The Atlanta constitution., 1902-11-17

fourth Alabama and Fifth Georgia regiments.
The last was comp1sei Of thirteen companies
n rec of which were afterwards detached AMI
Joined To- our company 'D) and made the siv'-
ond GEORGIA bltta ION sharIshooters. We We
all young then many OF Just from n
school room. and although We were strangers
To- each Other. many o. the st.o 3: tei "f
Fri, ndship were formed ir1m this reuni'n
which death alone can sever. Though | nave
seen none Of them since the war. not DAY
has pass,d since that memorable day at Jon -
lcro that have not Thought of some oi u'Si
old Georgia boys that were SO intimately ass -
csated with me from JUL, 1862. To NuSns''
1864 whom the fortune Of Battle separated
us for an ,imc TO come. There was on" with
whom I was especially intimate TOT Nv
weeks after were captured. May 'H
YOU about him and the cause Of our ihtlihac'
II SO. l must fight over a part oi the JONES
bsro battle.
our ,Gist.s, brigade was on the extreme
right of The line OF bat L. our battalion IN
the lefs Of the brigade and company u on INC
left cf the battalion and the lett OF our com
l,anv rest n on tho railroad wren husE'u
arc und a hill. The railroad was running norm
and south where our line touched 1t, nut b's"h
e.. curve To the northeast Just In front OF hs
NYa were on the east side Of the road am on
our side there was quite steep piuii INV"
10 the railroad track. which 10 some eN'rh1
followed a little depression OF hollow wr''
General Gosan's ArAausas brigade touc''e
the railroad on the west and his line eNtrnd-
I'd oui At right angles from the road ana
IL seemed to me that the enemy coneeh'r"t'"
an their forces against this brigade oi NJ
kansas heroes. From our position, wnlch was
elevated We could see column after column 81
federals ,.harge down the slope to fail upon
these Arkansas boys but they came only u
b. rcpuIsed Not more than half oi our
company could give them any help. Tor ""'Hz
TO the nature % the hill or ridge the rest oi
the battalion and brigade could see nothing
II what was being done. As the enemy t3'-
unns would charge down the hill across 'ue
railroad and also the hollow their left "puli
strlke tho railroad above ;he curve anu, II "'-
ing difficult 10 scale th" BLUM theS N'"u
mciIn, TO tnetr right. At hrst these cam.
out in plain view Of us, but when We httu
into them "a round or two they cohciuhei Il
vas not a healthy place. 50 ihey Iehai."o
behind the curve curing the rest oi the hSn';
Now while times wer" hottest a l"ls' ~" -
l.autiful United states banner came IN Wv
rot more than 90 yards from us. ana dn"is
th, timc u came in sght "A sthtit u
came sweeping over the battle hvld ana Drew
.,,t m. ,i,l,n folds ~ this banner and dis
rlayed tn, majestic eagle. which was 80 Skill
iuliy stamped thereon IN pure EoH. ~ p'"t'5
Was evidently brave man. lie saw US anu
waved his banner at us. Shoot him down,
oNriaimed "A dozen voices, Tor II seeted 10
one was ready to shoot just at that lnstant'
hut Ia three seconds SIX OF rleht 81 Is
were ready, and as raised my tlIt thI
rl.r,.,d along rs bright barrel the rtl"ctl "a
90 that golden eagle glistenrd before my ~
and could hardly shoot. but l dld. ana hN2
al hers All al once. and the brave fellow lcH
and ITS proud banner lay IN the dust but
NOT for long for another brave fellow proudly
raised T. 10 the breeze, but he. too, f"lt ana
ms Ma r.neated several times: every mai.
tfat took II M, let IL fan with hls III" uttu
O.d GLORY Law in the dust with none Nn)
dared TO touch It. FOR our rifles were true
..lth men behind them that know how 60 use
Item Each man that took up the nag carried
q little nearer 10 US They seemed To pay
but little attention to ds. All their energies
Ncre enlisted against General tovan. but about
half of old company - were giving them
an the attention We could. We did not want
them To so back home and say We sighted
lem Now when this beautiful banner last
fell il not NOR" than 50 yards from us.
And lust about the time II fcI the last tim.
o,,r a,ltltant charley Roberts came up from
the right Of the battle. and seeing the ban
fall and not knowing how ;hinJs Were. *
claimed. Hold up. boys. I'm bound TO nave
that hammer" and started 10 slide down the
hun "a the railroad track stop. chariey y;
there are five hundred yanks right round the
crrve." said ], but the din OF battle drown /
my words and he could not understand. and
he STA down the bank | sad. "Goodby.
charley. never expect 10 see you again,
fer l well knew that the railroad track
fun of the enemy and nearer To the nag than
We're but Charley did not know this. IL
Sic dit ! think then that Charley and I wol,d
s.ccp under the same blanket that night AMI
fnI several weeks afterwards.
Yes. they took Charley IN out OF the wet
and la-er they got me ami | mare hcI
to Atlanta under the beautiful banner tia.
Charley gave up his freedom trying 10 cap
tLre.
They kept MS IN Atlanta two three weeks,
then as long IN Chattanooga Before left
'hattanooEa the weather began 10 get quite
cold. and Charley. having nothing at ali 10
Hst p rrdcr. having Tair Of large bed
blankets. offered to share them with him. An
exchange Of few hundred prisoners was ar-
ranged. whle az Chattanooga aud
NY name being near the top Of the alphabe-
! was called for exchange. but wishing TO give
dear ola Charley Roberts the benefit ct lny
llankets had slipped I'm among the officers
sp of
late.
haze heard nothing from Charley since we
inrted AT Chattanotga. but would like much
t. hear. IL he Is alive here is no man /
would rather see. VIII not some one wa
knows him tell me n he is alive?
With much love To all the old boys
j. 4. DAWSON
Company u. Second Georgia Battalion Sharp-
shooters.
Rosser Ala.