The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-12

ter was poor Brown, of Company K. on being demonstrated with for his imprudenes replied that he would bo killed; his forebedings proved toe cor rect; ono hour later he was dead. About half past three; the command. arts line; detail was ordered to the front to throw down q rail fence and then came the orders "forwardr .Dou- ble ouiokgs For two hundred yards the advance was through corn field. the dcad stalks of which were of giant dimensions were crossed and interiaosd in every direction. When the farther side of the field was reach- ed the command was halted. moved by the flank to tho left. and the align ment corrected, The ef1emys works were now in full view. and not over half mile distant Immediately in front of the list Alabama there was a valley with small stream of water at the bottom, the descent and ascent on each side being quite sharp. An open grove of sugar naples entirely free of underbrush extended to the Federal rifle pits. Away to the right the rab- bio musketry showed that the battle had begun and the orders "Skirmish- CTS to the Front almost immediately followed. The latter moved rapidly forward. avaiiing themselves of the covers of the large naples and firing slowly as they advanced. As yet not a bullet had wfistled by us and 1t was hard to realize that 1t was more than q skirmish drill, with such pre- cfsion did the men move
 Day light revealed to the Confeder- ates their fearful loss, in front of some portions of the works the ground was covered with the dead. Probably there never was battle fought on the American continent between civil fzed armies where the slaughter was so great as in Hoods Army.
 The casualties among the Confeder- ate general officers were unparalleled and their reckless exposure of their lives was the general subpect of com ment in the army. Nearly all went into the charge mounted, and Generals Cleburne and Adams were killed while trying to spur their horses over the breastworks Major General F. R. Cle- burne and Brigadier General Gist. John Adams Strahl and Grandbery were killed. Major General Brown and Brigadier Generals Carter Marri- gauIt, Quarles, CocNrell and Scott wounded. and Brigadier General Cor don was captured. Of General Quaries's stan all were killed and wounded but the Generals son, lad of fourteen, who seized the brigade flag when the color bearer fell and bore 1t inside the enemy's works Dismounted in the melee, he tore the flag from the stan, concealed 1t under his coat and got safely out with 1t. Lieutenant Crymes of Company went over the
 entrenchments and refusing to sur
 render was shot dead while waving his sword and calling to his men to follow
 The morning after the battle Cor poral James James D Rice. the. only remaining officer of Company K. 1st Alabama found only six members Of his company left. all the rest were
 killed or captured
 Permit me to say that I was one of the young men of Alabama that early in 1861 left college halls and studies to respond to Afabama's call on her sons to arms. I was a member of a cavalry company organized as part of the State troops in 1859. and the conpany's services were rendered to the Governor very early in 1881 These services were declined by the State as there was practically no enemy on her border and the cavalry arm Of the State Guard was not needed
 . Upon the organization of the Con- federate Government. even that gov ernment was slow fin organizing cav airy force as 1t was an expensive arm to maintain, and the President, as eommander-in-c seemed to have determined on defensive policy, in pursuing which it was thought that cavalry was not so highly essential From these causes the company In which I was an enlisted man was not l accepted until about the middle of July, dS61 But on the 29th day oi July we were on the march from Tai l iadega to Decatur. Ala, when we were ordered to rendezvous and report te General Leonidas Polk, then al Mem phis. Tenn We were mustered into | the service of the Confederate States
 at Decatur, Ala, on the 18th of Au- gust and shortly afterwards went to 1 Iuka. Miss, and then to Corinth and | thence to Union City and with Cap | tain Jefferson Franklins company ! from Chambers county and Captain
 coles's company from East Feliciana
 Parish La. were formed Into q battal- | ion under Major Richard Brever and led the advance of PolN's army in- | to Kentucky. But I am going too much into particulars In answering your letter.
 At all events we were with Folks corps and took an active part In the