The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-10-20

self unable to march, Col. A. Z. Has
kell kindly caused me to be employed
as clerk in the ordnance service. A
few months later, Gen. McGowan' S
clerk, Mr.. Norman, died and Gen: Nc
Gowan then took me in Mr.. Norman S
place as clerk of headquarters of Nc
Gowan's brigade, under my kind pro-
tector, Adjutant-General, Capt. A. c.
Haskell, under whom I offciated until
Capt. A. C. Haskell became colonel of
cavalry.
The last five or six months,I ofici-
ated under Adjutant-G General W. Rid
dick, of Kettle Springs, NC, and
also under Major and Inspector-Gen-
eral Langdon G. Haskell, whose letter
I have mentioned already.
There are some other gentlemen OF
Abbeville whose names I remember at
times and then forget them.
I remember a nice young man
named Houser, who lost leg in the
first year of the war. After the wal
he lived in a little house on the prem
ises of Col. Cothran, where | visited
him. He was then a manufacturer Of
cigars. On this occasion Col. Goth.
ran invited me into his house, where
was introduced by him to his family,
and treated very kindly. I have also
been at Due West, at Capt. and later
Col. G.. Med. Miller's house. who
kindly went with me to Maj. Melton s
Office in Columbia and there claimed
me as soldier of his (Orr's) Regi,
ment. Through his intercession |
was allowed, before going back to my
regiment, to remain about 4 month in
1Valhalla, and then on the first OF
July, 1868, to report at Due West, Alb
beville District, S. c., to the said Col.
G.. Med. Miller, who took me along tc
Virginia. Twas very kindly treated
and provided for by the said gentle.
man, and had a very agreeable Jour
ney to my old regiment. Here ]
must state that Col. Ms stay al
home was on account of a wound re-
ceived in some battle, and that | met
him accidentally in the streets Of
Columbia, where he then stayed until
he recovered from the effects of his
wound.
Now, ask to mention few names
of our regimental band, Of which ]
was a member before I was at Nc
Gowan's brigade headquarters. There
was a Mr.. Vandiver, Mr.. VIM. Trib'
BILE, Silas Clinkscales, little Johnny
Ansel, of Walhalla, Sergeant Bull
winkle. of McGowan's brigade wagon
guard, and others.
have now penned down more than
I thought I would be able when | be,
gan this letter. After reading your
first paper sent me by Mr.. Melchers, !
intended to write to you at once. /
delayed my writing few days and
studied about my intended letter,
Later on I began to write and kept on
writing until saw very voluminous
letter before me. After scanning the
contents of it, the tenor did displease
me very much. put it aside and
wanted tc compose more sensible
one, because there seemed to me such
confusion and so many repetltons
| of the same occurrences, so that l con-
cluded to make several changes in ex-
pressing facts. Instead Of doing bet
ter, did worse. I almost lost all con
fdence in myself. It seemed to me
that my honest efforts to write some
what like "reminiscences of my soldier
life were not crowned with the ex-
pected SUCCESS, and thus [ became dis
heartened. I forgot altogether, or
lost sight of the fact, that writing a
letter about ones daily business and
composing something like novel,
resting upon facts or fiction, are diff
ferent tasks. 1t seemed to me that
| I had better leave writing like an
editor alone, and that best of all
would be to thank you kindly for hav-
ing saved my name and the insignih-
cant doings Of your old comrade from
oblivion: then to request you to be SO
kind as to extend my greetings to all
friends that may remember Old John
the Piper, and communicating, aby
means of printers ink, to all the
world that I amt dead yet.
To-day made new attempt and L
now assure you that l have done faith
fully all I was able to do in my ardent
desire to give you sign Of life. In
conclusion 1 would ask you to send
me the piece of paper with the order
written on it by me for Gen. McGoW-