The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-11-17
STORY
An Ex-Confederate's Rernin-
iscence Of the War.
Thy the Hatred of One Man for Another
Turned to Affection.

Being, as / am, a man of no educa-
tion-never have been given a fair
show in my younger days-the reader
Is asked to excuse my plain language
and bad grammar.
You must know that I belonged to
the Fifteenth Alabama infantry, and
that we went to the front pretty early
In the war. We thus had our pick of
good men. In my company the third
corporal was a powerful big chap
named Sam Chaplin, who had been
overseer on a plantation near Hunts
vile. He was not only big and pow
erful but his habits had made a selfish,
overbearing and cruel man of him.
He hadn't been in the company a week
before half the men were down on
him for his meanness.
Big Sam also had his dislikes, but
there was onc man he hated in partic-
ular. I shouldn't have said man, for
be was only a boy II years old-slim,
palc-faced and as timid in look as a
girl. Sam took a hatred of this boy
on sight. and he let no occasion pass
to nag him and render his hard lot
still harder. Jimmie. as the boy was
called. had no complaint to make. He
was OF a forgiving disposition, and no
matter what he felt or thought, we
never heard him condemning anybody
by word of mouth. Some of US would
have killed Big Sam mad we been in
Jimmie's place, but such a thing as
striking back seemed never to have
occurred to the boy. Well. one day
when a part of our regiment was cut
off from the brigade by a flank move
ment Of the Union troops. and our
situation was desperate, our captain
steps out and says:
"BOys, l want to send word to
Colonel -. Where's the man who'll
take it p
lie was looking right ut Big Sam all
the time, but that individual turned
two shades whittier. and hid himself in
the rear ranks, muttering that nobody
but a fool would try to push past 5000
\ ankee muskets with the message.
h first thing we knew Jimmie had
mounted a horse from which some Of
hcer had been shot and was riding
away. How he ever ran that gaunt-
let with his life was more than l could
ell, but he did get through, and down
came enough of our forces to help us
out of the box.
This was new cause for Big Sam to
hate Jimmie. The boy had not only
exhibited greater courage in the face
If danger. and right before US all, but
ae was promoted to second corporal.
This was 4 promotion right over the
bead of Big Sam. and he felt it to the
ends of his fingers. He couldn't nag
the boy any more. and | have no doubt
ae swore a solemn oath to kill him at
tho first opportunity. Indeed. he
hinted as much. and became so ugly
and abusive to all that some Of us
wanted to kill him.
Well, in about six weeks we had
another tussle with the Yanks. We
got into it hot and heavy. and as we
were driving them for the moment l
found myself alongside of Big Sam.
We were disputing for a rise Of ground,
and far in advance Of us, carrying the
flag which the color bearer had dropp-
I'd as Il bullet had hit him. was Corpo-
raj Jimmie. 1 was feeling proud to
see him there, when, as heaven is my
Judge, l saw Big Sam raise his musket.
take deliberate aim at the boy, and
next moment Corporal Jimmie went
down.
1t was a hurlyburly time, with grape
and lead cutting all around US, and l
let the incident pass for a time, de-
termined, though, that Big Sam should
pay the forfeit after the battle.
We kept On and on, but as we rose
the hill we were checked. In five
minutes more we were being driven.
and that vas how it came about that
Corporal Jimmie. with his left arm
broken by Big Sans bullet. found
himself lying beside the ex-overseer
who had a Yankee bullet in his leg.
There were plenty Of others wounded,
md some dead ones, too, but our two
men lay almost side by side. Big Sam