Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray, 1861-1865 Page: 15
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Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray, 1861-1865. 15
had been left in charge of the camp equipage, which consisted of horses,
mules, wagons, corn, etc. After a hard march my regiment got there in time
to surrender to Grant. We were notified of the surrender by some Texas
scouts, and told to make our way to Little Rock, as the Federals had sent
out troops on the Duvall's Bluff road, and to hurry up or we would be
cut off and captured. Well, we got away, though we came near starving
and freezing. Then as our Captain was at home having a good time, we
thought we would go and see how he was faring, and then go back to my
old regiment, the Ninth Arkansas. In a short while we received orders
for Vicksburg and started on a forced march. When we got there Grant
had landed a force at Port Gibson. They had gone out to Jackson, burned
the town, and destroyed a number of public buildings, stores, hotels, factories,
etc. We fell in the rear of Grant at Baker's Creek, and went out to
meet him on his return from Jackson. We were soon surprised to hear
firing in our rear, and soon the battle was on. We were on the extreme
right of Pemberton's army. The Federals pressed the left of Pemberton's
army on the Vicksburg and Jackson Railroad, and finally forced them
across Baker's Creek and took possession of the bridge, cutting Loring off
from the bridge and the main army, and then began closing in on us.
When night came on the Federals were on three sides of us pegging away
at us, but darkness gave us a chance to get away. We turned south, and
crossed Grant's path out to Jackson. We traveled all night and all day,
but stopped to cook some corn meal. Our clothing had all been burned by
the Federals at Big Black Bridge. but we reached Jackson and rested,
were reinforced, got clothing and blankets, stripped, washed our clothes
and lay in the sun till they had dried. Pemberton's army was besieged
in Vicksburg: Grant's army was all around and the gunboats were shelling
the town. We wanted to help the besieged boys in town, but no, the Yankees
would not let us have water out of the river-they kept it picketedso
we staid around on the outside until the surrender on July 4, 1863, and
then the Federals turned on us. We hurried to Jackson, and it was so hot
that men fell by the way. The Federals got there by the time we did,
they going on the north side and we on the west, and fighting commenced.
We struck a double quick, reinforced those fighting, and the Federals gave
way. We lay flat on the ground the rest of the day. Our only disturbance
was the Federal sharpshooters. One Yank got up in an apple tree where
he could see us. but our sharpshooters fired a volley into the top of that
tree and out fell the apple! We had some rest till night, fell back, built
some breastworks and staid there until we ate up sixty acres of roasting
ears. From here we went towards Meridian, staid at a big spring for
some time, and then went to Canton, where we built winter Quarters and
remained until towards spring, when we started on a march for the East.
We stopped on Tombigbee River and rested, thence to Montgomery Iron
Works, and from there to Rome, Ga., all the way afoot. At Rome we took
a train which took us around to Resaca, Ga.. where we met the Tennessee
Army in front of Sherman, who was pushing old Joseph E. Johnston's
boys back towards Atlanta, Ga. We fell into line and were soon in a hot
engagement, in which we lost our Major. At night we fell back and built
breastworks, and so it continued. line after line till we reached Atlanta,
with some fighting all the time. My brigade rot into a fight with a corps
of Federals at Peach Tree Creek on July 19. 1864. We were driven from
the picket line and reinforced by the Fifteenth Mississinpi. formed a line
and advanced through some woods. We were ordered to charge, and we
fought hand to hand over a rail fence. We wanted the fence and they
wanted it, but we got the fence and forty of the blue boys and their guns.
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Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray, 1861-1865 (Book)
Sketches of several hundred Confederate veterans, residing in Texas after the Civil War, giving particulars of their war service.
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Yeary, Mamie, 1876-. Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray, 1861-1865, book, 1912; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29786/m1/22/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.