USA > Maine > The sword of honor; a story of the civil war > Part 4
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We had a duty to perform then, and there is work and duty to be done now, and in the future. It is the work and duty of upholding and of making strong and efficient the Government under which we live. We know through dearly-bought experience that the armies we faced in the field were made up of brave and valiant soldiers; they were indeed "foemen worthy of our steel."
But, thanks be to God, the war clouds have dispersed, the reverberation of the cannon, and the echoes of the guns have long since died away, and the grass is growing over the battle fields of the South. Let us remember to be generous to a fallen foe; let us not forget that we are once again a united brotherhood, with one country and one flag for the protection of us all.
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CHAPTER VIII.
At the Reunion, June 4, the following resolution was passed :
Third Maine Veteran Association, Bath,
June 4, 1875.
Dear Sir :- At the first re-union of the former members of the Third Maine regiment, holden this day at Augusta, Maine, it was voted that the secre- tary officially notify you of the proceedings. In ac- cordance with that vote it gives me great pleasure to inform you of the unanimous passage of the following "resolve" after which three hearty cheers were given for Captain John C. B. Smith, of the Twelfth South Carolina regiment, Company K.
RESOLVED, That we have a lively appreciation of the soldierly and chivalric conduct of Captain J. C. B. Smith, of Company K, Twelfth South Carolina regiment, in returning to a member of our organiza- tion his sword, taken from him under circumstances reflecting nothing but honor on both parties.
C. H. GREENLEAF, Secretary. To Captain John C. B. Smith, of Company K., South Carolina regiment.
FRATERNAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Columbia, S. C., June 5, 1875.
The public is already informed of the circumstances under which our townsman, Captain J. C. B. Smith, returned a sword captured during the war from an
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officer of the Third Maine regiment. The following letters have been received by him acknowledging his graceful act :
THE LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.
Bath, Maine, June 7, 1875.
Dear Sir :-
Enclosed you will please find an official copy of the "resolve" passed at the Third Maine reunion. I should be remiss in my duty as a citizen if I did not inform you of the kindly feeling and warmth of sen- timent expressed by all towards you for the signifi- cant act of returning the sword to Lieutenant John- son. He resides at present in Lynn, Mass., and was present at the reunion. It came at a very opportune moment, and furnished a striking part of the pro- ceedings, calling forth kind sentiments for yourself and for our Southern brothers.
That act of yours bas completely wiped out any unfriendly feeling toward the South which might have been left in the bosoms of the soldiers of this state. But the fact is, there was no such feeling left towards the South among the soldiers. It was among us as I suppose it was among you-the "Stay at homes" were longest to get up a brotherly feeling.
At our next reunion, August 4, 1876, at Bath, .Maine, you will undoubtedly be invited, and if you can come, you will meet with a hearty welcome.
Enclosed you will find a copy of the addresses made on the occasion of the presentation.
Please acknowledge receipt of these letters, and oblige,
C. H. GREENLEAF.
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A STORY OF THE CIVIL WAR
Then follows Captain Smith's letter of June 16. Columbia, S. C., June 16, 1875.
H. A. Johnson, Esq., Lynn, Mass.
My dear Sir :-
I am in receipt of your highly appreciated letter of May 30, and am gratified to know you have been made the happy recipient of your sword at the hands of your old comrades of the Third Maine.
That it passed out of your possession was no fault of yours. It was one of the fickle chances of war. I am greatly pleased to know that the return of your sword was so opportune as to furnish an occasion for calling forth for the second time from the comrades who stood side by side with you in the war, an ex- pression of their loyalty and their admiration for your qualities as a man and a soldier.
I cordially concur in the sentiment so happily ex- pressed by you that we must all, as Brothers of the North and South, look upon the war as an event of the past; we must forgive and forget and cement the once broken links with restored confidence and give to all, all the rights guaranteed under the Constitution framed by our forefathers.
On May 5, 1864, more than eleven years ago, we met on the memorable day, the beginning of the Battle of the Wilderness, as opponents in war, when its fortunes threw you into my hands, and. I still fancy that I have some idea of your appearance; and hope that some day it will be my great pleasure to. meet and know you better. In the meantime, I will send you a Paste Board likeness of your humble. servant, and hope to receive yours in return.
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By the way, who was the officer captured with you and is he still living? I have often thought of the occasion and of you both, and it occurs to me he was a Staff officer. His sword I. gave to an officer in the same regiment with myself, whom I seldom see, and don't know whether he saved it or not.
In conclusion, we must congratulate ourselves that we were both spared and hope that we may meet more times as friends, than we met as opponents during the late war.
I am, very truly yours, J. C. B. SMITH.
In June 1890, I received the following communica- tion from Captain Smith.
Columbia, S. C., June 8, 1890. Dear Friend Johnson :-
Let me assure you that I appreciate your letter, and was glad to hear from you, after fifteen years of long silence; in fact a letter from an absent relative of fifteen years, could not have afforded me more pleasure. It carried me back twenty-seven years to days that tried mens souls, yet the occasion of our first meeting, as opponents of war, on the field of battle, is as fresh to my mind as if yesterday.
On the day of your capture, the brigade to which . my regiment was attached, occupied a position hold- ing the left wing of that section of the confederate army. Cook's brigade was engaged on the plank road, and being hard pressed, my brigade was ordered at a double quick, for a quarter of a mile or more, to the scene of action where the fighting was going on around Cook's ordnance wagons.
LIEUT. JOHNSON AND SHADE THOMAS
Sharp-shooter of Twelfth South Carolina Infantry. The latter attempted to shoot Lient. Johnson at time of capture. Photo taken forty-two years later.
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My regiment went into action by the flank, pro- ceeding into line by company column when fire was opened upon us by infantry and a section of artillery consisting of two pieces at short range. The colonel of my regiment fell, mortally wounded, and the Lieutenant Colonel severely. Once in line, the regi- ment known as the "bloody twelfth,"-not from thirst for blood or cruelty, but for its well known fighting qualities, with the confederate yell swept everything before it but the dead and wounded, capturing the two pieces of artillery, before a second shot could be fired upon it. Going a considerable distance beyond the line, and finding no obstacles, and there being heavy firing on the right of the regiment, the left wing was swung around and moved on the rear of your line, and I am of the opinion that but for a ravine, difficult to cross, they would have captured many more of your men.
It was here that I, a little insignificant Captain, with no badge of rank save three small bars on the collar of my gray jacket, with three good and well- tried soldiers, came in contact with you and a fellow officer, in rank a major, if my memory serves me. Well do I remember your complete astonishment when I ordered you to surrender. You hesitated and calling to your fellow officer you exclaimed,
"What shall we do?" I answered "Surrender by all means." My command, all crack shots, was not twenty paces away, and had their guns leveled on you. I ordered them not to shoot for I had too much respect for a brave soldier, even though an opponent in war, to let him be shot under such circumstances.
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I took the beautiful sword presented by your com- pany as a token of respect and honor.
From your fellow captive, I took a pistol and a sword. The latter I gave to a Captain Bell, who, at the close of the war, left South Carolina and went west. The pistol I carried home, but had it stolen from me.
I will mention a few circumstances, that will ever keep the fifth of May, 1864, in my memory. After your capture, the regiment fell back, and took a position near the line first occupied by the Federal troops, as the dead and wounded well marked the spot. It must have then been about six p. m. I could have told the time by taking the watch from the pocket of a dead officer lying near by, but no soldier was allowed to plunder the dead. I never did such a thing during the whole war, though at times I was hatless.
A short time after taking this position, I was much moved by the action of a Federal soldier, who quietly came up, raised to bis shoulder a wounded brother, and proceeded to carry him from the field. When ordered to come in and surrender, he paid no atten- tion, and it was not until I sent out one of my men who spoke the German language to inform him that under the rules of war he must surrender, that he gave up and came quietly in.
I could full well appreciate his feelings, for I had two brothers in the army, and know how anxious I was to hear of them, after an engagement.
I was glad to know that you enjoyed your trip to Baltimore, and just here I will say that had it been left to the old soldiers of our late unfortunate war,
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all party and sectional differences would have been buried sooner, and the peace and good will which reigns today, would have existed years ago.
Just after the war, men living here, and others who came from the north and west, imposed upon the ignorance of the negro as a mass and incited him against his best interest, to do deeds that tended to estrange the feeling that should have existed between him and his former owner. Such men did not re- ceive a friendly tolerance, or gain the favor and good will of the intelligent white residents.
We people of the South are glad to have the good people of the North come among us and live, and you would be surprised to know the number of Northern- ers who visit our city every year.
Quite a number have bought, remodeled, and built new winter homes in the city, and are received by the people with a cordial welcome. Quite a number of U. S. soldiers, remained with us after the war, and have married and are successful business men. Our chief of Police is Captain Higby, from the state of Massachusetts, a member of the Eighteenth U. S. In- fantry. He has proved himself a deserving and honorable man. He was elected over two or more opponents, who were old confederate soldiers.
Just here I will mention a Mr. William Greenough of Westfield, Mass., who came to this place for his health and I have been told when he first arrived, doubted his safety on the streets. Later he was so well pleased, with the people and place, that he de- cided to take up the study of law here and entered the State University, of this place. I hope he will return to his old home with changed ideas of the
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Southern people, and with fond recollections of the days he spent among us.
Very truly yours, J. C. B. SMITH.
CHAPTER IX.
In March, 1896, I saw in a Charleston, S. C., paper a very complimentary article on the conduct of Captain Smith of the Twelfth South Carolina Infantry during his life as a soldier of the Southern Con- federacy, which I read with very much interest. It .. runs as follows :
AS GOOD AS THE VICTORIA CROSS .. The Gallantry of Captain J. C. B. Smith at Peters- burg excites the admiration of General Rob- ert E. Lee .- General Sam McGowan's letter to his old comrade.
Columbia, March 7.
Special: There are some Confederate soldiers who do not like to exploit their acts of courage and fidelity during the late war. Such is the case with Captain J. C. B. Smith. It was only by the request of the Camp of Confederate Veterans that the following correspondence has been given to The Sunday News:
July 6, 1895.
General Samuel McGowan, Abbeville, S. C. My Dear General:
As the white heads and tottering footsteps of most of the soldiers of the late war indicate very clearly that they too, must soon cross over the "river" to join those who fell thirty-five years ago, I write for you to confirm by letter an incident in my career as a
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Confederate soldier, of which only yourself and Colonel Charles Venable of General Lee's staff, are . cognizant. I have never mentioned the incident to my family and my desire is to file your letter away that, when I am gone, my children may see that I performed my whole duty as a Confederate soldier, in a cause, which though lost is yet ever dear to us. With a view of refreshing your memory I will go a little into the event of the day of Gen. Lee's last effort to hold the works around Petersburg. You were in command of Wilcox's division, your brigade holding the right of the main line, and the Twelfth South Carolina regiment on right of brigade.
In the morning of the day you ordered the column to advance, we soon struck the enemy in an old field pine thicket, driving them rapidly for some dis- tance behind their strongholds. At this point the Confederate line halted, holding the ground gained until the turn of day, when it was ordered to fall back, caused, as I afterwards learned, by General Grant massing his troops and breaking the Con- federate line to the left of your division.
When your line had fallen back to the point at which it commenced the attack in the morning, it was halted, and a line of battle formed to meet the enemy. Just at this point you ordered me with three small companies to proceed to an elevated ridge between three or four hundred yards to the right and rear of your main line, instructing me to hold it at all hazards.
Before I had proceeded half way to the point designated I discovered the enemy's line of battle advancing through the growth of small pines, over-
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lapping the right of your main line. I at once de- ployed my little band and gave the order to "Give it to them boys, and fall back slowly."
As we neared the little farm house I saw a mounted soldier, whom I did not know, in the country road that ran along the top of the ridge.
My men fought like good fellows, passing around the farm house and through the garden, where they soon reached the ridge, and I proceeded down the slope through a forest of heavy timber to gain my regiment, which was done after some tramping.
On the way one of my men said to me there was an officer on a horse that had asked him who had command of the detachment of troops, and that he told him Captain Smith of the Twelfth regiment, South Carolina.
Late that afternoon, when you returned from General Lee's headquarters, you came in search of me, and found me sitting on a pine log. As you approached you said "Smith, my dear fellow you have covered yourself with glory; I have just re- turned from General Lee's quarters to whom Colonel Venable, of his staff, had reported your conduct and gallantry in the evening's engagement." You said that General Lee paid me the high compliment of being one of the best men in the army, and he had requested you to bring me up, and introduce me to him. Of course so high a compliment, coming from so good and great a man as General Lee, was very gratifying to me, and I must say that every man with me, on that occasion, deserved mention of their brave and soldierly conduct. The downfall of Petersburg
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and Richmond prevented the introduction as you know.
Now, dear General, I fear by this long letter I have imposed upon your patience, but I only want your answefile awayr to with my valuable keepings.
Hoping to hear from you soon, and that you are in the best of health, I beg to remain,
Yours most truly, J. C. B. SMITH.
By way of endorsement there is the following :
Mr. J. C. B. Smith, My Dear Friend :
One of my old wounds makes me write with diffi- culty, and therefore I will not rewrite this letter, but simply endorse it as true, absolutely true.
By the way, I must say that the old Twelfth regi- ment was one of the best I ever saw, not excepting my old Fourteenth.
As a rule they were the best men of the continent. We must soon go to the "Silent Bivouac." God bless you and yours.
Affectionately, your friend, S. MCGOWAN.
My heart being very warm and grateful for my Southern Soldier, I lost no time in writing the "News and Courier" the impressions and. opinion of & Federal soldier for their Condederate hero, in the following language.
Worcester, Mass., April 2, 1896. To the Editor of the News and Courier:
Seeing & complimentary article in your issue of
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Sunday, March 8, on J. C. B. Smith, late captain Twelfth South Carolina Infantry, and by the fortunes of war having met this gallant soldier of the Palmetto State during our late unpleasantness, I wish to add my tribute of praise to this modest man and brave soldier of the Army of Northern Virginia.
I had the privilege of being on the other side during the rebellion as I wore the blue from Manassas First to Appomattox. Although not present with my command at the surrender, I served twelve months later than this date in the upper districts of your State as adjutant First Maine battalion, with head- quarters at Anderson Court House.
Being with the Army of the Potomac under General Grant in 1864 as adjutant Third Maine Infantry, I with a brother officer was taken prisoner at the battle of the Wilderness. Although this was a severe mis- fortune yet by happy chance I was captured by Captain Smith and his command (Company K, Twelfth Infantry) and to his humanity and generosity I am indebted for my life. I was sent to the rear under guard, and while with them was treated with all the consideration proper under the restricted cir- cumstances of war.
Twelve years after this exciting episode, the fickle jade Fortune restored to me my sword and at the time Captain Smith wrote me a tender and compli- mentary letter, expressing regret that he had not earlier known my whereabouts.
Brave men never do things by halves, but it takes a generous heart indeed to return to a victorious foe a weapon honorably won in conflict. His letter is filed among my valued treasures, and is very dear to
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me. If a foe can speak in terms of praise of his enemy, surely his comrades should be no less generous.
The war may have brought evil to some men, but it developed in others those elements of which heroes are made, and Captain Smith is of this latter class.
I rejoice that you have not waited until Captain Smith had answered his last roll call before giving public recognition of his worth as a soldier, as a friend and as a citizen. That he may live long to enjoy the love and respect of all good people is my sincere wish.
Yours in gratitude,
HANNIBAL A. JOHNSON,
Late Lieutenant Third Maine Infantry. In due time this communication of mine to the "Courier" was brought to Captain Smith's attention as the following letter from him to me will explain :
Columbia, S. C., April 4, 1896. H. A. Johnson. Worcester, Mass.
My Dear Friend :
It has been some time since I have heard from you and it was only yesterday, while in the city, I was asked by friends, "Have you seen the News and Courier of the second inst; if not you must get and have read to you a very complimentary letter to that paper from a Federal officer of Worcester, Mass., whom you captured during the late war." I had it read to me, yes, re-read, and it gave me much pleasure, delight and satisfaction, the more so because I know the words in that letter gave expression to thoughts coming from a brave and manly heart.
Allow me to thank you for your kind and compli-
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mentary letter which I shall file among my most valued treasures.
My sight is gradually failing. I cannot see to read what I have written, so will ask you to excuse this short note. Can you give me the address of Mr. Benjamin Jaques? God bless you and yours.
Sincerely your friend,
J. C. B. SMITH.
Captain Smith's death in 1898 broke up our pleasant correspondence of many years' duration. I had learned to admire and to love him for those traits of character which go to make a brave soldier and a true man.
In October, 1903, I received a letter from Captain Smith's youngest daughter, Mrs. Lila Mobley, ac- knowledging a gift I had sent her infant son.
The allusions to her late father are so tender and so human that I take the liberty to insert some of them here, viz:
"The affection which my dear father bore his "Friend Johnson" as he always called you, was very great. Countless were the times he referred to your first and only meeting. During the last years of his life he seemed to live over again those memorable days of the war, and often, brave as he was, tears would fill his eyes in recalling some of the sad in- cidents. * Not once did he seem to think that he had shown any special humanity in his atti- tude towards you. It was justice. Ionce heard him say when speaking of you, "He was such a brave
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fellow he couldn't bear to surrender. He faced death unflinchingly. Shade Thomas, the crack shot in my company, had his gun leveled on him, when I called out 'don't shoot.' He was too brave. I finally per- suaded him to surrender."
The Loving Cup which you sent my baby boy, Berry Hill Mobley, Jr., will always be cherished in loving memory of the two true men who inspired the gift.
Yours in love and gratitude, LILA MOBLEY.
The State, a paper printed in Columbia, on March 28, present year, had the following :
THE BLUE AND THE GRAY
Taken from a Northerner in Memory of a Southern Friend.
Berry Hill Mobley, the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Mobley of this city, has recently received a beautiful loving cup from Mr. Hannibal A. Johnson of Worcester Mass., a friend of Captain J. C. B. Smith, the grandfather of the infant.
The cup bears this significant and appropriate in- scription :
"October 24, 1902, Berry Hill Mobley, Jr. From his grandfather's friend, Lieutenant H. A. Johnson, Worcester, Mass. Met as enemies May 5, 1864, at Battle of the Wilderness; as friends May 27, 1875, and ever after."
Lieutenant Hannibal A. Johnson, Company B, Third Maine Infantry, was captured at the Battle of the Wilderness, May 5, 1864, by the late Captain J.
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BERRY HILL MOBLEY, JR. Grandson of Capt. J. C. B. Smith.
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C. B. Smith of this city. On that occasion the valiant Lieutenant Johnson refused to surrender to Captain Smith. Whereupon the "crack shot" of Captain Smith's company leveled his gun on Lieutenant Johnson to shoot him, but Captain Smith interfered because of the northerner's unusual bravery, and finally persuaded him to surrender.
Singularly, Lieutenant Johnson was imprisoned in Columbia, Captain Smith's native town. He escaped from the Confederate prison and after many thrilling experiences rejoined the Union army.
In May, 1875, Captain Smith returned to Lieutenant Johnson his sword, a very valuable one, on which twenty-two battles were engraved. The loving cup is an appropriate reminder of the tender regard in which Lieutenant Johnson holds Captain Smith's memory.
Possibly some of my readers may criticise my faith in my Confederate friends. To them let me say that when Robert E. Lee's veterans stacked their muskets at Appomattox, and returned to their homes to be- come again loyal citizens, my bitterness departed - my hostility ceased; and I could take the hand of a southern soldier and wish him well. It takes a mighty big heart, and a magnanimous soul to do as Captain Smith did. As long as life remains, I shall honor his memory.
CHAPTER X.
Worcester, Mass., Nov. 15, 1905. It was my intention to close this story of army life with the events of the return of my sword by my captor, J. C. B. Smith, and the incident of giving to his grandchild, Berry Hill Mobley, Jr., the loving-cup; but I wish to add to the book some incidents in Captain Smith's life as a Confederate soldier, full of credit to himself and of interest to any reader of literature pertaining to the Civil War; also an inci- dent connected with the men of the First Maine Battalion, and a brief account of a most enjoyable trip made recently to the homes of my good friends in the South Land.
Most of my comrades who took part with me in these events have answered their last roll-call; and I can count, with no surety, the day and hour, life is so uncertain; and as the true story of the Rebellion is only told by the participants, not the historian, it behooves me to do what little I expect to do imme- diately.
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