The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-01-31

at midnight we &woke by the ringing
of the bugle ia our ears. We were Or
dered to arise Immediately, strike our
tents, load them and all our camp
equipage into the baggage wagons and
be ready to marchsin fifteen minutes.
This new and unexpected order Great
ed still more excitement in me, and l
rushed to the Colonei's quarters to liz
quire what was up and to where We
were ordered, and when 1 approached
him and ventured the inquiry he
merely smiled, and said "You may
now bid farewell to these swamps and
also to Miss Baker. You will tell Capt.
French to move out Immediately and
to take the South Mills road" I then
ventured to ask him to what'point we
were ordered. He answered by say
ing ave have q ten days. march be-
fore U.S. I thanked him and turned
about to leave him when he remarked:
"The Capital is in danger" This was
enough, for 1 now understood that our
destination was Richmond; and in
this was right. The route was to be
made over land. via Norfolk, Suffolk,
Petersburg and thence to Richmond,
and the distance was 1876 miles. 1t
was a long, weary march for us, but
We had grown tired Of the swamps
and were anxious to get out of them.
though come Of us, for reasons not
fully explained, cast long, lingering
thought back as we departed.
There were a few amusing incidents
occurred along our line of march as we
proceeded. This march was made
just as our troops evacuated Norfolk
and Yorktown. and proceeded to gath.
er around and concentrate the South.
ern forces around Richmond in order
to head off little Mac.-"The Young
Napoleon, las the Union people termed
him at that time, and title that he
was justly entitled to. However, ]
dare not say much in honor of this lat
ter hero, as 1 fear I might again be as
sailed by some of those that do not ad.
mire him or his military career. The
first thing that occurred on our line of
march worth noticing was while We
were halted for few minutes in the
streets of Suffolk. This is quite a lit.
tie town, and is situated some twelve
or fifteen miles from Norfolk on the
Norfolk and Petersburg pike. I re-
member it was while we were halted
here that we heard the tremendous re-
port of the destruction of the Merri.
mac, or Virginian, as We called her,
She was the most powerful war vessel
that the South owned, and when that
country was evacuated by the land
forces, and as the James river did not
furnish a sufficient amount of water to
float her, she either had to be destroy
ed or else fall into the hands of the
Union troops. So she was anchored 10
the Hampton Roads and then destroy.
ed and her magazines were 30 exten-
sive that when she was blown up We
plainly felt the vibration for distance
of at least 20 miles, and the glass in
the buildings ratified.
1t was here that we learned that this
whole country was to be evacuated
and given up to the enemy, and the
Southern boys became indignant over
the matter, and swore that if the
country was all to be given up to the
Yankees that they would quit and 60
home. Several Of our company lived
in this country and it was hard indeed
for them to leave their homes and
friends in the hands of the enemy and
some of them talked of quitting the
army and remaining at home. These
threats reached the ears of the officers,
and they caused several Of these boys
to be tied to the pieces and marched in
that condition for several days.
1t was on this march that we re-
cruited 15-year-old boy that shall
never forget. He was a poor, sickly
little fellow, and after he had been
with US a few days he became tired OF
soldier life, got home-sick and cried to
go back and see his mother. When
told that he could not return he ran
off, but was overtaken and brought
back, and when we reached Petersburg
he was court martialed and shot to
death with musketry. He was moth
ing but a child, and when set upon
his pine coffin and his hands tied be-
hind him, preparatory to receiving the
fatal volley he cried pitifully to gee his
mother, but the command was given
and the aim was taken the deadly
volley was fired and the little fellows
head fell OH bis breast, and he was no
more. These things occurred fire.
quently in the Southern army, and in
nine cases out of every ten Of this kind
whisky was to blame, for these courts
martial were invariably attended with
a great deal of drunkenness. I have
seen officers presiding over these
courts-martial that were SO beastly
drunk that they could not walk
straight. And such is war!
We met many people, both men and
women, on this march that begged
pitifully for US to remain with them.
as they dreaded to be left in the hands
of the enemy. They did not seem to