The National tribune., 1900-04-05
JIMTOWN RAID.
A Bandsn1an Tells a Lively Tale
of Reconstruction Days.
By AUGUSTUS MEIER, Henry, iii.

After the surrender of the JohnuieS our
corps, the Twcnty-third. was stationed at
different places in North Carolina, doing
garrison duty; the 10Th Ill. being at Greens,
boro. In May. 1865, orders were ISSUED
that the citiZcns should hold an election
and choose Township and County officers.
One DAY before the election the 112th band
was ordered 10 go 10 JimtOwn, consider
able place, about 80 miles from Greensboro,
where there WAS to be Union meeting, or
kind of general caucus, and to do what we
could to enlivCn the occasion.
We piled into 4 hoX-car on = rickoty old
railroad. bound for Anderson, Il town
about 25 miles from Greensboro. from where
we would have To foot it to .Iimtown, five
miles directly east. In one of the cars were
some wounded eX-Confederates, who were
returning TO their homes; in some way the
straw in the car caught fire. one of The men
grabbed up what he thought was u canteen
of water and threw it on the blaze. The
water proved to be alcohol. however, and
made the matter worse. BY the time the
train could be stopped several of the men
in the car Were badly burned; one, an eX-
rebel Lieutenant, so badly that he died in
few hours.
When they got the train stopped and the
people out of the car we 'tcut it out" and
tipped it off the track and started on again.
getting to Anderson late in the afternoon.
Here We shouldered our horns and took
the dirt road for Jimtown. On tho way we
passed an old mill, where there were three
women, mother and two daughters, at
tending a terribly wounded boy, son and
brother of the women. The poor fellow
was in awful pain, and it seemed that he
had but short time 10 live; as we could do
nothing for him. We continued our tramp.
As night came on it began to rain; talk
about rain coming down by bucketsful,
that rain came down III carloads. 1t grew
so dark that we could only see the road
when the lightning flashed. While blunder-
ing along as best we could one of the boys,
Hart. | think, ran, bump against Il fence
corner and smashed his horn as fat as the
COnfederacy. But tramp, tramp tramp.
the boys kept marching, and at last
reached Jimtown, wet, muddy, hungry and
tired.
Just how we spent the rest of the night
can hardly tell, but We spent it somehow,
and morning found us as muddy a crowd
of 'muSlciancerS' as ever played brass.
Some of the leading citizens took us III
hand and divided us up into squads of four.
and "billeted" lis at different houses III
town. where we got our breakfasts.
After breakfast the people began to come
in from every direction. some on horses.
some Ia very few on mules, some in OK
carts, and many on foot. BY 10 o'clock
the town began To be pretty lively: number
of eX-CoDfederate officers made speeches,
candidates for the different offices We're
nominated. and everything went off in
barbecue" style. The band played every
tune they knew, from old Hundred" to
Pop. Goes the Wease,' to the evident
enjoyment of the natives, old and young,
male and female.
IT was decided that the best thing to do
was TO have "a grand bah" that night. so
an empty building was secured and we
chased the happy hours with flying feet
till what few rOoStcrS there were left in
that part of the old North State began to
crow for daybreak. !Schafcr. Hart and
Daley danced so much and so hard that
night that they haven't been good for much
at a dance since. ! think Hayden didn't
dance-Said he had cornS, and Emory
didn't dance, because he was too bashful to
ask any of the girls TO dance with him.
The dance came 10 an end, as most all
things do; and after a substantial break
fast of hog, hOminy and cOrn-pOue we bade
adieu 10 -Jimtown and started for Anderson
TO catch train for camp. II was q beauti-
full. day. clear. bright and warm. but the
road was very muddy and the creeks were
full and running over.
On our road out from Greensboro to
camp, about two miles. we had creek to
cross: it was too deep 10 wade, and there
was no bridge. We We're in a quandary
until one of the boys discovered n pole
fence which Spanned the stream some
distance below the road. This We mounted
and cautiously ''coomci," III getting over
safely but the bass drummer and the drum
! won't tell you his name, but all the 18TH
know who il WaS. Well. by some means
he lost his head" and his hold on the fence
at about the same time. and away he went.
drum and all, heels over head, into the creek
He held on to The drum, which kept him
afioat, while he yelled for help in three
different languages. Some of the BOYS
waded in pistol-pocket deep, and rescued
both OF the clstaways. and after getting to
shore rolled both of them on the ground 10
get the water out Of them, with fair success
in both cases.
We plodded on to camp, very glad to get
back again, and not sorry for our little ex-
cursion.
II this should meet the eye of any member
OF the old 18TH Ill. band who remembers
the "Jimtown raid" / would be pleased to
have him write to me. Ialso think il would
be nice if some or all the Old boys would
write out their recollcctions of moving
incidents and accidents by food and field.
i know that most of us are more handy
with the hammer, hoe, plow or plane than
with the 'gray-goose quill." P" but do the best
YOU can, and let us hear from You. anyway.
We are slowly |cooning the log" across the
creek Of life, and each year sees NOR. or
less Of US lose our holds and fall into the
huTying stream, with nary drum to hang
onto.
CUTTING THEIR WAY OUT.