742 NortH CaroLtina Troops, 1861-’65.

Kingston, Polk’s Corps going by the old Cassville road. At
the latter point the General held a council of war and decided
to make a stand. We were engaged on the 19th, 20th and
21st, but the second or third day the Yankees succeeded in
getting the range of our lines and shelled us out of the
ditches, which caused another movement, and the Southern
Army fell back to Cartersville. Major Eagle, of an Ar-
kansas regiment, and I, were put in command of a sham
working party. We had about a hundred men, and kept up
a constant pounding all night. About daybreak, as the bands
were playing “Yankee Doodle and “The Bonnie Blue Flag,”
we skeedaddled. I did not know how we could get to Car-
tersville being exhausted with fighting all day and pound-
ing on the breastworks all night, pretending to the “Yanks”
that we were getting ready to give them a warm reception.
After proceeding about a mile we found a regiment of cavalry
and a battery of artillery to act as our rear guard. Several
times the cavalry formed in line, and a piece of artillery
would unlimber and fire a few shells which would check the
Federals, and our poor, worn-out squad would stagger along.
We finally reached Cartersville, crossing the Etowah river,
on a pontoon bridge, and halted in a pine grove near Horse
Shoe Bend, where we breakfasted on hard-tack and bacon and
were told to rest for five minutes. A guard of soldiers
formed around us, and the five minutes were extended to
two hours. We were then marched up the river a few miles
to Cooper’s Iron Works, where we found our brigade.

From Cooper’s Iron Works we were ordered to Aeworth
and were at Powder Springs, on 23 May, 1864. While.on the
march, we were transferred from Reynolds’ Arkansas Brig-
ade to Eetor’s Texas Brigade. We were going on the double
quick to assist General Pat Cleburn in a fight near Dallas,
but on the night of the 23d were halted at New Hope Church,
and next day began fortifying. On 25 May the celebrated
battle of New Hope Church was fought, which continued day
and night until the 28th or 30th. On a dark, rainy night we
began leaving. Nearly half of the men lost one or both shoes
in the mud, which was ten inches deep. In passing over a
slough on a pole bridge I stepped off in the darkness and fell

Tuirty-NiIntH REGIMENT. 743

into a pool of mud and water. I was not hurt by the fall,
but had to carry away a load of Georgia mud with me. How-
ever, as we had been in the ditches several days in mud and
water up to our knees, I considered that a small matter.
Our next halt was at Lost Mountain, where every man was
allowed a jigger of whiskey; but as it was made from
sorghum seed it acted as a fine emetic, and oh! how sick we
were. It was a pathetic sight to see at least five hundred
men vomiting at the same time, and none able to assist his
comrades. After getting rid of the stuff we soon felt well
again.

About 4 June the enemy appeared, and for several days
there was heavy skirmishing. We moved out between Pine
Mountain and Kennesaw, and it was there, on 14 and 15
June, while establishing the lines, that our beloved corps
commander, General Polk, was struck in the breast with a
cannon ball and killed. The entire corps was greatly dis-
tressed, as he was universally loved by his men. On the same
day he was killed, I was disabled and taken to Marietta. I
never did any more field duty, but spent several months in
the hospitals of Atlanta, Macon, Augusta and Columbia, and
was finally placed on the “Light Duty Roll” and assigned to
duty under Dr. Joel Hall as clerk in the general hospital at
Salisbury, N. C., where I remained until Johnston surren-
dered, and I was paroled at Salisbury.

A few days after the surrender, I met my brother-in-law,
Rev. David White, Chaplain of the One hundred and Seventh
Illinois Regiment, and also two nephews, Captain D. Lowry
and Sergeant Robert Vance, of the same regiment. I was
invited to visit them in their camp. Chaplain White was
to preach the farewell address to his brigade the next day.
He requested his Colonel (Colonel Holland) to grant him the
special favor of sitting in the pulpit with him during the
services, and to allow his rebel brother to occupy the seat with
him. The Colonel granted his request and at the tap of the
drum we all three marched to the stand together and took our
seats. It was the first mingling of the Blue and the Gray I
witnessed after the surrender, and I seemed to be the ob-
served of all observers.