The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-19
WAR "REMINISCENCES
 OF MIR. ADAM WHETSTONE
Conclusion of Interesting Series Of Papers Telling Of the Operations Of WheelerS Intrepid Cavalry.

ingIy paralyzed by the bold move or Sherman, delayed until too late to check the conquerors progress. ana De- fore they had reused from their letn- argy he had appropriated unto hin- self Savannah, another great and inn portant Southern city. Hood was still in Tennessee endeavoring tc rally his scattered forces. and save a handful of cavaliers that hung upon sherman s rear. There was scarcely a gun nreo on that long line of march. Durihs this trying interval our command pro ceeded to Aiken, but unable to eHect any good at that point and nndlng IL impossible to reach the main army, re- solved upon going to Columbia. which, however was laid waste by Sherman minions before our arrival. so retrac- ing our footsteps to Aiken. we blded the time in no enviable frame or mlno, until March 9th. We were then or dered to Graniteville to protect a large cotton factory in that vicinity, put In reality to Hull by change the restless disposition of our troops. It was im- possible to be calm under the circum- stances, for each day brought an ad- iiticnal weight of gloom. laden with dark forebodings of the future. Upon ever, breeze was waited sad tidlngS nof fresh disasters, and terrible out Frazes committed on helpless women and children by relentless foe. Still sherman "stalked abroad" unimpeded in his wicked designs, and so com pletely were his plans of destruction ,xecuted that scarcely green blade or yrass could be found on that. vast track of desolation. As his march ex- Aerded into South Carolina, it seemed as if he had called up satan and his fiendish cohorts to aid him in the ln- fernal work. At every mile Of progress might be seen smoldering mansions dead and dying cattle wantonly mur- dered by the wayside. injecting the atmosphere for miles with the terrible stench. Yet not satiated With sucn acts of cruelty, this Fire Brand Hero instituted a new mode of warfare l:itn- ertc unknown in the ann1ls VI time, that of driving tender and delicate Wo- m,1 from their beds in the dead hoIrs of night and burning their houses above their heads. Nor was this all, else It could have been endured, but adding insult to injury" woman's sacred ger son was touched. assailed by the poll luted hands of these demons incarnase, and every means resorted to, even to striking, yea! beating her, with their flaming brands. in order to terfify tepT der, delicate woman to their tiendtsh designs, And for what, might 1t well be asked, were such cruelties oerpe- trated? An! for filthy lucre, gold and it's treasures, which they protested every Southern woman possessed. Oh, God! what would che not have given for the wealth of "Gotconda's Urn In that evil hour, but alas. the treasures of .1rrnus and of Ind could not have satiated the rapacity of ouch malicious fends. And this was the mode of war fare. Oh! Generations to come. mark yea waged by our enlightened con- Querors of the renowned Nineteenth Century. The blood will jingle in your veins fifty years hence at the recital of these horrors-think you how we en- dured the awful reality. No wonder every Southern mother feels like talk ing her infant Hannibal by the hand and causing him to swear eternal Ven-. Seaace upon such innuman foes, but believing with the poet that
 Revenge, at first thought sweet.
 Bitter ere long, back on itself recoils.
 She therefore wisely refrains, relying on the promise. Vengeance is mine. will repay saith the Lord" So biding the time with patience, she meekly submits to the affiiction, feel ing assured that God will eventually avenge the wrongs committed upon his helpless people.
 Leaving the scene of famine and des- olation around Columbia the 24th Ala bama battalion repaired to Millen, Ga., remaining in that pleasant vicinity several weeks on picket duty. Under favorable circumstances this removal would have been delightful, where the hospitable people had ever greeted us with open hearts and hands, but now, alas! they were worse beggared than ourselves. many of them burnt out of house and home'' with not a mouth full of provisions for the morrow. Du- ring our stay at this place one morn ing a courier came in with the sad news of the fall of Selma, Ala, in- stantly our camp was thrown into a state of intense excitement, for most of us soldiers hailed from Alabama, and every man felt that his own hearthstone was about to be invaded. It availed but little to hear of the gal lant fight made in its defense by For rest and his men, for the city was finally forced to surrender, thus giving up to the enemy vast quantities of am- munition. naval stores and one of the finest arsenals in the Confederacy. In vain we plead to fly to the rescue well knowing that Wilson's next step would aim at Montgomery. around which he- voted capital all our hopes and fears
 
 ever, to entreatir our officers would en- ter upon no such mad expedition, for ere we could reach Montgomery, which was extremely doubtful, the tide of battle would have already have been turned for or against it. Thus we were forced to submit and endure most dreadful agony of suspense almost equal to death itself. The thought of our dear families being subjected to the tortures we had recently witnessed wrought 0ur feelings up to a pitch of indescribable frenzy; and
 Tn that instant, OCT the soul,
 Winters of memory seem to roll;
 And gather in their drop of time,
 A life of pain, an age of crime"
 As if adding new sorrow to a cup of woe already filled to overflowing, news reached us on the 9th of April that General Lee had evacuated Rich mond, the President and Cabinet hav- ing been removed to Danville. Of course there was little credence given to the report at the time as Lees army had ever been considered invincible. However fin a few days the terrible news was confirmed, producing death blow" to our people. From that moment the downfall of our country was considered inevitable, and in vain we endeavored to shut our eyes to the awful realty. On the 10th of April our brigade re- cedved marching orders for Columbia, C. in order to effect a junction with