The National tribune., 1910-09-15
"REMINISCENCES OF "COL. JACK. ;"
John T. Easement at Franklin. and His
Famous Speech Before the Action
ThnTr


There.
Editor National Tribune: noticed in
The National Tribune of Dec. 80, 1909,
announcement of the death of our be-
loved General. John T. Easement. or
Col. Jack, as we of the brigade used to
call him. Many instances come to mind
of the Atlanta campaign, Where he
| played conspicuous part. He always
| had n pleasant word for the private
| soldier One day in North Carolina,
| just before JohnstonS surrender, the
writer happened to be on guard near
! Easements headquarters on a road that
| he passed several times in a few hours,
and as it was military rule to salute an
| officer, of course, we gave the salute
every time he passed. The third time
he was passing he stopped, returned
| the salute and said: II am nobody but
| Jack Easement, and if pass here 90
! times to-day | don't want you to salute
me again without there is some officer
with me. Some of them want to put
/ on style, but / don't"
| At Town Greek, n. C.. the rebels held
the bridge with small fort. Easements
! Brigade being in front We were halt
sed~-nsa the e---Wher--Casement
rode up to the head spf ths 65th Ind.
| To an Old colored man. Easement asked
| if there was any pace 70 Across the
! creek below the bridge. He answered:
!
rotten boat at dc rice mill about
quarter mile below. Hc started off TO
! investigate; and found it satisfactory.
The creek was narrow and deep. The
old boat reached about one-thifd
across Six men could cross at a time,
and the boat was pulled back and forth
very fast. and il was q short time before
Co. + was. across and deployed as slsir-
mshers. When the regiment WINS across
the line advanced toward the fort. BY
this time quite aforcg hadsgassen across
and were making a agnll Tmo q enle MT to
the right around the, fort. "A tathis stinff-
Gen. Cox division commander, and Gpi,
Jack were passing near where ! was
stationed. Gen. Cox said: Colonel, don't
you want some more men here? You
seem to have nothing but a skirmish
line" No" says Jack; this is the
65th Ind. and it can whip the whole
-. .Confederacy.' ..n.ss.s.
In short time there was a sharp
rattle Of muskerfr on the opposite side
of the fort and all was quiet. The fort
surrendered. At Franklin, as all know.
Easements Brigade was on the east
side OF the pike, the right of the 65th
Ind. was on the pike. Co. i in front of
the cotton gin. We had worked all day
| building breastworks, had them in good
shape by 3 o'clock, had drawn rations.
put beef to cook and coffee to boil. BY
o'clock. when-1oOkingF to the front,
we could see Hoods Iise advancing.
They were coming slowly and steadily.
We gathered our traps together, saw
that our guns and ammunition were in
good order. took our places behind the
works, and. shall I say, calmly waited
the onslaught 1t was an apparent
calm, for there was tempest brewing
in the breast of every man. They were
Steeiing their nerves for the great con-
fiict that all knew was almost upon
them. About this time Gen. Cox and
front. About this time a familiar voice
Was heard to our left. Looking in that
direction, we saw Col. Jack, who was
only a few moments from a great event
of his lHe-that was to change him
from Col. Jack to Gen. Jack Easement.
He was encouraging the boys TO do
their best. When he came in the rear
of our company he. made what Capt.
Sckofeld termed his famous speech,
but, the Captain did not quote quite all
of it.
| He said: "Roys, the rebels are COM
! ing, and they are in earnest. They are
| going to try, to come. over our works.
! | am going to take my station right
here behind you. and if you can't kill
| all Of them before they get ON the
works just take the rest of them on
your bayonets and pitch them-to me,
and will pick their pockets and divide
after the fight is over" He stood up
where his body was exposed above the
| works, and could see over the smoke
of our guns and hallooed: Give them
| (what Gen. Sherman called war;,
! boys" Presently he said: Aim low.
! boys; they have laid down about 20
I yards from the works" A boy 16 years
old came over after the fight, and said
there was not one-third, of them left
alive that lain down there. A horse
that was said to belong to Gen. Pat
| Cleburne fell with his head hanging
over the breastworksh near the center
of our regiment. We had one man
killed, none wounded in our company.
| A Mcbride, Co. Fl S5th Ind, r. d. /,
Marionviile Mo II