Memoirs of a Veteran Who Served as a Private in the 60's in the War Between the States Personal Incidents, Experiences and Observations

CHAPTER XXVII

This brings us towards the last part of December, 1864. When General Hood planned his campaign to the rear of General Sherman, instead of following General Johnston's tactics and thus leaving the balance of the State of Georgia to the tender mercies of our adversaries, who had no mercy or respect for age nor sex, but wantonly destroyed by fire and sword whatever they could lay their hands on, save the booty and relics with which they were loaded. Howell's battery, on account of their horses being exhausted, could not follow General Hood's army into Tennessee, and were ordered to Macon to recruit. This Company had seen arduous service from Chickamauga to Atlanta, including Jonesboro. After the battle of Chickamauga, one of the hardest contests of the war, in which the confederate forces were successful, Howell's battery had the honor to open the battle from the extreme right, on the 18th day of September, 1863. On the 19th, which was on Saturday, the fight was progressing furiously, with no results, both armies holding their own, but on Sunday morning our forces centered their attack on the enemy's center, charged through their lines and rolled them back in complete disorder, and the victory was ours. General Bragg rested his forces for a few days and renewed the fight around Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. He found the enemy well fortified and ready. The battle was a sanguinary one; Howell's battery besides losing two pieces of artillery, which were recovered in the evening and returned to us, lost in wounded, Leonidas Hines, Frank Bailey and Corporal Braswell, and captured James Mullen, John S. Kelley, John Tompkins and John Braswell. That night General Bragg withdrew as quietly as possible and went into camp at Dalton, where we spent in winter quarters. At Macon they did provost duty under direction of General Howell Cobb. The writer drifted back through Alabama expecting to rejoin Dr. Crawford as soon as he would locate, and being intercepted by Federal troops I reported to the nearest Confederate post, which proved to be General Beaufort from Kentucky, a cavalry officer at Union Springs, Alabama. General Abe Beaufort was of colossal stature and an able officer, so I reported to him for duty until I could join my proper command. He said, Have you a horse? We are cavalry. I said, No, but I expect to get one the first fight we get into. He laughed and said, Well, you can hang around here. I stayed at his quarters several days. One day he seemed to be worried more than usual; I ventured to say, "General, You seem to be worried over something." He said, "I have enough to worry about; there is General Forrest at Selma; I have sent him two couriers and neither of them have reported; I don't know what became of them, whether they have been captured, killed or run away. I want to hear from General Forrest so that we can act in concert of action." The Federals who held possession of Montgomery under General Wilson's corps d'army, who later captured President Jefferson Davis in Irwin County, Ga., during the several days of my hanging around at General Beaufort's Headquarters, he asked me how long I had been in the service. I said, "I joined the first Company that left my county and the first regiment that left my State." How long had you been in this country before the war broke out? I answered that I came to Georgia direct from France in the Fall of 1859, about sixteen months before I enlisted. I found in this country an ideal and harmonious people; they treated me as one of their own; in fact for me, it was the land of Canaan where milk and honey flowed. In the discussion of the political issues I felt, with those that I was in contact with, that they were grossly imposed upon by their Northern brethren and joined my friends in their defence, and so here I am, somewhat worsted, but still in the ring. I said, General I have an idea; I think I can carry a dispatch that will land. I have in my possession at home my French passport. I can write for it and use it by going squarely through their lines, as being an alien. I can change my clothes for some citizens clothes. After a little reflection General Beaufort said, "Hermann, you are an angel; it's the very idea." So we arranged to write at once for my pass. It came in due time. The lady of the house where the General kept his quarters furnished me with a suit of jeans cloth, but begged the General not to send me for fear I might meet with reverses. But the General said, He is all right, he can work the scheme. That night I started about ten o'clock, on horseback, with two escorts. It was a starlight night. We passed for some distance through a dense swamp. The General cautioned me to be careful and on the lookout, an admonition I thought entirely unnecessary. He said the enemy's camp was about twelve miles distant, and that they had a company of scouts out that night, and so had we, but as we journeyed along at a walk the lightning bugs were so thick as to blind a fellow and the swamp so dark that we could only designate the road by the distance and open space of the tree tops and the stars. We did not however, meet any of the scouts. On emerging from the swamp I noticed on my right a small farm cottage and a dim light through the cracks of the door. I dismounted, knocked at the door. At first no one answered. I knocked again when a lady's feeble voice answered, Who is there? A friend, was the reply. Open the door please. The door opened and there stood in front of me an old lady of about seventy, I judged, nearly scared to death, trembling from head to foot. To re-assure her I said, Madam, we are Southerners don't be frightened, we won't do you any harm. Can you tell me how far it is from here to the enemy's camp? She answered very excitedly that she had nothing to do with the war, she is only a lone woman and we can't cheat her out of many years. You all have stolen all my meat and did not leave me a mouthful of corn or meat, and I am left here to starve to death. I said, But we are Confederates; but I noticed the woman did not believe me, undoubtedly owing to my brogue, as there were thousands of foreigners in the federal army. I lit a match and scrutinized the ground and noted the doors of the outhouse wide open, houses empty and the ground churned into dust by the horses hoofs. Undoubtedly we were not far from the enemy, as they were there that day and looted the premises. I bid the lady good night and joined my escort who waited for me in the road. As I was about to mount my horse I perceived ahead of me through the limbs of the trees, a bright light. The lady was still standing in the door, and I asked her what that light was we saw ahead of us. She said they were the negro quarters about a quarter of a mile ahead, and I thanked her and we moved a little forward and held consultation as to what was best to do, whether they should return to camp leading my horse back and I to take it afoot or whether we had better go together to the quarters, probably they might get a few potatoes and some buttermilk, for be it understood that we belonged to the hungry army where rations became very scarce, for as a rule the Confederate soldier respected private property and often suffered hunger rather than appropriate property belonging to others. They concluded they might buy something to eat from the darkies. The negroes in those days, as before the war, always had a surplus of provisions. They were well fed, in fact most of them made their own provisions with the exception of meat, their owner allowing them patches and giving them time to cultivate the same for their own use or to sell with their master's permission, which was generally only a matter of form or respect.

CHAPTER XXVIII

In keeping my eyes to the front watching the light, we came to an open field on the right. On the left of the road was a dense forest. I noted some one crossing the light and heard some one screaming and hollering like negroes carousing. Presently the same person recrossed and I thought there must be some Federals about there and we stopped to consult. I concluded that I would take it afoot and reconnoiter while my escort would enter the woods where we stood and wait for me until I returned. I took the darker side of the road along the woods until I arrived close to the premises, and I circumvented the place. I noted a double pen log house with a large chimney at one end and a rousing lightwood fire in it. A step over fence about five rails high surrounded the yard in which stood a very large oak tree, the limbs of which hung low, a little above a man's head. To those limbs were hitched three splendid horses. In the house were three Federals, enjoying their surroundings. The house had a front and back entrance and the fire in the chimney cast its light some distance, front and rear, around the premises. I hurried back to my comrades and made my report as above, and I suggested a line of action as follows: We will leave our horses on the road side, about two hundred yards this side the house. One of us will enter the back side as I enter the front, and one of you follow me; Are you willing. If you do as I say we will capture those fellows without firing a shot. The youngest of the escort was a young man of about 19 years; the other was 21 years old. The younger said, General Beauford told us to obey your orders, and I am ready to do what you tell me to do. I said, Bravo, my boy. The other one was silent, I remarked, what do you say? He tried to answer but his teeth chattered and he was trembling so he could hardly speak. I said, What is the matter with you, are you scared? He said, No, I am excited. You must compose yourself. If you follow my advice and do exactly what I say and we will capture those fellows without firing a gun, but there must be no wobble, or they may turn the joke on us. I told the youngest to hold his gun ready for use and to make a detour around the house and face the back entrance, and I would give him time to get in position, and as I enter the front door he must enter the back door, and we must get the drop on them, otherwise they might get it on us. I told the other fellow to follow me and do as I do and not to fire unless I do. I carried a couple of colts pistols. As we entered the negro women and the men were sitting on benches before the fire, when I exclaimed, surrender! in the meantime covering them with my pistols and the guns of my comrades. They jumped as if lightning has struck them. "Unbuckle your weapons or you are dead men; be quick about it." My orders were executed with alacrity and we marched them out of the house. In the far end of the house I spied a plow line hanging from a nail in the wall. I appropriated the same and we unhitched the horses and walked to where ours were. Not a word was spoken by either of us. The horses were brought forward and the prisoners mounted. The plow line served to pinion their legs under the animals below. All this was done as quickly as possible. When the prisoners realized that we were but three, one of them commenced being obtrusive and talking loud and abusive. I cautioned him and his comrades that unless they moved along quietly and not talk above a whisper we would be compelled to leave them by the roadside, for some one, unknown to us, to bury them. My admonition had a good effect, and our cavalcade advanced in a lope, one leading the horses, the prisoners were riding by the bridle reins, and I and the other man closing up the rear. I was fearful of meeting some of their scouting parties, of which General Beaufort advised me of on our departure, but it seemed that they were in some other direction from us, for we noted the firmament in every direction lit up by an aurora borealis from the burning houses those miscreants set afire. When arriving close to our pickets we halted. I sent one of my escort in advance to announce our arrival so as not to be fired into, as it was only day break and still too dark to be recognized. I rode at once to General Beaufort's headquarters to report. He was still in bed; the guard admitted me. He said, I thought you were on your way to Selma. I said, General, I met with an accident and came back. An accident said he! So I stated that accidentally I captured three Federals and got me a horse at my first opportunity. He got up and dressed, had the prisoners brought before him and commenced questioning them but they were very reticent and evaded many of his questions. General Beaufort was very anxious to find out the strength of his adversary in his immediate front and their destination. I suggested that I change my clothing for the uniform of one of the prisoners who was my size, and ride in their line. He said, That is a very dangerous business; if you are trapped they will hang you. I said, I am in for the war; life as it is is not worth much, I'll take the chances. So that night after midnight I passed again our videttes, in company with two escorts who accompanied me for company sake for a few miles, when they returned to camp and I went it alone. After passing the cottage of the old lady where we sought information, the previous night, I put my horse at full speed and passed the negro quarters. No one was astir and I continued my course for about three miles when I saw some obstruction in the road on the brow of the hill. Halt, was the command. I halted, at within about seventy-five yards. Who comes. A friend. Seeing that I was alone I was asked to advance. As I approached I noted that there was a rail fence across the road, behind which were two sentinels, their muskets pointing at me. I remarked as I crossed the fence, Didn't I have a race; those four rebels run me clean to nearly where I am. My horse was steaming wet. I said, You see that fire yonder; we set the gin house afire when the rebels came up and gave me a hot chase. The sentinels were all excitement and kept their eyes to the front. I had dismounted and placed myself in line with them. I could have killed them both but that was not my object. Finally, seeing no one coming, I said they must have gone back. I mounted my steed and slowly rode up, in a walk, where I saw what I thought was the main camp, but it was only what was known as the grand guard of about a half a regiment of cavalry. Taking in the surroundings at a glance I noted the horses hitched in the corners of the fence along the road and the men some lying, some sitting on improvised seats around their camp fire. I at once rode to an empty corner in the fence and hitched my horse and walked to a fire where most of the men were lying down, seemingly sleeping. There lay one empty blanket on the ground and I laid myself down on it, facing the fire, which felt pretty good, for I was chilled, the night being cold. As I pretended to take a nap some fellow gave me a hunch with his foot, saying, Hello comrade, you are lying on my blanket. I grunted a little and turned some further when he pulled the blanket from under me. This seemingly roused me, and I was wide awake. I stretched out my arms as if I were yawning, addressing myself to the men next to me, "This is a terrible life to lead. Where are we going? To Savannah. I heard some say Savannah. That is in Georgia, a long ways from here; I am afraid some of us will never get there; I heard that there is an army of fifteen thousand rebels ahead of us within fifteen miles of here." He answered, That would not amount to much with what we have. I thought I would stretch as far as I could reasonably do so, for General Beauford's force was only 1,500 strong. You say that would not amount to much with what we have to oppose them? He said Wilson's Corps amounts to nearly 25,000. O, not that much. He commenced to enumerate different regiments, the number of cannon, etc., etc. All at once I heard the bugle blast "Call to Horse," and everything was active. What's the matter I said, seeing everybody catching their horses? He answered, Did you not get three days rations? I said, Yes. Well we are going to advance. I run to my horse and mounted. I felt that I had to advise General Beauford of this move, and not to pass the picket post that I did coming in I took down the railroad track which run parallel the wagon road some distance, but to my surprise there was a vidette post there of two sentinels. They halted me, saying, You can't pass. I remarked that they will be relieved in a few minutes, that our forces are advancing. There being a nice spring of water in sight, just to the left of the road I wanted to fill my canteen full of water. The road being very dusty I suggested that I would fill theirs if they wished me to in the meantime. I'll be back in a few seconds. So they handed me their canteens and I put the spurs to my horse. Further on I turned to the left into the wagon road and post haste and at full gallop rode into our camp, which was twelve miles ahead of me. The cap which I had borrowed from one of our prisoners was a little too big for my head and in my haste to reach camp blew off. I did not stop to pick it up, but reached camp in about three quarters of an hour. It still being a little before day a bullet passed me in close proximity and I knew that I was close to our lines. I stopped and held up both hands. The bad marksmanship of the sentinel saved me from being shot. I at once rode up to the General's quarters, was admitted by the sentinel and made my report. He was still in bed, but he got up and ordered two companies of Col. Armistead's Regiment to the front and deployed into a skirmish line. In less than an hour we heard the firing. All the forces were astir, and we withdrew towards West Point, Georgia, thus giving the enemy the right of way. The General asked me if I held any commission. I said, Yes, high private in the rear ranks. Well, I'll see that you will be promoted when I make my report to the war department. I need a hundred men just like you.

CHAPTER XXIX

That evening I donned my disguise as a citizen, and advanced, as before, to go through their lines as an alien. I rode as before as far as my judgment would permit to prevent the capture of my escort, when I took it afoot to carry out the program first suggested. I walked about four miles and day was breaking. As two nights previous, the country indicated depredations by fires. When I again, as the night before, saw obstructions in front of me, I walked within twenty-five or thirty paces up to it when I was commanded to halt and challenged as to who comes there, their muskets pointing at me. I said, "Me no speaky English, je parle Francais." Where are you going? Me no stand English. They made me a sign to sit down by the side of the obstructive fence, after having let me cross their barricade. About fifteen minutes later an officer with the relief guard came up. Who's that you got there? How did he get here? They answered I walked up. He is a foreigner and can't speak our language. Turning to me he said, where are you going? "Je ne comprenspas, je parle francais." So he made me signs to following him, which I did. He conducted me to a large camp fire where I saw several men guarding others and recognized them to be Confederates. This was the first time I felt my danger; I was afraid that there might be some among the prisoners that might have seen me before and might recognize me. However my fears were without cause as I did not know any of them. About eight o'clock a. m., the Provost Marshall General came around and addressed himself to me. Who are you, said he. As before, I said je parle francais. Oh, you are a Frenchman. Well, I will get some one that can speak to you. He ordered one of the guards to go to a Canadian Company and ask the Captain to send him a man that could speak French and English. Presently a young soldier presented himself. The Provost took him aside and I pretended not to notice them. They stepped to within a few paces of me; when I heard the Provost say to him, Pump him. I thought, He will be welcome to all he will get out of me. He stepped up to me and talked to me in French. I appeared to be so glad to meet one I could talk to, that I did not give him an opportunity to ask me a single question. I told him how I came here in the fall of 1859, pulling out my passport which he scrutinized and handed over to the Provost, who in turn looked at the same. I told him that I made a mistake coming here, that the people made it very unpleasant to me because I would not enlist; that I had to leave Georgia, and I am now on my way to New Orleans, which I heard the port was open so as to see the French consul to assist me back to France; that I am tired of this land where people murder each other. During all of our conversation the Provost said, What does he say. My interlocutor explained and then they all would laugh. Finally I said that I was hungry, that I had had nothing to eat in 24 hours. So the Provost said, Boys, can you fix up something for him among you, and they all contributed some from their rations and filled my haversack full of substantial food, and besides contributed $10.00 in money. I thanked them and started off, after being told that I could go, but as I was apparently green I asked my questioner how far I was from New Orleans and if there were any more places where I might be delayed, when the Provost intervened with his, What did he say? Which after being explained to him, he said, I had better give him a pass, they might take him up on the other end of the line, and so he wrote on a slip of paper, "Pass the bearer through the line," and signed his name in such chirography that I could not read it. I arrived into Montgomery late that afternoon, and reported, as per previous arrangement with Col. Paul to Judge Pollard, whose daughter he married, and told that family how the boys were getting along. Judge Pollard was a stately old gentleman of great prominence in that section of the country. He received me in his large library and we had quite a long conversation over the situation. I told him that I was directed to him with the understanding that he would provide me with a horse so that I might continue my journey to Selma. He shook his head and said I'll see what can be done, but I don't believe there is a horse to be got within ten miles of here; the Yankees stole every horse and mule they could lay their hands on, and sure enough he was unable to furnish me with an animal, but thought I might, by making a long detour beyond the flanks of the enemy's columns, be able to proceed. That morning one of the ladies presented me with a tobacco bag, made out of a piece of pink merino, and the initials of my name embroidered on it with yellow silk and filled with smoking tobacco, and a shaker pipe stuck in it. It was quite a novelty and was highly appreciated. After having partaken of a substantial breakfast I bid my host and his family good bye, visited my friends Faber, Lewellen, Coleman and other acquaintances of the city, all of which had their tales of woe and sufferings to account at the hands of the enemy. I departed for Selma on foot. I was weary and depressed. I heard that I was again in close proximity to the enemy who routed Forrest from that city and came within a fraction of either killing or capturing him. He was surrounded by four troopers who demanded his surrender, when he threw his saber, spurred his horse and ran the gauntlet among a shower of bullets. I heard that in the melee he received a saber cut in the face. I felt sick at heart and physically worn out and took a rest and wended my way to Col. Bowen, who was glad to see me and offered me all the comforts to recruit my strength. I remained there nearly a week. I really did not know where to report to, General Beauford being on the retreat before Wilson's corps who came from via Pensacola, Florida. I was surrounded on every side, so I concluded to retrace my way back to Montgomery but when a few miles from Greenville as I emerged from a long lane at the end of which the road turned into a forest I noted some Federal soldiers. I came within a very short distance of them before seeing them; my first impulse was to run back, but I was tired, it being a warm day and nothing to protect me from the bullets, having an open lane where they might play at my fleeing figure. I concluded to give up on demand, but on close approach, seeing that they were negro troops I regretted not having taken chances, however great, of escape, especially when I was asked to surrender my arms, which consisted of a couple of colts 6 inch pistols, one of which I carried in a scabbard buckled around me and the other in the belt of my pants, which were tucked in my boot legs. In unbuckling my belt I contracted my body allowing the one in my pants to slide down my leg into my boot and thus only surrendered one of them. The other I carried on as I marched. The friction of the barrel on the ankle of my foot gave me excruciating pains but I continued on until I could feel the blood on the inside of my boot. There were other prisoners, among them General Pillow and his son, George. Arriving in Montgomery we were locked up in the Lehman Brothers building which had served as a shoe factory for the Confederate Government. I intended to use my weapon at the first opportunity I saw to gain my liberty. That night I asked for a doctor to dress my wounded foot. He came and asked me how that happened. My socks adhered to the wounds and the pains it gave me were unbearable. I told him I had snagged myself. He dressed my wound and I felt relieved to a great extent. The next morning I sent word to my friend Faber to come to see me and he did so. I said to him to see if he could not get me a parole, after he had told me that he had had some Yankee officers quartered at his house, saying that they were all Western men and seemed to be clever fellows. He promised to use his influence. Presently he returned with an officer and I was turned out on parole, but to report every morning at nine o'clock. The following morning I reported, when the officer commanded one of the men to take charge of me and lock me up. I thought the jig was up, that probably I had been reported by some one and that I might fare the worst for it. There were fifty prisoners; we were all called out to form into line and from that into column, and marched up the hill to the capitol, where we received some salt pork and hard tack to last us three days. We were informed that we would be sent to Ship Island, a country of yellow fever, close to New Orleans in retaliation of Andersonville, there to take the chances to live or die; undoubtedly they would have preferred the latter. About one o'clock p. m. a courier rode up to the capitol, followed by another. Presently we were informed that the war was over, that General Lee had surrendered and that Lincoln was assassinated and instead of being sent to Ship Island we were to be paroled under promise not to take up arms again against the United States, until properly exchanged. This brings us up to the early part of June 1865, or latter part of May.