Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1919-06-06
"reminiscences Of the Tensas CaYalry." "
CHAPTER III.
w. G. MORLEY OF zlexandrs.. La.

Harrison went to the bar and ordered
the bar keeper not to let any Of his
men have but three drinks per day,
one before each meal, under penalty
CT having his bar closed up, if he vio-
lated the order. As the bar keeper
complied strictly with the Captains
instructions, those who were in the
habit Of indulging too freely, could
not fill up to satisfy, and it was an
orderly set Of men all the way up to
Memphis. We had an uneventful trip,
nothing occurring to dissipate the mo-
notony, except at Vicksburg and one
or two. landings above, several re-
cruits came aboard and joined the
Company. Their names will appear
in the original roll after the muster
in" service in regular sequence.
We arrived at Memphis on time,
debarked and went out to camp about
two miles from town, where we passed
a considerable portion Of our time in
drilling and became quite proficient
in the cavalry drill.
As is customary 1T all camps be-
fore the actual precipitation Of war,
a certain number Of men were per-
mitted to visit Memphis daily, which
was then a city Of 20. 900 inhabitants,
now very much larger.
When my time came for q permit,
I generally dined at the Gayoso, the
principal hotel in the place. But our
camp fare was then sumptuous, a.
we had the money to pay for it, and
could buy anything we wanted from
the country people. Indeed. there was
quite q marked contrast between our
fare at Memphis and Bowling Green,
KY. and the tough beef and corn
meal doled out to Us afterwards by
the Confederate commissary in almost
inf Rtesimal quantities.
We furnished our own horses, the
the appraisement Of which appears
On the original muster rolls, for which
the Confederate Government was OBJ
ligated to reimburse rs in event that
it sustained itself.
We were armed at the inception of
hostilities with double barreled shot
guns, q pair Of navy or army pistols
and sabres. The shot guns loaded
with ball and three buck shot, were
dangerously effective in close quar-
tiers, but it required too much time
to load, as breech loading shot guns
had not then come into vogue. Hence,
we discarded them from time to time,
as we were enabled to capture later
on from the enemy, improved brsech
loading rifles. such ~ the Sharp, Nay
nard and Spencer, much better adopt
ed to the use Of cavalry. - they were
short, much lighter. Of longer range
and attached to our left shoulders
with leather strap, the gun NJ.
pended from that position and hang
ing down on our right side, Wher5 Il
could be easily raised, fred and quick
~ reloaded in action. From the ssc-
ond year Of the war until IL termi-
nation, we were very well armed
with guns and pistols captured from
the enemy, but we were usually short
Of ammunition.
The Confederate Government fur
nished u with tents ct or about the
time Of our muster in" but they
were generally worn out the first year
and it was impossible to replace them.
Hence, our only protection from the
elements the balance Of the war, was
the canopy Of high Heaven" and our
blankets, and ~ to the latter, we
were reduced to one each before the
final surrender.
But ! do not care to dwell upon
this picture Of anguish and suffering
endured by the ragged and hungry
Confederate, because the contrast il
too vivid between his privations and
the comforts, yea, even luxuriss fur
nished the soldiers Of the late war by
generous and wealthy government.
Indeed, there are 20 few living today,
who have any conception Of the ex-
tremities to which the Confederate
soldier was reduced, that I may be
placing myself in a position to be
charged with "Munchansenism" BY
the uninitiated, even II not with &C.
tual mendacity.
Muster Rell Of Tsnsas Cavity
! he rewith reproduce, not the orig
inal, but . Photographic reproduc-