The Iola register., 1889-05-17
THE OTHER SIDE.


were indeed interested, as none of us
had ever been near so large town, it
containing about 5000 or $4,000 in
habitants, and we of course, looked and
wondered. We marched directly
tlrouyl, the city from the Danville
depot to Camp Lee, and were there
auarterej for period of five or SIX
weeks.
Our quarters were in some shantles
and we slept on the naked floors, and
it did seem as though our bones would
cut through our hides. Especially
was this the case with the lean part OF
us. It was here that we got our first
supply of yermin. Other troops had
been here and left good supply Of the
creeping things of the earth, ana we
sf course, soon found ourselves we'll
stocked. Our captain, who had been
IA soldier in the war with Mexico told
US that he was stocked for the rest OF
the war, and that there was no way to
get rid of them. This made us very
uneasy and / remember that some OF
us even sat down and cried, but we did
rid ourselves for short periods, but
would again get into an old camp and
yet new outfit. So the captains
words proved true, for they kept us
company the most of the time till the
war was over, and then we took load
tn the loved ones at home.
I will now skip the period OF time
from March '62 to the commence ment
Of the Seven Days Battles on the Pen
insula lust below Richmond, as | wish
10 tell your readers something more
about that bloody seven days work
than they have ever learned,
/ will simply state, however, that,
during this interval, we marched more
than 1900 miles and fought several
hard battles, one in which our first
captain was shot dead and several 9th.
ers Of the company were killed and
wounded.
The death of our captain put dam
per on the boys, as he was good man
and bv the way, was brother of old
Judge McComas, of FIT. Scott. Onr
first Lieutenant then became our cap
tain, bnt he was poor excuse, as he
was slave to strong drink, and would
frequently get too drunk to ride his
horse. But the whisky made him
fearless, and he never failed to have on
n supply when battle came on. How
ever / must say to his credit that he
quit drinking after the war and he
stil, lives to think and tell about the
Dloody past. Often during the war
we would have to tie him up to keep
him from killing some OF us. 1t was
during these years that the writer
learned the great curse of whisky.
This country was full of it. One half
Of our company-120 men-loved it,
and it was not an unusual thing, when
81 i,,t ha xrnoIu or n, nr0ha r1 In
see a drunk and raving man tied to
each tree. 1t was unlawful to sell
whisky 70 the soldiers but they got il
nevertheless. But back to Richmond
We arrived at Richmond on the 22nd
day of June, 1868, and immediately
moved out to the front where the pick.
cts of the two great armies were con
fronting each other and popping away
We could see tens of thousands OF
troops moving In all directions, march
ing a1d concentrating and getting
ia position for the conflict.
Our battery consisting of six twelve
pound Napoleon guns was placed upon
an elevation in an old field and in plair
view OF the enemy's batteries. distance
six hundred yards. Both armies were
busy at work throwing up earthwOrks
planting torpedoes etc. Hundreds q
officers could be seen riding back anC
forth along the lines, When the sur
again went down cloar and red behinC
some timber away to the western hori
zon, dark was again upon ms and al
was hushed save an occasional crack
of picket's rifle discharged probably
NJ the rattling of the dry leaves as they
were famed by the gentle breeze of &
summers night. o. the tens of thous
snds of waiting and anxious heart:
there was along that line that night
Just think of the positions of those two
great parties, North and South, and
think what great things depended Oh
the inoTr0w's conflict, on the part o
the South the question Of slavery, or
rather, the continuation of one of The
greatest aristocracies that ever existed
aud Oh the part of the north the pre-
servation Of the Union-the grandes
government that ever was known, the
freedom of the slaves, and the genera
development of the people at large.
This, | think, was the position oc
cuped that dark night. But day il
breaking. The grand old sun ha.
made his circuit and we see steaks o
daylight IN the clear sky i'm the east
We are commanded to form in line
Once in line we are ordered to la,
down and keep quiet which command
we gladly obey and remain in thi
humble position until the sun is a
least two hours high, and pouring hi
burning rays upon our chilled backs
causing the vermin or lice to chang,
their position and also get ready TO
action. But now, far in the enemy
rear we hear heavy firing of artillery
and also the rattle Of musketry, an(
are soon informed that the reports
come from the army of Stonewal
Jackson, who has during the nigh
stolen a march on the enemy and sue
ceeded in gaining his.rear And tha
the great army of the Union now lal
at our mercy between Jackson's corp
and the great army of Northern Nir
ginia was indeed encouraging news t
The Southern troops and when we re
ceived 4 command to move forwarC
we rushed into the battle with grea
courage and were successful in turning
the enemy's right flank and hurlinJ
him off in the direction of the James
This was grand victory on the par
of the CoDfeds.-one which / hav
often thought it was grand pity W
ever won-as it only served to encouT
age Us and thereby caused the continu
alton Of the great strife just that mucI
the longer. However We left many
some 5000 of our boys dead on th
field, besides several thousand MAIN
ed and bleeding poor fellows that W
hauled into the Richmond hospitals
This was the fourth big killing tina
we had had-Mannasas, Bull Run
Yorktown and this, and it began I,