The National tribune., 1907-09-26
HAPS AND MuSHAPS.
Four Years Experience I'm the COnfeder-
ate Army by Wandering Printer

Editor National Tribune: In 1860
Jefferson Davis was passing thru Holly
| Springs, Miss, November. on his way
to Washington to take his seat in Con-
gress. a party of citizens marched to
the depot to greet him, and learn what
| he had to say about the result of the
election of Abraham Lincoln. When the
train halted JEFF Davis appeared on the
platform. After explaining awhile he
| remarked. You are a fine-looking body
| of men, but you would look much bet
| ter in a uniform" Continuing he said,
Il will tell you what | will do if you
! procure a uniform befitting your ap-
pearance; l will present you with a
stand of arms that will cost me as
much money as the uniforms cost YOU"
Our spokesman told him that he
would hear from us later. The train
pulled out. Returning to the Court
House, 1O2 of us decided to have those
guns. A tailor took our measures, and
sent to Boston for 1O2 cadet gray uni
forms at cost of s45 each. jeff Davis
at Washington was told of our actions,
and two weeks later the uniforms ar
rived, and the following day 102
breech-loading Maynard rifles arrived.
The uniforms looked fire, and were the
origin Of the Confederate gray. From
that time on we drilled constantly. In
January 1861, Mississippi seeded we
Mobile to help capture the forts; next
We're ordered to Pensacola. Fla, and
helped capture the arsenal, dry dock.
the warships, Fort Barrancas, Fort
McRea, etc. In March, 1861. the tenn
porary Government wa. formed at
Montgomery, Ala, and we were mus
tered into the Confederate army TO
serve one year. which we served faith
fully, and were discharged in March.
1862. Two weeks later the battle of
Shiloh was being fought april I,
1862. Thirty-five of us got horses.
shotguns and all necessary things and
offered our services to Gen. Bragg, and
were rejected at Holly Springs. We
rode to Chattanooga, and joined Nor
gan after the first raid thru Kentucky.
We started the Vidette at Hartsville,
Tenn. in July, 1862. The last copy was
printed in Hopkinsville, KY, but the
last copy was failure. l had taken
my detail to Hopkinsville while the
command was feasting at picnic some
10 miles back, captured Il printing Of
flee at Hopkinsville, had seven galleys
of type ready to make up for the paper
When the advance guard came in. They
did not halt. The main body came up
on trot the bug1e sounding for us to
fall in. Hastily placing the seven gall
leys on the hand press and taking a
dozen or more proofs, the rear guard
H.
We caught up with the rear guard
later, with the Yankees in sight in our
rear. The copies of the proofs We're
distributed and read while the COM
mand was on the run to get away from
the Yankee soldiers, who were pursu-
ing, but we got away all right. This
was the last copy of Morgan's Vidette
printed. but / learned later that a pa
per is still published in Hartsvile, |
Tenn, called the Vidette Where The
National Tribune mentions the fact of
capturing Gen. Duke at Burlington
Island, o., the old Mississippi COM
pany of which / was member escaped |
across the river with the exception of
Maj. Weber and myself. They crossed
the opposite side at the ford, and later
reached the Confederate lines Five
days later l was captured, and the fol- |
lowing day Maj. Weber and Gen. Nor
gan, with the remainder of the COM
mand, were captured and sent to pris- |
on. Gen. b. w. Duke and Maj Weber
were exchanged at Charleston, s. c., in |
1864. 1 was exchanged at Richmond |
in November, 1861; rejoined the COM
mand at Abingdon, Va. III December, |
1864. Duke and Weber had command
of their respective forces, and 1 was
placed on special duty. In April, 1865, |
left the command at the foot of the |
Blue Ridge in North Carolina, and |
started for trouble in South Carolina. |
Georgia and Alabama. Early in April |
JEFF Davis left Richmond. He was
joined by remnant of the company he |
had caused TO be formed at Holly
Springs Miss, in 1860, who acted as |
his escort to the last. and were disband- |
ed in person by JEFF Davis the evening
before his capture. They took one of i
the Quartermas:er's wagons and load |
ed their guns on it, and marched to
Holly Springs without meeting a YAM
kee soldier or surrendering gun or
horse arrived in Holly Springs with
fine eight-shooting Colts rife and
dhree six-shooters.-John Haps, East
st. Louis, III.