The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-08-20
"REMINISCENCES
OF THE
MACBETH LIGHT ARTILLERY
By ONK or THEM,


camp just inside Of our line OF Notifications in
the western suburbs Of Jackson, Mississippi.
Our camp was near the residence of Bishop
areen, q man Of great kindness Of hesrt, and
true patriot, who permitted us to get drinking
water from his cistern. I do not remember
that ever drank better. It's virtues NAV have
been somewhat magnifsd by the contrast with
tue surrounding water. BE that as it may, one
thing know, had it not been for tho Kindness
OF the Bishop we would have suffered for water.
When we reached Jackson tho organization
Oh an army for tho relief of vioksburg was
aooVs'y going on. The artillery companies
were placed under Major Graves, Gen. Breck-
enridges chief OF artillery, for equipping and
go'ung ready for the campaign then being in
auguratod for the relief Of Vicksburg. He was
man OF giant size, and possessed an energy
ana viii equally ss great rs mis- body was large.
Our cause lost an excellent soldier when he foil.
low months Afterwards, on tho blood washed
held OF Chicamauga. Tho weather was dry
and hot during our cncampment st jackson
but Maj. Graves did not stop for weather. He
drilled the artillery companies morning and
evening, and for hours at stretch. II was
through him. that our old guns were EXCHANGED
for battery Of new piecss-six beautiful Ma
poleon guns-and many of our exhausted horse,
turned over to tho Quartermarter and GOOD
horses given to us in the place of them. We
were better equipped for effective work than
we had been since tho organization Of the COM
pany. Tho Macbeth had n liking for Major
Graves, and ho evidently had good opinion
Of tho Macbeth.
1t was at Jackson, inspecting the brosstworks
near our camp that l saw Gems. johnson and
breckenridge for the first time. Tho troops
had fallen in lovo with johnson before thew ever
saw him. There is q magnetism about tho man
that inspires confidence aud keeps ones admi-
ration for him forever on tho increase. Gen.
Hreckenridgo was of different mould.
would speak of him physically as would Of
johnson intellectually, from q military stand.
point breckenridge was, by odds, the best
looking specimen of q soldier ever saw. I
have looked with the greatest admiration on tho
handsome form of General Lee. but tho superb
form OF Robert l.. Lee did not compare with
-thasissossperah,e fsnre Of John breckenridge.
We were in camp at Jackson one month, aud
during that time We eat more poor beef and
bad bread than we did all the balance Of the
war. Our bread was exclusively out Of meal
made from musty and wcavil-eaten corn, anil
our beef was Of that cohesive quality that gave
it tae character of an adhesive plaster. II was
reported, without contradiction, that the beef
cattle wore driven over pole three feet high
once each day and those too feeble to get over
the dead line, as it was called, furnished raions
for the soldiers tn at day. After VIC left Jackson
the water was no better than the beef
Vicksburg was fifty miles from jackson, and
We could distinctly hear the booming Of cannon
as they wcrc frcl into the city at regular inter
walls, so as to annoy and prevent our troop, shut
up there from resting. Sometimes the firing
became rapid, indicating that the enemy had
assaulted our works and the booming Of cannon
was now from our guns Tho Federals soon
tired Of making assaults, and concluded that
time If slower, was surer way Of reducing
our works at Vicksburg. The constant booming
Of cannon which at first prevented us, who were
fly miles away, from sleeping, had a stimulat-
Ing effect on johnson, causing him 10 hurry on
his preparation for the relief Of our m.n in
Vicksburg AS soon as our new army was or
ganized and drilled for the compAign, it passed
in review before johnson and on the next day,
tho 22d June, with three days cooked ratious,
wc made q flank movement towards Vicksburg.
This was tho beginning Of the shortest and
severest campaign of any with which tho Mac
beth was connected during the war. There had
been no rain in Mississippi for long time-
water was scarce and dust plentiful. The first
u.
march from jackson. The farmers in that Sec
tion Of the State threw up embankments across
ravines and caught supply Of water during
winter for their stock during the summer.
Water thus preserved became very hot under
the burning rays Of mid-summer's sun, and
was usually covered with Shiny green film. 1t
Was the home Of the wiggletail, tho nursery of
the mosquito, and the source Of numerous dis
eases. It was from such places that We got our
drinking aud cooking water. At first the SOL
dier that drank the most Of the water from
these stock ponds got the lions share Of wiggle-
tails. The soldiers, however, soon learned the
Mississippi plan Of taking advantage Of these
creatures. A sudden lick on the water fright
ensd them to the bottom, and before they re-
covered from their fright and returned to the
surface the soldier had gotten his fill and left.
Had the campaign for tho relief Of yioks burg
been protracted one and the fighting severe,
am quite confident we would have suffered
moro from disease contracted from drinking !
bad water than from the enemy's bullets. We
bivouaeed the first night after leaving jackson
at q place called Battle Springs. The spring
was very poor, and offered . meager supply o
water. The energy with which the soldiers
oontended for Il was striking evidence Of the
appropriateness Of IL, name. On the 23d W,
made another days march towards vioksburg
going into camp that night on Mrs. Cassaway'i
farm, in Madison county, where we rested fol