Chapter 6

On this retreat it was difficult to find food for the army, and first one command, then another, ran mighty short. Passing through a mountainous thinly settled country during Christmas week, our Captain gave a few permits to different individuals to forage off the line of march. One forager heard of some mills along a creek some miles off the line of retreat, and struck out for them horseback. On his arrival at the first, he found it crowded with infantry men, each guarding his sack of wheat, and awaiting his turn to run it through the mill. The miller was there, and was asked if he could sell a sack of wheat. He replied: "these soldiers say they are bound to have all there is, and I help them grind it, to save injury to my mill. The wheat belongs to the neighborhood." "Where is there another mill?" "About three miles down the creek." Off our forager rode. He saw that money nor begging would prevail to get bread and determined on a bluff. The next mill had soldiers claiming all the wheat, but some of it was in boxes or bins. He called the miller out, and offered to pay for a couple of bushels. "It is not mine, said the miller, it belongs to people around here, but I had better take even Confederate money for it, than nothing at all, and if you can get a couple of bushels, go ahead." So into the mill our man went, with his sack, and walked up to a box holding perhaps ten bushels, on which sat a soldier with his rifle leaning against the box, with the request: "Let me get at the box, if you please." "You can't get any of this meal, our men need it all", reaching for his gun. "I'll show you about that, Sir, my men have had no bread for three days, and some of this wheat, I'm going to have" and he began shoveling it into his sack, regardless of protests, until sack was full; then he said, "that is all I want," turned to the mill hopper dumped it in, as soon as the same was about empty, putting his sack under the spout. When his sack was full of whole wheat meal, he tied it, paid the miller and rode off rejoicing. When he found the command that night, some hogs had been brought and issued by the commissary, and the two bushels of wheat meal was a Godsend. Our mess, after breakfast next morning, divided out to each, eleven big army biscuits apiece, but before dinner time, one gaunt member of the mess had finished up his lot and was on the lookout for more.

Recrossing the Tennessee river on the ---- day of December near Brainbridge, we camped a few days near Tuka, Mississippi, for rest and a general cleaning up, but many soldiers had no clothing except the ragged suits they had on, and cleaning involved the washing and drying of a portion of their garments at a time.

A Confederate private at that time could be pictured in words about thus: A pair of old shoes or boots, with soles gaping, and tied to the uppers with strings, no socks, threadbare pants, patched at the knees, burnt out at the bottom behind, half way to his knees, his back calves black with smoke, from standing with his back to fires, his shirt sticking out of holes in rear of his pants, a weather beaten jeans jacket out at elbows and collar greasy, and an old slouch wool hat hanging about his face, with a tuft of hair sticking out at the crown.

The officers, in many cases, did not show up much better. In either case, the man, who had a negro body servant along, fared the best, and was kept clothed the best.

The negro slaves usually had money in their pockets, when their masters had none, that they made serving officers and men in many ways.

The writer's own servant, Jim Bobbett by name, had left his wife on my father's plantation in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, but had no children. He was selected from several who desired the place, as being a handy fellow all round. A pure negro, with flat nose, and merry disposition. From mere love of myself and a determination to see that I should never lack food or clothing, as long as he could obtain the wherewithal to prevent it, he was faithful in that service, just as a Confederate soldier was faithful in the service of the government he was fighting for. He wore a broad flat waterproof belt next to his skin, and scarcely ever had less than $100.00 therein, and often as high as $1,000.00. He was a good barber and clothes cleaner, and a handy man in many ways, and a few weeks stop of the army in camp soon replenished his "bank" and out of it he generally procured what was needed for me or himself or his friends, without any interference or direction from me.

If he got more than he needed, he disposed of his surplus at a profit. I suppose that if neither a slick tongue nor money would procure necessities, he did not hesitate to "press" them. But his jolly flattering tongue, with the women of his race, along our routes made him their favorite, and when he bade them "goodbye" his "grub" bucket would be filled with the best to be had. When he and his pals were behind, when the wagon train came up, we did not kick, but would turn in, perhaps supperless, to sleep, knowing that some time before day, they would arrive with something to fill us up.

I suppose that some of his class did desert to the enemy, but the large majority were true as steel to their masters and their duty, from the beginning to the end, often at great personal risk and none attached to our company ever deserted. They could have done so easily at any time, and been free inside of the enemies' lines, but personal loyalty to their masters and their own people, as they considered their master's families held them cheerfully to their duty. There was no compulsion about it. They struggled and foraged and speculated at their own sweet will, yet all the time, looking out for their master's interests over and above all else.

These facts are some of the strongest proofs, that between masters and slaves of those old days, there were ties as strong as steel, in the close personal relationship that neither forgot. It had its counterpart in the love and service of the old "Mammy" to her master's family and children. She loved them, and delighted to serve and care for them, sometimes to the neglect of her own flesh and blood.

One morning in bivouac, near Tuka, at breakfast, around the officers fire, there was served a fine skillet full of fried pigeons, with gravey and biscuit, washed down with burnt corn coffee. Old "Ike," Lt. Caldwell's darky had come in during the night from a forage, Lieut Hargrove with the others of the mess, was enjoying the meal when all at once, Hargrove says: "Ike, where did you get these pigeons?" "Oh! Marse Cole, don't you bodded about dat. You eat your breakfast." "Ike, you old rascal, I believe you stole these pigeons, and if I had anything else to eat, I wouldn't eat them." "Dar now, Marse Cole, it's a blessed thing, dat you'se got me and dese udder fellows to look atter dis mess, kaze if it twant for us, you'd go hungry many a time, and dats a fac." "Well," said another officer, "its a bully old breakfast any how, and we don't know when we'll get such another." From Tuka, the command with its wagons marched to Columbus, Mississippi, where it went into camp near the outskirts of the town. Here, there came down from Corinth, Aleck Dearing and John Bartee, who having been on sick furlough in Tuscaloosa, had missed the Tennessee campaign, with them were some others and also some conscripts among whom was Richard Maxwell, the youngest of the old firm of T. J. R. & R. Maxwell, who had to at last take the field, having served some time in Leach & Avery's hat factory and thus exempt for that time from conscription. This squad of returning men, had charge of boxes of clothing for most of the men in the command and provisions furnished by friends and relatives in Tuscaloosa, which they had gotton up to Corinth with it trying to reach Hood's army, wherever it might be. At Corinth some quartermaster had furnished them a wall tent with "fly" to protect the goods. When ordered to move with the goods from Corinth, down to Columbus, by train, they were ordered to return the tent and fly. But they were too experienced old soldiers for that, so they hustled boxes, tent and all to the train, and came on to Columbus, with the whole lay out. They made a present of the fly to the officers of the company, and kept the tent to protect the goods until distributed, and incidently themselves. This tent and fly were the only ones left in the company now, as nothing of the kind had been on hand for many a month.

During rains, a blanket stretched over a pole, three feet from the ground, would somewhat shelter three men. When it was not raining, shelter was unnecessary to the hard old veterans.

Once again and for the last time, Lumsden and most of his men got into whole and comfortable clothing. Our new comrade, Richard Maxwell did not hold out long. He had lately married a young wife, and nostalgia got hold of him, he lost all appetite, and was attacked with dysentery, so off he was sent to hospital in Columbus. There he did not improve, and he persuaded the surgeon in charge to order him to report to Tuscaloosa hospital. He soon found friends in Columbus to take him home. The most of Hood's army, that still had arms, were now rushed around by rail, via Meridian, Selma, Montgomery, West Point, Macon and on to North Carolina to Gen. Jos. E. Johnston, once more to try to prevent Sherman's march to the rear of Richmond. Our command having no guns was ordered to report to Gen. Dabney H. Maury, at Mobile, the old drivers now to act as cannoneers, making up sufficient to again man a four or six gun battery in a fort.

At Mobile we were placed temporarily at Battery B., above Mobile in a fort with big cast iron siege guns, commanding a portion of the march. We were soon well drilled in the handling of siege artillery of this class, and also had some practice with small Coehorn mortars, firing at targets out in the marsh. Here, the boys went in for a good time whenever they could get permits to visit down in the city. They would test the restaurants to see what sort of meals Confederate money would still bring in a big city on the sea coast. Fish and oysters were plentiful, as well as eggs and vegetables. But for coffee we had to take whatever substitute was available. Usually sweet potatoes, okra or sage. For sweetening either long sweetening (molasses) or short sweetening (a moist clammy dark brown sugar.) For cream, if wanted, a beaten egg answered, but most of us preferred the "coffee" "barefooted and baldheaded," i.e., without cream or sugar, or "straight." Some little new corn whiskey, white as water, could be had also "sub rosa." Occasionally, at a social call at some private residence, home-made wine from grapes or blackberry might be set before the caller, but real coffee or tea, or white sugar was hardly to be had, for love or money. One night in company with a mess mate we got permission to go to the city to call on friends. These friends were the family of a commission merchant, who was a friend of our parents, and included an eldest daughter who was quite a noted authoress, extremely well read and learned, and two younger daughters. We found several high officers were also callers, rigged out in their best uniforms, with their proper insigma of rank in golden stars and lacing. We were in our new gray jeans jackets and pants and linsey shirts, lately gotton from home at Columbus. But that did not make any difference at all. We were welcomed, introduced all around, entertained on an equality. In fact one of the higher officers we found to be an old college mate. The officers from Generals to Captains were of course older than we, who were each only about twenty years of age, so that naturally they fell to the older members of the family, while we were entertained by the younger daughters, who were in their "teens." With back gammon checkers and cards the evening passed pleasantly. When we boys, who had to foot it two or three miles, made our adieux, the ladies accompanied us to the door, asked us to call on them again and the authoress said, as we were about to leave the door: "I hope you gentlemen will not form an opinion about the meteorology of Mobile, by what you have seen since your arrival." My friend said: "Yes, Madam," and we both bade them all good night. As we walked up the street, my friend said: "Jim, what in the mischief was that she said? Meteor-meteor, what? "Oh" I said: "She meant she hoped we would not think they had this sort of weather here, all the time." "Oh, shucks; I could not make it out."

A few days after, Gen. Maury held a review of his army on Government Street. We were ordered in. We had in our company, several soldiers, who had neither coat nor pants. They were down to shirts and drawers, as nothing had come to them from Tuscaloosa, they being from another section. Capt. Lumsden sent for them and told them he would not insist on their going on parade, in that condition, but that if they would, he did not doubt, that it would result in getting them some clothing. They decided to go. So, when the parade was formed on Government Street, for Gen. Maury's inspection, these men showed up in the front rank, and caught the General's eye. He rode up to Lumsden and asked: "Captain, what does that mean, those men in ranks, in that condition?" "They have no clothing, Sir, but what they have on, and I have exhausted all means to obtain it, by requisition after requisition." "Can't you think of some way, Captain?" "If you will allow me to detail a man to go to Tuscaloosa, I do not doubt we can get all the clothes needed, in some way." "All right, Captain, make the detail, I will endorse it, approved." "Thank you, Sir, we will attend to it at once."

On return to camp, Capt. Lumsden had orders written for the writer to proceed to Tuscaloosa on this business and started the papers up to headquarters in regular channel.

But about March 20th, we were sent over to Spanish Fort, on the Eastern shore of Mobile river or rather Spanish river as the eastern channel is called, by steamer. We were placed in charge of an angle, at about the center of the fortified semi-circle that constituted the Fort, armed with 4 six pounder field guns. They seemed like pop guns in comparison with the 12 pounder Napoleons, that we had handled so long.

We planted our front pretty thoroughly with mines, consisting of large shells buried with caps that would explode at the touch of a foot on a trigger, and we awaited the approach of the Federal force that had been landed below.

On March 26th, he arrived before us entrenched and we had several lively artillery duels while he was so doing.

By April 4th, he had in position 38 siege guns, including six 20 lb. rifles, 16 mortars and 37 field guns, when he opened fire at 5:00 a.m., and continued until 7:00 a.m., and so continued on April 5th, 6th and 7th. On April 8th, he had 53 siege guns in position, and 37 field guns. Closer and closer, came the parallels, each morning finding the Federal trenches closer than the day before, until any exposure of any part of the body, of either Yank or Confederate, would draw several bullets, men standing with rifles at shoulder beneath the head logs and finger on trigger, ready to fire at the least motion shown on opposite entrenchment.

We were furnished, each man with a rifle, as well as our artillery, and our shoulders got sore with the continued kick of the firing. We were moved once along the line nearer the river on the northern line of the Fort.

Here, Lieut. A. C. Hargrove, received the bullet that remained somewhere in his head during the balance of his life.

That afternoon the orders detailing the writer to go to Tuscaloosa came back from headquarters, they were handed to him, and he was ordered to start at once to get the boat that would leave that night. This ended the writer's personal experience in Lumsden's battery. They evacuated with the garrison of the night of April and were transported over to Mobile, wading out into the Bay to meet the relieving boat.

This practically ended the service of the command, which was transported by rail to Meridian and was part of the last organized command surrendered by Gen. Dick Taylor with his Department on the 4th day of May, 1865.

There they went into service near Mobile, and after four years of active service in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia, they were disbanded near the scene of their first service.

LUMSDEN'S BATTERY, (LIGHT ARTILLERY) C. S. A.

Organized Nov. 4, 1861

(6) Officers

1. Charles L. Lumsden Captain. 2. George W. Vaughn Sr. First Lieut. 3. Harvey H. Cribbs Jr. First Lieut. 4. Ebenezer H. Hargrove Sr. Second Lieut. 5. Edward Tarrant Jr. Second Lieut. 6. Joseph Porter Sykes Cadet C. S. A.

(14) Non-Commissioned Officers

1. George Little Orderly Sergeant. 2. John Snow Quartermaster Sergeant. 3. John A. Caldwell Sergeant, First piece, later elected Lieut., and James R. Maxwell appointed in his place. 4. Wiley G. W. Hester Sergeant, Second Piece. 5. Sam Hairston Sergeant, Third Piece. 6. Horace Walpole Martin Sergeant, Fourth Piece. 7. Andrew Coleman Hargrove Sergeant, Fifth Piece. 8. James L. Miller Sergeant, Sixth Piece.

Corporals

1. J. Wick Brown First Corporal 2. James Cardwell Second Corporal 3. Alex T. Dearing Third Corporal 4. William Hester Fourth Corporal 5. Thomas Owen Fifth Corporal 6. Seth Shepherd Sixth Corporal

PRIVATES

1. Appling, Wm. B. 94. Kahnweiler, Lewis 2. Atkins 95. Kelly, Daniel 3. Austin, Thomas 96. Kelly, Louis 4. Bates, William 97. Kilgore 5. Bartee, John P. 98. King, Edward 6. Barker, William 99. Kuykendall 7. Barrett, Gideon 100. Lashley 8. Barrett, Frank 101. Leslie 9. Beatty, William 102. Lane 10. Baumeister, Joseph 103. Lanneau, K. Palmer 11. Blackstock, Belson 104. Little, John, Jr. 12. Booth, James 105. Little, James 13. Booth, David 106. Lloyd, George 14. Booth, Curtis 107. Maddox, John 15. Braun, William 108. Malone, William 16. Brady, Dennis 109. Maner 17. Brooks, Wade 110. Menning, John 18. Browne, Newborne H. 111. Maxwell, James R. 19. Bulger 112. Maxwell, Richard 20. Burleson 113. Matthews 21. Conner 114. Maher, Dennis 22. Cooper, William 115. Molette, John 23. Cosmer 116. Moore, Dr. 24. Cox 117. Morris, William 25. Chancellor, John S. 118. Milton 26. Chancellor, M. H. 119. Moss 27. Creel 120. Moody, Joseph 28. Crocker 121. Parish, James 29. Cummins, St. John 122. Mason, Isaac 30. Darden, Morgan, M. 123. Nix, Ambrose 31. Deason, Peter 124. Nix, John 32. Deason, Washington 125. Parker, Foster 33. Dehart 126. Pearce 34. Delano, Sirenus 127. Peoples, John 35. Donoho, Charles M. 128. Peterson, H. C. 36. Donoho, Henry 129. Pollard, J. W. 37. Drake, John 130. Pool, Erwin P. 38. Emerson, James 131. Post, Peter K. 39. Evans, E. P. 132. Potts, Thomas W. 40. Evans, John 133. Papin 41. Etheridge, Henry 134. Ray, George 42. Faucett, Thomas 135. Raley 43. Fiquet, Charles J. 136. Renfro 44. Fleming, William 137. Rosser, R. M. 45. Foster, Robert S. 138. Rosser, L. H. 46. Foster, Robert Ware 139. Rosser, H. L. 47. Franks 140. Ryland, Joseph H. 48. Franks 141. Sadler 49. Franks 142. Sample, Joseph 50. Franks 143. Sartain 51. Franks 144. Savage, John 52. Fulghem 145. Scrivner, Sr., R. 53. Gaddy, R. M. 146. Scrivner, Jr., R. 54. Garner, Abraham 147. Scrivner, James 55. Garner, John 148. Sexton, Benjamen F. 56. Garner, Thomas 149. Sexton, Horace H. 57. Goodwin, James 150. Shuttlesworth, R. F. 58. Goodwin, Wyche 151. Shultz, David 59. Goodwin 152. Shultz, Thomas J. 60. Graham 153. Searcy, James T. 61. Grayson, Preston 154. Sims, J. Marion 62. Guild, Walter 155. Staley, Charles 63. Gurley, Jacob 156. Shivers, J. Mc. 64. Hall, Joshua 157. Sutton, Jack 65. Hall, John 158. Sykes, John 66. Hall, Zach 159. Smith, George W. 67. Hamner, John 160. Tackett, William 68. Haney, John W. 161. Tarrant, John F. 69. Hargrove, Arthur 162. Tarrant, William 70. Hargrove, Daniel 163. Thompson, A. J. 71. Hargrove, Rufus 164. Thompson, M. D. 72. Hargrove, Tenetus 165. Thornton, Arthur 73. Hester, William C. 166. Thrower, J. T. 74. Hester, Thomas J. 167. Tingle 75. Higbee, V. 168. Toole, George 76. Highsaw, Nathaniel 169. Townsend 77. Hildebrand 170. Trehorn 78. Hill, Dr. 171. Vance, John 79. Hogan, James 172. Vandiver, William 80. Holcomb, Thomas 173. Walker, John 81. Horton, John 174. Walker, Robert G. 82. Howard, Daniel 175. Waite 83. Howard, Charles B. 176. Watkins 84. Hunter, Thomas 177. Watkins, John 85. Hocutt 178. Weems, John 86. Hyche, Perry 179. Wilborn, Thomas J. 87. Hyche, John 180. Wilds 88. Hughes, Anthony 181. Winborn, D. 89. Jenkins, William 182. Williams 90. Johnson, William H. 183. White 91. Jones, David 184. Winn, John 92. Jones, James T. 185. Woodruff, William 93. Jones, Lawrence 186. Wooley, B. F.

Surgeons: Marlowe, Nicholas, Perkins, McMichall and Jarratt.

SUMMARY

Officers 6 Surgeons 3 Officers, Non-commissioned 14 Privates 186 Names not recalled 16 ___ Total 225