Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-09-18
War Rooollections.

the most lndellDle impress upon memory
more so than matters Of the gravest
Importance. With the soldier this fact
is more fully felt, perhaps, than with
others. How few are there that partici-
pated in the late struggle but remember
the trivial incidents attending with
clearer distinctness than they do the
great events that marked tie four years
war; 'Tis so with me, and doubt not
there are many who will say the same.
Rejecting on the memorable past, l
recall one or two incidents that have no
particular bearing upon the war, yet
they retain place in memory-fresh
and green-a recital of which will not be
uninteresting to at least few that par
ticipated in them. Perhaps the battle of
Belmont hardly ever occurs to memory
now, yet that hundred and twenty-eight
pound shell th't scattered confusion
among the blue-coats, just as we were
starting across the river, can be seen by
the minds eye as plainly as upon that
7th of November. Comrades, can you
help smiling when you remember how
promptly you "fell in" to repel an
attack from a harmless raft, floating by
Randolph 2 I'll warrant j. D., or, as we
we're wont to call him, " Old Sister d.,
has not forgotten how he was made to
"mark time in the guard tent for say
ing II won't" Have any of you for
gotten what mastery strokes Captain @.
(then Lieutenant) made with his sword
at that rabbit crossing the field at
Shiloh, just moment before Gen.
Bragg's aid ordered Col. Smith to the
front and into action. The remark made
by the lamented Polk, Monday morning,
while we were preparing to charge the
enemy, "Go in, and give them what
Cheatham says" lives in connection
with the memory of the illustrious chris
tian soldier. One particular incident,
occurring at later date, affords consid-
erable amusement to think Of 1t was
when tho army halted at Jonesboro Ga. +,
from following Gen. Sherman, who had
returned to Atlanta to execute that mas
tsrly piece of generalship, turning the
women and children out OF house and
home, and banishing them beyond his
lines. At this time our haversacks
were not over weighty, and foraglng
over the already devastated country was
attended with but little success, Three
messmates and myself conceived the
idea of making bucket full of sorghum
to replenish our scanty larder, To put
this into execution it required all the
tact and ingenuity of on old soldier, as
the sequel proved, more than either of
US possessed. Thoughtless of any OBJ
stacle, one morning we slung our can
teens on our shoulders, and with two
empty buckets started for sorghum
patch we had discovered in previous
foraging excursion. Arriving there, the
first thing was to secure kettles for boil
ing the syrup, so.called. The present
writer was unanimously chosen spokes-
man of the party to make an appeal to an
elderlyJemale living near by, for the re-
quired kettles. Laying aside his predomi-
mating modesty and bashiulness upon
such occasions, and summoning all the
persuasive eloquence he could command,
he approached the door and, without
any comments upon the weather, ma
tional affairs, etc, stated the object OF
his mission. With a suspicious assent
his request was granted, and he quickly
returned, bearing one of the kettles to
his waiting comrades, two Of whom he
sent for the other one. In the meantime
the elderly female" before mentioned,
came out aud, seeing the direction we
were taking the vessels wanted to know
"Whar we was Rgwine to get our cane.
We very innocently replied, Up there "
pointing to the patch. No, yer amt
acwine ter do nolhin' of ther kind.
"Why, madam is it not abandoned by
the owner p No. t amt Mr.. Buck
land, when he left Civ US that cane, and
yer amt agwine to hsv it, leastways,
yer can't have my kettles. Seeing that
now was. the time to exercise all his
skill, the spokesman brought to bear the
most urgent appeals, referring in pa
thetic tones to the scarcity Of our stock
of eatabes and the many tribulations
we we're forced to pass through to obtain
| sufficient to keep soul and body together,
/ but to no purpose the female was
not to be moved, so the spokesman
changed his tack and fell back on au-
/ thority, military necessity, etc, but he
woke up the wrong one that time. She
squared herself and let him have a
storm Of words worse than battalion Of
Napoleous, double charged with CAMS
ter, winding up with, You may
Just clear out | amt agwine to take
yer sass any longer" The spokesman
| seeing he could expect no reinforcement
| from his companions, who sat quietly
/ enjoying the scene, very gallantly with
drew. This did not entirely upset our
sorghum project; but as We went back
to where the mill for crushing the cane
was standing, we thought 10 grind out
our buckets full, and carry it to camp
and boil it down. All four put our
shoulders to the lever, and 10 we could
scarcely bulge it. 'Tis needless to say
this was enough to induce Us to abandon