The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-08

deserters were captured. Three were
 hung, the fourth promising if spared | to pilot the troops to the rendezvous of the others. For several days he led the soldiers about the country be- fore they realized that he was carry ing them in an opposite direction to the deserters. He was true to his
 comrades but he paid the penalty, for Colonel Maury, who was in charge, or-
 dered him hanged from limb of a | tree in the court house yard of Jones County.
 The expedition returned to Mobile without further success, trusting that
 the fate of the four deserters would have salutary effect on the others.
 Camp life was pleasant in some re- spects but grew monotonous. and when
 tho regiment was ordered to Georgia. the boys were glad of the prospect of
 active service. The 17th was sent to
 Resaca. where in a few days the bat tie known by that name was fought. The sharp shooters, composed princi- pally of members of that regiment.
 were sent to the front as piekets and brought on the fight. In the engage ment more than half of them were kill cd and many were made prisoners; so great being the loss that the remaind-
 CT were sent back to their original
 companies.
 The army fell back gradually to At-
 lanta, where several or the most de-
 structive battles of the war were
 Creek took place July goth. The Con- federates advanced on the Federals
 and the 17th charged the picket line 1 that was well entrenched In pits, cap
 turing nearly every man. The regi-
 ment halted to form a charge on the l Federal line of battle,
 The aforesaid boy from Butler. not hearing the command to halt, and filled with a desire to do his whole
 duty, went on through the woods un- l til he came to the brow of a hili. There he saw a Federal officer kneeiing pe-
 side tree, and quickly leveling his gun. he commanded him to surrender. 1 The officer only laughed at the young | ster. who just then discovered that | the whole face of the hill was covefed
 with the enemy, the soldiers lying prone on the ground. The boy looked around and saw that he was alone. not a Confederate in sight, and that the officers mirth was at his audacity in attempting to capture whole regi- ment. The young soldier wheeled and | fled precipitously back to his com
 mand. He found the line formed and ready to make a charge. but he had time to inform the officers of the sit uation. The charge was made and the boys of the 17th swept through the ranks like a wind. From the top to the bottom of the hin the ground was
 covered with dead and dying Federal | soldiers.
 Eight days later another bloody bat tic was fought around Atlanta. Again ! the 17th Alabama was in the very heart of 1t, and it was there that many of | her brave boys gave up their lives. After the regiment had charged the Federal breastworks and had been Ie- pulsed, they retreated to the cover of | A skirt of woods where all who could, were glad to take shelter behind trees and logs; all save one. boy who never l ceased firing as long as he could see
 the head of Yankee above the breast works. He was admonished by his
 brother, this same youth from Butler, | to get down behind a log. He replied
 that he would not. that he was not afraid to die and was ready to go if it was Gods will. Every commls- | stoned officer in the company was
 killed or wounded and the company
 was in charge of the orderly sergeant. Ever and anon this boy would call out to the sergeant, Bill, tell them to
 shoot" Just before the regiment was | ordered to retreat and while loading
 his gun, ball struck him, disabling him from further service. We will add | that he has made valiant soldier of
 the cross and has lived for many years in a distant state.
 After the battle of Franklin. Tenn. l the boy from Butler was wounded and sent home, where he was i'll several
 months In trying to make his way