Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1901-01-12

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doubt it. Although he has certainly
triumphed in his personal controversy with
Ar. Russell he does not appear to have
frightened, in the smallest degree, his pros
pect Of success The discernment Of the
| public distinguishes between what was
really proposed at Ghent, and sanctioned
by him, in respect to the Mississippi, and
! the DUPLICATE offense Of his quandam col
league
| Observing what you say in regard to
tile probability of your being at Washing
4 ton, allow me to say that it will give me
unaffected pleasure to meet you there, as
| it does to subscribe myself
Faithfully and cordially your friend,
H. CLAY.
The Selge Of VicISsburg.
The editor of this department was
adjutant Of the first regiment Misss
sppi during the seige of Vicllsburg,
and is now, at the request of Gen. s.
D. Lee, corresponding with comrades
of that command so as to ascertain the
part taken by the batteries at the battle
of Bakers creek and in this seige. 1t
was the only light artillery regiment
in the Confederate army 1t has one
battery of eight guns, two of six guns,
and eight of four guns-in all 46 guns
l2-pounder Iowitzers, 6-pounders and
PARROTS. Six of the batteries were at
Vicksburg, the others at Port Hudson.
The regiment mustered about 1900 men
VIM r. Withers, colonel. Here is an
interesting sketch Of Company c, Tur-
ner's battery;
RAYMOND Miss, Nov. G, 1900,
Dear Colonel-Yours of the 2d, making
inquiries about Turner's battery Of our
regiment, has been received, and [ will, as
well as can from memory Il have no rec
ords) answer your questions:
was sent to take charge Of the battery
about the 9th of May, 1863, while camped
at Snyder's Bluff, where it remained re-
cuperating from the effects Of the Fort
Pomberton soige l was Greenwood
The battery consisted u i0a guns, and
about ninety ehe-.sz,,. W 20 'Vi',.',9 -
stoned offices -LioutonarN II, F.o,e.,
and Eubanks, sergeantmeior quarter
master-sergeant, one sergeant and one cor
poral for each gun We remained at Sny-
ders Bluff until the afternoon of the day
that the battle at Big Black was fought
May l7th-and Of course we're not in the
battle of Bakers Creek.
n,, ,f s,Pn
Turner, the captain, the inexperience Of
the lieutenants the severe service that it
saw in the campaign around Greenwood
that winter, and the lack of discipline in
the company, Gen Loring teegrapred Col.
Withers to send an officer to command the
battery or to come and take it away.
While we were in line of battle at Snyder's
BlGf, waiting the demonstration made by
Sherman, while Grant was crossing the
Mississippi river, Col Withers informed me
Of the telegram from Loring, and offered
me the command of the company. | I'M
hesitatingly declined the offer, and refused
to 20 until | was ordered to do so while
Company A was camped at Capt Barnes
place below Nicksburg, as | have said about
the 9th of May | never saw more
rugged, dirty set of men during the war
than found on taking charge They had
not received any money, clothing or sup
plies for the battery for four months and
were carrying on their persons and clothes
the swamp mud that they encountered at
Fort Pemberton The men were not only
discouraged, but greatly aggrieyed at hav-
ing an officer from another company put
over them. During the ten days that in
teryened before the battle of Bakers Creek
succeeded in getting four months pay for
the men and an entire change of clothing,
and new harness for the battery. As soon
as this was done the good soldiers at once
became reconciled to the change made in
command of the company, and the others
soon fell into line, so that when we went
iutO ViCksburg and took our place on the
line Of defenSes, we were in reasonable good
condition for service. We were put in
position Immediately on the left of the
Jackson road, and were supported by the
81 Louisiana, 3Sth and 42d Mississippi regi-
ments, Hebert's brigade Forney's division,
1t was not long however before one gun
from this battery was ordered to the left
of our front, where Shoup's brigade Of
Smiths division was stationed. 1t was
near this gun, and while engaged il con
versation with me, and in few feet of
Gen Shoup, that Capt. John T. Spenser, of
the generals staff, was killed. The other
three guns remained near the Jackson road
until the end of the sege One of them
was tunnelled and turned upside down by
the explosion of the mine near to the place
where Col. Erwin, of the 9th Missouri
grandson of Henry Clay, was killed while
defending with his regiment the opening
made by the upheavel. | doubt if better
services were rendered by any company
during the seige than was given by this
battery. There were thirty casualties in
the company, and Lieut.. Eubanks was
severely wounded. About the third week
of the seige was put in command Of all
the artillery in Hebert's brigade but con
tinued to have charge of this battery until
the surrender on the 4th of July. | was
in command of the company again in parole
camp at Enterprise, but on Lieut. Hooker's
promotion, at the request of the men of
Company A, ! was ordered back to it. The
company (C) was sent to Mobile, where it
did good service under Major Woaord, in
another branch of the service.
Yours truly, W. 7, RATLIFF.
correspondent wants to know 'if it
is fact that general elections in Mis-
sippi in former times occupied two days,
and if so, why?" Under the eonstitu-
ton of 1917 general elections were held
ION the first Monday and day following
in August" Under the constitution of
1882 ION the first Monday and day fol-
lowing in November" This was
changed in ls56-general election to be
held on first Monday in October, "and
be concluded in one day" The con2ti-
tutions of 1868 and 1900 changed the
time to the first Tuesday after the first
Monday We take it for granted that
general elections were held on two
days because of transportation condi-
tons in those times. They did not vote
for president on one day and State
officers the day following, but when a
voter was handed his ballot he voted
for everything in sight.
The presidential electors viii meet in