The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-02-18

/ we Dau no living WlIueSS al manu.
he records of his war diary would
)e sufficient. This has the greater
weight when we consider the fact
hat it consists of mere notes jotted 7
DOWN here and there in camp or in
prison, and with no thought of its
ever going out of the possession of
his sister. Readers of the HERALD
will recall his account in that of
parting with his slaves, when he en-
listed and left for Camp Maury, as
well as his tribute to the faithful
ness of old Roger, news of whose
death reached him at Port Hudson,
La, at time when he himself was
sick and overwhelmed with gloomy
forebodings. He was accustomed
to carry in his pocket small blank
book in which he wrote in pencil,
afterwards transferring it to larg-
er book in ink. The last record in
this book is one made only a few
weeks before his death. He was
dying of consumption and the
cramped letters show great phi sical
weakness. 1t is barely legible, but
may with difficulty be made out: |
"Give the negroes SIS apiece"
Though holding firmly the right
of a State to secede, he opposed
secession on the grounds of ex-
pediency. Believing, as did others,
that the question would be settled
without war, he did not enlist at
first but the time came when every
true Southerner must take one side
or the other. The balance for
awhile wavered between duty to his
country and duty to his widowed
mother. The mother settled the
question and gave not only her son
but herself to her loved Southland.
Her last illness was brought on from
exposure in dyeing jeans for her
sons uniform. 1t was winter and
the work had to be done over large
kettle in the open air.
The details of Maj. Campbells
army life have already been given
in the excerpts from his diary. The
purpose of the remainder of this
brief sketch will be to give few
facts CLEANED from old letters and
Others lately received from his
army comrades.
Capt. L. ]. Hewlett, of Nashville,
writes: ~ hardly know what to
reply in reference to Major Camp
: bell, Jack, as / always called him.
, He was what L term a heightened
| Southern gentleman in every re-
! spect. At Columbus, Ohio, we
> planned to escape from prison by
! bribing the guards, which was no
hard to do. We had all arrange
' ments made, but the night previous
/ to our projected escape we wer'
y moved to Johnson Island. A
: Vicksburg our regiment was reor
i ganized and Jack was elected Major
q He could have been elected Colonel
Il but would not offer against the oil
i Colonel, w. NJ. VOORHEES,. He wa
q one of the best men L ever came i
d contact with, both as citizen and
II soldier"
! Writing his sister from Vicks
# burg, Maj. Campbell says he wa
a urged by his friends to run fc
r. Colonel, but that he did not wal
A the position. Writing from Poi
q Hudson, he says: II have write
,e to see if can get on some detache
:. service in colder climate. G
tie not want to resign or quit the Sc
vice, but am satisfied that [ ca
re- do no good here, and in all prob;
,d bility will die if stay here"
t. Capt. 10. Love, of Culleok
If writes: II feel that 1 knew Ma
,e Campbell better than any one, al
in 1 have written with my mind full
or the past. He was man If IL
e. strictest integrity and devotion
70 duty. The admirable trait of stea
lv fast loyalty to his friends, tn
II. marked his character, no one ev
of possessed to a higher degree. III
he same characteristics that mark,
ii. him as a citizen marked him as
10. soldier. He was incapable of dol
i'd anything except in earnest, and
To entered upon his duties fully pc
le- suaded that his cause was just a.
oe. that that fact could neUer be call
he in question.
nd The HERALD readers will remel
he Der his account of the killing
!, Lieut.. Gibson, of Ark, by one of {
ct guards at Johnson Island. 1t W
ad as he characterized it, "a most Il
mo MURDER When the fatal shot "
he fred, Mai. Campbell was the fl
rds man to expose himself, and for
of first time in my knowledge of h
ger gave way to an uncomfortable bu
of of passion, denOuncing the gra
, and officers in unmeasured teri
to So vehement was he in his DEM
all citation and so reckless In G
ON. sequences, that his comrades had
ent force him back to his quarters.
his Writing of him aften his death
tice sister says, "He was very patti
the and gentle during his long sun
To ing, endeavoring to give his
ON tendants as little trouble as
had sible.n In spite of the fortunes
ltv- i'll health, which render II
tice men irritable, he was alw
,on- gentle and considerate of 9th
e at He never spoke harshly of even
the foes in war. so long as they
alter Quoted an honorable warfare.
,der tleness and cowardice were sur
elicit from him prompt and
he spoken condemnation.
and Leaving Port Hudson on
anv furlough, he reached home Ma
adj 8, 1868, and fingered till May
,om. when death ended his suffer-
NAV Spared by the bullets of the enc
o 70 he was forced to yield to a Il
Dad. insldious foe, prison starvation
wav camp exposure. In the old Chey
epot cemetery at Fountain Greek, a
nj ehoft n,orks his last resting pl