The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-01-18


State probably the best move thai
could have been made at that time
But, as subsequent events proved, Il
have attempted to put down the re
bellioD with home guards and tire,
months men was about as wise as t
try TO put out the flames Of a burning
building with squirt gun. TIL,
writer had the honor 10 command
one Of these home guard companie:
in Estill County We met twice a
week, every man with rifle or shot
gun ready for any emergency. but
principally TO drill. The military
display and general awkwardness OF
both rank and file on these occasions
would have excited the profanity Of a
West Point general. But we had the
best of raw material Of which TO make
soldiers. These undisciplined com
panies contained brave and fearless
men, accustome to handling firearms
from early boyhood. They were ex.
cellent marksmen, and only needed
schooling and discipline to make
them what most Of them afterward
proved, the best Of soldiers.
Before the first Of August, 1861, SO
many Of these home guards were or.
ganized throughout the country, those
would be Confederate soldiers who
had begun 10 drill aud buster in our
midst. began 20 think it would be
more healthy a little further south,
and in their attempt TO join Zolli
Golfers forces then invading the
State) many were gobbled up as
prisoners by these undisciplined home
guards, among them James b. Clay,
son Of the great statesman, who, with
large number of followers, were
sent under guard 10 Louisville Most
Of them took the oath Of loyalty and
were released. This invading army
Of rebels caused many Of us to doubt
the efficiency Of our home organi-
cations, lacking combined 20 opera
ton aud discipline.
In August, 1851, Sidney NJ. Barnes
a lawyer gifted with more than
ordinary talent as a speaker, and
proprietor of the noted watering
place "Estill Springs" near Irvine,
KY, addressed the citizens Of Madi-
son, Estill and some Of the adjoining
counties, at a series Of meetings,
principally held at the times and
places where the home guards met to
drill. He ably pointed out the many
disadvantages under which we would
labor, and the danger Of the State
being overrun by the rebel army, the
necessity Of being armed with guns
Of the same caliber, Of uniform cloth
ing, and Of a more perfect organi-
zation, with some assurance of re-
Enumeration for our services. The
Colonel humorously remarked: Not
withstanding your bravery, which is
undoubted, should the rebel army
succeed in advancing this far, all yoa
married men in the home guards will
be sure to want to 60 home and see
after Sally and the children"
On the 18th OF September, 1861 a
battalion muster Of half a score of
home guard companies met at Texas,
in Madison County. The loyal
citizens of the surrounding country
came with well filed baskets of the
choicest provisions the country could
afford. A picnic of mammoth pro
portions was the result to which
everybody was welcomed by the loyal,
kind hearted women, who formed
large part of the great throng of
people. Captains Powell and Wilson,
who had partially formed two com.
panies Of three years volunteers,
were present with their new recruits
beating up for volunteers, and no less
than four other parts of companies
were represented by as many flags,
followed by drums and fife, appeal
ing to the patriotism of the young
men to take arms in defense of the
best Government ever vouchsafed TO
man on earth There are many sur
vivors of the Eighth that dated their
from that bright 18th of
September, 1861 and became mem
bers of Companies, b, c and II. The
two former companies, under Powell
and Wilson, had obtained their full
quotas by the 22d, and on that day
were given bountiful feast by the
good, old, loyal fathers and mothers
Of Station Camp, in Estill County, as
a farewell token of their love to the
boys" and devotion to the cause of
union and liberty. That long table
extending half across Uncle Eb.
Wilson's pasture, loaded with rich
md sayory food, surrounded by kind
mothers, sisters and sweethearts, in
'isting on us partaking of more when
we had eat 10 repletion, was a scene
lud pleasure we often recalled to
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