The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-28
SOME INCIDENTS
 FROM THE REVISED
Sketch of the First Regiment, Ala bama Volunteer|,
 C. s. A.
BY E. Y. McMoRR1Es pLANTERsv1LLE, ALA.
C. s. A.

LILLE, ALA.
 for instance as a rattlesnake in coil ready to strike his victim, with the motto, Don't tread on me" This great diver sity of company flags was especially con- spicuous on regimental drill and dress pa- rade. On the adoption of national flag during summer the ladies of Montgomery sent the Regiment a Confederate flag made of bunting, after which the com pany flags were seldom used.
 These flags were captured at Island No. 10, April, 1862, and are presumably in the archives of Northern States.
 General Review of the Army at
 Barancas.
 General Bragg determined to hold a general review of the army during the month of July, and for this purpose had all underbrush removed from space of half a mile square out in the piney woods about mile in the rear of the new light house. and out of sight of Fort Pickens It was a Iearfully hot day and not leaf of the forest stirred from its place. The hot sun burned our feet through our shoes. We stoud in this position about an hour facing the sun with our long blue jeans coats uG.toned tightly up to our chins while we enjoyed the luxury @ of being reviewed by the General and hls staff. After the General had passed along our front he took position at one cor ner of the square where the army by companies marched past him as he sat on his highly caparisoned war-steed, cap in hand and head barred to the burning sun. This consumed another hour, by which time many of the men were pros trated with heat. and had to fall out of ranks. This was the only general review we had at Barancas, an1 1t was enough flor us. For severaI |. eeks we had been 10Al txa fSN arl ta htS ant nntf fNth r. ing a "big time" but as a pleasing af- fair the whole performance was a stu pendous failure.
 Sickness at Barancus, Fla, in, 1861.
 shall speak briefly first of the Marine hospital a distinct image of which as l. was in 1861 still nanss in the pictI galle- ry of memory though never an Inmate myself. The building was a magnificent structure of brick, three stories hign, painted yellow, orc liiytpg Il teiraced ele- vation half a mile from the beach, en- closed by heavy brick wall quadrangu- lar in form with a large iron gate at the centre of each side, almost obscured by that prince of all forest trees, the live oak, around whose dark massive trunks and long meandering branches ivy and other vines had woven themselves into a solid coating until leaping up and over spreading the tops of trees and hospital they hung in graceful festoons along the walls of the latter. The spacious grounds were carpeted with natures perennial green relieved here and there by clusters of brilliant and variegated flow CTS. The grove was enivened by the ceaseless singing of many birds, of which cur own Southern mocking is king, thus removing this one spot as far away as possible from every suggestion of war and turmoil and strife. A Confederate sol dier in full uniform and with fixed bay onet Is pacing his beat in front of each gate and also of each entrance of the main buildings. while Sisters of Charity, dressed in black and wearing white sun bonnets were moving along the wide cor riders and verandahs on their missions of mercy, or standing in groups of two or three in ernest consultation with a sur geon. If one enter and go through the apartments we shall find them large and, well lighted and we'll ventilated; the walls furniture and beddings scrupulously clean. and the patients receiving such food and attention as tlair respective con- ditions demand.
 During the spring, summer and fall measles, jaundice and malarial and typhoid fever had excessively invaded the camp of the 1st Alabama regiment
 
 tary regulations the first two became epidemic and the last had nearly so Many believed that so much drilling in the hot sun while closely laced up from hip to chin in heavy woolen uniforms was responsible for so much sickness. So many of the regiment had never been &C., customed to labor or active exercise of any kind. this opinion may have been, at least to some extent well founded. Of course no blame can attach to any of ficer of the regiment on this account. Raw troops have to be drilled, disciplined and hardened for service, and officers alone have to do this. Besides this hardening process" at Barancas doubtless saved many lives to the regiment at Island 10 when the exposure and duties were so much greater and where the new recruits suffered such terrible fatality, while the volunteers of '61 passed through the fiery ordeal of after campaigns with compara- lively slight loss.
 Whatever the cause. the Marine Hos pital was full of sick from June to Octo- Der. Every day several were carried down from the hospital to the dead house. for interment. or shipment home, almost invariably the latter in the South ern army during 1861 To us unaccustom- ed then to the horrors of war the sitla- ton was distressing. Said a nervous comrade: "A man can die and be buried here with the least ceremony and concern l ever saw Our regiment lost about forty this year mostly young men. Many a youth who only few months previous had left homes of tenderness and luxury, and gone forth at their country's call to drive back the invaders of the South thus early and suddenly found the end of his brief career and earthly ambition.
 I distinctly recall to mind one, a youth of r. of attractive personality, of superior intellect. of wealthy and distinguished family of magnanimous soul and Chris tian character, and of high social position All giving assurance of a most honorable and useful life-thus untimely cut down.
 From the first of the sons illness the anxious father (for his mother had died several years beforel was at the bedside of his son who was slowly dying of typhoid fever. Though the hospital service was excellent. and the father provides for his son every comfort and delicacy that heart could wish. two company comrades by per mission spent the long, lonesome, sad hours of night in affectionate ministra- ron to their loved friend. Towards the last or his illness. the patients mind be- gan 10 wander. In dreams and during periods of alteration he was conversing with comrades in camp, or in a gay par ty Of friends at home. or wearied of a long march. or engaged in fierce battle with the enemy After a protracted struggle. the end came peacefully: the