Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-17
First Georgia Regulars at the Battle of Waterloo S. G.
BY w. Il. ANDREWS.

camp meeting. The men built an arbor
and made seats out Of pine logs, and there
was a hallelujah time Of 1t, the boys
shouted and numbers Joined the church.
The meeting was broken up by Colquitt 5
brigade being ordered to Savannah Ga,
and the regulars to Camp Finnegan on
the 18th OF April. Colquitt's brigade was
splendid body Of men and like most Seor-
CLANS, good fighters. On the LIST or May
the regulars relieved a portion OF the 6th
Florida near Jacksonville. While there
20 of the regulars Joined the G. 5. navy
When the enemy landed at Jacksonville
q number Of citizens fed the town, some
Of them near us in the country. 1t was
not long before they were In desutute
circumstances. The regulars divided their
soanty rations with them, the soldiers
being very liberal when their sympathles
were aroused.
While some Of the boys were visiting
In the country a young lady was display
ing her jewelry, and after the boys left
missed one of her rings. She came to camp
with her father and pointed out Private
Posey, of Co. @, as the man who hao
stolen her ring. He was arrested ana
searched and the ring found on him. he
was q noted thief, and the officers decid-
ed to turn him over to the men to punish
him as they saw proper. The boys held
council of war and decided to drum him
out OF camps on a rail. which was pro-
cured and Posey placed on the shoulders
of two stout men, with drums and nfe
playing the rogue's march. Posey had a
small stick in his hand, to which ne rast-
ened his handkerchief, using II for nag
He was enjoying his ride and having all
the fun by himself; so the boys held an
other council of war and decided TO try
what virtue, If any, there was in the
wagon whips. Posey was carried out OF
camp, strapped to log and Is lashes ad-
ministered, with the admonition that II ne
returned to camp we would Kill him; out
he got back by the time we did. He was
not only a thief but coward, having
shot off his right forefinger in 81 to get
out of the army. On May 18th the regulars
were ordered to Savannah, We went by
rail to Madison, and marched from there
to Quitman, Ca. where we got on the
cars and went TO Savannah, arriving there
on the 10th, and went into camp near
the park. There the regulars received
number Of conscripts. Some were good
men, others either deserted or became hos
pital rats. / don't mean to cast any as
pensions on those who were forced into
the army at that time by calling them
eonscripts, for the regulars who were
the first Georgians at the front served
the last Is months OF the war as con-
scripts, congress having passed law TO
| that effect on the 18th of February, 1864.
All males between the ages of l6 and ~
years were forced into the army Co. M
received some on crutches. The Confede-
racy was then tottering on its last legs,
and no doubt the graveyards were resur-
rected in the hope of finding some poor
devil who was playing out of the war.
On the 10th Of May the regulars marched
to Greenwich Point, below Savannah, and
pitched our tents, where We found sand
flies and mosquitoes world without end.
| On the 26th we relieved the First Georgia
. NJ Nxr1agfrqaarah island vyhpra
remained, doing heavy picket duty until
the Sd day of July, when the regiment
was ordered to Charleston, S. c. The reg
iment marched to Savannah and boarded
train of box cars standing in the sun
that were hot enough to fry eggs or beef
stake on top. but the boys soon ventilated
! them by punching off the sides with their
rifles. Before reaching Charleston we left
| the cars and marched across the Stone
| river onto Johns island, hating a little
| before day. The island, from what could
learn, was about three miles in width and
number of miles in length. We must
have entered the island at the south end,
as there were two roads, one on each side
Of the island. On the 4th we marched
about three miles down the road on the
east side and bivouacked until the next
morning. Tho Stone scouts captured the
surgeon of the 26th New York colored
| troops. We were reinforced by two COM
|
| of the Second South Carolina cavalry with
/ two pieces of the Washington artillery,
| from Charleston. On the 9Th we marched
about three miles farther down the road
and encountered three companies of the
/ 26th New York under Major Die The ar
tillery opened on them, killing three and
stampeding the rest. Two companies of the
regulars were deployed as slIrmishers,
| one on each side Of the road, to keep from
/ being ambushed, as the woods was
| dense thicket of underground, and you
| could see scarcely ten feet. Major r. A.
| Wayne, I'm command, ordered Sergeant
| Major John T. Cheshire to carry an order
| to one of the companies in advance and
| by some unaccountable means missed our
men and was shot down by the negroes
| before he was aware of their presence.
He was shot through the body and after
he fell several attempted to run their bay
onets through him but were prevented
| by one of their white officers. The Skin
mishers arrived in time to rescue him and
the negroes fed. While we were in hot
pursuit OF them Major Wayne received or
/ ders that the main body of the enemy
were advancing on the other road and we
would be liable to be cut off. We made