The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-09-30

of his papers. Gen. MCGOWAN wished
that should 1.-Two at his residence ant
o. a permanent guest at his table
Ihus you see how kindly [ was treated
by these noble families.
must also mention tho late Col
Marshall, Col. Cothran, Licutcnant-
Colonel }. Towncs Robertson, who su b,
scriccd my parole (as parolcd prisoner
OF the army OF Northern Virginia, hav-
ing permission to go to his homo and
there remain undisturbcd). This was
after our capitulation at Appomuttox
Court House, Va, April 10, 1868.
| then went with Con. McGowan to Ab-
bcvlllc, where delivered TO him at his
house all the brigade papers and books,
ana also u piece Of the colors Of the
lith regiment, Of which General
MCGOWAN had been colonel Of do not
crr) before he was brigade general
Ihc day on which tho agreements and
the terms of the capitulatiOn were
signed d. c., ciicctcd) several of our
soldiers and non-colnmisSioncd officers
began to destroy their rcgimchtul
colors, flag stalls, etc. suutchcd from
the hards Of Il soldier (who was tearing
into pieces and cutting up the bcauti-
iul blue silkcn flag, with Il beautiful
wreath, or pal mctto. tree, embroidered
on said ilaG in white silk) II piece of
said flag and hid it under my uniform,
and rs soon Us | saw u chance hid it
under my shirt, and after having ar
rived at General McGowan's house,
| delivered, together with all our
archlVcs, this remnant Of the said blue
ag Of the 14th regiment. | should
| like to know il the general is still in
| possession o: this relic OF the var.
What else could he do with it than to
keep it? 10 surrender it to tho State
..,l,., ~
would have brought to light the miser-
able conduct Of tho Icstroycrs Of the
beautiful colors. 1t WAS shameful
act OF the soldier TO commit such an
outrageous deed OF INSTRUMENTATION. 1t
was against all usagcs Of warfare.
AS keep on writing | remember Il
! certificate whichwas written by G.. McD.
Miller, Captain commanding Orr's
Regiment Rifles, s. G.. V. 1t was in
camp on the Rappahannock, in Vir-
glnia, on January 18th, 1863, soon after
the battle of fredericksburg. | was,
at my request and endorsed by the diff
lcrcnt commanding officers OF regiment,
brigade, ldivison, urmy.corps, trans
lcrrcd from the army OF the Confcdcr-
ate States to the navy OF the Confed-
crate States by command OF Gen. Rob
crt Il. Lec, and signed: "By command
| Of Cen. l.cc. w. ii. Taylor, n. A. Cen
cral.' | took this transfer, because
considered myself utterly unfit for fur
ther service IL the field on account OF
irrcduciblo double hernia. | felt una
bic to stand the marching, and be-
| iicvcd would be bottcr able to serve
on Confederate GunhOat or some
other vessel stationed on one OF tn,
rivers or on the coast OF the Confedcr
atc Statc', as | had been in service OF
the Gcrman, Belgian and United States
merchants navy or marine until the
year lS52, and had been chiefmatc OF
German, Belgian and u. S. merchant
ships for at least 10 years, OF which |
could show the best certificates as q
practical seaman and navigator. After
having received my paper OF transfer,
lett the Confederate army and re-
| ported at Confederate navy headQuar-
ters to Commodore Forrest, in Rich
mond. After an examination by a sur
| gcon was declared unfit for any scr
vice, aud ordered to go home to Wal
hhlla, there to remain. J opened IL
school in Walhalla, and did well. After
few months, it was claimed by the
enrolling officer that | had so 90 back
to the Confederate army to nv rcgi-
mcnt, and that | had not been dis
charged from service by General Lee,
put only transferred, and that COmmo-
dorc Forrest could not discharge me.
but only refuse me, and that could
| only be discharged by tho Secretary
of War. Thus had to report back to
my command, Orr's Rllc regiment. AS
| declared myself unable to march,
Col a. &. Haskell kindly caused me
TO be employed as clerk in the ord
nance service. ~ few months later,
Gen. McGowan's clerk, Mr.. Norman,
died and Gen. MCGOWAN then took me
in Mr.. Norman's place as clerk OF
headquarters OF uMcGowan's brigade,
under my kind protector, Aujutunt.
General, Capt. A. G.. HASKELL under
whom | olliciatcd until Capt A. G.
Haskell became colonel of cavalry.
The last live or six months | Oilci-
atcd under Adjutant- General w. Rid
dick, OF Kettle Springs, N. c., and also
under Major and lnspcctor-Gcncral
Langd0n G.. Haskell, whose letter |
have mentioned already.
There arc some other gentlemen of
Abbcvillc whose names ! remember
at times and then forget them.
! remember nice young man named
IIouscr, who los. leg in the first wear
Of the war. After the war he lived in
a little house on the promises OF Col.
COthran, whcro visited him. He was
then Il manufacturer OF cigars. On
this occasion, Col. Cothran invited
me into his house, where was
introduced by him to his family, and
treated very kindly. have also been
at Due West, at Capt. and later Coz.
6. Nc ID. Miller's house, who kindly
went with me to Maj. Mclton's Office in
Columbia and there claimed me as a
soldier Of his (Orr's) Regiment
Through his intcrccssion was al
lowed, before going back to my rcgi-
mcnt, to remain about month ia
Walhalla, and then on the first OF July,
lS63, TO report at Due West, Abbcvillc
District, S. c., to the said Col c. Nc. ID.
Miller, who took me along to Virginia.
| was very kindly treated and provided
for by the said gentleman, and had O.
very agreeable journey to my old reei-
mcnt. Here must state that Col. M's
stay at homo was on account OF 81
wound received in some battle, and
that | met him accidentally in the
streets OF COlumhia where he tbcn
STAYED until he recovered from tho nf