moved -rapidly forward, availing themselves of the cover of the large maples and -firing slowly as they advanced. As yet not a bullet had whistled by us, -and it was hard to realize that it was more than a skirmish drill, with -such precision did the men move. - -By the time the skirmishers were fifty yards away there came the orders, -“Forward! Double quick!” Down the hill, across the brook, up the slope, -over the railroad; then came the first deadly Yankee greeting—a shrapnel -bursting in the ranks of Co. E, killing and wounding nine men. In three -minutes more the space was covered, the Confederates were past the rifle -pits and in the outer line of the enemy’s works. Most of the Federals -occupying them surrendered and were sent to the rear; many of those who -tried to run back to the main line were shot down. - -For an instant the line was halted and the men lay down in the captured -works. Not a stump nor a stone obstructed the open field, on the -farther side of which, behind their entrenchments, lay the main body of -the enemy. To the right the roll of musketry was unintermitted, but -immediately in our front, except from the Federal artillery, there was a -momentary lull. It was but for a moment, then the order “Forward!” was -repeated down the line. The men sprang to their feet, for the first time -in the battle gave the “rebel yell,” and dashed forward, corps, division, -and brigade officers leading in the assault. At the same instant a sheet -of smoke shot out from the earthworks in front, thickening, as volley -after volley poured forth, into a great white bank, but broken every -moment by tongues of flame from the cannon. Looming up above the smoke -in shadowy form, like some old tower, just inside the enemy’s works, -were the huge timbers of a cotton-press; this was the only landmark; all -else was hidden. But few shots were fired by the Confederates as they -dashed forward, for, though there were no orders, each man instinctively -felt that this was to be a struggle man to man. Two Napoleon guns, run -forward by hand on the Columbia pike, kept well up with the line of -battle and were fired steadily. No other artillery on the Confederate -side fired a shot. The roar of the Federal musketry was something never -to be forgotten; not even the Napoleons, nor the siege guns, firing from -the fort on the other side of the river, could be heard distinct from -that terrific volume of sound; yet the Confederates moved forward towards -this death-dealing bank of smoke with all the precision of battalion -drill. At the distance of forty yards from the works the Confederate -line was unbroken and had suffered comparatively little loss. The effect -of this solid, steady charge was such that Federal officers afterwards -acknowledged that they could with difficulty keep their men from going -to the rear. When within forty yards the enemy’s fire began to tell, -and the Confederates fell rapidly. The enemy fired remarkably low, due, -it is said, to their simply laying their muskets on the slope of the -parapet and pulling the trigger without exposing themselves to take aim. -At last the ditch was reached; some of the assailants dashed through the -embrasures of the battery; others tried to clamber over the parapet, -and others exchanged shots with the Federals under the head logs. Men -were brained with butts of muskets or bayonetted on the parapet, while -the flanking fire of the angles soon filled the ditch with the dead and -dying; a few got inside of the works unscathed and were taken prisoners. -Just to the left of the pike the Confederates broke the Federal line, and -for a short time held one of their batteries, but the Federal reserve -charged, and after a desperate struggle regained possession. This was the -situation at dark: the opposing forces confronting one another, with but -a bank of earth between, like two stags of the forest head to head and -antlers locked. Johnston’s division coming up at 7, P. M., made a gallant -effort to turn the evenly-balanced scale, but only added to Hood’s -already appalling losses. About 9, P. M., the firing slackened and the -roar of musketry gradually died away, but was renewed at intervals as one -or the other side perceived or suspected some movement of its foe. - -So soon as the Federals were satisfied that the assault was over, they -commenced quietly to withdraw, and by 3 o’clock the next morning they -were safely across the river. - -Daylight revealed to the Confederates their fearful loss; in front -of some portions of the works the ground was covered with the dead. -Report at the time placed the Confederate loss at 1,500 killed and 3,000 -wounded. Hood, in his despatches from the battle-field, gave his loss at -4,500 killed, wounded and prisoners, the last being estimated at 1,000. -Swinton, the historian, gives the Confederate loss as 1,739 killed, 3,850 -wounded and 702 prisoners; total, 6,201. This would, in a measure, agree -with Hood’s own statement in “Advance and Retreat,” where he places his -total losses from all causes, from November 6th to December 10th, 7,547; -this includes the losses at Columbia and in Forrest’s skirmishes. It -will thus be seen that nearly one-third of those engaged were killed -and wounded, and that one-tenth were killed. Probably there never was a -battle fought on the American continent, between civilized armies, where -the slaughter was so great as in Hood’s army. The Federals reported their -loss at 189 killed, 1,033 wounded and 1,104 prisoners; total, 2,326. -Their report of killed is, in the writer’s opinion, understated, though -the total may be correct. It was reported at the time that 300 Federal -dead lay in the rear of the centre, where the heaviest fighting took -place. - -The casualties among the Confederate general officers were unparalleled, -and their reckless exposure of their lives was the general subject of -comment in the army. Nearly all went into the charge mounted, and Gens. -Cleburne and Adams were killed while trying to spur their horses over the -breastworks. Maj.-Gen. P. R. Cleburne and Brig.-Gens. Gist, John Adams, -Strahl and Granberry were killed; Maj.-Gen. Brown and Brig.-Gens. Carter, -Marrigault, Quarles, Cockrell and Scott wounded, and Brig.-Gen. Gordon -was captured. Of Gen. Quarles’ staff all were killed and wounded but the -General’s son, a lad of fourteen, who seized the brigade flag when the -color-bearer fell, and bore it inside the enemy’s works. Dismounted in -the melee, he tore the flag from the staff, concealed it under his coat -and got safely out with it. - -Of Co. K, eleven men went into the charge; of these, two were killed, -four wounded and two taken prisoners. Private C. W. Brown was shot -through the heart, Private J. W. May was killed on breastworks by the -butt of a musket, Lieut. Smith received a ball in the face, breaking the -lower jaw, when near the main line of the enemy; Sergt. C. H. Royals was -shot in the knee in the ditch and captured, but left behind when the -enemy retreated; Serg. Averheart was wounded in the abdomen by a pistol -bullet; Corp. Tunnell was shot through one thigh and across the other; -Private W. L. Ellis was captured in the ditch, and Private J. C. Hearn -sprang through the embrasure of the battery and was captured inside the -enemy’s lines. He relates that he placed his hand on the 12-pounder as -he went in, and that it was so hot that it burned him. Corp. Rice and -Privates A. D. Ellis and John Killough escaped unhurt. Of the members -of Co. K not in the charge three were detailed, three were in the rear, -footsore, barefoot or sick, and one—E. Hearn—had accidentally shot -himself through the hand. A singular fatality followed the members of the -Brown family in Co. K. There were three brothers—A. Pinkney, Elnathan -and C. Wesley Brown—and a brother-in-law, J. A. Fergerson. The first two -died of disease, and the last two were killed in battle. All were good -men and brave, reliable soldiers. A fourth brother—Richard—who belonged -to another command, lost an arm in battle. The loss in the regiment was -about 150 out of 300 engaged. The color-guard were all killed or wounded. -Lieut. Crymes, of Co. I, went over the entrenchments, and, refusing to -surrender, was shot dead while waving his sword and calling to his men -to follow. Maj. Knox was mortally wounded, Capt. Williams was taken -prisoner, and the command of the remnant of the regiment devolved upon -Lieut. McRae. - -Corp. Rice collected together, on the morning after the battle, six men -of Co. K, viz.: Privates T. M. Boggan, Day, A. D. Ellis, Killough, Martin -and John Tunnell, and proceeded with the regiment to Nashville, where, -some days later, O. Sergt. Alexander and private Moncrief rejoined the -command. - -Companies C and K were now united, and Orderly-Sergt. Alexander, of Co. -K, was placed in command; Sergt. Blaylock, of Co. C, being second. The -weather was extremely cold, and as nearly all the remnant of Co. K were -barefoot and thinly clad, they suffered severely. - -On December 15th, the first day of the battle of Nashville, Stewart’s -corps occupied the left of Hood’s army. The First Alabama was stationed -on the left flank of the corps, at right angles to the main line, -behind a stone wall on the Hillsboro’ pike. In response to a call for -sharpshooters, Sergt. Alexander detailed T. M. Boggan, Killough and -Moncrief to go to an outlying redoubt on the extreme left. The ground -was covered with snow and ice. Late in the evening the enemy advanced in -two heavy lines on the left, and, overlapping the Confederates, captured -the redoubt, and appeared in the rear of the stonewall. The First had up -to this time successfully held their ground against the attack in front, -but now had to fall back, a considerable number being captured. Of Co. -K, Moncrief was captured in the redoubt, and Sergt. Alexander, Corp. Rice -and Private A. D. Ellis at the stonewall. T. M. Boggan, in attempting -to leave the redoubt, was seriously wounded in the thigh and captured; -he recovered from his wounds, and remained at Camp Chase till the war -closed. Day, Killough, Martin and John Tunnell succeeded in escaping. The -“First” was hotly engaged again on the 16th, and in the two days lost -some 75 killed, wounded and prisoners. - -The retreat from Tennessee abounds with incidents, but they belong either -to the history of the army or to personal experience. Gen. Walthall -commanded the rear-guard, of which Gen. Obdycke, the Northern officer -who restored Schofield’s broken lines at Franklin, says:—“The rear-guard -remained firm, and did its work bravely to the last.... Walthall and -Forrest selected one position after another with such unerring judgment -that even Wilson and Wood were unable to gain any important advantage -during a period of twelve days, and over a distance of 100 miles.” As in -the advance, so in the retreat, the ragged remnant of the First Alabama -was always ready for duty—“faithful even unto death.” - -The following letter from Gen. E. C. Walthall to the writer testifies to -their services:— - - “GRENADA, Miss., April 20, 1885. - - “MY DEAR SIR:—Your letter written to me at Washington was - mislaid but not forgotten. Gen. Quarles’ brigade was with us - on the retreat from Nashville, and the First Alabama Regiment - was along. The rear-guard was composed of eight brigades, but - they were all so small that I temporarily consolidated them in - four. Quarles’ and Featherston’s were put in one, commanded by - Gen. Featherston. The troops all behaved splendidly, and their - services were all of great value. - - “Your friend truly, - - “E. C. WALTHALL.” - -Wounded men got out as best they could, many hobbling along the frozen -pikes on crutches. Among these were all the members of Co. K wounded -at Franklin. Shoal Creek, a stream swollen at that time to formidable -proportions, seemed at one time to have cut off the retreat of the -cripples, but kind-hearted cavalrymen carried those across who could not -wade. It was nearly 100 yards wide, with a rocky bottom full of holes. In -one instance, seen by the writer, a mule slipping threw a cripple into -water nearly to his armpits; but the soldier held on to his crutches, -and without assistance finally hobbled ashore. A cavalryman who had -already carried several over returned, against the remonstrances of his -companions, and took the writer across. The next morning, Saturday, -December 24, the crowd of wounded men were ferried across the Tennessee -in pontoon boats at a point near Florence, Ala., and were safe. - -The First Alabama arrived at Verona, Miss., on January 16, 1865; thence -they were ordered to report to Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, in North -Carolina. Six of Co. K were with the regiment: Corp. Josiah Tunnell, -Privates Griffin, Killough, Martin, Robinson and John Tunnell. The -regiment, numbering about 100 men, participated in the last two battles -of the war, Averysboro and Bentonville. On the last day of the second -battle, at sundown, Lieut. William Williamson, Co. C, a gallant Christian -gentlemen, was mortally wounded. The First Alabama was present, and -ended its untarnished career at the surrender of Gen. Johnston’s army at -Greensboro’, N. C., on the 27th of April, 1865. Those of Co. K present at -the surrender arrived at Prattville about the middle or last of May, but -it was about the 1st of July before all the scattered band got to their -homes. - -John Killough, John and Josiah Tunnell won the honorable distinction of -being present when the company was mustered in and when it was disbanded. -If the writer remembers correctly, the first two mentioned were never -absent during the three years of service except when the main body of the -regiment were prisoners of war or paroled. The last named of the three -was also present except for two brief intervals, during one of which he -was at the hospital, wounded. - -Death, wounds, disease and imprisonment—the sad fortunes of war—kept -others from sharing this honor. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - PRISON LIFE DURING THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR—SEARCHING THE - PRISONERS—STARVATION RATIONS—TRUE TO THE SOUTH—HOME AGAIN. - - -The following extract from a letter written by W. L. Ellis, Esq., conveys -a vivid picture of the treatment of prisoners by the Federals during the -last year of the war. Mr. Ellis was taken prisoner at Franklin. - - “I surrendered to the Colonel of the Eighth Tennessee (U. S.) - Regiment, and for kindness shown me by him I shall always - feel very grateful. At midnight his command withdrew from the - breastworks and started for Nashville, I accompanying him. - We reached the hills near Nashville at daylight and halted - for breakfast, of which I partook—and keenly enjoyed—with the - Colonel. I remained with him till 5, P. M., Thursday, when, - with 60 other prisoners, I was sent into Nashville. When - our guards halted near the capitol, the prisoners asked for - water, which a kind lady offered to bring, but the officer in - charge refused permission. She was very indignant; but there - was no redress, and we could only thank her heartily for her - kind intentions. We were then escorted to the State prison - and locked up for the night. Here a bit of bread and meat was - handed us by a negro. At daylight we were put on a train for - Louisville, where we arrived late in the evening, and were - again locked up in prison, the negro guards giving each a - small piece of bread and meat. Saturday morning we crossed - the river and marched to the depot, where rations of baker’s - bread and ham were given us. After living on one meal a day, - this food was very acceptable to the hungry prisoners. We then - took the cars for Indianapolis, where we remained one hour. The - citizens would have treated us very kindly had it not been for - the officer in charge. It was here that a gentleman quietly - informed us that if we had any currency, to conceal it, for - we would be searched. His advice was, of course, taken by the - fortunate few who had a dollar. The train arrived at Chicago - about 1 o’clock Sunday morning, and we were ordered into line - and marched three miles through a heavy snow, and then put - into some old barracks, to remain without fire till the dawn - of day. It was intensely cold, and it seemed impossible to - keep from freezing. At daylight the prisoners were ordered - into line, marched to the prison-gates of Camp Douglas, halted - and ordered to ground and unstrap knapsacks. After searching - them thoroughly, and throwing out such articles as they chose, - they ordered us to partly undress, that they might search our - clothing for money. The search ended, we marched into the - enclosure and were allotted to barracks. Soon after, an orderly - came in and notified those without blankets to go with him to - the Captain’s office, and he would furnish them. Only three or - four, of whom I was one, went. While waiting at the office-door - my ears froze—it was so cold. I received a blanket and a pair - of shoes. - - “On the second day after our arrival, they appointed one of - the prisoners ‘Sergeant of the Barracks,’ his duty being to - call the roll and see that all was kept in proper order. The - barracks were 18×48 feet, and to each were allotted 165 men. - The prison-yard was said to contain 25 acres, and there were - within the enclosure 59 barracks, 1 office and 1 sutler’s store. - - “Our rations consisted of two-thirds of a loaf of baker’s - bread, weighing ten ounces, and eight ounces of fresh beef, - except on every tenth day, when we drew pork and beans. To - divide the beans—they were so few—we had to count them, and the - ration of pork amounted to almost nothing. The men suffered - so from hunger that a prisoner would break the ice, and wash - what we called an outfit—consisting of shirt, pants, drawers - and socks—dry, and fold them ready for use, for five cents, - with which he would buy a bit of bread. Prisoners from East - Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri could get money from home, and - fared sumptuously as compared with those of us who lived south - of the enemy’s line. They were not permitted to receive the - money, but were given sutler’s tickets, which could be used at - the store. - - “I formed the acquaintance of two gentlemen, Messrs. Beel and - Black, from Kentucky, who insisted upon my messing with them, - and I fared much better than others, as my friends procured - supplies from the sutler. We remained together two or three - months, when, through the influence of friends, they were - removed into what we called the ‘loyal barracks.’ There were - hundreds of poor fellows who received nothing but their scanty - rations, which barely kept them alive—in fact, I believe some - died from starvation. - - “The system of punishment was barbarous in the extreme. They - had a wooden horse, made similar to a carpenter’s saw-bench, - twenty or twenty-five feet long and ten or twelve feet high, - which they called a ‘Morgan mule.’ On this I have seen - prisoners, as many as could be crowded on, remain six and eight - hours in the cold and sleet. It appeared to me they would - freeze to death. Another punishment was to make the offending - prisoner stand in a bending position with his fingers in the - snow as long as they saw fit. In each barracks there was one - guard who appeared to have absolute authority to punish at will - the prisoners under his charge. The barracks in which I bunked - was more fortunate than many. Our guard was a gentlemanly - fellow from Memphis named Nelson; he never punished a prisoner - during my stay. - - “Notwithstanding the treatment we received, we could not be - driven to take the oath, but remained loyal to the Confederacy, - having the utmost confidence in its triumph. The morning we - received the news of the surrender of Gen. Lee, Gen. Sweet, the - commandant of the prison, ordered us in line and left it to a - vote whether we would have the United States flag hoisted in - the prison yard; only two voted in favor of it. The guards were - very angry and told the prisoners they ought to remain there - always, but the flag was not hoisted. Soon after we received - the news of the surrender of the other Confederate armies, and - the work of paroling the prisoners was begun. I arrived home on - June 18, 1865.” - -This evidence of Mr. Ellis is fully sustained by letters from Messrs. -John C. Hearn and James D. Rice; the latter writes: “We fared very badly; -the rations were very slim and the treatment was cruel indeed. I have -seen many old men crying for something to eat.” Mr. T. M. Boggan, who -was at Camp Chase writes: “I was treated very well only our rations were -rather short.” - -In closing this brief sketch of the services of Co. K, the author wishes -to place on record that this has been a labor of love. There was not a -comrade for whom he had not the kindliest regard; there was scarcely one -to whom he was not indebted, during the three years, for some act showing -a reciprocal feeling. For any shortcomings in this history he asks their -lenient judgment, assuring each and every one that naught has been set -down, naught omitted in malice. God bless the survivors of Co. K! God -rest the souls of those whose ashes are scattered from the Lakes to the -Gulf! - -THE END. - - - - -APPENDIX. - -ROLL OF CO. K, FIRST ALABAMA REGIMENT, C. S. A. - - -_The following is a complete roll of Co. K, First Alabama Regiment, C. S. -A., with the highest rank attained, date of enlistment, County residence, -and situation at the close of the war of each man._ - - ------------------+-------------+-----------+-----------+------------ - NAMES. |RANK. |ENLISTED. |COUNTY |CLOSE OF - | | |RESIDENCE. |WAR. - ------------------+-------------+-----------+-----------+------------ - REMARKS. - ------------------+-------------+-----------+-----------+------------ - Adams, Jesse |Private |Feb., 1863 |Mobile | - Mg., July 14, 1863. - - Adams, N. K. |2d Lieut. Jr.|Mar., 1862 |Montgomery | - Td. to C. S. N., July, 1864. - - Alexander, J. L. |1st Sergeant |Feb., 1863 |Autauga |Ab. Prisoner - Captured December 15, 1864. - - Averheart, E. L. |Sergeant |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Wounded - Wd. July 28 and November 30, 1864. - - Blaylock, O. M. |Corporal |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Wounded - Wd. July 28, 1864. - - Boggan, John |Private |Feb., 1863 |Wilcox |Ab. Sick - Wd. July 28, 1864. - - Boggan, T. M. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Wilcox |Ab. Prisoner - Wd. and Cap. December 15, 1864. - - Boone, —— |Private |Feb., 1863 |Autauga | - Dd. June 29, 1863. - - Bledsoe, G. R. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Coosa | - Td. to Eng. Corps, Jan., 1864. - - Brown, A. P. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dd. Sept. 24, 1862. - - Brown, E. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dd. Sept. 14, 1862. - - Brown, C. W. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Wd. July 28, 1864. Kd. Nov. 30, 1864. - - Byrd, J. H. |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Dd. July 25, 1863. - - Cameron, N. |Brvt. 1st |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - | Lieut. | | | - Kd. July 28, 1864. - - Callens, R. H. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Butler | - Dd. Nov, 1863. - - Clark, —— |Private |Feb., 1863 |Mobile | - Wd. May 10, 1863. Td. C. S. N., 1863. - - Cook, J. N. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dd. July 7, 1862. - - Day, W. W. |Private |May, 1864 |Dallas |Ab. Sick - - - Deno, M. |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Mg. July 14, 1863. - - Dennis, W. A. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dd. Oct. 10, 1862. - - Douglass, Wm. |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Td. to C. S. N., Mar. 9, 1864. - - Dubose, Wm. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Pike | - Kd. July 28, 1864. - - Durden, G. W. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Autauga |Ab. Wounded - Wd. July 28, 1864. - - Durden, J. H. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Sick - - - Ellis, A. D. |Private |Feb., 1864 |Autauga |Ab. Prisoner - Wd. June 19, 1864. Cap. Dec. 15, 1864. - - Ellis, W. L. |Sergeant |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Prisoner - Cap. Nov. 30, 1864. - - Fay, Wm. H. |Sergeant |Mar, 1862 |Autauga | - Kd. Aug. 3, 1864. - - Farmer, W. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Sick - Wd. Aug. 3, 1864. - - Fergerson, J. A. |Corporal |Mar., 1862 |Coosa | - Kd. May 27, 1863. - - Fralick, H. |Private |Sept., 1862|Autauga | - Td. March, 1864, to C. S. N. - - Frank, John, Jr. |2d Lieut. Jr.|Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Kd. May 27, 1863. - - Gibbons, G. W. |Private |May, 1864 |Autauga |Ab. Sick - - - Glenn, Simeon |Private |Feb., 1863 |Autauga | - Dis. Oct. 21, 1864. - - Golsan, P. G. |2d Lieut. Jr.|Feb., 1863 |Autauga | - Kd. July 28, 1864. - - Gorman, J. |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Mg. July 22, 1864. - - Gresham, A. F. |Private |June, 1864 |Escambia | - Dd. 1864. - - Griffin, J. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Randolph |Present - - - Hall, D. S. |2d Lieut. |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Resigned Dec., 1862. - - Hancock, M. M. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dis. 1862. - - Haley, —— |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Mg. July 14, 1863. - - Hamilton, J. |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Mg. July 22, 1864. - - Hearn, E. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Wounded - Accidentally Wd. Nov. 29, 1864. - - Hearn, G. W. |Sergeant |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Prisoner - Cap. Oct. 5, 1864. - - Hearn, J. C. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Prisoner - Wd. July 28, 1864. Cap. Nov. 30, 1864. - - Hern, M. |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Mg. July 14, 1863. - - Herndon, J. W. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Died July, 1863. - - Hays, J. |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Wd. May 27, 1863. Dd. Feb., 1864. - - Holt, D. E. |Private |May, 1864 |Autauga |Ab. Wounded - Wd. Aug. 12, 1864. - - Holston, J. G. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dd. July 6, 1863. - - Hurd, Joseph |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Sick - - - Hutchinson, W. H. |Corporal |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Td. to Cavalry. - - Hunt, G. W. |Private |May, 1864 |Autauga |Ab. Sick - - - Jenkins, E. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Pike | - Td. to C. S. N., Mar., 1864. - - Killough, J. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Present - - - Kirkpatrick, R. H.|Private |Sept., 1863|Butler |Ab. Sick - - - Kirkpatrick, V. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Butler |Ab. Sick - - - Lamar, M. D. |Sergeant |Feb., 1863 |Autauga |Ab. Wounded - Wd. July 28, 1864. - - Leysath, E. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Butler |Ab. Wounded - Wd. July 28, 1864. - - Lewis, J. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Montgomery |Ab. Sick - - - Landers, N. |Private |June, 1864 | |Ab. Sick - - - Martin, G. F. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Autauga |Present - Wd. Aug., 1864. - - May, J. W. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Kd. Nov. 30, 1864. - - Merritt, A. J. |Sergeant |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dd. May 14, 1862. - - Merritt, —— |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Mg. July 14, 1863. - - Mills, —— |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Dd. July 5, 1863. - - McCarty, J. |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Kd. June 23d, 1863. - - McDonald, —— |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Dd. July, 1863. - - Moncrief, C. J. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dd. June, 1862. - - Moncrief, Wm. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Sick - - - Owens, J. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Autauga | - Kd. July 28, 1864. - - Pratt, M. E. |1st Lieut. |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Paroled - Wd. May 28, 1863. - - Robinson, J. L. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dis. April 1, 1862. - - Robinson, Junius |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Present - - - Roe, T. J. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dd. May 9, 1862. - - Rogers, J. C. |Sergeant |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dis. 1864. - - Royals, C. H. |Sergeant |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Wounded - Wd. Nov. 30, 1864. - - Royals, G. H. |Corporal |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Sick - - - Royals, J. M. |Corporal |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dis. 1862. - - Rice, J. D. |Corporal |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Prisoner - Wd. July 4, 1864. Cap. Dec. 15, 1864. - - Scott, B. L. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Autauga | - Dis. Oct. 21, 1864. - - Scott, C. H. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Autauga | - Dd. July 3, 1863. - - Sears, E. T. |Sergeant |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dis. Sept., 1864. - - Shaver, J. H. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Conecuh | - Wd. July 28, 1864. Dd. - - Simpson, J. L. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Butler |Ab. Wounded - Wd. July 28, 1864. - - Shoals, J. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Montgomery | - Mg. July 14, 1863. - - Schein, J. |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Mg. July 14, 1863. - - Smith, D. P. |2d Lieut. Jr.|Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Wounded - Wd. Nov. 30, 1864. - - Smith, M. A. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dis. Mar. 25, 1862. - - Smith, J. F. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dd. May 15, 1862. - - Smith, Henry |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - M. Wd. May 27, 1863. Dd. July 10. - - Smyth, A. C. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Butler | - M. Wd. July 28, 1864. Dd. Aug. 14. - - Stuart, J. J. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Wilcox | - M. Wd. July 28, 1864. Dd. Aug. - - Tarleton, M. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Lowndes | - Dd. March 12, 1863. - - Tarleton, John |Private |Mar., 1862 |Lowndes | - Dd. July, 1863. - - Thompson, A. J. |Sergeant |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - M. Wd. July 28, 1864. Dd. Aug. - - Tharp, J. P. |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Mg. July 21, 1864. - - Trammell, W. M. |Private |June, 1864 |Tallapoosa | - Dd. 1864. - - Tunnell, John S. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Present - Wd. July 28, 1864. - - Tunnell, Josiah |Corporal |Mar, 1862 |Autauga |Present - Wd. May 28, 1863, and Nov. 30, 1864. - - Tuttle, C. E. |2d Lieut. |Mar., 1862 |Montgomery |Ab. Prisoner - - - Vaughn, W. |Private |Feb., 1863 | |Ab. Sick - - - Ward, Isaac |Private |June, 1864 |Montgomery |Ab. Sick - - - White, A. J. |Private |Feb., 1863 |Autauga | - Dd. July 25, 1863. - - Whitfield, J. F. |Captain |Mar., 1862 |Montgomery |Ab. Prisoner - - - Williamson, J. |Sergeant |Mar., 1862 |Autauga |Ab. Wounded - Wd. June, 1863, and July 28, 1864. - - Wilkins, F. |Private |Mar., 1862 |Autauga | - Dis. 1864. - - Wilson, T. A. |Private |Feb., 1863 | |Ab. Sick - - - Winslett, —— |Private |Feb., 1863 | | - Kd. May 27, 1863. - ------------------+-------------+-----------+-----------+------------ - - -_EXPLANATION OF ABBREVIATIONS._ - - Kd.—Killed. - Dd.—Died. - Wd.—Wounded. - M. Wd.—Mortally Wounded. - Mg.—Missing—fate unknown. - Dis.—Discharged for disability. - Cap.—Captured. - Ab.—Absent. - Td.—Transferred. - - -_ROLL OF CO. K._ - -The following is a summary of the roll of Co. K:— - - Total enlisted and commissioned from March 1st to close of war 108 - - Killed and mortally wounded 15 - - Died of disease 23 - - Missing, fate unknown 10 - - Transferred to other service 7 - - Discharged and resigned 10-- 65 - -- - Remaining on Roll at close of war 43 - - Absent, wounded 11 - - Absent, sick 16 - - Absent, prisoners of war 9 - - Absent on parole 1-- 37 - -- - Present for duty April 27, 1865 6 - - Number of men wounded once during the war 24 - - Wounded twice 3 - - Wounded and afterwards killed 1 - -- - Total wounded 28 - - Residence, from Autauga 61 - - Butler 6 - - Conecuh 1 - - Coosa 2 - - Dallas 1 - - Escambia 1 - - Lowndes 2 - - Mobile 2 - - Montgomery 6 - - Pike 2 - - Randolph 1 - - Tallapoosa 1 - - Wilcox 3 - - Unknown 19-- 108 - - - - -INDEX. - - - _INTRODUCTORY_ 3 - - _CHAPTER I.—Organization of the John Gill Shorter - Artillery—Change of Destination—At Island 10—Roll of Company - K—Mysteries of the Cuisine—A Shameful Waste_ 5 - - _CHAPTER II.—Bombardment and Capture of Island No. 10—The - Batteries—At Rucker’s Battery—Canal Cutting—A Night - Attack—Running the Gauntlet—An Unfinished Meal—The Attempted - Evacuation—Retreat to Tiptonville—Mackall’s Order—The - Surrender—Across Reel-Foot River_ 10 - - _CHAPTER III.—Prison Life in 1862—In the Mud—Bivouac at - New Madrid—A Friendly Irishman—At Camp Butler—Scant Water - Supply—Escape of Prisoners—An Astonished Sentinel—Playing - Guard—Lost on the Prairie—A Prisoner Shot—Health of the - Camp—Mortality Statistics—Curious Phenomena—Death Visits - the Company—Col. Fundy in Command—Practical Jokes—Trinket - Making—News from Comrades—Homeward Bound—Arrival in Dixie_ 20 - - _CHAPTER IV.—Capt. Isbell and his Battalion—Arrival at Port - Hudson—Battle of Corinth—The Reunited Regiment—Port Hudson—Land - Defences—Red River Supplies_ 37 - - _CHAPTER V.—Incidents in the Winter of 1862-3—An Unexpected - Salute—A Parrott for Co. K—Whitfield’s Legion—Farragut’s - Fleet—Running the Batteries—The Midnight Battle—A Crippled - Fleet—Burning of the “Mississippi”—Comparative Losses—The Land - Attack—Incidents in April, 1863—A Sabbath Morning at Troth’s - Landing—Close Quarters—Skirmishing_ 44 - - _CHAPTER VI.—Siege and Surrender of Port Hudson—The - Investment—Skirmishing—The First Grand Assault—Assailed and - Assailants—Doubly Armed—Lieut. Pratt at Battery 11—The “Essex” - driven off—Lieut. Adams Elected—Artillery Practice—Assault - of June 14th—Effect of Buck and Ball—Banks’ Inhumanity—Lead - for Water—A Gallant Corporal—Battery 11 Silenced—Gallant - Schurmer’s Death—The Sunken Battery—Mule and Peas—The - Fall of Vicksburg—Unconditional Surrender—Gen. Gardner’s - Sword—Casualties of the First_ 60 - - _CHAPTER VII.—Experiences of Paroled Prisoners of War—A - Disorganized Regiment—A Handsome Turnout—Close Quarters—A - Faithful Servant—Present, or Accounted for—In Camp at Meridian_ - 82 - - _CHAPTER VIII.—Return of Co. K to Active Duty—Arrival - at Mobile—A Flooded Camp—Short of Ammunition—At Fort - Gaines—Fishermen’s Spoils—Going to School—A Spy in Camp—In - North Georgia_ 89 - - _CHAPTER IX.—In North Georgia with Johnston and Hood—Retreat to - Kennesaw—A Gallant Deed—Hood’s New Policy—Defending Atlanta—The - Valley of Death—The Gallant First—Fate of the Wounded—Death - of Sergt. Fay—Electing a Lieutenant—Evacuation of Atlanta—At - Lovejoy’s Station_ 97 - - _CHAPTER X.—Hood’s Raids on Sherman’s Railroad - Communications—Finding Lost Mountain—Hold the Fort—Tearing up - Railroads—In Alabama—A Dismal Night—Review of the Army—Foraging - in Tennessee—Catching Mud Larks_ 108 - - _CHAPTER XI.—Gen. Hood’s Disastrous Campaign in Tennessee—The - Fatal Mistake—Before Franklin—Schofield’s Stronghold—Eating his - Last Rations—The Battle of Franklin—The Rebel Yell—Terrific - Musketry—Locked Bayonets—One-third Hood’s Army Lost—Co. K Wiped - Out—Losses of the “First”—Faithful until Death—The Retreat from - Tennessee—The Last Roll Call_ 117 - - _CHAPTER XII.—Prison Life during the Last Year of the - War—Searching the Prisoners—Starvation Rations—True to the - South—Home Again_ 131 - - _APPENDIX_ 137 - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Company K, First Alabama Regiment, by -Daniel P. 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