Macon beacon., 1907-06-01
Tribute to a Comrade.

OelNE so prominent, / lIlIh VT. LultNlF
that the following incidents in the
early life of my old comrade and life /
long friend, Charley Scott, will prove
of interest to the public, beside which
l desire to make them public as mat
ter of history, the memory of which
cannot die. These incidents give an in /
sight into his character and show that /
his courage, ability and individuality |
were developed, in part at least at a
tender age, foretelling something Of his /
brilliant future:
At the end of the war between the
States was captain Of Company D, /
twenty-eighth Mississippi regiment, /
Armstrong; brigade. We were with |
Forrest when that great soldier, in con-
uection with the gallant Walthall, COW
cred the retreat Of Hoods army after
the battle o. Nashville.
At this time Charley Scott was about
| II years old-a slight, alert, trim-look-
ing boy.
Ae attracted Mack Montgomery's
captain of the Bolivar troops) atten-
ton. who asked what child's school
had been robbing to get my soldier boy
as he was among the youngest soldiers
in Forests command.
He neither asked for, expected or
received any special favors, but did the
! full duty Of man, not only on the bat
| tie field, on the hemarch, but on the pic.
line and in Company D's skirmishes.
Young Scott went through all the
severe winter of 1864 without an over
coat urtl we ambushed the enemy at
| Antony's ilill on Christmas Day, when
in the charge Charley raE one the Yam
KEGS out of his overcoat and immedi-
ately afterwards captured horse from
another. His intelligence, devotion to
duty and reliability (he never touched
drop of liquor and had no bad hadits)
elected the admiration of both officers
and men, and he was a general favorite
in the regiment
Our Col. McBee was especially fond
of the boy and offered him position at
headquarters, and as the private SOL
diers were without tents in the Ten
nessee campaign, and rations were
scarce, Charley fully realized the ad-
vantages Of the change, but concluded
he would ra her take "pot-luck" with
the boys, so stuck to his company.
Knowing the material that this
e young soldier was made of, turned to
i him one day at Linnville, Tenn, in an
emergency which required intelligence
. combined with courage. The twenty
Q eighth Mississippi was drawn up in line
f. of battle, facing the enemy, with a
+ small creek just in front of us. On the
hills, say half mile to our left, we
o could see the enemy danking us; while
- in our front and facing US, nearly in the
e rear of our retreating army, there was
= active engagement kept up by Genera
= Armstrong, who was there in person
with the other regiments of his brigade
81 General Forrest galloped up with only
+ one member of his staff, and asked
Col. McBee, with whom | was talking
at the time, for an intelligent, relia
BILE man to take an order to Genera
Armstrong. The Colonel called on me
Il for the man. took Charley Scott out
II of the ranks and told him what wa'
wanted
e | do not remember the words at thi'
time, but Forrest told him he would
Vt find Armstrong where the firing wa
y heaviest; to 60 as rapidly as possible
n and tell him to withdraw his comman,
Is as quickly as he could do so withou
|. creating a stampede. Charley started
l, and we watched him until he passet
q over the hill into the thick of the fight
/ Long after the Civil War this youth
70 full soldier impressed General Arm
ID strong, who recalled the incident, tn
K order and place of its delivery.
Il On the afternoon of the same day
again called on this young soldier i
$ another and even greater emergency
e The other regiments had been alread
~ withdrawn, under the Forrest order
n passing, leaving the twenty-eighth t
t. take the rear in turn, that being tn
a post Of honor in a retreat.
We could see the enemy on the hill
W to our left, still hanking US, in the dis
o tance when Col McBee, just before
IL withdrew, ordered me to leave squa
Of three good men, under the comman
of fourth, with orders tosform acros
the pike facing the enemy, and to sta
e there as long as possible, but to leay
Is Just in time to avoid capture if pract
st cable.
ID selected the detail and placed Cha
y ley Scott in command of them, leavin
L them to hold the pike as we marche
away, the idea being that when tn
II Yankees saw those man drawn up acros
u the pike, it would make them hold u
m and approach cautiously, fearing a
50 ambuscade, and hence prevent tn
ss enemy from pressing US so closely Q
II the retreat
did not think much about it at I'll
lie time, one way or another, except
knew that had obeyed orders by lea,
al ing brave men, under a competer
ID commander, between our retraatin
~ army and the enemy in our rear.
n A cold, bleak day, showing from tim
to time; Hoods gallant army in tn
&C distance, the old veteran slowly r,
G treating through the valley, with
PC large detachment of Federal cavalry
,r full view, marching along the hills O
q either side and the victorious Yankee
20 pressing our rear and between us an
40 them only this band Of three seasone
,r soldiers brave as ever drew saber-
20 under the command Of the fourth,
q slip of boy, whose delicate physiqu
p and smiling face contrasted oddly wit