The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-06-16
WAR HISTORY CORRECTED.
The Shooting Of j. M. Miller in '65.

MIR. E1itor-I notice in your paper
of June I'd, a communication from a
Mr.. Coburn of Jesup, Ga, who like
myself was prisoner in the 18th
Army corps (Blairs in March 1865.
Mr.. Coburn gives some corrections
to all article written by one Mr.. Ford
who was in the same corps a prisoner
and now i'll the best of feeling for all
old Coufed vets. will give correct
version Of The matter of shooting
Jnmcs NJ. Miller near the little noun
tain in Chesterfield, near the Broad
foot place on the old Camden road.
] WAS captured about 8 o'clock that
morning and put in the Bull Pen, as
We boys called it. About that after
noon there was 100 men called in line
and the drawing for life or death COM
menced. Between one third and one.
half of the men had passed between
the two sentInels when the column
WIS halted and Mr.. Miller was taken
out aud shot in less time than it has
taken to tell it. This was done in re-
tnliation for hummer found xii ed
near Lynches Creek Ivy some one, cer-
tainly not Mr.. Miller, rs he was with
the State troops, and if he had been
away from his command would most
likely have been making his way to
jefferson, where his home was. saw
the whole butchery AS Mr.. Miller
had been neighbor of my father near
Jefferson, heard what he said, it was
this: 81 have been class leader for
a number Of years and l am ready"
Hc said nothing about 8 daughters,
nor was any substitute offered or re.
fused.
Another error of my old comrade is
this: 1t was not Hampton, but But
ler, that the 18th Army Corps dread
ed; for next day while we were on
the march from the yankee camp 20
Chernw some firing was heard in front
and Col Hughes Of the 9th, Ill. Cav.
airy iN whose charge Blair had put
ME. said to me "John, if l meet But.
Ter here, do you think I can whip
hirn?' my reply was, "Don't think
you can Col,' Well, said he, "you
fall back to the rear and we will do
tho best, God help US" They thought
Gen Nj. G.. Butler the most dangerous
man they had ever tackled.
About the outrngcs aud the cruelties
pcrpctrnted by Gen. Frank P. Blair's
corps, my old comrades Ford and Co.
burn are right. My father in law lived
in 8 miles Of Blair's camp; my wife
was there, and the yanks stripped us
Of everything. They made my father
in law pull of his shoes and took them
no tcll ~ tr7- ~ lvyr'r rg-y ia ,r
raisc acHthern ilul5 ~ b9.u. aeat
outraged wJmeN. abused l.u nou ald
abiidren Nc, Il.y NE, one 0lh nl0a
Juhu Huc,t usRr ur c'ate''s7 lrlst tC.0
him 10 lu o'j is yh9cs l3ulsi told
tbem !Ne.. --.u .ano tuem, uuL IL
would be after he was dead, and they
let him alone,
0, The hardships VIC did endure on
that march from Cheraw to Newbern.
At BennettsviIlc, where I now live,
Que man, Poison, was shot for trying
to get dri' k Of water out of n ditch
that was i'll the lot where D D McColl's
house now stands. Numbers of old
men and boys died on the march from
exposure and i'll usage. We were made
to double quick Is miles one pitch
dark night through mud knee deep.
This after the fight at Bentonyille.
Frenchers died that night.
Respectfully,
A. H. KNIGHT,
Go. Ii 1st S. c. Inf'y, Regulars