The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-09-07

| means of transportation l would not
| hesitate one moment to take to them;
but there are idle, empty cars stand
ing there sufficient for brigade and
i I refuse to use those open cars for
my men in this rain for such a dis
| tance" "Refuse, sir, refuse, do you
say? You are guilty of insubordina-
| ton. l will have your regiment
forced aboard of that train for Mis-
sissippi, in obedience to orders"
For a moment the colonel lost con-
troll of his temper and respect for
Gen. Mercer. Twice, already, he had
led his men in battle. They loved
him and would have followed him
over the ramparts of Sheol. "By
heaven" said he, firmly, attempt it
and you'll need new troops for your
garrison. The order under which I
am moving relieves my command of
any exercise of your authority. AS
commander of this post, Gen. Mercer,
| you are notified that within the next
half hour I will leave, with my COM
mand, the Central depot in cars with
cover for my men,
I have heard the men singing in
camp Hell broke loose in Georgia. y
and 1 began to think ''here it is" I
knew the colonel would carry out his
declared purpose or fight it out.
knew that Ashley feared nothing on
top of or under the earth, was the
colonel's kinsman and 1 saw the very
devil in his eyes. Great was my re-
| lief at that instant when as we turn
ed to go Assistant Adjt. Gen. Mer-
Ger came bounding up the stairway
into the room and saluting said hast
lily to his father: General, Major
Gen. Smith is at the depot and ad-
vised that I order another train made
up for the 47th subject to your ap-
proval. This I did, sir, and am sure
the train will be in waiting by the
time these officers reach the depot. :"
The old irate general instantly con-
sented, quickly cooled down and
grasped the colonels extended hand
with an earnest "God bless you, COL
onel; honor and glory to you in the
field to which you go where I know
the gallant 47th will gallantly illus
trate Georgia."
Riding more leisurely back to our
command, Ashley and to rear of the
colonel and adjutant general, Ashley
remarked: "Well, my young man,
westward the stars of our colors take
their way! What think ye?" 81 was
thinking at the moment" I replied,
chow the colonel intended running
that train in which we were to go.
Would be have forced the engineer
on duty for us?'' "No," said Ashley,
"I saw his game. There is not a finer
engineer in the State than our chief
commissary, Capt. Fraser, only he is
reckless runner. He ran a locomo-
tive for years, until he married
pretty woman with a nice plantation
with a good bunch of darkies on it
up in Scriven county, and moved
down on the farm. He is no farm
er and loves his engine and the road
yet and would welcome an excuse to
return to his own first love. I am
ID glad he will not run our train,
he would burn up the track between
here and Atlanta, unless held down.
I am a subscriber to the sentiment
of Shakespeare's 'All's we'll that ends
WE'LL with everything on planta-
ton destroyed by Sherman; negroes
freed and gone, after the war Capt.
Fraser moved his family to Savan-
nah, Ca, and returned to his own
first love-" Three or four years after
on a railway in Alabama his body
was blown into atoms by explosion
of his engine. A heavy double case
gold watch worn by him throughout
his army service was picked up 100
feet from the wrecked locomotive un-
dented and still ticking away the
time.)
Reaching the depot we found our
train ready; box cars with cab or
conductors car attached to rear for
field and staff. In the car very COM
fortably seated was Major Gen. Gus
tavus w. Smith, who was on his way
from Florida out West and wanted
to catch the first train, which was
ours. He introduced himself, apollo
gized for intrusion, said he had seen
the colonel hastily leave the depot,
learned of his refusal to take the