The Tupelo journal., 1907-04-26
More History of the Town Greek
Rifles.

| WV ACblAlPOA III AAOAAS ASASAA
mond between Lee, Davis and
others, and the foe, giving them
a feeling of safety and us a pc
riod of rest and regeneration, and
as the boys drew their pay for
A months and as a soldier has
no other use for money than to
spend it, and hucksters and ven
ders of something to eat being
plentiful, we had a good time
for about 5 weeks, and y,e made
up lost time on the line of eat
ing; but as good times in the life
of a Confederate soldier was like
hens teetil, few and far be-
tween and of short duration-so
here comes the order for A days
of hardtack and salt meat and
light equipment. which meant
one blanket and no clothes eX-
cept what we wore.
Gen. Pope had been placed in
command at Washington and
started with headquarters in the
saddle to march on to Richmond
by way Of Manassas and Fred
ericksburg, but Lee was on the
alert and sent Jackson ground by
way of Sardonville to touch him
on the flank, while the Hills and
Longstteet struck square in the
front at Brand Station and made
him lose his equippage, and the
T. G.. RS. having eaten all their
hardtack and salt meat and been
on roasting ears cooked in the
shuck covered with hot ashes,
for two days, had become en-
ragged from hunger and fought
like lions or tigers for prey So
upon the principle that a dead
man has no use for rations, we
got many freshly filled haver-
sacks, which appeased the hun
ger. We puahed onward and
again struck Pope at Manassas,
positions being just to the reverse
of first Manassas, and we again
replentished our hayersacks, but
Gen. Lee took charge of the cap
tured stores of commissariat and
we pushed on for Maryland,
My Maryland" where we met
a hearty welcome in a land that
had not been pilIaged, burnt and
DESTROYED by a relentless vandal
horde, and we had quite a feast
for a few days at Frederic City,
but Federal authorities became
alarmed about the safety Of
Washington and rapidly trans.
ported all available troops to
Washington and sent Pope and
others to meet Lee at Boonsbor-
ough, which was a sharp night
engagement, and the next two
days at Sharpesburg. And now
comes the longest night of my
life, when l was on the lone SEN
try at the waters edge and the
foe not more than so yards dis
tant on the other side Of the riv-
er. We only had one man ev-
cry two steps and no relief and
they with a great host. The 7.
C. RS. lost several good men in
these several engagements and
many wounded and their ranks
were much depleted, as was the
whole of Lees army.
The Federals retired to Wash
ington and Lee to Winchester to
rest and recruit, both armies sat-
listed to remain quiet for a sea-
son. The End and 18th Miss.
were ordered back to Richmond
to form Miss. brigade, and
placed under Brig Gen. J. E Da.
Wis, a nephew of Pres. Davis, and
the boys all thought we had been
called there for light duty and
to guard Richmond, and thought
| that. Jeff felt safer with US i'm
mediately in front of him and
that hard service was over with
US. But alas! we will soon fine
how little there is in the conjec-
ture of a high private in the real
rank Of column of soldiers. We
had hardly rested from oul
march to Richmond, our feet hae
not cured up, when we received
orders to warch to Goldsboro, N.
c., where we were stationed tt
guard a pile 1.-THE tax sweet po-
tatoes, having over 100, 900 bush
Eels, which we found to be about
as difficult task and as hard ser.
vice as we had done, because
the boys all felt that those po-
tatoes belonged to us and if we
! didn't eat them they would bet.
ter have been left with the peo.
! pie who raised them; and not.
withstanding the fact that a
watchful guardsman was placec
every 10 steps around that pile
of potatoes and had orders to ar
rest all intruders, those potatoes
ALL that place and there new
er was but ore man arrested anc
there was no specific charge
against him. He was a raw re-
cruit and didn't know how te
get potatoes while the guarc
slept. 1t was at this place that
two men from every company