The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-01-28
ECHOES OF
THE PAST.
Excerpts From the Diary Of
Capt. A. J. Campbell.
The Year 1862 Was One of Deepest
Gloom, When StOutest Hearts
Yielded to Despair.
But To-Day, Dec, 81, 1869, Our Prospects
are Brighter Than at Any Time
During the History of this
MomentOus Struggle.

CONTINUED from last week-Article 1871
Port Hudson, Dec. 81, 1862. The
year Eighteen Hundred and Sixty
two comes to close on this bright,
bracing, beautiful day after witness
ing many tragic events. To the
Confederacy and in fact to the
American Continent it has been
most eventful year. The destinies
of the chivalrous South have hung
in the balance. The Nation has
been covered with the deepest
gloom; the stoutest hearts have
yielded to despair. Gold worship
ping friends of the South have
joined the Yankees and have aban-
doned their people to ruthless
mob. To me it has been year of
suffering, both mentally and physi-
cally. In the early part of the year
l was summoned home to the death
bed of an aged mother-the best of
mOthers always so kind and so
good manifesting so much anxiety
for her son, who perhaps before had
never duly appreciated it. I've
often wept that the opportunity is
forever gone of manifesting my
devotedness to a mother so devoted
to me. Disease had SO far over
powered her on my arrival that she
scarce recognized me. 1t was in
deed severe trial. Amid the din
of deadly strife my loss was for
awhile forgotten until 1 was thrown
into the hands of a merciless and
implacable enemy. Through all OF
my imprisonment / have by the
blessings of God been permitted to
pass unframed. May the next
twelve months be fraught with few
er trials and troubles to the Confed.
eracy and to myself is my prayer!
To-day our prospects are brighter
than at any time during the history
of this momentous struggle. Yet
cannot feel rejoiced and light.
hearted in view of the many heart
rending scenes Occasioned by this
clash of arms between the NORTH
and the South, the many valuable
lives lost, the many desolate fire
sides, the widowed and orphaned
Truly our Southland is in mourn
ing for the lost whose bones liz
bleaching upon a hundred battle
fields and around Northern prisons
Oh, how long is this to continue?
Am improving slowly. DR.. John
son was over to see me this morninl
and Or. Hanslaw this evening.
Jan. L, 1868. Happy New Year
Would it were happy one for me
But the bright, smiling faces tina
were wont to greet us in hope arr
absent and in mourning. This day
to the soldier, has the same mon
otonous routine as yeste' day. TIL,
sick and wounded hero has no cessa
tion of his pain; languishing per
haps in some filthy hospital will
J scarcely the attention deserved BY
the meanest of Gods creatures; dy
ing upon the streets of our mos
populous cities without moving
chord of sympathy in the breast o
his fellow man. The uncertain
! future opens out to us. The clasl
of hostile arms still resounds owe
our land. No one can tell but tina
the casualties of war will foreve
separate us from home and home
loved ones. But yet hope, swee
hope, whispers that we shall NEE
them again, and peace shall reigl
over our desolated fields.
We heard yesterday evening tina
Nashville was taken, but at loss o
three hundred brave Southern
heroes; that Rosencrans was re
treating; that the fight at Vicks
burg was still in progress Lear
this evening that the fight was a
: Lavergne instead of Nashville ant
that we took 1000 prisoners and
large quantity of wagons, etc.
Jan. 2. Received some brand,
and tea from the surgeon last night
/ The doctor came over this morning
Nv horse is dreadfully used up
, Am very lowspirited. Wrote HON
to-day. Rumored that Gems. Pric
and Kirby Smith are at Vicksburg
5 Jan. 3. Rained all night and rain
, ing to-day; warm as summer. Yer
much depressed; am not improvin
anv. Wrote to r. S. Wilkes a
5 Vicksburg. Mrs. Baily has pre-
sented me with pocket Bible
Doctor came over 20 see me thi
= evening.
t Jan. 1. Am worse to-day; proba
blv caused by my imprudence i
eating some cabbage. No furthe
> news from Lavergne or Vicksburl
. Doctor came over to see me thi
= morning and gave me quinine an
blue mass. Am already so weak
can hardly stand up.
Jan. 5. No better to-day. Al
very lowspirited and anxious t
= hear from home, as a faithful oil
negro man was very sick when
, last heard. Capt. Joe Love cam
4 over this morning affected some
n thing like myself. We have take
4 quarters i'm the Overseer's rOOr
where we have fireplace. Not S
good as my other room, but prefer
able on account of fire. l think
5 would move the sympathies of on
friends in Tennessee to see two sic