The Dawson journal. (Dawson, Ga.) 1878-18??, 1885-02-19
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
The Battle at JonesborO, Ca, Twenty
Years Ago.
ATLANTA, GA,
Feb. 4th, 1885. {
OU' TUT, AOJU
EDITOR. DAWSON JOURNAL

your readers last friends
were killed, may not prove
pninteresting to all, if some
do pass it unnoticed. The writer
was participant, and writes from
memory, having taken no notes,
nor has he ever read a description
OF it from the pen of any histori-
an. If, therefore, he omits some
things that are important, please
attribute it to tho treachery of
memory of twenty years. This
letter will be devoted mainly to
the actions Of Company B, End
Ga. State Line. After a bitter
siege of Atlanta Of nearly two
months durationin, which our reg
iment performed, perhaps, as con-
splcuous a part as any in the Con-
federate army, during which time
the roar Of cannon and the rattle
OF musketry was not for moment
silenced-all on sudden the
last week i'll August, 1864, the fir
ing Of guns ceas, I'd and the much
hated yankee bugle toot to toot
and saucy brass band, that we had
directed thousands of shot and
shell to try to silence, were no
where to be heard, Multifarious
were the questions, and legion
were the conjectures as to the
breathless silence that pergaded
the lines in front Of the Gate City
that we had fought SO faithfully
two months to protect from the
incendiary torch that was SO
soon to lay it in ashes.
Some were SO skeptical as to
suppose that We hal persisted
them out, and that Sherlnan's
army was on stampede via
Chattanooga to the great north
west whore they could subsist un-
til the articles OF acknowledgment
of our independence would be
signed up and Dixie be free. Bat
alas! his fairy dream soon gave
way, when it was announced along
the line that Sherman had quietly
withdrawn his army by night
which had 50 long formed the
arc Of a semicircle half around
Atlanta, stretching from Decatur
street,covering Peachtree and Ma
rietta, and were rapidly approach
ing Jonesboro to cut US off from
all hope Of supplies; as the Cen
trail was the only railroad we had
then.
General Hood, who was then L
command Of our army, put tbs
whole command in rapid motion
during the night Of the 30th Of
August, and by a forced mare
we reached Jonesboro about
o'clock ON the 3lst, where We
found the enemy rapidly entrench.
ing themselves on the west side
Of the town on a high ridge il
commanding distance Of the town
As this letter is devoted to tht
part enacted by our regiment, ]
will narrow it down to it and t.
individuals. Our regiment was
in the center OF General Alder
Cummings Brigade, Stephenson's
Division, General Stephen d
Lees Corps, late command Of Gen.
Hood.
About2 o'clock, p. m, Angus
31st, our line of battle was hastily
thrown into position parallel t.
the railroad and about one hun
dred yards west Of it in sorghum
field in the upper part of town
As our gallant Colonel, Jane
Wilson, Lieut.. Col b. D. Evan
and Maj. n. ". Womble we're al
absent from the command at tn
time, it devolved upon Capt. [. j
Neal, of Go. E. from Harris coun
ty, to lead us in the desperat
charge. As he passed calml.
along the line saying, DRESS an,
move by the colors of the Bat
Ga. on the right" when they for
ward keep even pace, eff the
have to retreat do likewise" 20
could almost hear our heats beat
and perhaps the shaking of TIL
: wooden buttons on our coats wa
caused by intense anger, for 20
may guess we were very ma
when we looked across the ope
fold Of few hundred yards an
, saw three massive batteries place
in a semicircle, supported by Sc,
E eral successive lines of infantr