...At the beginning of the war excitement, several military companies were raised, among which were the Georgia volunteers, commanded by Captain James Boyd, which Company I joined. The meeting place and drill hall was over the store of Jones and McClendon (Nick McClendon), which was at the beginning of Walton Street on Peachtree. I continued in that Company about a year, and then joined the Atlanta Grays, commanded by Captain T. L. Cooper, a prominent lawyer of Atlanta, and a son of Honorable mark A. Cooper, the owner of the iron works at Tilton, Georgia. This Company became a part of the 8th Georgia Regiment. Colonel Francis S. Bartow of Savannah, former Captain of the Oglethorpe Light Infantry of Savannah, selected the companies which formed this regiment as follows: one from Atlanta, the Atlanta Grays; one from Savannah, one from Greene County, one from Oglethorpe County; one from Macon, Georgia; one from Pulaski County; and one from --.

Governor Brown refused to let these companies have arms, whereupon they went by companies to Richmond, Virginia, and formed as regiment. After organizing we went to Piedmont and to Winchester into the Valley of Virginia, then to Harper's Ferry, to meet "Old Patterson." (The Armory of the Atlanta Grays, and the place from which they started to the war, was in that building belonging to Mrs. Dougherty, on the site of the old National Hotel.) We were a part of Joe Johnson's army.

FIRST MANASSAS -

We were ordered to reinforce Beauregard at Manassas, and marched all night in order to get there. We waded the Shenandoah River by moonlight, and the scene, which was very beautiful, I recall distinctly. There was a good deal of amusement caused by boys slipping on the rocks where the river was shoally. We had our luggage tied on the ends of our fixed bayonets, and when we slipped and fell into the water everything got wet. We struggled across, however, and went to Piedmont, where we took cars for Manassas and, arriving there, we marched out a few miles and bivouacked. We were put on picket and stayed there all night. Next morning just at sunrise we heard a signal cannon fire, and it struck through us that we were going to have a battle that day. Anderson Orr, George Lewis, and some others, members of the Atlanta Grays, were on picket next to me. We were then ordered off picket duty at a double quick to a bivouac, where we were each handed a sandwich and a cup of coffee, which we ate and drank on the march. We were marched at a double quick for eight miles, without having a chance to even get water, not being able to find any, if we had had the time. We had a little water in our canteens, and when that gave out we found a place where the hogs had burrowed and which had been filled up with the rain. It was very muddy, but we were not overly particular, and by straining the water through our teeth, we separated it partly from the mud, and slaked our thirst in this way.

We pushed on toward the Henry House, which stood out in the field. Colonel Bartow, who had formerly been our Colonel of the 8th Georgia, had been back to Manassas to see about the balance of the Brigade, of which he was in command, and rushed up just at this time. He asked what Regiment it was. Being nearsighted, he did not recognize us.

He says, "Boys, what Regiment is this?"

We told him the "8th Georgia."

He answered, "My God, boys, I am mighty glad to see you."

Of course, we were glad to see him, and cheered him long and vigorously, for we all loved him like a father. He ordered us to lie down in the corn row, which ran diagonally down from the enemy. We lay down none too soon. There the first shell which we had heard went over us. When we arose we marched down a ravine, like that which runs east of my house, to get on Beauregard's flank. We went through a pine thicket, and executed a movement which held the enemy in check, but they came 'round us like a horse shoe. We were in close quarters and had very little protection. We had to lie down on our backs, load, then turn over and shoot. During this firing I received a wound in the forehead. They were shooting what was known as "buck and ball," three buck shot and a minnie ball, with smoothbore guns. Just as I was shot I was taking aim at a fellow on a haystack, who I supposed was an officer. A spent ball struck me, and I fell over unconscious. When I came to myself, there were three Yankee Doctors examining me and probing my wound. They asked me a number of questions, where I was from, and so on. I told them.

They said: "We have got your Colonel down here at the Spring," and they carried me down there.

From there, they let us move up to the Lewis House. George Gramling, a brother of William Gramling of Atlanta, and George Hammond, a brother of the late Hon. N. J. Hammond, assisted me and washed the blood from my face. They had been taken prisoners. Thod Hammond had one thumb shot off in the battle, and Dr. Humphreys was also wounded. Jimmie George, who came from DeKalb County, was fatally wounded, and was turned over to Captain Seab Love, who moved him to Manassas, but he died on the way. He is mentioned frequently in a book of reminiscences, written by Miss Missouri Stokes, on the war times. Tom Cooper was our Captain at that time, Tom Lewis First Lieutenant, Seab Love Second Lieutenant, and Dr. Bartow Smith, son-in-law of Judge William Ezzard, Third Lieutenant.

While we were at the Lewis House the battle raged fearfully, but soon the Yankees commenced falling back. I was sitting, at the time, with my back to our men, and Colonel James [William] Gardner, from Augusta, Georgia, was lying with his head in my lap. He also had been wounded and captured. As the Yankees received instructions to shoot us, if necessary, rather than allow us to be re-captured. It happened, however, that they were Vermont minute men, and their time was out that day. They had been promised that when their time out they would have nothing to do but go to Richmond and be paid off. Consequently, they were not in the best of humor, and that was circumstance in our favor. Colonel Gardner had been in the old army before the war, and had left it to go into the Confederate Army. When he was told what their orders were, he said to them:

"Just show me a field officer, and I will protect this place as a hospital and have my men exchanged as soon as possible. Just take the names of your men and my men."

Some Major Doctor, whose name I do not recall, happened to come along at that time. Colonel Gardner knew him when he was in the United States Army, and had been treated by him when he was first wounded and captured in this fight. Not expecting to get back to his own lines again, Colonel Gardner had given his watch to this officer, with the request that it be sent to his wife. The surgeon had gone to attend to other duties, and when he came up this time was in a great hurry, being on another mission. Colonel Gardner explained the situation to him, and the Major replied:

"All right, Colonel, anything you do will be all right," and galloped on.

The Colonel called one of our men, who I think was Hammy Branch, and directed him to hoist a white flag on the log kitchen. The man could find nothing white to use for a flag except the shirt he wore, but he did not hesitate, and fastening this upon a ram-rod, climbed to the top of the kitchen. Not seeing the flag at first, our men fired upon him, and a shell came uncomfortably close, so near that the "blow" of it, or the current of air following the shell, knocked him down. He bravely put it up again, and this time it was recognized. Very soon a detachment of our cavalry rode up, and we were re-taken.

A little negro boy about fifteen or sixteen years old, who had been connected with the Vermont men, and was dressed in one of their uniforms, was frightened almost to death by our cavalrymen, who had given mock orders to shoot him. He believed they were in earnest, and was scared almost to death. They were enjoying the joke very much, but the fun was stopped by Colonel Gardner, who said, sternly,

"Go to your duty, men. I am in command of this place and am protecting it as a hospital. Our men will soon be exchanged."

They obeyed him promptly and went on, going back into the fight.

The battle raged fiercely. Our reinforcements met the Yankees at the Henry House. Our Brigade, composed of the 7th, 9th, and 11th Georgia Regiments and the Kentucky Battalion, had engaged the enemy at this place, under the command of General Bartow, our former Colonel. Just at that time the 7th was wavering slightly, and he rode up and grabbed their flag. Just at that moment he received a wound and, realizing that it was fatal, he cried out:

"My God, boys, they have got me, but never give up the field."

I was a prisoner at that time and, of course, did not see the incident, but his dying words had their effect upon his men, and they rushed on with renewed courage to victory.

After Colonel Bartow's death, the good people of Savannah sent us a stone, on which were engraved Colonel Bartow's dying words:

"My God, boys, they have got me, but never give up the field."

This was erected by our Brigade on the spot where he fell from his horse. When we reached this place in the Second Battle of Manassas, not a chip of that stone was left, for the people of Washington, riding out to search for relics of the battle, had chipped it up and carried it off.

An ambulance came for Colonel Gardner. He was a noted officer and citizen. I think a General sent for him, but I don't know that. I was left at the Lewis House until next morning. The slightly wounded who had been taken prisoners were rushed on into the Yankee lines. Among these were the Hammonds' and Dr. Humphreys above mentioned. They were not disabled from walking. Jim Adair, of Atlanta, was wounded, but managed to go on to Richmond, and there reported that I was among the killed. He had seen me lying on the field and supposed I was dead. This report was published in the Southern Confederacy, of which Colonel George Adair was the editor, and I was informed by him a few years before his death that this copy of his paper was still on file in the Young Men's Library and that it contained a full account of the First Battle of Manassas. Before leaving for the war I was a member of the Hook and Ladder Fire Company, and when the report reached Atlanta that I was killed the truck house was dressed in mourning. I was also a member of the First Methodist Church, and that was dressed in mourning in my memory. Mr. Chandler, with whom I boarded before leaving Atlanta for the War, telegraphed for my remains. Dr. Jon Alexander was our Regimental Surgeon, and he telegraphed back that I said I was not ready to send my remains home yet, that I was then sitting in a tent singing "Dixie."

Anderson Orr, of our Company, was killed while coming out of a pine thicket, in the first part of the battle, on the way to the Henry House. He was a very fine man, formerly a School Teacher, and a brother of the late G. J. Orr, State School Commissioner, of Georgia. He was a religious man, and frequently conducted meetings in the Company. Bob Hamilton, another one of our men, was also killed in this battle.

The enemy, in retreating, could not carry me, so that I was left. I did not go to the hospital, and in a short time recovered, so that I was ready for duty.

SECOND MANASSAS -

I took part in the Second Battle of Manassas, in which Captain Tom Hulsey, who had succeeded to the command of the Company, was killed. His wife was a niece of the late Honorable Luther J. Glenn, of Atlanta. The line of which we formed a part was in the act of charging a Yankee battery that had just appeared. They wore broad black hats and new uniforms. A house was in front of us, and our Company broke ranks and came around in front of the house. I had been Lance Corporal for the Company, but, our Sergeants being short, Captain Hulsey had made me a file closer, and I was behind the Company acting as Sergeant and keeping up the line. Henry Forsyth was the next tallest man in the Company to me, and he was made Lance Corporal in my stead. Captain Hulsey was in the act of addressing the Company on Forsyth, when a shell was fired from this battery in front. It ricocheted and struck Henry Forsyth's right leg and Captain Hulsey's left leg and cut them both off. The latter died from the wound. First Lieutenant C. H. Lewis, assumed command, and, there being no other Lieutenant, I was next in rank as First Sergeant, and assisted him in the command of the company. We went on, charged this battery and captured it.

I recall distinctly an incident which happened at this time. Private Frank Ellison's hat had "gone to seed," as the saying is, and as we charged through this battery one of its members was lying on the ground and wearing one of their new black hats. Ellison reached down and took hold of the Yankee's hat. The Yankee said,

"I am not dead yet, my friend."

Not wishing to leave the Yankee hatless, Ellison exchanged hats with him almost in an instant, and went on his way wearing the Yankee's hat. Frank, I think, was afterwards killed.

That year, while on picket duty, as faced the pickets of the enemy, and between our lines a fellow was calling for help. Some of our men went up to investigate and he fired on them. I never heard anything more of him. It is possible he was lost. Our men were unhurt.

SHARPSBURG -

The next time I was wounded was at Sharpsburg, Md., after having been in a number of battles of greater or less importance. This time I was shot in the left hand. We had stood on picket all night, Captain Lewis and a small Company of us, to keep the enemy from crossing the river at the Bridge. In the morning, being thirsty, we hunted for a spring, and, having drunk, I replaced my gun on my shoulder and dropped my left hand. Some of the enemy had slipped over and fired into us from a nearby orchard. I did not leave the command, but stayed with them until I got well, and did the best I could. I got back into Virginia. This wound was in the left wrist near the hand.

GETTYSBURG -

The next time I was wounded was when we went through Pennsylvania to Gettysburg. There I was shot in the hip, at a time when the enemy was firing ninety cannons to the minute. The roaring of the cannons was terrible. Seth Strong, brother of the late Cicero H. Strong, was the next tallest man to me in the Company and standing next to me, I being Orderly Sergeant. We were lying down, at the time, firing. He had his head behind a rock, which was struck by a shell, and he was killed instantly. He was one of the Color Guard, all right next to me. Our Company was the Color Company. And two or three others of the Color Guard, all right next to me, were killed by the same shell. It also wounded me. About half a dozen in all were wounded. Strong lay perfectly still. Captain Lewis turned him over afterwards and said there was not a mark nor a scratch upon him, that the concussion of the shell striking the rock had killed him.

I was opposed to going into the hospital until night. They were going to leave the badly wounded, and send the slightly wounded back in the retreat. I determined to make every effort to keep from going into the hospital, feeling that it was almost certain death to go. I managed to get some friends of mine who were in the Fulton Dragoons nearby us. Tom Williams, now a businessman of Atlanta on Broad Street, was Quartermaster of the Fulton Dragoons, and was in charge of the wagon train. Old Dr. Pettus, afterwards connected with Jones' Livery Stable, was there also as the Veterinary Surgeon. I asked Tom Williams if he had an old horse I could ride. He replied, "No," but that he had an old mule which, if I could ride I was welcome to.

I said "All right, I will ride anything to get away," and I rode that mule all night in a drizzling rain to Williamsport. Dr. Pettus rode along with me and gave me water and helped me in other ways. That rain seemed to be a blessing to me, as it cooled my fever and gave me strength. When we got to Williamsport next morning, Captain Williams sent down to the ferry to know if the wounded could get across. They would not allow any person to cross except the wounded, and did not allow any one to go back. The Potomac River was up, but they sent a man with me, and when we got across I had to sit down until I got help, being very weak and faint.

ATLANTA -

I was not in any kind of service after that time, but was held in the Quartermaster's department and served the balance of the time in that department as Sergeant under General Cobb. I was at Andersonville part of the time, and often crossed over the South Carolina line with Yankee prisoners, carrying them out of the way of the Yankee Army. I was in Atlanta before the fall of this City. General Gartrell was in command of the Brigade that was guarding prisoners and I was his Brigade Quartermaster Sergeant. I heard the cannons fire at the river, as the Union army approached, and General Gartrell ordered me to go to his house and move his special office furniture down to Covington with the headquarters wagons.

POSTWAR -

Since the war I have resided in Atlanta and been in business most of the time. I was here at the time of the Carpet Bagger's rule and saw a great many occurrences that now seem almost impossible to have taken place. From scattering piles of ashes, I saw the City rebuilt to its former size and then expand and keep expanding until it reached its present size and has become one of the great cities of the world.