Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-09-10

"
our lines day and night the shells fell,
some of them weighing 200 pounds and as
big as nail kegs, and they surely did.
make it hot for us for forsy-nine days
and nights. Starvation began to stare us
in the face. even our water was cut short.
We were reduced to peas and bread, for
a longer period than I care to remember,
and such bread-I never want to see any
more Just like it. BY the time it was cold
it was full of cobwebs. The beef-what
there was of twas so poor 1t would
stick to a tree.
One day 1 was standing outside Of the
breastworks when one of those big shells
burst about half a mile above US and a
piece as big as my head struck the ground
within two feet of me, covering me up in
dust and dirt. Many Of the boys thought
1 was killed, but I'm not dead yet, but it
was pretty close call.
1 have never heard very much said about
mule beef. I am willing to admit that the
mules were butchered and issued as ra-
tions, but let me tell you it was only done
by Pemberton for the money there was in
it.. On the day of the surrender there
were three or four large warehouses full
of provisions. On the morning of the sur
render / tried to eat some of the mule
beef, but could never chew it fine enough
to swallow it,
Uncle Sam will never live to see the day
when he can muster as many men at one
time as there were of the blues and grays-
We were the pick and flower Of the ma
ton. The Spanish-American and Philip
pine soldiers know nothing about the
hardships of war to compare with what
we had TO suffer.
On July a flag of truce was raised and
Grant and Pemberton came to terms OF
our surrender At IL o'clock the next day
we were commanded to fall in line and the
u cd n
then we marched three PAGES in front and
stacked arms, then fell back 80 yards
Then. the Yankees began to march in
from every direction and they played
'sDixie" until my hair stood on end. They
stacked arms, then broke ranks, took on
their haversacks and opening them up
said: Here. Johnny. get your grub! Here.
Johnny, get your grub" didn't need
much invitation. ! sat down with little
Yankee named Strayer from Iowa
was overcome with joy, for it was the
first time had had enough to eat for ~
DAYS. Strayer told me that they had all
drawn 200 rounds of ammunition the even
ing before, for if we did not surrender
they had orders to shoot the town and its
occupants into doll rags. 1t was good
thing we surrendered, for If they had
charged our ranks there would have been
an awfully big funeral procession the next
day.
We got our pay rolls on the 9Th of July.
/ do wonder how many of the boys re-
member the oath that we had to take that
day? Here it is:
''To all whom it may concern, be il
known that /, p. d. Post, Company b,
Forty-first' regiment, Georgia volunteers
being a prisoner of war in the hands OF
the United States forces in virtue OF the
capitulation of the city Of Vicksburg and
its garrison, held by Lieutenant General
John c. Pemberton, commanding on July
A, 1863, I do, in pursuance of said capitu-
lation, give this my solemn promise I'M
der oath that will not take up arms
against che United States Of America,
nor discharge any duties usually per-
formed by officers or soldiers against the
United States OF America, until duly ex-
changed by the proper authorities, so help
me God!"
We left Vicksburg July II on long.
hot march to Meridian, Miss. At Merid-
ian we boarded some stock cars for Mo-
bile. I reached home about the last of
July. NV. mother met me at the gate,
and throwing her arms around the neck
of her returned soldier boy said: Thanks
be to God My boy is alive and home
again. For she had mourned me as
dead.
Il was provided with soap and water in
the back yard 1t was my first contact
with either since the day before the bat
tie of Bakers creek
We were out of the fight for 81 days,
then were exchanged and went into camp
two miles below Decatur, Ga Then the
dread of war was upon us again. l think
If there was ever a set of men who de-
serve honor and praise it is the men who
suffered the agonies and perils Of warfare
. during fha siege of VickSDlrg.