The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-02

New Orleans, and cam up the his>is
.inoi river 10 Tennessee, and WAS on the
nam with the first troops sent from Ala
hama TO Richmond and happened to
occupy seat Immediately 10 front OF
Andrew johnston. afterwards fre>ilent
/ OF the United States, and then he I'll the
first gruans gwen IN con'emp's ~ MS
treacbery 70 the South, winch were re-
ne,ted al every station. when It was made
known that he wa on board the train.
On r.turnln. home 70 North Carolina,
| found myself a candidate Tor the on
yeDtlon which had been called by the
Legislature during my absence, 10 which
Convention | was elected without olpo.i
ton. The election was on the 18th OF May.
md | proceeied al once to Raleigh, and
sigted the Ordinance OF Secession on The
10Th May. 1901. aud whist a member
advocated the most extensive war meas
ures. la a short tine after the organlza-
ton OF the ten regiments OF state
Troops" raised for, and by request OF the
Confederate government, 1 was offered
b. COY. EGis the Lieutenant ColoneIcy OF
/ the oth iteeImeut, or the majority OF the
2nd cavalry, OF majority If the 4th Reg
iment. which latter | accepted. | len
NY deficiency OF a knowledge OF military
tactics. and Co. Geo. i Anderson, a
graduate 81 " est Point, was Colouel OF
the An Infantry, whilst The others were
otnceTed by inexperienced civilians like
myseli, and | preferred u subordinate pos
iiion with einc eut officer, TO higher rank
with officers without experience. la con-
sequence OF this appointment | resigned
my >eatlnth Convention and revisited ny
home for three day 10 arrange my bust
ness matters, anu then reported TO he
commanding officer OF my regiment. " l b
was organizing at camp near Ga.y>burg,
remained drilIiug until ordered forward,
July 2oth, 1861, To Richmond, to be II
supporting distance 10 be called TO Ma
nss,as III case t need, and arrived al
Manassas 2gth july, 1861, a few day
after bull Run aud Manassas fights.
when The change OF habits induced a Sc
rious attaca Of sickness.
| received permission 10 visit the Bui
Ran nountaIus 10 temperate. After .
short absence | retur Ell to my command.
and remained with tue regiment until The
evacuation Of Nidnas.a, under Gen. jos
l.. Johnston IN uarch, 1867, then in com
maud OF ny regiment, a Col Aiu,rsor
pas in Of the post Manassas anc
troops IA that section Camped on Clark
IN ~untAla, near tie Rapilan river, unit
Airll Sth wA the command was order
IL to loIhiu ~, which pCInt vas reached
o4 fiie @u Accompanied Col. Ander.
. d when he reported TO Gen Rains iol
issy and alter assignment to certain
',sJz, civilian like suggested to Gen
Ra.ae that the regiment be not divided
ivr duty as he instructed, but kept inta t
aud i sma Ter regiment placed where
these J. iSts were intended. not wishing t
be rel in separate command, the Lieu
ten4u t%,lonel beng absent.
Here for the first time | became ac
QuaIntcd with the fire OF the enemy an
was assigned the post OF commander o
he picket line which | sustained unti
the evacuation OH the night of the 3rl
OF MaA. when | was LEFT in charge o
the picket me 0. infantry, with lustruc.
tons to keep up As usual the firing
throughout the uight, and retire abou
dap H.. which Was very perilous, as tor
pedoes had been planted on all tn,
roads and streets leading into yorktown
and my picket hal to be kept outside o
the euemy's fire. About the middle o
the day | regained my command. anC
encampe, with them near WILLIAMSBURG.
for the night, and next day asked leave
OF absence to visit the venerable iusti
tuition, William and Mary's College,
during which visit the fight commenced
and carried oil by the excitement. | fol
lowed the sounds Of strife unit in I'll,
midst OF the battle and never realized
my danger until | saw several officer.
and couriers OF Gen. Johnston killed
i thiTl-ipr thot fEa1n ttps no IRON Z l3n.r,,
SO long as | was no nearer the stril,
than the commanding General. it thrI
being a prevalent idea. which vas after
wards exploded on our side. that the
General officers never occupied posts o
danger. Seeing the FLAG Of my regimen
advancing. | rode up to go Ia with i
and remarked to Col. Anderson, 81
hope you have not required my ser
vices " And then l.. the only severe
abrupt manner used towards me before
or after. | wa, informed hat my con
'uct was uniniltary. and my proper pc.
~.ton was y TIA my regiment.
The participation OF the 18th Regi
.hent was slight. and the Brigade Com.
mander beng + acrd in command o
the field Oh bait e. the command Of the
Brigade deVolve,i u.'nn Col. Anderson
and that OF tie regiment upon me.
when Col. Andersen remarked that he
would ta,e ADVANTAGE Of my knowledge
af the field of battle. ! having been
present during most OF the engagement
and knew the localities. and thus riding
over the field we continued together
until near daylight. when we were
Withdrawn. This nignt. though m MAY.
was one OF the most dsagretablc Of my
army experience. Il heavy penetrating
mist. nearly freezing the men TO tn,
bone. VIXEN all would huddlc together
for the mutual warmth of their bodies.
and when my horse became the centr.
for the regiment, around which they col.
le, ted the first few attracted by tie an.
imal heat from the horses body. unit.
they formed 4 complete mass Of men.
fr m ihence TIE army retired slowly.
but always IN the a'.lt. to the Chica-
homiry river While there by an alarm
Of the approach of The enemy, the tent.
were ali struck ard wagons sent toward
Richn ond leaving the army t~entless and
comfortless in the midst of a cold driz
q ing rain, when taking possession of a
rice-tierca. or hogsheaj. which | shared
with Col Anderson, | became perhaps
the most comfortable of all that host. a.
all comfort goes by comparison.
| was ,hen ordered with the regiment
near K chmond, aud ordered to report to
Gen. Garland. Col. Anderson being in
temporary command Of Featherstone's
Brigade, aud withdrawn aud returned To
Col Anderson in time to participate in
the battle Of Seves Pines on May 3Ist,
1862, which engagement | entered into
with p officers and 500 non oommi.
stoned officers and priyates. All the Of
6cers were killed or wounded excep, ms
self, with fG2 men killed and wounle T..
| attacked The fort aud reloubt where
ny horses head was blown off, and fall
ing So suddenly as t. catch my foot and