Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-07
"CROWHOP AND CLAYBAMK''
oNEEYED MAN ON oNEEYEo HORSE AND WHAT
GAME OF EX-SENATOR MORGAN AS A cocKFIeHTER
IN Tells of More Fun With wheeIer's Cavalry.
Private W. C. DOdoon
editor Atlanta Journal:

Editor Atlanta Journal:
In responding to your Invitation to
write something more about Wheeler
cavalry, l wish to say that the subject
is by no means exhausted, but had
hoped that others of the old gang would
take up the task Many there are more
competent and worthy, but 1t is only just
to myself to say that none can love more
the men, their cause and its memories
than /.
In reading OF battles. sieges, marches,
hardships, ETC., the average reader may
be unduly impressed with the horrors of
war. and is apt to conclude that IT is
all tragedy, with no place for comedy
but comedy plays its part, and the aver
age soldier is much more inclined to mirth
than mourning. OF course the hardships
and sufferings of our army were great,
buy Johnny Reb wasted but little time In
useless repining and was usually able to
extract some diversion from nearly every
situation, and as a rule was equally ready
for a fight or a frolic.
Having in my previous communications
told about some of the fighting we did.
suppose now vary the monotony and
tell about some OF the fun we had.
would forget the darker side of the pic
ture II 1 could, but am fond Of dwelling
upon the lighter side.
Most of your readers have probably
heard Of the great sham battle OF john
ston's army on the retreat from Dalton
but an amusing incident connected there
with l have never yet seen published
There was present the wife Of General
Hardee, and a number Of handsome and
accomplished ladies from Mobile. Among
the latter was one having decided par
TALLY for a certain major, who was an
active participant in the forefront of the
battle. She presently became uneasy at
the apparent dangerous position Of her
~ nd ~ har q
claimed, "Oh. just look at the Major! oh
the Major ought not TO be there!'
A ragged old cavalryman standing near,
and who was probably more familiar with
the majors fighting record than his fair
champion, felt called on to reply: Don't
you be uneasy, Miss, If twas sure
enough fight the Major wouldn't be no
where near thar"
The young lady's indignation and dis
gust can better be imagined than des-
cribed, and If look could have killed,
there would have been q dead cavalry
man then and there.
After the battle of Chickamauga our
division CMartin's) was sent with Long
street on his Knoxville campaign, and
remained with him until both men and
horses were worn TO a fragile.
Early In 1864 we were ordered to Oxford
| Ala, to recruit. This section had suffer
| ed comparatively little from the ravages
! of war, forage and food were plenty, and
after our severe winter campaign in East
Tennessee seemed verify land Of milk
and honey. Many ladies visited the camp
almost daily and picnics and parties were
| the order of the day.
The cavalryman's favorite sport was
horse racing, but there the monotony was
varied. We were encamped in Chocoloco
valley, in which lived "UncIe~ Taylor De-
! Arman, the breeder of a famous strain
| of game chickens and cock fighting soon
| became as popular as horse racing had
been. The contagion spread until the Of
| ficers became infected, and then as usual
| II was the Alabama brigade on the one
side and the Georgia brigade on the other,
The Alabamians had decidedly the adj
vantage in not only being able to get the
| best of Uncle" Taylor's cocks, but also
in having his friend. Bill Taylor, not
ed heller to handle the birds in the pit
| The result was that Alabama soon had
money to burn, while Georgia went dead
broke. Colonel Crews Commanding the
Georgia brigade)' and his men were blue
| while General (rfow senator) Morgan and
| his Alabamians were exultant; and to
! make Il worse the Alabamians were dis
! posed to rub II I'M by tantalizing the
| Georgians on every occasion.
At this stage of the game Crews went
to Columbus, and after considerable delay
and expense, secured a coop OF fighting
chickens Of a celebrated Georgia strain
and another big main was arranged. The
! Georgians who were able sent home for
more funds, others borrowed from friends
and big money such as It was. depended
upon the issue of this final battle.
The Alabamians had an old gray cock
they nick-named ''Brahma because he