The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1907-09-05

line Of battle abeut SO yards in front OF
us with nothing to eat or drink. made
u situation very uncomfortable, and
in that cramped up POSITION made re-
treat hard.
Just at daybreak we could see the
Yanks charge our line of battle seven
columns deep. Johnny held them about
an hour, when the Yank got too heavy
for them. Toget out of that little rifle
pit and run ahalf mile-with minnie balls
whistling all around US, made things
kinder hazardous.
Co. G all out with something to eat, .
little rest and sleep were soon ready for
action. The next thing was to estab-
iish a line of battle and make q ditch,
which was done without such men as
Sam Justus. for they were not to- be
found in such places with their sur
veying outfit.
The next night the Yanks tried to dis
lodge US again, but failed. Johnny held
the line. We lost some good men; Capt.
j. j.. Case was MORALLY wounded and
died in a few days. M. L. Henly was
then promoted to the captaincy of the
company.
Then for q nine months campaign in
the hot bitches, rain, mud, cold, with
short rations aud all sorts of hardships.
1 was detailed on pioneer corpse. hostler
and finally general sharpshooter. did
duty half of every night and all day. I
exchanged many shots with Yankee
sharpsheoters and had some very close
calls. The nine months at Petersburg
was all sorts of q life.
The nine months being about nj it
became necessary for US to take up our
beds and walk. Hatche's Run, Five
Forks Zone of the hardest battles OF the
war; on to Appomattox.
Out of the lis men that left Hender-
sonville, I was n of four who surren-
dered at Appomattox. i throwed AVA
the last gun of the company, the best !
ever saw, on Friday before the surren-
der on Sunday. Myself. D. L. Bedding
field, Frank Batson and Isom Taylor
were the four to surrender.
I was in fifty yards of Gen. Lees tent
when the flag of truce came to demand
q surrender. Isaw him and staff start
out to meet Gen. Grant. 1 was present
when he returned and made. known the
conditions of the surrender, and heard
him deliver his farewell address to the
army. There were many tears shed that
day. It was Sunday evening. April
9th, 1865.
On Tuesday Gen. Ransom marched
his little squad out between the Yanks,
opened ranks and give up the ghost.
On "Wednesday we got paroles, being
paroled by Maj. Bob Petty. I have
mine today.
1 was absent from one roll cali or
march. Irode 20 miles on march.
was in every march and engagement
that the regiment vas eve In.
At one O'Clock We started out once
more free from the tolls of army life
The folio wing Sunday we reached Dan
Vile and got breakfast which consisted
of q small piece of corn bread, q littl,
turnlp soup. We forced our way on
gravel train aud rode within 10 miles o
Greensboro, N. C.,and reached there thC
day Zeb Vance made q speech, and wen
to the quartermaster department ant
drew 9 nice pair of pants apiece. W.
pulled out for Salisbury and there stay
ed about a week, thence to Charlotte
l stayed all night with J. w. Ripley
who was hospital steward, and thence (
Aston station On G.. & @. Z. r. to New
berry; spent the night, slept on train
thence to GreOnville about shutdown
and fell in with old Mr.. Jack Gauzeler
and travelled with him to Windingstail
Mountain, then to the Davis place or
Green River. l paid $40 for mine anC
my partner's supper a"d want up on tot
OF the mountain to sleep, then wadeC
Green River which was very cold.
then took q hearty breakfasts with M
old friend II. K. Pace, pulled out fol
home, which l reached about sundowr
on the Both of April, 1855.
To say l was tired would not tell hal
of 1t. Ny legs felt like churns, big emf
down. After resting 3 few days | fel
IL fright
In this little sketch there is enough
left out to make a book. just merel,
striking on high places, for which
have no regrets nor any apologies Il
make.
There Is one thing that l am proud of,
and that is that / own r operty in Hen
dereonville where I live with all M
family around me, who are all doinT
well. AndI am proud of the.fact thai
[ am a Tar Heel, and that l helped Z
make the record North Carolina enioyl
of being the greatest state in the United
States for gallantry, heroism, and fai:
going. The highest compliments are
always paid her in every reunion, o.
which have attended several.
North Cardinals record is enough tC
make any man proud who was one OF
the boys who helped to make it. And
[ am glad to be able to boast that I wa
on 9 Of them. J. N. SHEPHERD.
Co. g., 31st N. q. T., Ransom's Brig.
johnson DiY. A. N. Va.
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