The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-05-27
Letter About LOudon Butler.

Letter About Loudon Butler.
CLINTON, LA, Feb. II. 1907.
Hon. M. C. Butler, Edgeheld, S. c.
My Dear Sir; Yours Of recent date
received some time since, but did not
reply because l was waiting to see if
couldn't get you a copy of the Southern
Waterman with letters in it. failed to
do so.
In reference to Major tQndon Butler: l
can give you very little Fe information
than did in first letter. He brought into
the Confederate service at Camp Moore,
La, about thirty three miles from here, a
company of splendid young men from
Bossier Parish. They went into the Or
ganization Of the Nineteenth Louisiana
Regiment Qnfantry), Company B, with
Loudon Butler as captain. The regiment
was soon ordered to the Army of Tennessee,
with B. L. Hodge as colonel; James M.
Hollingsworth as lieutenant colonel; w. P.
Winans as major. All of these field officers
we're Of, or near Shreveport. They par
ticipated in the Battle of Shiloh. Soon
after Col. B. l.. Hodge and Lieutenant
Colonel J. M. Hollingsworth resigned and
went to the Trans Mississippi Department
and did not return.
After we fell back from Corinth to
Tupelo, Miss, about June Is, 1862, the
regiment was reorganized-Wesley P.
Winans being elected colonel; Richard W.
Turner lietenant- colonel; Loudon Butler,
major. The regiment was soon after or
dered to Pollard, Ala, about fifty miles
from Pensacola, on the. Louisville and
Nashville Railroad, between Montgomery
and Mobile, with other troops to guard that
section from the depredations of the YAM
KEGS at or near Pensacola. We remained
there about eight months; then were or
dered to Gen. Bragg's Army at Wartrace,
Tenn. Remained with Bragg till some
time in 1853, when we were ordered to
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, at jackson, Miss,
where ne was organizing an .armv to try to
relieve Vicksburg. We went to the Big
Black River, in the rear of Vicksburg, on
July 4, 1863, and found out on the 9Th that
it had surrendered. Returned to jackson,
MISS, on the 9th; then fought battle on the
18th in which the Fifth Company of Wash
ington Artillery was engaged, and one of
them played on the piano, spoken of in
Gen. Chalaron's and my letter.
At this time Major Loudon Butler, Major
Austen, of Austen's Battalion of Sharp
shooters, and Lieutenant Colonel Maury
(nephew of General or Admiral Maury)
of the Twenty third Alabama Regiment,
were great friends. Sitting down near
tree on the 18th of July, 1868, were Majors
Butler and Austen; Butler with his right
side to the enemy. Lieutenant Colonel
Maury came up to them and said, ''Butler,
| will sit down here in front of you to pro-
tect you from the bullets.' He had not
more than seated himself before Yankee
bullet went through his body into the
tree. Maury got up and walked off as
though nothing unusual had happened.
He got we'll and lived to follow the Federal
Gen. Lee from near Mobile to this section,
when on a raid in 1854. He, Austen and
Butler were boon companions and brave
officers.
| have given you this little history of the
Nineteenth to bring you up to Major But
ler's command of our regiment.
After this fight at jackson, Miss, our
army fell back to Camp Morton, near
Brandon, Miss. Col. Winans, being sick,
went to Meridian; Lieutenant Colonel
Turner, being Judge Advocate of court
martial, was absent; Maj Butler remained
in command of the regiment until we got to
Tina or Tiney Station, near to Lafayette,
Ca, near battlefield of Chickamauga.
Just a few days before the battle Col.
Turner returned and stated US into it, but
got a slight wound and went to the rear.
This left Major Butler in command.
When we got into the Mcdonald field,
which Gen. Chalaron speaks of, Gen.
Adams ("the fighting Pelican'') rode up
to Major Butler and said, "Major, have
you got your Pollard Gardeners we'll heeled
and gaffed?" Major Butler replied, eyes,
| believe SO, but why, General?" Gen.
Adams replied, because am going to
put them into the hottest of the fight to-
day, and see of what stuff they are made"
We were called pollard Gardeners" not
as term Of reproach, but because Col.
WinanS had uS make q crardan Of Doll,na