USA > Mississippi > History of Company K, 27th Mississippi Infantry, and its first and last master rolls; > Part 3
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Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman, from the Aberdeen Examiner, March 14, 1890 : -
NO. 50-Page 2
While here Captain W. H. Saunders was promoted to rank of Colonel and assigned to duty as Judge Advocate on Hood's corps court martial. He had however been on the invalid list for some time before his promotion, and had not been with us. Here we had sent back to us from detailed service R. L. Mays, J. S. McRea and J. B. Mckinney. In a week or so after getting back to Dalton Henry Bradford was detailed at regimental headquarters as Sergeant Major. During this winter several of the men got twenty days furloughs to go home. Among them H. V. Mayfield, who died just as he got home; T. S. Porter, J. S. Thompson, R. A. Jarman, and I think two or three others.
Two or three weeks after we went into winter quarters at Dalton our brigade was detailed to do general fatigue duty with the Post Commissary. in the way of loading and unloading all cars of commissary stores that came to Dalton, and many a time it was twelve o'clock at night when we finished our day's work. But the men generally got full pay in the way of sugar. coffee, and occasionally a ham, sometimes two, a sack of sweet potatoes. on the sly. The Commissary was a Mr. Denison, of the old firm of Denison & George, of Aberdeen, in antebellum times. There was a guard from another brigade, but we always bribed the guard first and helped ourselves afterwards. 1
In January, 1864, or early February, we were changed from Cheatbam's Division and put back in our old Division, Hindman's, Hood's corps, and of course had to swap camps with another brigade. After that exchange we did not do regular duty at the commissary; only an occasional detail.
About the middle of February there came a snow of several inches, and as there was only a wagon road of some thirty feet between our brigade and Deas' Alabama brigade, we got up a snow ball fight and completely routed Deae' brigade and took possession of the camp. Then after a truce each brigade was formed in line of battle with field officers mounted and pro- ceeded across a creek to Managault's brigade, another brigade of our division, routed and captured them; re-formed anew and started against Stevenson's division with a regular line of battle, skirmishers thrown out, and all, and I assure you it was rare sport that day, as charge after charge was made with only snow balls, and you could have heard the yelling and halloing for miles. When we returned to camp the men were as tired as though we had done a sure enough day's fighting. A few days after this there was a feint made by the Federal troops and we were called into line of battle, when some of the men were so foolish as to fire their quarters as they were leaving, and they repented it in a few days for we returned to the old camp.
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During this winter, or rather in the early spring, there was organized
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Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman, from the Aberdeen Examiner, March 14, 1890 NO. 50-Page 3
a battallon of sharp shooters to do away with the skirmishers. The detail from company K were at first A. L. Baker and R. A. Jarman, but to keep from dividing the masses I exchanged with A. C. Puckett, and Baker and Puckett thence became separated from us in camp but retained on the muster roll. They were drilled separate from us and had no camp guard duty to perform. ..
As spring began to open we were put to work on ditches and trenches in front of Dalton that were destined to never be used by us, but to perfect us in something that was to bear a prominent part in the campaign of 1864.
R. A. Jarman
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THE ABERDEEN EXAMINER
The Right: Nor Courting Favor, Nor Fearing Condemnation
Aberdeen, Mississippi, Friday, March 21, 1890
NO. 51
Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman The History of Company K, 27th Mississippi Infantry, Continued 1
Between the 20th of April 1864 and the first of May, we broke up our winter quarters and moved out to the front and went into camp (using the boards off of our quartes to make shelters) to insure us to the hardshipss of the coming campaign. While here several of the men had fighto with one another for some trivial causes, but they soon made up again, as it was against their nature to stay mad long at a time, besides the other men made all manner of fund of them, and said the spring fights had opened, and wanting to know when they might expect the next round, as they wanted to have skirmishers thrown out and bring it on in grand style, and it would always end in a laugh and make up.
Several times while in camp we were called on to go in support of cavalry, and we were frequently in line of battle but no fighting, although we could hear skirmishing at times in the distance. I recollect on one occasion in front of Dalton, while out supporting cavalry, we came across a large pile of knapsacks that had been piled up and from some cause abandoned by the Federal infantry. Here we supplied oursleves with new oil cloths, and sections of small tents that were of great service to us. We finally retreated back to Resacca, where we had a hard contested fight on the 15th and 16th of May, the first real battle of the Georgia campaign. I do not remember who was hurt here, except J. W. Peck wounded in hip, and myself bruised from spent ball on the shin. It was hot work here, for the Federal line in our immediate front was not over 150 yards off, and they could use their rifles with fatal effect; but we did our best, and I think succeeded in paying them back in kind. Here in the midst of companies F and K, Lieutenant-Colonel Jones. of the 27th Mississippi regiment, was killed by a sharp shooter at an old house in our front, but the artillery soon fired it, and we made it very hot for them there with our rifles. The Federals came near smoking us out of our position the first day by firing the woods in our front, and the leaves setting fire to our temporary rail breast works, but that night we dirted the rails, and did not stand in so much dread the second day. After dark on the night of the 16th of May, we withdrew our lines and fell back, and made no very important stand until on the evening of May 25th, at New Hope church. Although we did no fighting ourselves, we were in the first or second line of reserve and under fire part of the time, and stray shots falling most of the time
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Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman, from the Aberdeen Examiner, March 21, 1890 NO. 51-Page 2
If my recollection serves me right, there were some four or five lines of Mississippi troops in reserve, but the brave Georgians in front were fighting for homes, and loved ones they could see fleeing from the invaders and their burning homes (for it was said that two companies in that line were mustered into service, and lived around New Hope church) and they only needed encouragement, and to know that help was near, and well did next day reveal how they used their rifles, from the number of slain in their front. Here, this night, after the battle was over, we met many of our old friends and neighbors that had just joined Johnson's army with Loring's division, from Mississippi, During the next two days, while our lines were getting established, and we were in reserve, on the 27th of May we, with Granberry's Texas brigade, were double quicked to our right to support some cavalry, when, before we could form and close up, faced to the front and in not more than two or three volleys almost anihilated a line of Federal infantry. insome places and in not more than over ten or twenty steps from us, for their guns were empty from chasing cavalry , and they had no idea that a line of infantry was in half a mile of them. In that engagement the Confederate infan- try lost only about four five or men. It was said at the time that next day about seven hundred federals were burried from that engagement and som two hundred prisoners taken that night. Next day, May 28th, we were chasing . around in support of the cavalry, and late that evening rejoined our division. Several days were spent here in line of battle, when we were again forced to retreat and did it at night, and it was as dark and rainy a night as you would wish to see; and next morning we were all muddy and wet and mad. During the night one of the company, Jim Thompson, I believe stopped in a branch to get some water, after he had taken his drink he found he was standing on a dead horse or mule, and not on a log; but a soldiers stomach was too strong for that, and he laughed many a time afterwards about it. We were in all the engagements with our division and corps in front of Marietta, Lost Mountain and at Kenesaw mountain we had close and dangerous picket duty to perform, and each man was required to carry 80 rounds of amunition on picket with him, stand four hours at a time and keep up a lively shooting all the time, particularly during the day, and on some of our picket posts the Yankee sharp shooters kept things too hot and lively for a man to get lonesome. There was a North Carolina regiment to our left on the Kenesaw line, and one night I heard a Yankee call over to Johnnie Reb to know what regiment it was on duty there, when he was answered some North Carolina, they, the Yankee, wanted to know if Johnnie Reb had any tobacco to swap for coffee, when answered in the negative, the Yankee asked what he had to swap; Johnnie Reb replied, some of the best rosin he had ever closed his teeth over, then there . was a grand laugh on both sides. Many amusing incidents happened all along there, that I cannot remember now while writing, but they frequently come up when I have no means of taking them down. Some time soon after we left the
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Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman, from the Aberdeen Examiner, March 21, 1890 NO. 51-Page 3
Kenesaw Mountain line, or about the time we left, I one evening saw a duel between two Yankee batteries. . At first the one took the other for a Con- federate battery, and they put it to each other hot for some time; and during this engagement between the batteries we had to change sides of our breast works, for we found the front safer than behind them. We finally fell back to the line of works being erected north of the Chattahoochie River from Atlanta, and went to work to strengthen them, and the negroes at work on them were sent back towards Atlanta.
After occupying these lines for a short time, the army fell back across the Chattahoochie river, when it was said that we would rest for a few days, Gen. Johnson being relieved and Gen. Hood put in command of the army, and Gen. S. D. Lee in command of our corps. . About this time too, there was an election ordered in Company K, for Third Lieutenant, as Lieutenant McMillan was prisoner of war and only Second Lieutenant, no one could be promoted over him. A. G. Powell was elected Lieutenant. During all this campaign Col. W. F. Brantley, of the 29th Mississippi regiment, had been in command of the brigade, and Gen. Walthall promoted to command of a division; Gen. Hindman was our division commander. About this time, or shortly after, Col. Brantley was promoted to Brigadier General, and our brigade was known as Brantley's brigade thereafter.
R.A. Jarman
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THE ABERDEEN EXAMINER
The Right: Nor Courting Favor, Nor Fearing Condemnation .
Aberdeen, Mississippi, Friday, March 28, 1890
NO. 52
Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman The History of Company K, 27th Mississippi Infantry, Continued
When it was said at Atlanta that we would go into camp and rest a few days, the men were all very glad, for we had been in line of battle and under the fire of artillery for about three months and thought we needed some rest. H. S. Thompson and myself fixed up a bunk to sleep on out of round poles, then covered it with leaves, then lay down to rest. In a short time we heard the bugle at brigade headquarters sound pack upl pack up! and in a short time we were in motion, to support the troops up on Peach Tree Creek. We did not go into the battle but the enemy's lines were thick at times among us. We remained in that vicinity two or three days then fell back to the inside works around Atlanta, That night, or the next morning very early, Hardee's corps and Wheeler's cavalry went around to the rear of the Federal lines and struck the line near Stone mountain about noon on July 22d, 1864. Their firing was the signal for a general advance along the whole line. That day there were seven or eight companies of the 27th Mississippi put on the skirmish line in front of the Georgia militia companies F and K among them, to support a battery of rifle pieces that was advanced in front of the line. During the morning several Yankees came in and surrendered, saying they preferred captivity to fighting, as they had just heard that Generd Hood had been put in command of the Army of Tennessee, and they knew that meant fighting. Although the battle did not begin on our part of the line until after twelve o'clock, we were under picket fire all the morning and during the. morning Lieutenant Powell, of Company K was wounded and died from the effects in ten days or two weeks afterwards. In the advance of our line as skirmishers through a corn field that day I shot several times into a picket post; I saw some Yankees dodge in and finally called to them to come out and surrender, when two soldiers came out holding up their hands, and when I reached the post found an officer and a private behind it, dead; it was only made of fence rails. I went from the field that day with batch of prisoners, back to Atlanta, turned over the prisoners and returned. About sun- set that night we rejoined the brigade and the brigade took position held that day by the Georgia militia.
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It was very amusing to see the militia in battle with bed quilts and pillows and packs large enough for a mule. No old soldier would have
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Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman, from the Aberdeen Examiner, March 28, 1890 NO. 52-Page 2
carried such a load -- he would have thrown it away. While here part of our company, helped by the artillery company near by, killed a large bull one night, and we had fresh beef a day or two. My pocket knife went with the crowd to kill the bull though I did not, but I received my share of the beef. ,
We remained on that part of the line until July 28th, when we were moved to the opposite side of Atlanta, in quick time, to the lick skillet road, and that evening we had hard fighting and heavy loss. There were two file closers shot behind me that day -- J. S. McRea, across the shoulder, slight wound, and one of Company K shot in the chin. Here T. A. Benner and James . H. Dean were wounded and never joined us again. If any of Company K were killed that day I do not now recollect it. We lost Major Kennedy, of the 27th Mississippi, and Lieutenant Colonel Mclvane, of the 24th Mississippi, our commanding officer, was wounded, so he never joined us again. Captain Baugh, of company F, 27th Mississippi being our senior Captain now had charge of the regiment as he was ranking officer and had stood examination for the rank of Colonel, as Colonel Campbell had died in prison. For the next few days we had fighting every day for position, both sides wanting the advantages, which finally culminated in the Federals charging our picket lines August 3d. That day the 34th Mississippi reinforced the 27th Mississippi and ro took them. They reinforced and again charged just after a hard rain before we had time to dry our guns and it was hard fighting the balance of the day, part of the line in our brigade using the bayonet and clubbing the musket. After we retook the picket lines at first it forced from six to eight men in picket hoes only intended for two, and being short of ammunition the officer ' of the day did not like to make a detail. As it was a very hazardous under- taking to run out from the picket line he visited the several holes and called for volunteers. I for one volunteered to make the run, and we had to pass under fire for two hundred yards to get out. It was a dengerous undertaking but I considered my chances in running and staying, concluding that running out for ammunition was safer than remaining in a crowded picket hole and it in the range of artillery. I made the run out safe, and when I returned I . found two wounded and one killed out of the five I left in the picket hole, and later in the day the other two were captured, one of whom was T. S. Porter, of Co. K, so you see that time a good run was better than a bad stand.
That night we established new picket lines and began to ditch towards each other and when about the last week in August the Federal lines fell back and flanked us out of Atlanta. I stepped the distance between the two picket lines and found it to be only eighteen steps from outside to outside of picket lines in front of our brigade. While in such close quarters there were several men wou and some killed. R. C. Jones, of company K was wounded. Nearly all the wounded were shot in the head so that most of the wounds were fatal.
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Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman, from the Aberdeen Examiner, March 28, 1890 NO. 52-Page 3 1
Our line: of battle was well entrenched with earthworks and in front of them brush and stakes drove into the ground at an angle of forty-five degrees, with grape vines worked in and though them; then more brush and stakes, for some seventy-five or one hundred yards, with a narrow road though for the pickets to pass, and that well guarded. The men called the brush "tangle foot, " and the stakes "haver-sack stealers. " If the Federals had undertaken to charge, it would have certainly been tangle foot to them. While in line here, about the :middle of August, we had another election for third lieutenant to succeed lieutenant Powell who had died from wounda. J. J. Inman was this time elected.
I think we left East Fort, neck Atlanta, when flanked by the Federals on the evening of August 30th, and after an all night march we arrived about noon at Jonesboro, Georgia, where that evening we had one of the hardest fought battles of the campaign. We that evening chargethe Federals in their breast works, though a field, and coming to a fence row, some thirty or forty steps from the Federal line, our line halted to rest, and it was fatal to them, for never did they advance again, but were shot down and completely routed. Company K, here lost A. L. Baker, killed; Lieutenant J. J. Inmen, wounded and died; H. V. White, wounded and sent to the hospital, and R. L. Mays and J. S. Thompson, both slightly, J. S. Thompson being saved by a knife in his pocket, which was broken all to pieces, and caused the ball to glance, making a slight wound on the hip. We ditched all night preparing for an attack next day, but abou daylight, we sent our tools back to the wagons and started back to Atlanta to guard out our wagon train and the artillery left there. We met it late that evening coming out and went on guard, or rather formed a picket line and let the train pass on. Next morning we come in as rear guard, but kept a skirmish line out at the road side and parallel to the road, and I think had to form line of battle once or twice, but no engagement occurred. We went out by way of McDonald, and arrived at the army at a little place near Jonesboro, where, after a few days skirmishing and picket duty, we went into camp to rest for a few days. While doing picket duty here, one day Bob Mayes, of Company K, and others of the regiment, were out on a scout between the two armies, when they ( captured a Yankee in a field of corn after roasting ears, and they also killed a nice hog that gave us pork, and to keep us from cooking it, orders. were issued to have no fires built until further orders. The second day after, Rafe came to us and we all sent our pork off to be cooked, and before we got it back all the brigade had fires and were cooking their meat.
R.A. Jarman
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THE ABERDEEN EXAMINER
The Right: Nor Courting Favor, Nor Fearing Condemnation
Aberdeen, Mississippi, Friday, April 4, 1890
NO. 1
Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman
The History of Company K, 27th Mississippi Infantry, Continued
While encamped near Jonesboro, Georgia, we were mustered and had to make out new muster roll; and it was uphill ; work to write and nothing to write on. So to make out the muster roll for Company K, I improvised a desk to write on out of round strait poles, and covered it with my blanket, then with my oil cloth, when I had a fairly good desk (we used the same for a dining table), I succeeded in getting my roll right the first time, then making two copies. I helped several other companies to right their rolls, for our mustering officer on that occasion was Capt. Joe Ward, Company L, 24th Mississippi, and also of Aberdeen, and he was very strict.
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There in two or three days after going into camp, orders came from brigade headquarters for the men to bedrilled two hours in the morning and same in the evening, but the privates and non-commissioned officers of the 24th and 27th Mississippi regiments refused, and every man went to his tent and lay down, and when orders were given to the 29th and 30th Mississippi regiments to arrest us, the 34th Mississippi regiment joined us, and every man loaded his gun and again lay down by it, but sent word to the 29th and 30th regiments if they attempted to arrest us they might expect to fight, and as a matter of course they made no arrests. We began to drill, or at least went out to drill in a day or two. For this all non-commissioned officers were reduced to ranks, but it did not in the least affect Company K, for she had none, either commissioned or non-commission for Lieutenant J. J. Inman died of his wound received at Jonesboro. While here there was a flag of truce sent between the two armies, and with it was sent the effects of Capt. Baugh, Company F, rather now Col. Baugh, 27th Mississippi, as he was wounded and captured at Jonesboro, and died in the hands of the Federals, but being a Mason, he fell in with good and true brother Masons, and they sent every dollar of money he had, even his pocket knife and a letter addressed to his mother he had written before he died, all packed to- gether, to care of Company F, 27th Mississippi. How long we staid here I do not now remember, but I remember Gen. S. D. Lee, our corps commander, having cach division of the corps marched out to an old field one day, and after forming by divisions into squares, he made a speech to us, and in that speech he said that Hardee's corps could charge and take breast works, and he was determined that his corps should do as much, and he wanted them to understand and act accordingly.
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Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman, from the Aberdeen Examiner, April 4, 1890
NO. 1-Page
I do not now recollect how long we stayed here, but our next move was when Gen. Hood started to the rear of Sherman at Atlanta. We went across to a little old town then deserted, or rather moved on the Atlanta & West Point railroad to Newman. While here two Monroe county men came to see us one morning, Ira G. Holloway and James Holloway, and when we asked them to stay to dinner with us, they consented if it did not deprive us of our rations, and when assured it would not, they cheerfully accepted the invitation. The day before Bob Mays, while scouting between the lines, had brought a bee gum and help to kill a hog; but the Federal cavalry run them off the hog once, but they went back and got it again, and that morning my servant, Rafe, had come in with about a half bushel of biscuits ready baked and some butter, so you ought to ;have seen ut trying to put on style to our guests. Mr. Ira Holloway said when he saw the spread that it was more than he had seen one mess have since he had been in the army, but he had just come to the army. Our next move from here, I think, was to near Marietta, Georgia, and while there two of Company K, who I will call Allen and Butler, as both are now living in Monroe county on the east side of the river, for fear of hurting their feelings, (but Allen and Butler are their true given names) came to me late one evening, as I was then acting Orderly Sargeant, and said if I would manage to excuse them a while from fatigue duty on breast works we were building there, they would give me some mutton, and being a dear lover of mutton, I arranged to let them go, with some four or five others. Afterbeing gone some hour or more, they came sneaking back, muddy and wet and no mutton; but it soon leaked out that instead of sheep they had seen, it was where the beef of some division had been slaughtered and the paunches had been left, and from a distance it looked like a flock of sheep lying down. I will not say which member of Company K was said to have shot a paunch and then jumped on it with a knofe, but suffice to say they had to stop at the branch and wash, and they were a crestfallen set. All the rest of the war we would holler at them every time we would pass a slaughter pen to come up and draw their mutton; we missed our mutton but had a heap of fun. After leaving the line formed near Marietta, Giorgia, we bore to the left and went south of Rome, Georgia, and crossed the Coosa river at a little place called Coosaville. On this march one evening we came to a large creek across the road and a lane on one side of the creek we were on, and the dividion was put in double column, one on each side of the road and the men all ordered to pull off shoes and pants to wade the creek, which at the ford was about two and a half feet deep probably three feet, and just as the head of the column started to ford the creck, along came two ladies in a buggy and had to face a whole division of men in their shirt tails, and the whoop that went up along the line as they passed through could have been heard fully one mile. We filed to our right as soon as we crossed the creek and camped on the banks; that night my mess had slap jacks and molasses for supper. Next day just before we got to the Coosa river we passed in the evening a little school house near the road, and as we passed there were two girls, or young ladies, and one boy sitting the door of the school house and singing 'I am a Rebel Soldier, " and I heard they were there at dark still singing as our bare-footed squad came by. That night
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