Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-07
rhe Diary of Secession soldier.

extremely touching We have before us the
diary of young soldier of Huntsville Ala
bama, who was killed at Bulls Run, which
| was taken from his pocket by member of
the New York Seventy-first Regiment. His
name was G.. T. Anderson, and we learn
| from his posthumous record that on the 29th
of April, with his brother Stephen, he cleft
home with a company of volunteers" He
describes the parting with home, family, and
| friends. and admits that he ''hated to leave
most awfully." but justifes himself by stat
| ing that his country was in danger. He men
tions all that TRANSFERRED next day at Dial ton,
| Georgia, aud tells US that the regiment to
which his company was attached, elected E..
j. Jones, of Huntsville, Colonel. and E. NJ.
Law, Lieutenant Colonel. May s. he Evoke
up in JOnesborOugh, Tennessee, about sun
| rise, saw lots of beautiful women, received a
bouquet from very nice girl, with soul
| stirring inscription fastened to it."
This incident reminded him of home, and
his sister Pauline, concerning whom he has
much to say. May 8, he "wrote home for
the seventh or eighth time, and was mustered
| into the service of the Confederate States"
| Now the reality of his situation opened to
| him. He "felt homesickv he says because
| he could not hear from home" At length he
has two letters "from home" He has passed
through Lynchburg, and in due time reaches
Harper's Ferry. Here is his account of his
first Sabbath at the Ferry:
| Sunday, May l9.-What cold day tor
the 18th of May; everybody is acting as if it
were Monday, all firing guns, cooking, play
ing cards, &c; had dress parade; Colonel
| jackson inspecting US; he is large fat old
fellow, looks very much like an old Virginia
farmer; returned to camp, prepared and ate
a scanty dinner; had Episcopal service, and
then good old fashioned sermon from our
pastor Chadick; oh how l loved to listen to
l inn. Lott hon hal
| parade in the evening; raiaed all night.'
This is not bad fellow. All through his
diary we find evidences of goodness. On an
| other occasion We find that he has finished
| the last chapter of the Acts" and that he has
| done little else than "read the Testament
May II, he received two letters from sister
| Pauline" and replied to them next day. We
| have full view of this lad, for he records of
himself now and then that he feels very
| bad and unwell." He was greatly edified
with Rev. Mr.. Chadick's discourse, Sunday
u, whose text was Remember now thy Gre
| altar In the days of thy youth" The duties
| on the camp now called him forth, and he
| tells us he don't like to drill on Sunday a
Bit" His brother Stephen is attacked with
what proved to be fever.
May 81 woke up and found it raining;
Stephen has fever; cold day; drilled one
hour, and L am now waiting for my break
| fast; Stephen took the measles to-day; /
| moved him to a private honse, and stay ed
with him at night; ate my supper with Mrs.
| Jordan; L intend to eat there all the time
that she stays, if possible. Two companies
| of Virginians ordered off this evening for a
| fight sOmew here"
We have him afterwards in various moods.
He is himself sick occasionally; but what
with letters from home and the prospect of
| a fight" and the recovery of Stephen, he be-
comes more cheerful.
June 19.-Received a box of cake and a
pistol from home with more letters; glad to
get them at any time.
The regiment is withdrawn from Harper's
Ferry. What follows will help to show at
what time the reinfOrcements reached Manas-
sas Junction:
Sunday, July I've were ordered to fall
back to our old position near Winchester;
some of the men thought it was retreat,
and began to grumble; the General ordered
a note to be readIto his command, lin explana-
ton of his conduct; we started in an awful
hot day; l fell out of the ranks, went off the
road some distance, and got splendid din
ner from an old lady and two young ones
splendid milk, butter and bread, and l did
ample justice to it; she upbraided us for lea
wing her to the mercy of the Yankees;
struggled into camp about sunset. complete
ly exhausted, and went off to bed without
supper.
July TO- Received letter from home, all
well; have struck our tents, and are lying
around here waiting for orders; don't know
what it means; huge columbiad came up
few moments since to be planted upon this
bill; that looks as if we were going to fight
here; the militia and prisoners are engaged
in throwing up breastworks and planting
cannon for the defence of this place; the
Yankees are advancing and seem determined
to make an effort to drive US out from here,
but think they will fail; they outnumber US,
can't Outright US; received orders to strike
tents this evening, which we did, but rain
coming up, we pitched them again for shell
ter; expected all day for the enemy to adj
vance upon us.
July l1.-Struok tents again this morn
ing at daylight, suppose to deceive the en-
envy as to our force, &C.; drilled two and a
half hours on battalion drill.
Sunday, July 14.-Read twenty psalms;
helped draw provisions; cleaned up my pis-
toll, loaded it, and looked over a new paper:
have now just completed writing letter for
home; wonder why "Chadick' did not
preach.
July 1S-Received orders to strike tents
and cook two days provisions preparatory
for a march; this was done and we lay around
till evening before receiving orders-receiv-
ed them at last and went through Winches-
ter; stop in town until late, and bid farewell,
| suppose for the last time, to Winchester.
about O'Clock; marched nearly all night;
slept about two hours; found ourselves On
the road at daylight. the 18th, weary indeed;
rested a while and then marched to the
Shenandoah; rested there about hours,
waded the stream and pitched out again to
the relief of Beauregard, who they said was
pressed by overwhelming odds; arrived at
Piedmont station about one hour after dark,
completely worn out; went to sleep but was
aroused by rain in Few minutes, crept I'M
der shelter of wheat, but got wet, having
left my coat in the wagon; dried myself,
procured a shawl from Uncle Washington,
and slept until after midnight; was reused
up by orders to "fali in" did so and crowd
ed on board the cars for Manassas, where we
arrived about 10 o'clock A. NJ. of the goth;
rested while, bought some butter and pre-
pared to eat, having done without for two
days; received orders to march again and
said we were going right into the fight; heard
good deal of Dragging about the fight of
the 18th, though it was not much of fight;
moved about two miles and bivouacked in
the woods, where some bread and meat soon
reached US, and we walked right into it, like
starved hounds eat, now and then all day;
slept little and slept we'll at night; got up
little after sunrise on the 2lst, broiled my
meat and ate it with some old crackers full
of bugs; expecting orders to march every
moment, will get them, l think, for it is Sun
day; we will fight, l suppose, before another
week.
This closed the diary, and few hours la
ter the writer lay corpse upon the battle