Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-11-07
Tenth alabama
At Salem, Church

Editor Journal-I want to- join all other
old Confederates in showing our appreci.
alton Of the great generosity of The Jour.
nal in caring for our old boys in their dis.
tressed condition when their home was
destroyed. v. tI<,f .fe ~.
1 can imagine their sad faces and feel
ings while their all was burning and then
their unbounded joy when. notified of the
grand and patriotic. iced Of The Journal
Being an old Confederate myself of the
Tenth Alabama regiment from June, 1861,
to April, 1866, / can appreciate such God.
send kindnesses to old comrades. .,}
love all old Rebs, especially. those of
the Tenth Alabama. 1 think 1t was In as
many or more battles, .skirmishes forced
marches, ETC., than any other command.
Mustered into service in 1861 by Colonel
afterwards generaD John H. Forney,
now OF Jacksonville, Ala. whom they
would have followed to the jumping off
place and farther, II he wished, as on
three different occasions when there were
hazardous risks to be taken in charging
and capturing batteries and when volun-
teer regiments would be called for, Gem
eral John H. Forney would be seen on the
old bay horse, hat In hand, galloping
down the lines calling for his old regiment,
the Tenth. 49,. ....-. Us s-..-t-
Go? Yes, we went and made our prowess
felt every time. Those were our close
calls.
Ny closest call was at Salem. Church,
connected with the battle of ChanceIlors-
vile and Fredericksburg, where the
Yanks, ten to one, chased us from Fred
ericksburg two miles to Salem Church.
Over the hills we went and crept back and
lay very fiat on the ground, just under
the. brow Of the hill, where we could see
three heavy lines of battle advancing, our
orders being to wait till the command 10
fire" na...s. -. ......a-.@ ~ &.
await till you can see the whites Of
their eyes," which order came as they got
within about thirty yards of us, and after
about three rounds our line raised the
Rebel yell, which the blue coats could
never stand, and charged and drove them
at full speed back under cover of their
batteries, they leaving more dead and
wounded than we had engaged. 1t was
there ]. received two shots that gave me
furlough; and there, too, brother was
killed by my side
1 had many other close calls-at the
Blowup or Crater, the wilderness, and
munications and close calls from old COM
rades. They carry me back to old Vir-
ginia, and camps, marches, battles, etc. I
think II the duty of every Confederate sol
der to read his Bible and The Journals
close calls and be prepared when the
summons comes, which can't be long. to
meet those old comrades and loved ones
already beyond the river.
have some old relics that we prize
highly: a piece of our old battle flag that
waved over and enthused our boys in
many hard fought battles. Also the strip
Of white cloth given us on forming first
line Of battle, We supposed at the time
that IL was intended to bind our wounds,
but 1t was to tie around our left arms to
designate us from Yanks. also have the
hymn book and Testament carried
through the war, and a pass used in 49,
signed by captain, colonel and general.
and last, but not least, General r. z.
Lees and General William Mahone's fare
well addresses to their commands, written
by myself on the old yellow Confederate
paper on the day of surrender, April g. '65.
May you live long, and may prosperity
crown your every effort. is the wish of
your eomrade in arms.
.t + ]. d. STAPLES, e
o. K, 10th r. A. ", A. N. ".
Oxford, Ala.