The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-07-13
Mr.. Brunson Replies.

h1nOly give LILO SpoE0 Al Jul PaP01
to reply to the letter Of Mr.. Brailsford
in your last issue.
I have not the honor of knowing
Mr.. Brailsford, but the free use be
makes Of my name gives me the right
to answer for. myself and the other
members of company B, who rendered
the same service and upon whom has
been conferred the Southern Cross OF
Honor.
If Mr.. Brailsford is an old Confed-
crate soldier, who bore the heat and
burden of the day, then, not only
take off my hat to him. but We boys
will gather and lay our crosses Of
bonor at his feet; and, if the wear
inc of these crosses by us will, in any
way, farnish or bedim the cross he
wears, I for one, will not wear the
cross.
If we we're only State troops, I do
not believe any of Us knew it. Most
of the boys were trying constantly to
get to Lees army in Virginia, and
many of Us, including myself. were
sent into North Carolina. Mr.. Brails-
ford is again mistaken when he con-
temptuonsly asserts that we were call
ed into service for only few months at
a time to guard prisoners after they
were disarmed and safely put III a
stockade.
When we were called into service
we understood that it was to be for
the war; and we were not discharged
at any time. A handful Of little boys
and old men-perhaps eight hundred
had to guard about 10000 prisoners
who were placed in an open field with
nothing but mark upon the ground
to keep them in AS to arms, the
prisoners could have taken all the old
crippled muskets we had in ten minu-
tes at any time. We bad, perhaps, one
hundred and fifty defective guns. 1
know the number was so small that
the guard coming of duty had to stack
arms and leave them in order that the
alternate guard going on duty could
get the guns, After the stockade was
built we had more arms and better
protection, but the duties were hard
and We we're exposed to all kinds OF
weather with extremely little clothing.
But, Mr. Brailsford, do not think,
even had we been only State troops.
called for few months at a time, and
the whole service amounted to less
than a year, that We should be debar-
red the wearing of the Southern Cross
of Honor. The service was willingly
and faithfully rendered to the South
ern Confederacy, for these prisoners
were Confederate prisoners. 1t is not
Characteristic of Confederate soldiers
to do that which smacks of selfish
ness, and I submit that to put boy
soldiers to do guard duty, hard and
irksome, duty from which all soldiers
try to escape: and after they have dis
charged the duty faithfully, to taunt
them with it, is neither brave nor
generous Especially so when il is
known that the boys earnestly desired
to 90 to the front uhere honors were
attainable for which even Mr.. Brails-
ford wo7ld now bestow the Cross.
An incident like the present one
occurred when the men of Belial said
to David those that tarried by the
stuff shall not have ausht of the
spoil, and David made the statute:
Gas his part is that goeth down to
thesbattle, so shall his part be that
tarrieth by the stuff they shall part
alike. -
And as to the length of servica:
"Tbey murmured against the good
man of the house, saying: These last
have wrought but one hour, and thon
hast made them equal to Us, which
have bourne the burden and heat OF
the day. But he answered one OF
them, and said, Friend, [ do thee no
for a penny? Take that thine is, and
90 thy way; I will give unto this
last, even as unto thee.
know that my service as q soldier
was not brilliant, but it was willingly
rendered and it was useful. My life
since has not st one with peculiar
brightness, but have struggled hard to
make it useful to my brother man and
this hold of more value than even
the Southern Gross.
Joel E. Brunson.
Morn;no G q Jnna 26 1904