The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-08-20
"REMINISCENCES
or TIE
MACBETH LIGHT ARTILLERY.
BY OSH or THEM.
No. 10.

VII INC --0u May, lSbj tho Macbeth went into
camp just inside Of our line OF fortidcstions in
the western suburbs Of Jackson, Mississippi.
Our camp was near the residence of Bi,bop
Green, man Of great kindness Of heart, and a
true patriot, who permitted MS to get drinking
water from his ciscrn. l do not remember
that ever drank better. Its virtues may have
been somewhat magnifsd by the contrast with
the surrounding water lie that as il NAV. ono
thing know, had it not been for tho Kindness
OF the Bishop we would have suffered for water.
when we reached Jackson the organization
OF an army for tho relief of Vicksburg was
actively going on. The artillery companies
were placed under Major Graves, Gen. Brcck-
enridgcs chief OF artillery, for eQuipping and
getting ready for the campaign then being in
auSuratcd for the relief Of Vicksburg. lie wa,
man OF giant size, and possessed an energy
and will equally as great rs mis- body was large.
Our cause lost an excellent soldier when he fell
few months afterwards, on the blood washed
field of Chicamauga. The weather was dry
aha hot during cGr cncampment Mt Jackson,
hut Maj Graves did not stop for weather. lie
drilled the artillery comrane. morning and
evening, and for hours at a sire tch. II wa,
through him. that our old guns were EXCHANGED
for battery of new pccos-six beautiful Na-
po!con guns-and many of our exhausted horses
turned OYER to the Quartcrmarter and good
horses Sivon 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 hal n liking for Major
Graves, and hc evidently had a good opinion
Of tho Macbeth
1t was ut Jackson, inspecting the breastworks
near our camp, that l saw Gems johnson and
breckenridge for the first time The troons
had fallen in love with Johnson before they ever
saw him. There is magnetism about the man
that inspires confidence and keeps ones almi-
ration for him forever on the increase. Go,
Grec6enridsc was Of different mould.
would speak of him physically as | would Of
johnson intellectually, from military stand
point. breckenridge was, by Odds the best
looking specimen Of soldier l ever saw.
have looked with the greatest admirati on ON tho
handsome form OF General Lee, but the ,uperb
form of Robert L. Lee did not COMPARE with
th', meow, rail-" f,rGrc or John Rre,k.pridco
We were in camp at Jackson ono month, and
during that time We cat more poor beef and
bal bread than va did all the balance OF tho
war nur hrcrl was exclusively out of meal
male from mugiy aul wcayil-caten cora, AMI
our beef was Of that cohesive quality that gave
it tac character Of an adhesive plaster. 1t va,
reported, without contradiction, that the beef
cattle were driyca pole three feet high
once each lay aul those too feeble to get over
the dead line, ~ it was called. furnished ralions
for the soldiers that day. After we left Jackson
the water was y" better than the beef
Nicksburg was fifty miles from Jackson, and
we could distinctly hear the booming Of cannon
az they were ijrci into the city 1T regular inter
walls, So as to annoy and prevent our troops shut
up there from resting. Sometimes the firing
becamc rapid, indicating that the enemy hal
nssaultc our works and the booming Of cannon
was now from our guns. The Felcrals soon
tircl or making assaults, anil concluded that
time, if slower, was way Of reducing
orr works at Nich$bur5. The constant booming
of cannon which at first prevented us, who we're
fifty miles away. from sleeping, had stmuat-
ing effect "n Johnson, causing him to hurry
his preparation for the relief OF our men in
Nickshurg. As soon as new army WAS or
in review before Johnson anl on the next day
the I'D June, with three days cooked rations,
VIC made n flank movement toward. Nicksburg.
This was the beginning of the shortest and
sevcrcst campaign &C any with which the Mac
beth was connected during tho war There hal
been rain in Mississippi for Il long time
water was scarce and dust plentiful. The first
hal Ioic ,r
march from Jackson. The farmer, in that sec
tion Of the State threw up cmbankm kmcnts across
ravinos and caught supply OF water during
winter for their stock during the summer
Water thus preserved became very hot under
the burning rays Of a milsummcr's sun, and
wa, usually covered with Shiny green film. 1t
was tho home Of the wigg otail, the nursery of
the mosquito, and the source Of numerous dis
cases. 1t was from such places that we got our
drinking and cooking water At first the SOL
dcr that drank the most of the water from
these stock ponds got the lions share of wgslc-
tails The soldiers, however, soon learned the
Mississippi plan of taking advantage of these
creatures 4 sudden lick on the water fright
ened them to the bottom, and before they re-
covered from their fright anl returned to tho
surface the soldier hal gotten his fill ani left.
Had the campaign for the relief Of Vicks burg
been protractcd one AMI the fighting severe.
am quite confident we would have suffered
more from disease contracted from drinkin ),
bad water than from the cncmy's bullets. We
tivouaccl the ir.t night after leaving Jackson
at q place called Battle Springs The spring
was very poor, and offered meagcr supply OF
water. The energy with which the soldiers