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216 Norra Carotina Troops, 1861-65.

very few of their officers or men while we were there. Major-
General Gibbon came to our camp to see his brother, Dr. Gib-
bon, one of our surgeons. He enquired what troops it was de-
fended Fort Gregg on Sunday before, and said he had never
secn such a gallant defence by so small a party.

General Sheridan also rode through our camp, but did not
speak to any one so far as I heard. While we were stacking
our arms in the street I saw a young lady standing on a ve-
randa in front of us crying. I wanted to go to her, take her
in my arms and kiss her, but could not break ranks just then
—too many Yankees between us.

INCIDENTS ON THE TRIP HOME.

Gathering up the company we marched about five miles
that evening and then stopped in.a piece of woods for the
night, without anything to eat or any prospect for break-
fast. It rained hard during the night and we had to take
it, there being no chance for shelter. Next morning was
fair and bright when we got up. I called up all the mem-
bers of Company G and gave each one his parole, telling them
I thought they had better get away from that crowd as soon
as possible, as I had fears that they would suffer for food if
they kept with it, that I expected to take the first road I saw
leading to the right. There were paroled with me F. D.
Wood, R. 8. Callahan, C. C. Hawkins, Joseph Jay and John
P. Eaves, of the original company; Jo and Josh Steadman,
J. A. Justice and W. H. Jay, recruits from Rutherford
County; J. C. Camp, of Polk, and Isham S. Upchurch,
Joseph and Elisha Cole of Chatham, and Daniel Boon Dallas
of Robeson County. We soon came to a road that seemed
to lead into a mountain on the right. I told the men that i
was going to take that road, they could go with me or on the
main road as they chose. Bidding the Chatham men goodbye
T turned to the right and found that all the Rutherford men
followed me but three. We soon began to pass farm houses
and made application for something to eat, but received the
same answer from all: ‘Nothing for ourselves; both armies
have been in the country for a week and have taken every-
thing we had.” Finally about 12 o’clock, when I was almost

SIXTEENTH REGIMENT. DIT

ready to give up, we came to a large house, and on entering
the yard we found no white person at home except a young
lady, and on making our wants known we received the same
answer. I then asked her if she would allow us to rest a
short while on the grass near a beautiful spring in the yard.
Looking through the hall I saw a large map hanging on the
wall and asked permission to look at it a moment, and while
examining it she stood near while I pointed out the route we
wanted to travel. She then said she had some cow peas that
she would give us if we could use them, and I told her any-
thing that would sustain life and give us strength to travel
until we could reach a part of the country that had not been
overrun by soldiers, would be thankfully received. She then
went up stairs and brought down a half gallon, which I gave
to one of the men to cook. One of the party had a little salt,
the only seasoning we had, and I don’t think I ever enjoyed a
dish of peas more in my life, and again thanking the young
lady for her kindness, we started on the tramp feeling much
refreshed.

After leaving the kind young lady who gave us the peas,
we passed a number of fine merchant mills on the way, but
could get nothing from any of them, all claiming that their
grain and flour had been pressed for the army. Every one
we approached said “if you go to Henry Alexander’s you can
get something.” Finding that he lived on the road we were
traveling, we made for his house, and as we walked up into
the yard an old gentleman came out and said: “Well,
how many of you is there along,” and being told there was
fourteen in all, he gave us a shoulder of meat and near a half
bushel of meal, and one of his daughters went in and came
back with a lap full of eggs, another with some Irish potatoes
and other eatables, all most acceptable to a lot of hungry men.

‘It being still sometime until night, we took the good things

given us with many thanks and moved on several miles, stop-
ping at a house just before night and getting our provisions
cooked we ate a hearty supper and then went to a school house,
built a fire and went to bed on the floor. The next morn-
ing after travelling a few miles we stopped on the road and
ate the remains of Alexander’s rations, and then agreed to