The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-16
SARGE PLUNKETT.
Gathering OF the old Soldiers at Sirmins-
ham-An Incident OF the Seige at
Petersburg, al Related by an Old
Confederate Veteran.
ATLANTA Constitution.

guess that rybody is willing that
the truth should prevail in what is sent
out to posterity as the history OF our
times. 4 great convention is soon to
meet at Birmingham, Ala, and part
Of its work will be to dicuss and decide
happenings Of the war about which
there are "disagreeinents amony the
DOCTORS" This convention will be
composed of the leaders of the confeder-
acy who are yet with us, and will be OF
the greatest importance because of the
probability of its being the last meet
ing where any Of the old leaders will
be presently Material for history will
be gathered, discussed and culled, and
we common people may gain some.
what Of an idea as to how history is
made and handed down. This per-
haps, will be the last, as it may be the
greatest "revision of all the proofs"
before they are turned over to the
''makers-up" OF history.
Of course 'doctors disagree" and
these conventions are good in their
place to compromise these disagree
ments. Me and Brown have had
many stormy arguments as to what
event in the war was the crisis. Brown
swears that the passage of the eonscript
act was the ''straw that broke the
eamels back" Another says that 1t
was the fall of Vicksburg. Some. say
one thing and some another, but an
old confederate neighbor of ours tells
of the following incident and claims
that it was the last great breath-the
great struggle against death in the last
days of the confederacy:
''To storm, or not TO storm" the
yankee works at Petersburg, is what
this old neighbor says was left for the
private soldiers to decide. Plenty Of
old soldiers are yet living, he says, to
verify the statement that the question
of "storming or not storming" the
yankee works at night was left entire
ly to the private soldiers. It was
night Just before the confedcrates left
their trenches at Petersburg and
started on the nine days retreat which
ended at Appomattox. 1t had been
we'll known fer some time that Lee
could not hold out against Grant much
longer unless by taking some desperate
chance, advantage might be gained to
the confederates. A counsel of officers
was held and it became known among
the privates in some way that the
officers had disagreed as to "advisa-
bi!ities" and that they compromised
their differences by leaving the ques-
ton of storlning the yankee works TO
vote of the privates-a thing so uuusua!
that it cast shadow over every hope
and then and there the confederacy
drew her last breath.
On the day before the vote was to be
taken at night the rubbish and bushes
were ordered cleared and leveleG in a
rayine between the two armies. 1t
was perilous undertaking, but the
old confederates gathered their axes
and went at the work. To the surprise
of every one the yankees quietly
watched this proceeding without firing
q gun, it either being a work they
wished performed, or else they antici-
pated that the confederates were fixing
to storm their work and were anxious
that it should be so. Anyhow, the
confederates cleared everything from
the ravine and returned to their places
without anythi~ serious having hap
pened. Every old soldier knew that it
was in preparation for a charge, but
none of them dreamed as to what turn
matters were to take. They lay all the
afternoon under that suspense which
was worse to any soldier than being
actually engaged.
When night at last approached and
the officers quietly bid the men "fall
in," you may wonder the surprise Of all
privates when they were told that all
commissioned officers would retire
from their presence--leave them
uatrammelled-and that the privates
should decide by ballot among them
selves as to whether the yankee words
should be stornled that night or no.
AS the commissioned officers retired
to the rear an incident happened and
none of Us can say to what extent it
bore upon the minds Of the privates in
making up their ballots. The mail
had arrived-letters from home to the
brare solder boys made their apear-
ance in the camps at this most supreme
moment and all thoughts of balloting
was left off at once. The men gathered
in groups about their orderly sergeants
anxiously waiting as the names on the
envelopes were called. As man
received his letter be hastened from his
group to some dim fire and down upon
his knees be broke the seal and read
the contents. In little bit there were
many men kueeling with their sides to
dim fires straining their eyes to read
from hor~ and as now and then one
would turn to punch up chunk the
tears would glisten in the freight. This
busy world may laugh at this-it is
not much to get letter now, but in
the days of war it was not so easy,
letter from home was. great thing in
the last days Of the confederacy. News
from the dear wife and the little chill
dren, from the old father and mother
and sister and sweetheart. Dear hearts
and sweet thoughts Of the old home.
But never mind, no one can feel how
+bis urea hr1t the old soldier himself