Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-12-13
sTEvENsOH's WAR REEIINIs.
CENCES.
A Young Tennesseean's Expert
enee During the Late Un-
pIeasantness.

A New York letter to the Cincin
natl Enquirer says: You we'll know
V. X. Stevenson, Of Tennessee. |
lately met his son, who is one Of our
most enterprising real estate men.
Said he: when the war broke out
was q small boy, and was sent to the
Confederate West Point at Marietta,
Ga, where we had about 600 cadets.
My father subscribed to 100000 Of
the Confederate loan at par. He lost
all his negroes, and | am glad OF it
Although was on the opposite side,
am perfectly satisfied with the result,
pand SO is.eyerybody else Of good sense
that | have talked to. Our ladies in
the South were so gallant for the war
that they really made me believe
could 90 out with a wheat straw and
whip every invader across the lines.
MY grandfather, after the Federals
got into Chattanooga became SO pa.
triotic that he wrote my father letter
that | ought to be taken out Of the
military school and sent TO the battle
field My father merely inclosed the
letter to me without any remarks, and
thereupon | went to the commandant
Of the academy and asked 'or my dis
charge, as | was going to enlist in the
ranks to be sent to the front. | en-.
listed in an Irish regiment, entirely
composed Of railroad laborers, and we
started for the battle field Of Chicka
manga in box cars, every soldier being
possessed OF a canteen filed with New
Orleans rum. You can imagine what
a diabolical scene was in that car
fighting all the way along but | was
regarded as quite a young hero. We
had terrible battle, and in the ex>
citement had no time to think. II
got cut, however, who my father was,
and was put on the staff Of a man
named Benton Smith, who was only
twenty three years old aud General.
Benton Smith" resumed Mr.. Ste
uensOn, being called the boy Gene
raj, concluded that he must have a
staff entirely Of boys He was a prod
icy Of audacity and courage, but his
high, nervous nature al last wore him
out. He always kept his aids right up
to the front, and | saw that unles:
something happened would be shot
just before the big battle at Atlanta
where Mcpherson was killed, Smiths
brigade was reinforced by a Georgia
regiment nearly thousand strong.
went to hospital the morning Of thai
battle, where | saw a pile Of legs anC
arms amputated, and it made me sicl
at the stomach, being quite another
lesson Of the war. Finding one of oui
aids with several canteens Of peact
brandy, | asked him to let me hav,
one to settle my stomach, and drank
the whole Of it. Smith then ordered mi
to lead the Georgia regiment into the
battle. was blind drunk, and charged
my horse right over the Federal ram
parts. He had both eyes shot out anC
both knees broken; aud as went up thu
rampant | could hear the Yankees cry
all down the line, Don't shoot that
boy My life was really saved by my
youth. 1t WAS that charge, as hav
understood, which led to Mcpherson
death. | was twice promoted for gal
lantry on the battle field, and upon N
soul it was nothing but that peacl
brandy"
What other battles did you g
into2"
II was in the fight at JoBesborough
where we we're badly whipped, an,
then went to Tuscumbia, Ala, an,
continued on with Hoods invasion O
Tennessee. At the battle OF Nash
willie had the good fortune to be cap
tured, and was sent to Fort Delawar
for a good many months. There m
, mothers brother, Judge Catror
OF the Supreme Court, sent m
. 800 a month. Toward the close {
the war my father. with r. I. Wilson
: of this city. Mr.. Evans, President q
one Of the Wall street banks, and on
other, established the Bee Line o
blockade runners from Wilmington t
: Liverpool, and they put their profit
in bank 10 England. So, when | cam
= to New York | found my father quit
comfortable, and | have been but 8
hours in Tennessee since the wG
5 closed.