Oxford eagle., 1912-07-18

~hAN~A 9oAAAC w
reached Attala county, Miss.
where | have made my homs
ever since until | joined tht
army
"This story Of George Benson
was broken off by the rifles OF
the sharpshooters from the tim
ber behind US, who were begin
ming to make it hot for the artil-
lerymen on the opposite side OF
the field. The white horse had
been killed in front of his mas
ter's tent, and the whole Yankee
front was preparing for an ad-
vance. Firing had begur. along
the whole line, and before they
begun their advance the artillery
began to lombard the trees be-
hind our little pit with she'll,
grape and canister.
"We hastily retreated into our
den. One shell struck, the old
post oak at the left of the ditch
and exploded among the dead
limbs, and the splinters and tim
Der came down all over US. but
left US unhurt; another struck
the pile Of rails in our front and
exploded and threw rails and
dirt all over US. We then peep
ed out and saw the Yankees
coming through the willows, and
we left on double quick time
through the bushes.
"As We were passing the little
grave yard in which George Ben
son had said his parents were
buried, | heard a thud, looked
back, and George was down, kill
ed by grape shot. / did not go
back, but kept on running. A
saplin in front of me was cut in
two, fell on me. but | disentangl-
ed myself and reached our lines
unhurt. George fell in less tha l
forty feet of the graves of mis-
father and mother, and | do not
suppose that he ever breathed
again.
by the time | reached onr
lines the skirmish had swelled
into battle. Gen. Featherston
galloped up to our regiment, or
dered right about face and a
charge, which he himself led in
person. The Twentieth Missis-
sippi regiment was sent out to
reinforce us, and the tMo charged
into the open field, advancing to
meet the Federals, and scores of
both regiments were killed. The
battle was not a general one, but
1t was bad fight for those en-
gagged in it.
Col. Massey, commanding the
Twentieth Mississippi, was Killed
and many OF his men; our regi-
ment lost in killed and wounded
some forty men or more, and tie
Twentieth twice as many. III
was soon after this fight on the
1ith. of June, 1864, that Gems
Johnson, Pardee and Polk, and
perhops also Walthall, were on a
high knob on Pine Mountain,
just in front OF US, holding a
council of war, when a cannon
ball killed Gen. Polk.
That morning after the battle
just desceibed, there was a truce
for both sides to get their dead
and wounded off of the field. and
| was one of those detailed from
our side to look up our boys that
were left on the field. Some Of
them We carried away, but most
OF the dead We buried where we
found them. Among the dead
and dying | found a Federal SOL
der IN terrible agonies, he hav-
ing received a canister shot
through his hips and could not
move.
''He said, Friend, give me
some water. took his cantaen
and filled it with wat,r from q
little spring branch near by AID
gave 1t to him. | was very bu.y
and could only stay with him a
few minutes, and while there he
told me that his name was Will
ham Benson, and that he was
born just across the field there
IN that little house, and that his
father and mother were buried
just over the hill in the family
graveyard; there were tv o broth.
ers OF them, and that they had
separated many years ago, and
had never met since; that his
brother, George, was somewhere
IN Mississippi, if not in the army
Of the SOutherners.
THE whole situation flashed
over me like a vision. told him
at once that ! knew his brother
George; that he belonged to our
company. was my comrade, and
that he had been killed that
morning, and was not 800 wards
away from where We stood: that
his brother, George, had already
told me the story of the deaths Of
his father and mother, and how
he and his brother, William had
parted. The soldier in blue look
ed at me in wonderment, drew a
last gasp and expired.
Il informed the Yankees de-
tailed to care for their men of
their comrades death and the
strange story he had told and
with the consent OF the Officers
We got his body and the BODY OF
his brother George and buried
them in one grave by the side of
their r10thar and fatbzr - -,