The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-07-13
UNDER TWO BATILE-FLAGS
SOUTHERN MASTERS HAVE BEEN
FOLLOWED BY FAITHFUL SLAVES.
Georgia Soldiers Going to War Like Their
Fathers in 1861. Major wiIcoxon's.
Faithful Charles.

/ 81
That is the way the Second Georgia
regiment is going to war. 1t is now
encamped at Palmetto Beach, but Will
soon join the second expedition to Gu
ha. 1t is made up of heroic Georgians
who will be heard from if they ever
get chance to get on the firing line.
The peculiar feature of this regiment
IS that the officers are nearly all sons
of men who fought for the confedera-
cy, and are going to war in the same
manner as their fathers. Each officer
has his body servant, anegro, who at
tends him at meals, mixes his juleps
and lays out his clothing for him IN
the morning.
Some of these negroes are unique
characters. They followe their mas
tiers through the horrors of Shiloh,
Chickamauga and Antietam, and now
aged and withered, are following
'young mastah" to see that no harm
comes to him.
One of these is sssteve," the body
servant of Capt. BusIe, of Company c.
Steve is intensely religious, and is de-
yotedly attached to the captain. He
went all through the late war as the
servant of Captain Eberhart Of Ath-
ems, Ga. Steve was never wounded,
but he bears on his body four Gallons
Jumps, two on his elbows and two on
his knees, as Renaissance of his ex.
perience. These were received when
he was ordered by his master to go
home, and he crawled three miles on a
railroad track while two opposing ar
mics fred at each Their DOVER him. He
made the trip and reported to the
waiting women at home that "Mars
Pat" was we'll, and then by toilsome
journey and against orders reioined
the regiment.
Steve is quite an orator. A few
nights ago the entire regiment was
entertained by debate between Steve
and another negro named A bsolom, On
the justice of the United States going
to war with Spain. Steve had the pa
triotic side of the argument and won
hands down. He is very fond of expa-
tiating on the reasons why the Span
iards should be whipped, and backs up
each argument with a quotation from
the Scriptures. His favorite is: cam
1 my brothers keeper?" arguing there
from that the American soldiers
should avenge the death of the heroes
Of the Maine. He is little incohe-
rent at times, and often gets big words
in the wrong place, but always sue
ceeds In pointing his moral with per-
feet exactitude.
Another and still more interesting
character is "Charles," the sixty-year.
old body servant of Major WIlcox6n of
the first battalion. He has been a ser
want in the Wilcoxon family all his
life He followed the majors father
through four years of the civil war
and received two ugly wounds, one at
the second battle of Manassas and one
at the fighting around Richmond.
dat fust bullet wound" said Charl-
es, showing a ragged scar on his skin,
"was got at Manassas when l went in
to de field while dey was firm to bring
Maiah Adams away. He was friend
OBJ our family, sab. De othath one
got while was tryin' to keep up with
my mastah at Richmond, l took care
o. my! old mastah through the war,
and now | am going to Cuba with
young mastah. In case he gifts hit Pm
goin' to him and Pm going to git him
and take care O. him."
Charles recently wrote letter to
the majors mother-in-law. He dctat.
ed the following to sergeant: "The
major seems intent on making fool of
himself and going to this war. There's
nothing for me to do but go with him.
| am going to do it and take care of
HIM, and when he gets to the.jumping
off place old Charles is going TO jump
off with him."
Charles sleeps lin tent alongside
the majors, and he is up at reveille
every morning to dress his master. He
carries a huge 45-calibre Colts revolv-
err, and is always accompanied by the
majors dog, a little terrier called
BombsEell.
When he is at home in Atlanta Ma
ior Wilcoxon is a prominent lawyer,