The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-06-28
SON OF JOHNNY REB
AND AN OLD YANK
EXCHANGE LETTERS
Or. oTEY J. PORTER FINDS NAME
ON A TREE-CUT IN
1864.
Diary Of an Old Soldier Telling Of
Strenuous Times In the Volunteer
State Through Tis Section During
the Sixties.

Otey J. Porter, of this city, and a res
ident of Benton Harbor, Mich
DR.. Porter owns a splendid wood
land at the junction of Rutherford
creek and Duck river between two
and three miles from the city where he
is making preparations for the cree
tion Of handsome house. The cor
respondence explains itself:
) Columbia. Tenn, June Is, 1912,
Mr.. G. H. Burbank, 800 Broadway,
Benton Harbol, Mich. Dear Sir:
Finding your name engraved on a
beach tree near here in woods I
recently bought, | became interested
to know if you were yet alive and if
you would recall your sojourn among
US.
The name is artistically cut as fol-
lows; &c. H. Burbank, Co. F. M. I.
Dec. 9th, 1854" l presume that you
were with the federal troops that in
vested this section after Hoods re-
treat following the battles of Frank.
lin and Nashville, and that your com
mdnd was encamped in this woods.
There are the remains Of numerous
low rock chimneys throughout the
woods which were doubtless tent
chimneys. The tree has probably
doubled in size since you saw it and
the letters are CORRESPONDENCE larg-
Ell. The woods is very beautiful
one. secured your address from the
war department.
Hoping to hear from you, I am,
Very truly yours,
| OTEY J. PORTER,
| Son of Johnny Reb."
| IT'S Ia new number) Broadway,
Benton Harbor, Mich, June IS, 1912.
DR.. Otey J. Porter, Columbia, Tenn.
Dear Sir:-Yours Of the 18th receiv-
ed yesterday, when my daughter
brought it to me as I was at work in
ire salden. l said some advertise
inert of medicine, probably" but
when she opened and read it / was
greatly surprised and pleased.
Yes, am still alive and compare
lively we'll for a man of my age (past
I'D. Have family of four, a wife
and three children, one boy and two
girls, the oldest girl married. Indeed
do lecall to mind of being in your
locality in 1864.
That being but few days after the
battle Of Nashville, where l helped
one OF my neighbor boys of my vegi-
ment off the field on account of some
Of your boys throwing chunk of lead
through his leg, but he is still alive
and lives about IL miles from here.
On referring to my diary of Dec
oath, 1864 (Which was Saturday, I
find tins statement: "The timber
here is same as it is in Michigan,
beech, wildwood, some maple, oak,
ETC." On Monday of that week l find
That we went through mud nearly
knee deep" through the town of
Franklin and out about two miles and
c?mped on a nice piece Of sod ground
Tuesday, the Goth, we went across
or to the Columbia pike and camped
ir piece of woods not far from
Spring Hill. Wednesday, the 21st,
we moved on another five or six miles
and camped in another nice piece of
woods, where we lay until Saturday,
tie oath, referred to above Although
we had orders on Friday to pack up
and be ready to move. Sunday, the
18th, we had our Christmas dinner of
goose and chicken" in the morning,
for fear we might be on the move by
noon. But, no, we had the chance to
otdy uutll mOuudy uOiuluS, Wucu We
went out on the Columbia pike, cross
ed Rutherford creek and camped that
day on the bank of Duck river, al
most in sight of Columbia.
But presume that I have taken
you far enough for today, and 1t 10
time to take a rest, and these places
are more familiar to you than to me.
Now II you feel so disposed l would
like to hear from you again. What
sort Of family have you (if any.
Is your father still alive and well and
what regiment was he in. We had
the 3rd and 9Th Tennessee brigades
in our regiment for awhile-a fine
set OF men.
If you should ever happen to come
to Benton Harbor, just come and take
dinner with US.
How little did l think when cut
that name that I should hear from II
again after AZ years, from a person
perhaps then unborn. But strange
things happen In this world. Very