The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-16
by CAPTAIN ben. :. WILLIAMS.
Iurunaon @

tBrnnson, =. O.
On the morning OF Novembe- !. 1864
on James Island. : G., there issued
from our rcgimcntal headquarters the
following order | copy from my old
order book before me now:
headquarters. Forty seventh Rcgi-
mcnt, Georgia Volunteers, Secession
vile, November J, 1854: Company com
handlers viii forward at once TO this
Office complete lists or all recruits re-
ceivcd IN their companies on Yesterday,
the 3lst of October This list Will en-
brace name, rank, company, age and
place OF nativity"
This order was signed BY myself
ana was an extraordinary issuing: II
related 20 the influx OF recruits of the
evening before. The number OF re-
cruits received was l00-about ono
third the strength OF tho wreck and
remnant OF tie old regiment that in
June, 1862. went into action very near
the spot upon which wc were. No
vember !, 1862, camping 1000 strong.
There was no source throughout the
South from which TO recruit our re-
duccd ranks and the sudden injection,
10y enlistment OF 100 men II one time
into our command was little short Of
miraculous. But these newly arrived
and enrolled soldiers of the Confcd-
erecy were captive Federal soldiers, all
In blue United States uniform and Iii
rectly from the AudcrsonviIlc, Ca.
prison From the depot in Charleston
they were marched directly Into our
camp by Confederate officers and turn
ed over" 10 us-the Forty seventh
Georgia Infantry-to be clad in gray
placed in our ranks and under our
stars and Bars" fought AGAINST tho
former comrades under the stars and
Stripes"
PRISONERS Furnished Problem.
They We're volunteers for such en-
listmcnt and service in furthcrance Of
an experiment by us, hitherto untried
and unique. incongruous and hazardous.
But in said prison wo had an army
OF between 30, 600 and 80 600 men Yam
keo prisoners, and like the Individual
who had seized by the horns the bel
lowing bovine, the question was how 10
hold onto them or how 20 let them
20 our own active armies in the
field We're but half fed; much Of our
territory upon which we had depended
Tor subsistence was lost to us and Yet
this Inactive and hostile forco in our
prison had 10 be 'rationed' and cared
for
We had striveu, scdulously. with the
Federal government 10 effect an ex-
change of captured soldiers. but IN
vain They. the United States govern
lnent officials, were well aware that 10
release our men was to swell our ranks
and strengthen our lines-which we
the same time afford us the relief by
exchange. OF the heavy burden of sus-
tenance ond care OF the imprisoned, de-
fensclcss host. while by draft conscrip-
ton and purchase the United States
government could easily replace their
lost men with double the number at
short notice So we Vcntured the cx-
pertinent, on a small scale. OF lighting
Tie galvanized" Yankee against the
genuine article"
have never heard but the one such
experiment.
our Nanks wer. really a fine. soldier
ly looking set OF fellows and though
somewhat lean AMI hungry-as were
wc--seemcd rcjoccd at their release
from close confinement and ready for
business. We apporiioned them ten TO
each company OF the regiment. They
w"rc cosmopolitan set and the com
manders of companies were not pleased
with the accessions TO their commands.
Captains Comments.
Common. captain OF Company ~ said:
My contingent is Heterogeneous
bunch of id hoboes. but az we have
only tWentythrcc men left in my COM
pany it is 'hobsons choice" Laurence,
captain of Company y. said: II have
tor my share TWO Irishmcn. two Ger
mans, ono italian. one Swedc. tWo
Michiganders end two ID Pennsyl-
yania Dutchmen.' Captain Kennedy,
VI company W. Sdiu- NiIHe IRE All reg
ular blue bcllcd Yanks but hail from
hell to breakfa st"--and on.
These remarks were, OF course, made
aside 10 me and our "galvanizcd
Yonks" We're treated by their officers
Just rs the regular members OF the
commands were and by their comrades
in the ranks just as !f they had enlist
I'D and stood together instead OF haV-
ing fought I'm opposing ranks In battle
They touched elbows kept dress and
step In ranks on drill. parade and in
spection, and laughed and TESTED as
they smoked around the camp fires at
night We would not trust them on