The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-11-12
"REMINISCENCES
or THE
MACBETH LIGHT ARTILLERY.
by ONE OF THEM.
No. 1G.

We returned from our last raid into Tennessee
with Dr. Becker under arrest. lie was of that
temperament that made him as restless as the
waves of the and rowing rs a wild beast
| Whether in camp on u march it was matter
| of chance if he was with the company when
needed. Colonel Palmer was q rigid discipline
| rian, and his orders against struggling and dep
| relations were strict and strictly enforced. DIR.
Peckcr ovcrrodo or these orders and was
placed under arrest. The army regulations re-
Iuired charges to be preferred against the SOL
diers of the Confederacy within nine days after
| the arrest DR.. B. bore his confinement with
| unusual patience; but the moment his watch
clicked of the hour that ended the ninth day
| he mounted his little gray pony and went dash
| ing up Main street, bowiug and saluting every
body, right and left. Col. Palmer had forgotten
| oil about the arrest, and on meeting the Doctor,
| he sad :" / forgot to issue the order for your
| release. Will do as soon rs / return to my
Office
Put yourself to no trouble, Col, carry the
| regulations in my pocket" and on he went.
The Doctor in his happicst mood when
| discoursing music for the benefit Of others
After much practice in vocal and instrumental
music, he gave two concerts Mt night on Battery
Porter. The two buglcrs, Joe Bennett and Jno
Roger, with 4 selection from the best voices in
the company, made music to The satisfaction of
| the large audiences that honorcd the company
| with their presence these delightful occa-
sions. | can now sec the men, dressed in their
| military costume, they sang the then popular
| Southern airs with spirit and animation. l
| remember, when enchored back, with what en-
phasis they repeated:
"Up with the bars and down with tho stars
For Lincoln and his hireling crew whip the
SOUTH
believe it was from the last concert that DR..
Becker CHANGED to see young lady home, who
| had gotten lost from her escort. The young
| man took umbrage at what he regarded rs an
| interference on the part of the Doctor, and
declared vengeance. Some Of the Macbeth
| heard the threat and followed the young man
| into town to see that the Doctor was not harmed.
They were reported to one Mr.. Gibson, an al
| jutant oa Gen. Palmcr's staff, who felt his i'm
portance far more than General Lao .l;.' l.
guard house. On returning to the camp '"e
| Doctor rassed the guard house, and hnu'hs
some Of the Macbeth had gotten into 'rouo'e
l hncanSc
took it upon himself to release them. o'h'
cous,ic letters passed between them. Inc DOG
| Tor wos threatened with punishment II he again
| u.alled with affairs outside Of the medical de-
parmcnt
Notwithstanding it was October, that pr'hce'y
month OF the year, when the season Is MUS
, invicoratine and the air mild and eXhi'ar"''"e
hal n,sscd away. and winter, real and earnest
lbsd set in, and we werc hibernatins III our wiz
went s'cady Uh:' -Ime"h .af human m. aestr"c''o'
oppression were cutting nearer and nearer IN,
'na'S oil the Confederacy, aud the young notiop
b born amidst adverse circumstances. was ANNA,
emily tottering to its fall. But our soldiers wor
sliil Vlgllant, active, rcsolute and bonef,l
Lieut. iorter and the writer had put up a snuc
littc cabin OH the Battery Porter hill, and wcr,
as cozy during the chilly blasts of winter os !;
we had been in some lordy palace. The mon
were all correspondingly comfortably we'll of
o"'uoor ahiusements had been driven within
| doorS' anu the young ladies Of Ashcyillc boJ
| oeguh to give parties to which tho offccrs q,
the Macbeth were generally invited. The first
party We attended broke up about one o'clock
III night, that Is, the officers returned To thcir
camp at that hour. The next day it was whis-
pcred on tho streets that the officers of tho
Macbeth were lacking in gallantry: that tho
young ladies at tho party had no escorts and
| were left to get home rs best they coulJ Tho
iuPresS'oh hai been made on our minds that
| inc young ladies would remain all ncht anil
hence our action. The matter was fulIv die
cusscd among us, and OH starting to the ncxt
party, week OF 50 afterwards, il was agreed
mar IN" motion to adjourn shnnld come from
the ladies That nj ght the ladies had gone 10
spend the night with the young lady who gave
the party Imagine If you can, the patience
| OF the officers of the Macbeth as they waited
from one clock till the rcveille summoncd
them from the party to the compopv roll. call
the next morning ThI street talk that followed
the previous party vas The rock OF oicnsc over
winch we stumbled into this, Il worse prclica
ment than the first. We had watched the dial or
time as II registered one, two three and r,ur
o clock, and wondered at the interest tl,,t hold
tho party together so long anil 50 we'll When
uay came we LETT, i'll answer to rcycille NJ comp
regretting that, instead of rclceming ourselves,
we had given occasion for more criticism.
1t was not o great while before we had an
o'hcr opportunity t" ri sht ourselves The rarty
tins time was at the widow Patton's. and
handsome entertainment it was The evening
was not only an enjoyable one, but we had tie
pleasure OF seeing the ladies' to their respective
homes. Then followed a delightful evening ot
our friends, the Mddetons.
Among other friends in Asheville that we can
never forget, were DR. and Mr., rLo, |
l lhe DOCTOR was ii warm-hcartcl Christian min
'S'"r' whose wisdom Of words and genial spirit
m"dr his society source of pleasure and de-
Ilght' Nnd his good wife. Mrs Chapman. was
a noble woman, with head and heart biohIv