The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 74, July 1970 - April, 1971 Page: 547
616 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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to join my command which was camped some 1/ or 8/4 of a mile out
of town. But they would not let me go so I had a good bed to sleep
in that night, the first for about three years. During the night an old
negro woman had washed, dried, and ironed my clothes so I had a
clean suit to put on. And after a sumptuous breakfast next morning
I departed for my command which was camped about one mile from
Columbia on the pike leading to Florence, Ala., after several days
march we crossed the Tennessee river and halted near Tuscumbia, Ala.
After a few days rest we were ordered to take the railroad for Tupelo,
Miss. We had no cars only the ties to ride on and we could have
counted them, but we did not feel disposed to. After arriving at
Tupelo, Miss. our army took up camp and an order was issued for
every fifteenth man to have a leave of absence (Furlough) for sixty
or ninety days. Our regiment 17th Texas Dimta. Cav., could not afford
to let but one officer out of each Company have a furlough, so I being
a lieutenant had to take my chance with the other officers. Dice was
used to settle who would get it. The one throwing the highest number
to go home. I had the last throw and fortunately won. This was in
February, 1865.
As soon as I could write out my application and send it to Hood's
quarters for approval and its return to me, I, with some ten or fifteen
privates started for Texas by way of Jackson, Mississippi. We got to
ride in a box car 15 or o2 miles, then afoot again. We struck out for
the Mississippi river, arriving at Bruinsburg, a small landing, late in
the evening, struck camp and waited until next morning before we
could get a boat to put us across. The river was guarded by gun boats
at nearly all points so we had to be very cautious about crossing. Next
morning our boatmen launched their boats a little before daylight
and off we started. There being a heavy fog, we landed safely on the
Western bank, but about the time we landed a gun boat hove in sight
of us and opened fire at us. We made for the opposite side of the
levee and then for the swamps, the gun boat kept on firing in our di-
rection for a half hour or longer, but we were out of range long before
they ceased firing. Our first night was spent at a large plantation owned
by a doctor, I have forgotten his name, but we faired [sic] sumptuous-
ly. After a tedious march of several days we arrived at Alexandria,
La., on [the] Red River. After spending one night there our party of
old ribs [sic] separated, some of us living in Southern Texas and some
in Middle; some in Northeast Texas. I boarded a steamer boat for
Shreveport, La., my fare being an even one hundred dollars. Arriving547
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 74, July 1970 - April, 1971, periodical, 1971; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101200/m1/559/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.