The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-12

| per ZlSt. was on h1S way rejoicing. Travelling in the most expeditions man.
 ner as only a few days furlough was granted the writer took the train for 1 Lynchburg. thence to Danville, Greens
 boro Columbia and arrived at Mont gomery. Ala, September 27th, almost
 exhausted from fatigue, not having en- joyed an hours repose since starting. l Immediately procuring a conveyance at that point, proceeded home without de- 1 lay, arriving at o'clock that night,
 after an absence of ten long months,
 taking the home circle by surprise. It was delightful to witness the sensation
 produced, old and young, white and
 black rejoiced together. Borne upon | the wings of the wind' the glad tid- | ings sped from house to house and in | rushed neighboring friends to welcome
 the long absent soldier. Fatigue was | forgotten in the excitement of the mo-
 ment slumber fled his eye-lids and it l was far in the waning hours of morn | ing before he was able 10 woo that
 blessed sleep so long desired. Remain
 ing at home seven bright fleeting days. ! a continued feast of delight to the writ
 CTS soul. Then came on apace the
 dread hour of departure. A darker veil
 of sadness than heretofore OCT shad- owed our brow, for the whole country | seemed tottering on the verge of de-
 struction and at any moment we might
 hear of the enemy laundering at our
 own hearthstones. Yet. suppressing these unmanly fears beneath This heart
 of hearts, the soldier puts on a calm exterior, and in a long silent embrace bids fond adieu to Mary, the partner of his life. and weeping children at his
 side. whom ne might never see on earth
 again.
 Arriving at the command October 9th, 1 after an absence of near two months
 it was pitiable to observe the sad | changes wrought during that short in-
 terval. Johnston's army now under | the command of Hood, no longer pre- Isented the formidable front it did before
 Atlanta, but decimated by disastrous
 battles and desertion, had retreated to | Tennessee, leaving Sherman in possess
 sion of Atlanta, the Gate City" of the Confederacy. This was a grievous loss to our country, thereby cutting off the means of communication between the Eastern and Western armies, beside giving up to the enemy the finest grain
 producing section of the South. There | were few spirits so sanguine now as
 to madly blind their eyes to the im- pending storm of destruction that
 seemed ready to overwhelm Us at any
 moment, yet hopeful to the last, we
 labored with renewed exertions. like the ring Gladiator, more violent in
 deatA--bciieving that God with His own Right Hand. would eventually rescue us from this perilous situation.
 As General Hood had retreated to Tennessee, it was deemed expedient to keep & cavalry force in front of Sher-
 man to observe the progress of his
 army. Accordingly General Wheeler
 repaired with forces to Fairbon, an
 eligible point on the railroad, and there remained some time doing picket duty.
 but in truth watching every maneeuvre
 of the enemy. Nothing of interest
 transpired for two or three weeks and
 we began to conclude that sherman,
 contented to rest awhile" upon the
 brilliant victories recently won, had
 declined further progress, and was preparing his quarters for a winter so-
 journ in Atlanta. A few days, how ever, were sufficient to dispel the hap
 py Illusion. General Wheeler. taking | advantage of this respite. exerted him.
 self day and night collecting his scat tered forces. At this period, October 18th, the 11th Georgia Regiment, com
 manded by Colonel Young. was added
 to our brigade--bringing in at this op-
 perfume hour a fine body of athletic | soldiers, whose services were< very much needed. A few days following l RosWells Battalion was attached, and our old brigade seemed at last about
 to assume its original imposing ap- pearance. Aside from the routine of camp duties nothing occurred for sev-
 eral days to relieve the dull monotony | and time had begun to drag heavily upon our shoulders. However on the morning of October 25th a scout came running in with the news of the ene- my's advance upon our pickets. In- stantly all were in state of intense excitement, well knowing that our fee
 ble force could scarcely check for an instant the advance corps of Shermar's grand army. In order to cover our re-
 the pickets in which Lieutenant Averett, of Co D, 5Sd Alabama,
 was instantly killed. Thus passed
 away a good soldier and excellent of- ficer. Having an opportunity his com rades sent his remains to Alabama, his
 native State, where devoted wife, and l loving orphan children are left alone | to bide the storm of life without that
 fond reliant arm they so much needed. Removing our encampment to Fayette-
 vile we were not permitted to long
 enjoy the seclusion we imagined that
 refuge afforded, for again coming in
 contact with the ever proving pickets
 of sherman another fight was the re-
 suit, in which two of our men were
 killed and eleven wounded-names for l gotten by the writer Loss of the
 enemy unknown, but 1t was very evil
 dent from the stampede back to the
 main army that he had gained noth- | ing by the contest. November 18th dawned upon us in cloudless splendor,
 but found our brigade in the widest l consternation. Sherman was again up-
 or his war path of devastation and our little band knew not whither to fly. So rapid was his advance that we 1 barely excepted with our wagon trains giving Colonel Young and his men | quite "a scare" as they came very near being captured. Having received
 orders to fall back to Jonesboro, we | endeavored to do so at double ! quick" rate, for the. Tanks were swarming around us as thick. appa- rently as flies. during the Egyptian Plagues." It was dreadful time the
 widest confusion prevailed, and at every step might be seen terrified wo-
 men with their little ones flying from | the relentless foe. A wide track of | desolation marked the course of Sher- man in his mad career, and the smol-
 dering ruins of elegant mansions that
 srcrst your eye, as sign posts of malice on his dread pathway-indicat- | ed too well the mode of warfare this | Nero was waging upon a defenseAss people. No wonder that timid women
 became crazed and frightened to death.