The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-09-28

Ol - uJN CarONnH WAS shameful, rs
would have bu'u@ ut 20 light the nlisar
aole Conduct OF the 1estroyers Of III
beautiful colors. II was slamefu
act Of tho soldier to commit such n
outrageous deed of iusubordinution. |
was against all usages Of warfare
AS ! keep on writing | remember
certificate wbichwGs written by G. Mel
Milior, CAPTAIN commanding Orr
Regiment ltn $, S. G. V. IL was il
camp on the Ruppahannock, in Wiz
giDia, on January 18th, 1863, soon afLc
the battle Cf Frcdericks burg. | was
at my request and endorsed by the dif
ferent commaL ding officers of I gimcnt
brigade, division, army.Corps, trans
ferrcd from the army of the Confeder
ate States 10 4he navy Of tho Confed
crate S'atce by command of Gen. Rob
ert f.. Lee, and signed: by command
of Cen. Lee. w. ii. Taylor, n. A. Gen
eral.' took this transfer, because
considered myself utterly unfit for fur
ther service ir the field on account O
irrcduciblC double hernia. | felt una.
bic TO stand the marching and be-
iievod would be better able to serve
on Confederate gunbCat or some
ot'.e .er vessel stationed on one OF the
rivers or on the coast Of the COnfcdcr.
ate States, rs had been in service OF
| UNS SII lbhtl, lpSl x lull anu OnlLCu states
| merchants navy or marine until the
year 1852, and had been Chietmatc OF
German, Belgian aud u. S. merchant
| ships for at least 10 years, of which |
! could show the best certificates rs a
! practical seaman and navigator. After
! having received my paper Of transfer,
! | left the Confederate army and re-
| ported at Confederate navy huadQuar-
tcrs to Commodore Forrest, 10 Rich
mOnd. After an examination by "a sur.
J geon | was declared unfit for anv ser
| vice, and ordered to go home to Wal
halla, there to remain. ] opened q
school in Walhalla, and did we'll. After
lew months, it was claimed by the
enrolling officer that | had 80 go back
to the Confederate army to my regi-
mcnt, and that | had not been dis
charged from service by General Lee,
but only transferred, and that Commo-
dorc Forrest could not discharge me,
but only refuse me, and that could
only be discharged by the Secretary
OF War. Thus | had to report back 20
my command, Orr's Rifle regiment. As
declared myself unable to march,
Col, a. G. Haskell kindly caused me
to be employed as clerk in the ord
nance service. ~ few months later,
Cen McGowan'5 clerk, MIR. Norman,
in Mr. Norman's place as clerk OF
headquarters of McGowan's brigade,
under my kind protector, Aumtant.
General, Capt. A. G.. Haskell, under
whom | otliciated until Capt a. G..
Haskell became colonel OF Caval,v.
The last five or six months | otIici.
atcd under Adjutant. G eneral w. Rid
dick, OF Kettle Springs, n. g., and also
under Major and Inspector-Gencral
Langdon &. Haskell whose letter |
have mentioned already.
There are some other gentlemen OF
Abbeville whose names | remember
ut times and then forget them.
remember Il nice young man named
Houscr, who los q leg in The first year
OF the war. After the war he liveo in
Cothran, whore | visited him. He was
then manufacturer OF cigars. GA
this occasion, Col Cothrau 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 Col.
G. Nc. ID. Millcr's house, who kindly
went with me to Maj. Melton's Office in
Columbia and there claimed me rs a
soldier of his (Orr's) Regiment
Through his nterccssion | was al
lowed, before going back to my regi-
ment, to remain about month in
Walhalla, and then on the first of july.
1863, to report at Due West Abbeville
District, S. c., to the said Col. G. Nc. ID.
Miller, who took me along to Virginia
| was very kindly treated and provided
for by the said gentleman, and had a
very agreeable journey to my old reoi-
ment Here | must state that Col Ms
stay at home was on account OF q
wound received in some battle, and
that | met him accidentally in the
streets Of Columbia. where he then
stayed until he recovered from the ef-
fects OF his wound.
Now, | ask to mention few names
OF our regimcntal band, of which was
a member before | was at McGowan's
brigade headquarters There was q
Mr.. Vandiver, Mr.. VIM. Tribble, Silas
Clinkscales, little Johnny Ansel, of
Walhal!a, Sergt. Bulwinkle, Of Nc
Gowan's brigade wagon guard, and
others.
| have now penned down more than
thought would be able when began
this letter. After reading your first
papcr sent n by Mr.. Melchers, | in
tended to write to you AT once. | de-
layed my writing few days and
studied about my intended letter.
Later on began to write and kept on
WRITING until | saw Il very voluminous
letter before me. After scanning the
contents OF it, the tenor did dispieasc
me very much. put it aside and
wanted to compose u more sensible one,
because there seemed to me such Il
confusion and so many repetitiOns of
the same occurrences, SO that | con-
cluded to make several changes in ex-
pressing facts. Instead of doing bet
ter, | did worse. | almOs. lost all con-
tidence in myself. 1t seemed to me
that my honest efforts to write some
what like "reminiscences OF my soldier
| life were not crowned with the expect
ed success, and thus became disheart.
! ened. forgot altogether, or lost sight
OF the fact, that writing letter about
ones daily business and composing
| something like n novel, resting upon
facts or fiction, are different tasks. Ii
seemed to me that had better leave
writing like an editor" alone, ana
that best OF all would be to thank YOU
kindly Tor having saved my name and
the Insignificant doings OF your ole
cOmrade from oblivion then to REQ ues
you to be 80 kind as to extend my greet
ing to all friends that may remem bel
| Oid John the piper, and communicat
Ing, by means OF printers ink, to al
the world that amt dead yet.
To-day made new attempt and
now assure you that | have done faith
| fully all | was able to do In NV arden