Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1915-05-21
CIVIL WAR LETTER
RECALLS MEMORIES
Incidents of the Majors Mess" :"
in Which Tazewell People
We're Participants - Chin
ney With Some Draught.

Editor the News:-Memories re-
called by the war letter last week by
Titus V. Williams, then Major of the
37th Virginia Volunteers, together
with a request from the Daughters
of the Confederacy, impels me to add
some incidents Of the stirring times
of 1861, and their relation to the
MAJORS Mess" which remained un-
broken for some weeks after the date
of his letter. This letter was writ
ten from Greenbank, in Pocahontas
County, West Virginia, where Col
Fulkerson's regiment was camped,
on the left flank of the little army
of Gen. II. R. Jackson, holding the
main road from Parkersburg to the
town of Staunton. with the forces of
Gen. Reynolds in his immediate front
and threatening an invasion of the
Valley of Virginia. 1t was probably
about the time of which Major Will
liams wrote that tie Federal Gener-
al, with stronger force, moved down
from his camp on Cheat Mountain
suddenly, and attacked jackson at
Camp Barlow.
Plainly hearing tn efirst guns, Col.
Fulkerson ordered Lieut.. Jas. l..
White, (of Abingdon), and this writ
er to proceed at once to Camp Barlow
and unless they met couriers to report
to General Jackson for orders. En-
route we met company of cavalry,
who said they were "cut off by the
Yankees, and many other stragglers.
but on our hike for headquarters we
met no Yankee troops, and probably
the last shot from the federal bat
teries had cut limb from tree
that fell on the bridge over which
we rode to camp. 1t appeared to be a
reconnaissance rather than bat
tie, from the few casualties on each
side, and | remember that General
jackson impressed on Colonel Fulk
erson the probability of another route
being adopted, which might threaten
our position on the flank. The only
Toe, however, that attacked our po-
sition, was great flood in the Green
brier, which overflowcd its banks at
midnight, carried off much of our
camp equipage, including the Ma
Jor's cavalry boots, and chased us.
wet and bewildered, to the higher
ground.
Later on our regiment was recalled
to camp Barton, where the Majors
mess was re-established in a hut. to
which we built chimney that was
the wonder of the camp, the flue be-
ing so scientifically constructed that
objects lying near the fire were in
evitably drawn up the chimney, and
thus the Majors regimentals being
left dry by the fire at taps, were
found next morning to windward of
the smokestack, having "evidently"
been drawn by the fierce draft of the
chimney, to settle on the laurel BUSH
es outside the mess shack. And such
was war in the sixties.
From Camp Barlow the Confeder-
ate force fell back later in the season
to the summit of the Allegheny noun
talns, where General Johnson, having
succeeded to the command, met the
federal force and defeated them in
fierce battle for two hours, in which
the 37th participated, and where the
commanding general acquired the cog
nomen of "War Club" johnson, by
fighting on the battle line with lau-
rel root he had snatched up in a hur-
ry and used as weapon. In this
battle, however, the majors pets"
as Henry Kelly and 1 had been dubb-
ed, could only sympathize with our
comrades and hope for victory, for
we had been sent to farm houses ten
miles in the rear by DIR. Mcclure,
the brigade surgeon, and were being
nursed by Fitz Comann, another Taze-
well soldier.
Here, in beautiful Highland, Henry
ry Kelly lost his life from camp fever,
induced by exposure, and his friend
and chum, who writes these reminis-
censes of the bright young life, so
soon extinguished, was discharged
from the service to participate there
after only on detached special duty.
Of some Incidents of the service.
and possibly of the Laurel Hill cam
paign, l may write hereafter.
Yours, ETC.,
T