The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-02-10

near oiOSOs oiAN 50 ~ i1AAA ~~-o
ceptance from Gov. Moore. spent the
night with Capt. Randolph and next morn
ing he told me that the ladies of Fillmore
had the cloth, buttons and thread and were
then at work on the uniforms; that he
wished l would 60 there and be ready to
help them in any way that | could, which
did.
1t may be we'll to state that Mr.. John l..
Naples declined the second lieutenancy on
account of the delicate condition OF his
wife, and that r. T. Crawford of Rocky
Mount was elected to fill the vacancy.
This happened while was away, and it is
a rather curious circumstance that Naples
was elected to the same position in the
Robins Grays in September following
which he accepted.
With us it was rapid work. The COM
pany was organized June II, 1861. 1t had
been accepted, the uniforms made. We
took the little steamboat "Osceola" at
Shreveport. Here Bradford Wilson came
aboard and told Capt. Randolph that he
wanted to fight for his country and Capt.
Randolph mustered him in. He was what
he professed to be, fine man, and good
soldier, did his duty we'll, was wounded
and died at the Second Battle of Fred.
ericksburg, Va. Wilson took Naples
place, except he was private soldier, and
brought the company up to 1O4 again.
On the lower deck of this little boat
were one or two hundred head of beef cat
tle-soldiers and cattle all bound for New
Orleans. Stonewall Jackson would call it
| bad combination, but soldiers had plenty
of money then, and the beeves were safe.
1t was not so later on.
We landed at New Orleans on the 18th
of June and On the 18th the company was
mustered into State service by Gen. Grivot,
Adjutant General to the Governor, in front
of the St. Charles Hotel. Gov. Moore was
standing on the steps of the hotel and
when the oath had been taken the Cover
nor pronounced it the finest body of men
he had ever seen. There were only two
married men in the company-Capt. Ran
dolph and Bob Commander. The average
age was twenty-five years; the average
height was five feet eleven inches and the
average weight was 1852 pounds-which
was doing very we'll for tad pole country.
The company was carried up to Camp
Moore, which was named for the Governor,
and was only camp of instruction.
Glorious Camp Moore! Around thy beauti-
full shaft will cling, like gathering mists,
the many sad memories of mothers weep
ing, like Rachel, for their children, who
died in cause they knew to be right.
We now come to the organization of the
Ninth Louisiana Regiment, which was
composed of Company A, Dick Capers,
from Homer; Company B, Capt. Leroy A.
Stafford, from Rapides Parish; Company
C, Capt. B. w. Pearce, from Bienville
Parish; Company D, Capt. E. G. Randolph,
from Bossier Parish; Company E, Capt.
w. R. Peck, from Madison Parish; Com
pany F, Capt. Henry Williams, Desoto
Parish; Company G, Capt. -, St. Tam
many Parish; (this captain was doctor
and resigned; he was succeeded by Capt.
Singletary of st. Tammany); Company H,
Capt. William Walker, Bienville Parish I;
Company l, Capt. Hardy Richardson,
Washington Parish; Company K, Capt.
Kavanagh, Jackson Parish.
The forty commissioned officers met and
elected Dick Taylor (son of old Zack)
colonel, E. G. Randolph lieutenant colonel,
and William Walker major. Both Col.
Randolph and Maj. Walker had seen SER
vice in the Mexican War; John j. Hodges
was elected captain of Company D to sue
coed Randolph and Lieut.. Grove Crook
was elected captain to succeed Walker.
The latter was too old for active field serv-
ice and soon resigned. HEY was succeeded
as major by Capt. Kavanagh, whose place
as captain was taken by Capt. G. W.
McCranie of Jackson Parish.
But am travelling too fast. Just as the
train was pulling out from Camp Moore the
acting adjutant touched me on the shoulder
and told me was detailed to take charge
of a sick detachment of fifty men at Tan
gipahoa. Every one expected a big fight
in Virginia any day and every true man
wanted to take hand in it. was furi-
GUS, but there was the order, and had to
obey it. DR.. Tignor, fine gentleman,
was the assistant surgeon. To make mat
ters worse, when l reached Tangipahoa
Station found Capt. Cook among the sick