Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-08-18
"reminiscences Of The War.


lcctions Of the volunteer troops
from Lafayette county as far as
| now remember and can ascer-
,ain, will record some war in
ciients which will close my Sc
rics of articles.
The first baptism OF blood re-
ceived by the company to which
/ belonged, Company !. 29th
Miss Infantry, WIS at the battle
Of the Russell House in front Of
Corinth.
The brave Lieutenant Spencer
commanded the company in that
engagement, and | think in a
viOus article, | related the well
known incident of dnel between
that officer and "A Federal soldier.
The finale of it was that when
they had fired several shots, the
yankees bullets getting closer
and closer to our man, Marsh
Murphy, seeing the danger of
Spencer falling at the next fire.
leveled his gun RICH; srddenly
and shot the yankee down.
will sev OF this man Murphy.
that he was tie most remarkable
character OF his kind ever
knew. He was ole Of the finest
shots in the army, could run like
a deer, bark like a dog. crow like
chicken cock, cackle Ike a hen.
neigh like "A horse. and could
take small greasy leaf between
his lips and play any tune he
knew. To make it the more Gin
gular, he could give all the va
RED expressions necessary to
bring out To the best advantage
all the intensity of feeling that
could be realized in the music.
lie was one OF the best wrestlers
ia the army. mad tine converse
tional powers. witty as 4 clown.
quick as flash at repar;ee.
sarewd IN mental calculations.
and yet could hardly read ana
write.
Returning Ia the ercacement
the company being very large.
and scattered fifteen or tWe,,ty
feet apart, the line was several
a-ndred yards long and could
~ no means hear the commands
OF 4Gr superior ciIi.er. In the
meantime TWO or three compa-
Eies were double-quicked 10 ourI
assistance. and Spencer seeing
tnat a fierce battle wason. yelled
out, Company y. rally on h
right. The word lew DOWN the
line, and the men. glad to yetI
near each other and uuder ths
voice Of one theo loved and rust
ed 50 well, hurried to the rirht 40
ordered. Lieut-Colonsl MORGAN
VINO commanded the line. n-o-
Tested that a gap was being made
through which the enemy might.
charge and win the fight in ten
minutes. Fiji i. up sir. YOU
have the men," have had NV
poor men scattered for two davs
| am going to have them togeth-
er now. Seeing that Spencer
was utterly uncomfortable. and
yet admiring his undaunted pluck
and courage, r. Inducements were
ordered ky Co.onel Morgan and
the gap was filled. Spencer hav-
ing formed his men rnshed tn the
front and in q loud shrill voice
dared the enemy to attack him
It was = little amusing and GER
tainly inspiring to see him wave
MS sword IN proud defiance of
the foe, and in tones that they
could plailly hear, challenge
them to combat which would
have been bloody if they had &C.
cepted, which they did not.
Two W. eks later we had anotb-
er sslrmlsh on the Purdy road
Just three miles north OF Corintb
ABOUT 8 P. M, the enemy fan
BACK and we were ordered for
ward 70 the line they had left.
Just Skin ish line understood
We started on a run and bv the
time We reached the line the buI-
lets We're whizzing away in ear-
nest. rms was IN June 1862. In
July 1898, thirty-six years afta--
ward, had the privilege of hold
ing protracted meeting in n
mission church about $50 wards
IRON the spot where in that fiobt
stood behind "a tree, with INV
ieet dabbling in the blood and /
Drains OF man who was killed 1
at the same place, the dav be- (
lore. His hat lay where ne fell
a bullet hole as centrally through
the front of it as if the gun had !
been pressed to his head end +
fired.
II bright angel "from glory |
come" had stood before me on
that day and told me TO fear not
Tor th'rty-six years afterward / |
would be a munster OF the pos- |
pei and~a number of souls would |
be saved under the MESSAGE |