Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1915-07-23
Civil War "reminiscences
By DAN McLEoD. ]
Travelling On Rickety Cars.

some short turn in the track con-
sequertly few of us decided 90 ride
on fat cars on which lots of tents
and other baggage was piled. The
order of an aboard" was given; a
bout six or eight of us boarded d
fat car and the train pulled out be-
fore we got fixed. The tents and
other baggage was not put on with
much regularity and consequently
it was hard to get good comforta-
bic position on the old tents, camp
kettles, tent poles etc.. but finally
we got toerably well located. Some
went to sleep, was too scared to go
to sleep for fear the whole train
would fall to pieces. Some of the
old box car ahead of our fat were
pretty shaky ano running at fast
speed.
expected wreck at any time.
The X. r. track was very crooked
and in shaky order also; sure enough
some where above Atlanta the box
car just head of the car was on
jumped the track and our car went
head foremost into it and jumped
into the car next ahead. No one
hurt much but one young boyish fell
low. got both thighs broken in two
| Just above the knees. An irishman
jumped Off and hit the ground head
foremost, face downward. one cheek
blowing the gravel sand, before he
could stop. Some one took hold on
him and put him on his feet and such
praying / never heard before to the
Holy St. Patrick and in manner
that | had never heard before. He
called on ST. Mary and st. Patrick
to not let him die, for he had not
prayed before in long time; he had
neglected his duty and if his life was
spared ho would be dillgent in pray
er for long time to come. We got
the young man whose thighs were
both broken out of the wreck and
made him as comfortable as possible
but what to do with him was prob
lem: suffering terribly and no way
there to make him comfortable or
give him ease.
There were two fine painted dwell
hngs near bv, one on each side the
railroad The colonel sent two men
to one of these places to know
whether they would take care OF the
Young soldier till he could be sent to
the hospital. They hooted at the
sergeaat's request don't want any
thing to do with 4 rebel. This
made the colonel mad and a number
of soldiers got on high horse and If
something hadn't been done right
quick, that gentleman's home would
have soon been in flames. A dele
cation was sent to the other home
10 get place for the crippled boy
and they took him like father and
mother. They sent at once for
local doctor in the neigh borhood to
wait on him and set the broken
bone. The boy stayed there till he
was able to be sent home some
where in Georgia.
| A lot of soldiers were detailed to
get the car on the track which took
considerable time. There was
lot of soldiers who we're dong moth
ing. Some sleeping, others loiter-
ing around. There was four or five
milk cows, feeding around between
the two plantations. One of our
soldiers MIXED one of the cows in
his canteen; about the time he had
filled it; the colonel found him out.
marched him TO the fence near by.
made him get astride the rider rail
with both feet standing out for thir-
ty minutes, he also made him hold
his hands up, so that he could not
hold himself up to get little ease.
When he was allowed to get off he
laughed heartily and Dragged how
easily he paid for quart of very
rich milk. About the time he got
off the fence the order all sboard"
was given and we were soon moving
on toward Atlanta.
The next evening we arrived at
Mobile and remained there for twelve
or fifteen hours and painted the
town red while there. Next morning