The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-26

County Guards, will you drill up the Toad or down the road today?" l had a fisticuff in ranks as we were forming for dress parade one evening, but Ser geant Allen separated us. After return ing to our quarters, Captain Roswell | Ellis made the company a speech. say ing how mortified he was that gentle men of the Columbus Guards should fight and this was all the punishment we got. John Lindsay was put in the guard house for refusing to cut wood for the colonel, and in five minutes hundred bayonets were fixed and guns loaded to go and get him out. The offi- cers were greatly distressed, but to our relief John came up smiling and there never was another of the Second Georgia | called on to perform such service.
 These Incidents, and hundreds of others ] that might be given, will show what sort of discipline prevailed In much of the southern army. The officers recognized the fact that sometimes one company contained two dozen men, each the equal in wealth. education, and social position to any general in either army. One Ala bama regiment had one company con tainng twenty-two privates, each worth over a million dollars. These men might not submit quietly to punishment for slight infraetion of discipline they did get hungry. dirty and ragged. but when | tuiied OH lO mdTCn or CndTBe uOuDle their numbers. they did 1t. inspired by sentiments of duty and patriotism. su- perior to any military discipline.
 Thirty.Eight Years Ago. |.
 This is April l, and I recall the incl 1 dents of thirty-elght years ago. On the last of March Grant had sought to march around our flank at Hatchers Run. about forty miles from our left A part of Gracies gallant brigade formed part of the force which attacked the enemy, and took three lines of works On the second line fell Lieutenant Colo nel Daniel 8. Troy. shot through the lungs, to be captured carried to Wash ington, nursed to health by Sisters of Mercy, and live long as one of the lead ing lawyers of Alabama Captain R. F. Manley of this city then took command, and fell on the third line struck on the head by rail. against which a shell exploded. Captured, he went to prison. where he read in the Richmond papers. hls obituary. though he says it was grossly exaggerated and that struggle as he may. he cannot live up to the good things said about him. Grant brought up fresh troops and overwhelmed their line, and We were hastily called from | the extreme left.
 Leaving the miserable mud-daubed earthen floor huts, where for months we had not one-thrd enough to eat. with ragged clothing and seant blankets, we marched to Richmond in the dead of | night and on the hills at Rockets we we could see the long trains of fire fol- lowing the shells which were being fired into ill-fated Petersburg. Detained for some cause on the train at the bridge over the James, we reached Petersburg Just before day, and at once marched out to it's western borders, where the spite al fYfad k.G &F..I
 sional cannon shot cracked in the misty dawn and told us that the enemy had broken our lines. Ordered to the front l went on till l came to an avenue bor- dered by low hedges, leading to a fine residence. and in this l met General Lee alone, on Traveller head bowed on breast and the federal sharpshooters popping away at him, and some unsup- ported cannoneers he had just left begged him to dismount as he was so conspicuous, but he only looked at me and did not reply. l had never seen him with such look on his race Going to the cannon. 1 could see long lines of in- fantry extending for miles in the open and hurrying back 1 reported that our little brigade of eight hundred men could not halt their progress My regiment lay behind the crest of hill, and fought the advance, whilst the others cut down a bridge behind us. The sharpshooters took cover in front and there was a sav- age, spiteful fight until we heard the bridge fall when we retreated, wadng the chilly stream.
 As we ascended the opposite hill in 8 laughing mood because of our escape q bullet fired from the dormer window ot a house struck the end of my middle finger, and the agony was like mashng your nail with hammer. The nail came off, and that which replaced it, was never so good as the first. and this day it re- quires a little attention, so I have with me a reminder of the tumult of that day. A. P. Hill, the only name mentioned by Lee and Jackson, as their senses wander ed in their dying moments, was killed on that day, and in the distance we saw line after line, about 10,G0O In all, charge fort held by 29O of a Mississippi regiment, who. after their ammunition gave out, fought with rocks bayonets and clubbed guns, and only thirty unhurt men were captured. We lost some good men. Shepherd of Company E. Ballard of Company G. and others, but held the town till nightfall and commenced our fateful retreat to Appomattox.