Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-10-07

ana IL may revive lhelr HeAhoAiSS VI NHS
long ago:
Hooker was supposed to have Dispatch
ed as follows: si
I thought I'd cross the river
And whip out General Lee,
But blast his rebel liver
He turned the trick on me.
CHORUS.
b. Sixteen cents dozen. -. i.
dollar anu a quarter a day.
Joe Hooker is a fine man
So the Yankees say.
Brave sedgwIck was commanded
To move upon the right,
When the army landed
To move on Marfe's Height.
/, Fighting Joe Hooker. asa i
Upon their left bore down,
Aiming with quick destruction
To firt them at every bound.
A courier now comes fastening. +.
And brings the glorious news ~
That jackson is sAedaddling.
And back to Richmond goes.
His words were scarcely spoken
When cannon booming near
Gave out the startling token
or Stonewall in our rear.
Confusion now COMPOUNDED,
Within our ranks prevailed.
And leaving dead and wounded,
For foreign parts we sailed.
The Thirty-eighth Georgia regiment
was ordered to Guinea station, just after
the battle to guard the prisoners that
were TO be sent to Richmond. When we
arrived. General Jackson, who had been
wounded had already arrived, and was ir
the Chandler house at Guinea station,
where he died on the 10th of May, 1868.
Before the death of General Jackson we
started with 1000 prisoners to Richmond.
having to walk the entire distance, and
guard them. Our journey was tedious and
slow. The dirt road which we travelled
was along the railroad, and the Kappa
hammock river ran parallel to the road just
a few miles to our left, The first day the
prisoners planned an escape, which was
this: At night they were to overwhelm the
guard, seize all the arms. kill the reserve,
go down to the river, signal the vessels in
the stream which would take them
aboard, and they would be free. The first
night we camped near the village of Bowl
ing Green. After we struck camp, Cap
tain w. L. Mcleod. commanding the
Thirty-eighth Georgia regiment, went to
Captain John G. Rankin in command and
who now resides at Stone Mountain, Ga.
Captain Mcleod had been told of the
proposed plans of escape, but he did not
believe a word of II. After he rode away,
Captain Rankin ordered the men to "fan
lny and take arms. He doubled the guard
and ordered them to be extra vigilant.
He then marched the reserve" out of
sight. There were no fires built and Cap
al nj vyf11 oil
with one eye open tonight" Doubling the
guard and marching the reserve" out
of sight, of course. greatly excited the
prisoners. Soon the prisoners began saying
Hello, Johnnie, where is your reserve"
To this question there was no response.
These questions were repeated several
times until forbearance ceased to be a
virtue and one fellow. more bold than the
rest, said: "Your scheme to escape from
us tonight has leaked out, and If you
make the attempt we are prepared for you
and there will be none of you left to tell
the tale" The night wore away and morn
ing found us all alive. There was no fur
Their attempt on the part of the prisoners
10 effect their escape. but that was one
Of the closest calls and to be I'm suspense
for. such a length of time was terrible.
But for the prompt action of Captain
Rankin, and the unseen hand of the God
OF battles. that we would have been swept
out of existence as a regimental organize
ton that night there is not doubt in my
mind. I recently spent day, one of the
most pleasant in my memory, with the old
hero, Captain Rankin. He is a native
of Massachusetts,; came to Georgia in his
young manhood days and became thor
oughly interested and identified with our
people, and there was no more ardent adj
vocate and supporter of our cause than
he, and there was not Drawer soldier In