The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1903-10-02
War "Reminiscences.
BY ,. VI. HOLBERT.

II is an Ill wind that blows no
body good, so my having been sick
for nearly four weeks has spared
the readers of the Aberdeen Week
ly from being bored with my wal
"reminiscences for that length oi
time. But as | am convalesccni
/ will get them up another yarn
On the oath Of August. 1861. tho
Governor of Mississippi order
twenty companies into camp near
Enterprise, Mississippi, for t..-
purpose of organizing them into d
brigade. Two regiments, the fffh
and eighth, were formed with Gcn.
O'Ferrel. merchant Of Enterprise,
as Brigadier General, temporarily.
The time spent from that time TO
the 9th of Novem Der was the pleas
ATTEST experienced by those two
regiments dusing the war.
Our company was the oldest in
the brigade, and was the only one
that had any arms and these con-
sisted of muzzIe- loading fiint-lock
muskets. We were stationed on
the right of the fifth regiment,
which was on the right of the brig
ade. We had one hundred and
four privates, besides commission
ed and ncn-commissioned Ulcers.
OF that number we had seventy
full hedged fiddlcrs (violinists) Z.
besides few who could saw bow
little i'm cases of emergency, 80
We passed the time lively enough.
A platform was constructed twelve
feet square. with bars across the
bottom IN such manner as to be-
carried on the shoulders Of eight
men. When they became worried
they were relieved by others. Ev-
cry night at about nine o'clock,
this platform was taken up by eight
stout men, and four of the best
dancers and clowns, or most witty
men in the regiment, were placed
on the platform and the pro-
cession. headed by three or four
fiddlers. one fife and two drums,
started. and the brigade would be
treated to serenade every night,
the men on the platform dancing
and passing jokes as the crowd
followed in the rear About once
week this sport would be chang
ed by getting up "a volunteer bat
talon, commanded by some com
missioned officer To GO down To
Enterprise. two miles away. to ser
enade General O'FarrelI At such
times the General would set out
quantity of whisky. and thing
would get pretty lively. | suppose
this became a little annoying to
the General after while. At any
rate, one night. when Capt. Arm
strong had carried about half the
regiment. including but few of his
own company. To serenade the Gen
eral. Major Stennis Of our rcgi
iment came to our company's quar-
ters and told us that il we would
load our guns with powder and
place ourselves in his command,
We would have some fun. This We
did, and all things being in readi-
ness, We having been instructed in
the whole programme, we marched
silently under the command of the
Major about half way To- Enter
prise and formed in line facing
the road. In short time we heard
the music of the sercnaders re-
turning from their sport TO camp.
under the leadership of Capt. Arm
strong.
When they got well in front.
marching proudly with music in
full blast, mt the command of Mai
Stennis. we fired our guns into the
air. Captain Armstrong; part took
70 the woods and each of us. being
previously instructed. selected his
man and followed i'm hot pursuit
There was creek crossing the
road just behind Armstrong; men,
and they were not very particular
about following its ,meanderings
by the light of the stars. but pre-
ferred pIunges and duckings in
their wild haste to iget away. A
few OF the serenders were caught
by our party. and, of course.
form Of parole was gone through
with. There were the vets and
the drys in the captured party.
bat the vets looked most ashamed.
L. Nj I'LL