Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-12-24

was ever in, and we could not have helc
our position but for the artillery which
supported us-Pegram's on one side
and Crenshaw's on the other. During
this fight 1 saw James McNeal, OF
Capt. Sydnor's Co., of the 4Oth., and
Tazewell Baylie, of Capt. Stakes Co..
same egiment-when we drove the
enemy back-jump over the works and
capture several of the Federal colors
and bring them in the works.
Our command also saw heavy service
atCoid Harbor, and went on finally IN
petersburg, where we were entrencbed
curing the winter of 1864-5. We
were almost constantly engaged. but
remained in the works all the time.
During the whole of the war was
with my command except for about
week-in the hospital in LYNCH
burg with fever-and in every engage
ment l was on the firing line except at
the battle of Fort Archie and the hat.
tie on the Weldon railroad below Peters
burg. l was detailed as one of the let
ter bearers of my regiment at Fort
Archie. My fellow letter bearers. or
the ones who helped me to bear the let
Ter, were: Robt. Dunaway, who is still
living, Lewis Boen and William G.
Brown; the last two are dead. When 7
was detailed for like service at the hat
tie on the Weldon Railroad nv fellow
lester bearers were William C. Brown.
robert Dunaway, Joseph Sampson in
TINS engagement. Ny Comrade Joe
Sampson was carrying the letter folded
up on his back and when we came to
look at it, three bullets holes were
found in it, but Sampson had not been
struck at all.
Soon after this battle an incident oc-
cured which shall never forget. how
1T affected my comrade and myself at
the time, and made us divide our scantv
rations with woman and her hungry
babes.
Lieut.. Thos. Effort and myself went
out foragln2 to see if we could get any,
thing from the good people for US to
eat We had but very little of our
rationS left. The first place we went
to for this purpose, we called and a lady
came out to her yard gate to meet ms
Lieut. Effort told her our errand and
asked her to give US something to eat.
Tears came to her eyes and she told us
that her husband like ourselves was
then a soldier in the Confederate army
ana tnat the yankees had been to her
house and taken the last thing she had
to eat on earth and that she didn't have
crust for herself or her three little
children. Her story touched nv COM
rade and myself. and we opened our
haversaeks and gave her what we had
left in them. "War is a hard trade.
but it doesn't take all of the pitv and
sympathy out of man.
7 staid with my command in all of the
hard places it found itself. was never
told thatl shirk ed duty that was mine as
soldier and this heritage hand down
to my children. No command in that
great army had braver or kinder officers
than those who commanded the old
10th and Co. G. My record as a Con-
federate soldier has never been oues-
toned that know of; if any one has
any criticism TO make of it, | hone
they will do it while l am living; and if
so let them make it in the VIRGINIA
CITIZEN where l will meet it, as
there are wise men now living who
knew me in war, with whom ri
touched elbows and kept step, when We
faced death and dared to do our duty in
the face of what seemed certain de-
straction- / have written this, as /
want to leave with my camp some
record of my service as a soldier of
my country.
In my old age l should like to hear
from some of my old comrades of the
4Oth, and from my comrades of the
Lawson-Ball Camp. hope they will
write out their recollections and publish
them in some of the papers. Those of as
who have not yet answered the final
roll-call would be eheered and refreshed
to have a word from you, my old COM
rades. often go over those old scenes
with some of the old boys of the doth.
Living inthe same neighborhood with me
are three men, viz. w. d. Haynie. w.
L. Marsh and R. S. Marsh. We grew
up as boys together in the same neigh
oorhood, we played together then, and
then we took part in that rough game
called war and want to say for them
that the South had no truer or more
loyal sons than they. and there
were no stouter or braver soldiers in
all the hosts of the South's defenders.
They did their duty in war, they have
done it in peace; all honor to them.
There are thousands of others like them:
l have named these three only because
we have all been lifelong friends. All
three of thesemen bear marks of valiant
service on their bodies.
TnyfCHcncs k,NTrc