Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-06

\ along the South Carolina coast was u
steamer making in the direction of the
| war vessel. Between that and Tybee l saw
a sailing vessel also at anchor. l saw the
nfeboats lowered from the man-of-war
and quickly filled with marines or infant
~, bearing small arms. The. rays of the
morning sun flashed the bright light from
their guns in my face as though only
few yards distant. 1 called the corporal,
who notified the officer of the day. He
came on top, and after viewing their
movements for several minutes through
the telescope retired. Ny time being up,
was relieved and never heard anything
more from my friends. the enemy.
Whine the regulars remained on the
Island we threw up battery for two 81
pound smooth-bored guns near the Span
ish tower. We also drew a fatigue uni
form OF gray. On the 18th OF July orders
were read out on dress parade ordering
the regulars to report for duty at Rich
mond, Va. The boys simply went wild and
made the welkin ring. On the nth our
knapsacks were packed. tents STRUCK and
rolled up and the regiment boarded the
steamer Ida for Savannah While passing
Fort jackson we bade farewell to Co. A.of
the regulars amid waving of caps and
I cheering. Co. A, Captain Jacob Reeds
company, had been stationed at Fort
Jackson all the time, and we left them
there. When we arrived at Savannah we
found the wharf deserted. All vessels had
cleared the port before the blockade was
established, and afterwards none could
return. We formed in line at the wharf
and marched through the city with our
splendid brass band, composed Of German
musicians. Colonel Charles ]. Williams,
mounted on one Of his pair of roam
horses, rode at the head of the regiment.
He was a fine looking officer and the
pride Of his men. He was man of com
manding appearance and Of but few
He nf the hest drnzcad
men ever saw, and his uniform fitted
his splendid form to perfection. We went
into camp on the commons. On the 18th
we were reviewed by General Lawton and
presented with one Of the largest and finest
regimental flags 1 saw during the war. 1t
was made OF silk and on the front side.
which was a sky blue, was the coat Of
arms Of Georgia, and beneath that in
| large letters, First Regiment Georgia
Regulars" all in gilt. The reverse side
was the first Confederate flag, or the red,
white and blue. The stan was blue with
bright spearhead and blue cord and tas-
sells. 1t was a present from Miss Howard
of Columbus, Ga, a sister-in-law of Colo
mel Williams. I can't recoIlect who made
| the presentation speech. but Lieutenant
John AIilledge received 1t in behalf of the
regiment.
That flag was the pride Of the regulars
/ and was used only on dress parade and
Il II
am not certain, but / don't think it was
ever under fire unless it was at Lewins-
Vile or Yoketown, Va, before we re-
ceived our battle cross. which was Just
before the seven days fight around Rich
mond In 1862. It was in Colonel r. A.
Wayne's baggage wagon at the surrender
/ at Greensboro in 1866. / was told by Col
onel John Milledge at Marietta in 1892 that
the flags belonging to the regulars were
In the possession of the Georgia Histori-
/ cal society at Savannah, Ga. On the 18th
we received new gray uniforms, caps and
| overcoats. The coats were single-breast-
| ed. frock coats, with one row of Georgia
buttons down the front. The pants had
/ a black cord on the outer seam. It was
| altogether a handsome and serviceable
suit Since the war people think all Con-
/ federates wore gray, but / don't think /
saw another regiment uniformed like ours
/ during the war. On the 10Th OF July, 1861,
\ the regiment boarded a train of box cars
for Charleston, and when we arrived the
mayor and citizens furnished the regiment
with beautiful supper. On the 21st we
proceeded by the way Of Florence, S. c.,
to Wilmington, n. c., where the citizens
treated the boys to hot coffee. Colonel
/ Williams received a dispatch stating that
/ the Federal army, under Generals Scott
and Mcdowell, had been defeated at Bull
Run, Va, and the boys cheered themselves
hoarse. On the 22d we proceeded to Wei
don and on the I'D passed through Peters
burg, Va. where we received a splendid
i dinner furnished by the citizens, after
which we went on to Richmond and quar-
i tered at Camp Winder. On the oath Pres
i ident Jefferson Davis visited the regiment,
mounted on his white charger. and made
/ a short speech. We went TO Manassas
Junction on the 18th and pitched our
tents two miles beyond on the railroad
4 near Bull Run creek. Our camp was
called Camp Walker"
The boys yelled themselves hoarse on
our way to Virginia From nearly every
house we passed white handkerchiefs
waved, cheering the boys on to the front.
i We felt like we were just out of the peni-
Tertiary, and we certainly enjoyed the
| open fields and woods. Every hill and dale
was dotted with the white tents of the
soldiers. We found them from Texas,
louisiana, Mississippi. Alabama, Georgia,
North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Vir-
| ginia and Maryland. But the best OF all.
we drew flour and the choicest of beef, be-
sides which you could buy anything you
/ wanted so long as you could pay for it.
We were paid of at Camp Walker. 1
don't know whether It was our first pay
ment or not, but twas our first Confed-
4 crate money and was made Of very coarse
light colored paper. and would not have
stood much handling.
| We were assigned TO General Robert
| TOombs' brigade. composed of the Sec
I ond. Fifteenth, Seventeenth and Twen-
| tieth Georgia regiments. Colonel Williams
i formed and reviewed II the first time il
was in line. At Richmond Captain w. j.
Magill was appointed lieutenant colonel
/ and Captain John ID. Walker major. Lieu
/ tenants A A. Hill, II. d. d. Twiggs, -
i Montgomery and Bowdre. captains. Cap
/ tain 8. p. Hamilton, with Company ID,
was placed in charge of a battery Of field
/ artillery. Captain Hill was assigned TO
/ Company NJ. The last of August or the
i first Of September Colonel Williams went
i 10 his home in Columbus, Ga, on sick
leave and short time afterward died. It
| was sad news for his regiment, as he
| held the confidence and respect Of every
/ man in it. Thererwas a great deal of sick
! ness among the troops in the fall of 1861
and a great many deaths. II was almost
an every day occurrence to hear the sad.
plaintive notes of the bands with muffied
drums playing the dead march at some
| poor soldiers burial The saddest of all
| things to me was burying a soldier with
/ military honors. A private soldier had
one corporal and eight privates for his
| funeral escort. He would be wrapped in
| his blanket and placed in a plain pine box
| and borne TO his grave by six men. The
| escort followed with reversed arms, keep
| ing time with the music which. was very
| slow. The grave would be dug outside