The Tupelo journal., 1906-06-22
PEN.pICTURES OF THE OLDEN Time

please about that, SIR" and W.
both moved off following tn
men. Lieut.. Jackson was JUS
to my right, and when we hac
moved but a short distance from
| the Darby House into the ole
field, the fatal bullet struck hin
with a thud, the ball evidently
entering from behind and shat.
tering the front part Of his sad
die, as was afterwards seen,
where the missile struck after
passing through his body.
saw him fall from his horse and
saw at once he was dead or dy-
ing. But we could not stop tc
endeavor to render any assist
ance without being captured,
and had to leave our brave COM
rade to the field of his glory We
lost in killed and wounded at
this place forty three men. The
reason took special pains to
try to rally the regiment when
| knew it could not be done, was
because | had heard of some re-
marks Col. Inge had made about
me which were rather uncom-
plimentary, and l did it to show
him | did not fear the face of an
enemy any more than he did,
and not with the thought even
remotely in my mind Of promo
ton for what the order, which
was read out a few day there
after was pleased to speak of as
recommendation for promotion
for gallantry on the field. In
due time the promotion came for
me to take the place of Lieut..
JAG kson, whose sad fate l have
recited above, and who was him
self looking for his own fall be-
fore he entered the fight. He
was a magnificent and magnetic
man, loved by all who knew him
and fully trusted by his men.
After l had left the death
scene Of Lieut.. jackson and had
moved some considerable dis
tance across the old field, I over
took John Burdine, a mere boy,
who was making his way out
afoot as best he could, his mule,
which he rode instead of a horse,
having gotten away and gone
out with the rush. John had his
gun, but was very hot and tired.
AS | came up and he recognized
me he said, "Oh, Colonel, let
me ride out behind YOU" The
bullets were singing and the
bombs bursting all around us,
and my old claybank horse was
very much excited, and as frisky
as a four year old. But | said,
John, if you can find any place
where you can climb QUITO my
horse, l will carry you out" " But
stumps and logs there were none
thereabouts, and only a few
rather small limbs of a tree top
lying near. If Burdine had been
fresh and having his usual vigor,
he could have jumped up behind
me very readily from the limbs l
have mentioned. But being we'll
run down and exhausted, he
made a rather weak effort at a
spring and kinder caught hold of
me with one hand while one foot
was partly thrown over the
horse, and thus swinging the
horse made a quick turn, the
saddle turned and brought John,
me and the saddle all off! But |
swung on to the bride and thus
held the horse. Having read
justed the saddle amid the falling
of bombs and the singing of balls,
and with difficulty again mount
ed, | said, Nov, John, come
here to this log, which l think is
a little larger, and make a big
jump and I'll carry you out. |"
But the horse was so frisky, the
log so small and Burdine so tired,
that the second effort to mount
him behind me failed as the
first, but more disastrous still, as
by his effort he carried me and
the saddle again from the horses
back, but this time the animal
jerked loose from me, kicked the
saddle from him and went out
with the onrushing tide on to
the Confederate side. So John
and | were left on an equality,
except that his mule had carried
out his saddle and mine was left
behind. Passing on myself for
some distance, thinking to leave
everything with the enemy, |
bethought me that all of my
wearing apparel and blankets
to keep me warm were lost, and
that a man might well risk his
life for articles so valuable. l re-
traced my steps and gathered up
my saddle bags containing my
wearing apparel and one good
blanket, and left the rest for
lost for all time to come. But |
made a friend that would stick
to me like brother. If Ishould
oow renuire helm of any kind in