I was born in Monroe County, Tennessee, December 10, 1842. We moved to Rome, Georgia, in the year 1850.

That's where I first saw the trains. [Rome Railroad]. I went to school until I was 14 years old. I had a half-brother, Andrew Jackson Beasley, who died when I was about nine years old. Also a half-sister whose name was Martha Ann Beasley, who died in 1863. My father lost his first wife and I was the only child my mother had. My father had a brickyard where I worked at different times. My sister Martha married a brickmaker and brick mason [name unknown] and he was very good to me and wanted me to work with him and learn the brick mason trade. But my father wanted me to be a merchant and got me a job in a dry goods and ready-to-wear clothing store. I worked there three years, getting as much as $300.00 a year, which was good wages for boys at that time, as wages for mechanics was $1.50 a day.

My father and brother-in-law bought a farm seven miles from Rome, in about 1859 or 1860 [it must have been late 1860, since the 1860 census does not indicate that the Beasley family was near the Andrews' farm (1)], and my sister and her husband went to live there. She had no children and was always very good and kind to me. This farm joined Samuel Andrews', whose wife was Elizabeth Potts Andrews, who had six children: William Jefferson, Amanda E., Martha Frances, James Potts, Lavonia, and Adaline. I got a passing acquaintance with their daughter Martha, but nothing more for some time.

In 1861 in May I went to the War. [He enlisted in Company A, the "Rome Light Guards," 8th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment, on May 18, 1861. No later record with this unit. (3) and (6)]. Went to Richmond, from there to Harper's Ferry and back to Winchester, Virginia, where I was taken down with the measles. This was Joseph E. Johnston's command, who left some 1500 sick at this place, mostly with measles. Went to Bull Run to join Beauregard and fought the First Battle of Manassas. I was quite sick - there was no accomodations for so many sick. I lay in the basement of a church on 2 benches, with no bedding but my own. There was a man whose name was Robert N. Campbell, who lived three miles out of town, who took me to his home and cared for me. When I rejoined the command on Bull Run I was told that the company I was with had not been mustered into the service of the Confederate States until after I was taken sick. I had seen all the War I cared to see, so I got the captain to state in writing that I had been sick and was not well then and had missed being mustered into the service. I took the writing and went to Joseph E. Johnston's headquarters and got released with a pass to go to Rome, Georgia, which I did as fast as steam would carry me.

I went to my sister's, after a few days visit at home. My sister at this time had got quite well acquainted with Miss Martha Andrews. There had been so many young men leave for the War that everybody who could help gather in the crops was in big demand. Father [Samuel] Andrews got me to help him a few days to gather in his corn, as both of his boys were away from home. On November 28, 1861, I and Martha Andrews [William J. Andrews' sister] were married. She was born in Chambers County, Alabama, January 14, 1841. Father Andrews had one negro man, and I agreed to work and tend the farm with the help of this negro. [The 1860 Census indicates that Samuel Andrews does have one negro (1)]. I did not think of ever going in the army again, but had to go the next spring.

I found we had a baby girl, named Nancy Medorah, 2 months old. This was the 8th of November, 1862. [John received monthly pay of $90.00, including use of his horse, signed receipt on November 13, 1862. Another signed receipt of $59.10 for pay, clothing, and use & risk of horse is dated December 22, 1862. (2)]. All that winter I remained home, until May, 1863. Had to go back to the front, which was in Tennessee. I was not there for more than six weeks when the army commenced to fall back and from the 18th to 20th of September, the Battle of Chicamauga was fought. After General Bragg's fall back across the Tennessee River, Wheeler's Cavalry was very busy, as General Bragg insisted to give fight and made a stand. The Cavalry's business was to find out which way the Federals were coming in force, which was very hard to do. We were two or three weeks backwards and forwards, not falling back any, but trying to find out where the enemy was the strongest, as their Cavalry was spread out for 30 miles or more. Finally, on Friday, the 18th of September, we encountered the enemy in force.

We had been driving the Cavalry back, as there was no infantry to support them, but on this day we lost a good many men, as their Cavalry fell back past their infantry and we got a heavy fire and lost heavily. The next day the infantry on both sides were engaged and we were on the flank, one division of us on the right flank. That night, the 19th, General Longstreet reinforced Bragg and Sunday, the 20th, the fighting was something terrible. My regiment was dismounted to go into the fight and at about 2 o'clock I was wounded. We were driving them back slowly and I was a mile from my horse. It made me sick getting shot but it was only a few minutes before they had me in an ambulance and hurried off out of danger. I was shot through the left side, breaking the 10th rib. I was sent home and did not report for duty until the next spring.

[Receipt roll for clothing, March 26, 1864 (2)]. I got wounded again at Resaca, Georgia, May 14, 1864. There was a small detachment of us dismounted and placed in trenches at a ferry on the Oostanaula River to prevent the Federals from putting in a pontoon bridge. At that point there was a ridge with timber on it about a half a mile back from the river where our reserve stayed, but between this ridge and the river it was planted in corn. We were soon engaged from the opposite side, kept up firing for two or three hours, when the enemy came up the river on the same side we were on and liked to killed us all. I was shot through the left arm and knocked down. Got up but kept running. I had 7 bullet holes in my coat when I got over this ridge.

I was sent to Griffin, Georgia, to a hospital but got a furlough for 30 days and visited Martha's uncle. I returned to the command about 90 days after receiving this wound. General Wheeler with most of his command started in a few days on the worst trip that man could have to go. We fought our way through to the rear of General Sherman's division, and destroyed railroads and bridges. We made it back into middle Tennessee, burning bridges and tearing up railroads as we went. Had to live entirely on what we could get in the country we were in. We lost many men and killed a great many, of which history says nothing. Some of us were cut off from our commands and made our way back to Atlanta, Georgia, by way of Arlington, West Virginia, and North and South Carolina. [John is present on Company muster roll, November and December, 1864 (2)]. Soon we commenced to fall back again, but at Waynesboro, Georgia, General Wheeler made a stand and we saw some fighting for a whole day, when we found we were in the rear of the Federals, instead of the front. Very little was left for us to eat from here to Savannah, where we crossed the Savannah River into South Carolina. Sherman's command occupied Savannah for 15 days when he crossed the river on his march through the Carolinas. We met General Lee's men going home and we concluded that it was time to quit.

I got home on the 10th day of May, 1865. Found all well but nothing much in the country to eat. I found we had a boy, Samuel Henry, six months old. Martha had managed to save a good milk cow, and I had the mare I rode home. Father Andrews gave us 12 bushels of corn and a side of bacon, with which we started to make a crop. We were never so happy before or since, knowing that the war could never separate us again.

I was ordained an Elder by Jessie Crosby when I was baptized and was ordained a High Priest on the 5th day of December, 1909, in Provo, Utah by Ernest D. Partridge.

This is now February 11, 1911. Ma and I have been alone all winter and are quite well today.

(Signed) John Fletcher Beasley

(1) U. S. Census Records.
(2) Military Records of John F. Beasley, from National Archives.
(3) Floyd County, Georgia Confederates, Vol. 8, by Shirley F. Kinney & James P. Kinney, Jr.
(4) Compendium of the Confederate Armies, So. Carolina and Georgia, by Stewart Sifakis.
(5) Confederate Military History, Vol. 6, ed. by Gen. Clement A. Evans.
(6) A History of Rome and Floyd County, by George M. Battey, Jr.