Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-13

I thank God that I am an old veteran
and still spared and in good health ana
enjoy the great pleasure of reading the
soul-stirring communications Of the old
brothers. God bless them. never meet
one but 1 want TO hug him. Having Just
read a communication from one of the
old BOYS. John c. Hilsman. IL enthused
me so-rather than burst I gave one verse
of the rebel yell Have read several de-
scriptiOns of the Crater. Brother HIS
mans memory is Ue.ter than any yet. He
is mistaken in saying WicOx's Alabama
brigade charged so CALAMITY and recap
tured about half OF the blown up works
(Crater). being in that terrible charge
myself. should know the true facts. VIII
cox's brigade. composed of the Eighth
Ninth Tenth. Eleventh and Fourteenth
Alabama regiments. commanded by Col.
John Sanders. OF the Eleventh Alabama.
was ordered up 10 retake the blown up
works and the Tenth Alabama, OF which
I belonged TX company, was selected 10
make the desperate charge with Capt. l..
w. johnson. of company 2, in command
Of the regiment. and after lying in ravine
about To yards in rear Of Crater for about
three hours in the hot sun. several sue
cumbing TO excessive heat, at p. m.
CAPTAIN Johnson gave command. FAN
in forward, march! Double qmck charge,
which we did with the rebel yell and we,
the old Tenth. soon recaptureu every inch
OF the entire blown up works or Crater.
other troops had made the attempt in
the forenoon and possibly taken the
TANKS but the Tenth alone got the crater.
/ wrote COmrade l.. w. Johnson in ref
erence 10 the battle and 1 here give
portion OF his letter:
TUSCALOOSA. Ala. Nov. Is, 1901.
]. d. Staples. oxford, Ala:
My esteemed friend and comrade IN
arms: Your pleasant letter of 10th inst,
received. l am more than pleased at all
times TO receive letter from member
OF the gallant old Tenth Alabama. Hav-
ing lust answered a letter from the chair
man OF the literary department of the
Daughters of the Confederacy. asking
facts as 10 what troops recaptured the
Crater works. I do not remember the
state troops that were engaged in the
first attempt TO retake the works in the
forenoon but I do know we'll that the
old Wilcox Alabama brigade was ordered
out of the bitches on the night of the era
ter and ordered TO report in rear Of era
ter works and when we got there Cen
eral Lee was there In person and said
while a portion OF the line had been Ia
ken that the Crater proper was still held
by a large force OF the enemy and II
was absolutely necessary that those works
be retaken before night and that he en-
trusted that important undertaking TO the
gallant Alabama brigade that had never
famed in any emergency. Col. John San
ders. Of the Eleventh Alabama. comman-
ded the brigade, and he placed me tenn
porarily i'm command OF the Tenth, there
being no field officer present. I was cap
tain Of Company 4 at that time and pro-
moted afterwards. There were I'VE reg
iments I'm the brigade-sth. 9Th. 10th, llth
nd al ma hut IN the charge the
10th Alabama sure did retake the
Crater and we alone. We sure deserve
the credit of recapturing after others had
failed. General Lee said that selecting
the Alabama brigade TO accomplish what
other troops had failed TO do was and
always will be a mark OF honor.
Tender my regards 10 old comrades
Captain J. F. Smith. Lon Orr. Joshua
Draper L. b. Miller. j. c. Hendrick. J.
L. Jenkins and others. May we all live
long and prosper i'm life. die happy and
meet each other in that better land, is
my earnest prayer.
Yours truly.
l.. W. JOHNSON.
In conclusion. will say I have not writ
ten this bosstngly. I only want laurels
worn by those who won them. I do not
claim my regiment the best. All were
brave and true. Any other command could
and would have succeeded as ours; the
Tenth simply happened TO be selected.
The southern troops did better fighting
than any nation. and had we been fighting
the north only. or even i've 10 our one.
instead Of the world. the results would
have been quite different The Crater
fight was surely a close call for all, IL
being the hottest day by sun and heat
added from powder. hot balls, shells, etc.
II is a wonder any survived. Had IL not
been for the timely arrival of Comrade
John Bull with an old dirty cloth full Of
ice. I fear I would have passed in my
checks from overhead. This is endorsed by
Captain j. F. Smith. Joshua Draper. Lon