USA > Mississippi > History of Company K, 27th Mississippi Infantry, and its first and last master rolls; > Part 5
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NO. 4
Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman
The History of Company K, 27th Mississippi Infantry, Continued
The first night that we were at Tupelo, we camped east of the rail- road, but next day we moved west of town and went into camp, where it was said we would go into winter quarters and rest and recruit up. But, Company K was tired and determined not to do any more work than absolutely necessary for comfort. So we split a large poplar log and turned the halves up edge-ways and stretched out Yankee dog-tents over it and filled up with leaves to make a bed, and just had a camp fire in front. After we had been thus in camp for five or six days, we all petitioned for a ten days furlough. In a few days there was a general order issued to give ten days' furlough to all that could get home in the regiment and brigade,, the furlough to be signed only by Brigade commander. I went to work and wrote out for Company K, and so dated our furloughs that we got eleven instead of ten days, and it was not discovered by Gen. Brantley until he had signed them, when he-laughed and said he would let it go, but tes that no one else caught him.
So late in the evening of January 19th, 1865, we all left camps with our furlough dated to begin next morning, and started home a-foot, as there was no regularity in the trains on the railroad, but all fell out by the time we reached Verona, except J. S. Thompson and myself, of Company, and two of Company A, that were from Oktibbega county-Sansing and Livingstone. When we got to Okolona, Thompson leit us and went across the country home, and here Sansing, Livingstone and myself built a fire to sleep by; but before we went to sleep, Livingstone went a foraging among "butter milk rangers," (home cavalry) that were camped in some old cars close by, and stole enough for our supper. Next morning before day, I started home alone and got there about an hour by sun.
While camped at Tupalo, I lost a diary that was very full, that I had kept of the whole Georgia campaign, and our trip into Tennessee, and if I now had it, it would be very interesting.
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Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman, from the Aberdeen Examiner, April 25, 1890
NO. 4-Page 2
Next day after we left Tupelo the army began to move to North Carolina, and instead of rendesvouzing at Tupelo, we rendesvouzed at Meridian, the first of February, 1865, and remained there, I think, until the 19th of February. when, with Gen. Sharpe's brigade, we moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where we were encamped out beyond the State House, and were told not to cut any timber in the woods where we were, as it belonged to a crippled Confederate soldier, and that there would be wood hauled us. At first wodd was hauled us. but we soon found out that the land did not belong to a crippled soldier, but to a man that had on his gin breast, in large brass letters. "Hon. Bolen Hall;" but we did not think him honerable, for while we were there, there was a long rainy spell, and it rained very hard, and he would not even let the men at night sleep under his gin house, or in it, and the two brigades, when they found him out, and all about him, cat up his market garden. While here at Montgomery, we were mustered, and had to make out our muster rolls. Then-Lieutenant Welch, of Company L, 27th Mississippi, and myself put on our nicest clothes, blacked our shoes. and went to Mr. Hall's house and asked for the use of a table in his back hall to write on, when we were told that his daughters were at home that day, and to come next week and he would accommodate us. When told the urgency of the case, he said his daughters were at home, and shut the door in our faco. and then we were forced to go more than a mile, through a hard rain, to Mont- gomery to do our writing. And when, after the surrender, we came home and saw that the Federal cavalry had been there and burned his gin house and cotton bales for him, no one felt sorry. After this Bob Mays went to see the post quartermaster, Capt. Lanier, and as he had at one time been wagon master for Capt. Lanier, he loaned us a good new wall tent and sent it to us; then Company K, was all comfortably sheltered, as there was only six or seven present. When we left Montgomery, March 9th, 1865, (I think my record shows, but it is so blurred and dimmed with age, and being in pencil, I cannot give it as the right date for certain), Capt. Lanier sent a dray after our tent, and also got a box containing our overcoats and other heavy winter clothing, promising to send it to us next winter, wherever we might be, free of charge; but before another winter came, we were at home as quiet citizens, and besides the Federal cavalry had captured Montgomery and burned the warehouse in which our clothing was stored. The morning we broke camps at Montgomery it began, and by the time we arrived at the West Point depot, it was raining nearly in torrents, but we went along with a shout, and when we finally boarded train nearly all of us were wet. Our route was by Opelika, Alabama, Macon, Georgia, Miledgeville, Georgia, on by way of Sparta, Mayfield to Camak, where we took the cars for Augusta, where we arrived that evening and marched through the city during a very hard rain, and that night camped across the Savannah river, in Hamburg, S. C.
Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman, from the Aberdeen Examiner, April 25, 1890
NO. 4-Page 3
Next day, March 17th, we remained in camp, and many of the men had the privilege of visiting Augusta, among the number, myself. Here we found the prices of everything very high. I recollect of having $300 offered me by a shoe maker for my boots, but he asked me $400 for a pair of shoes, and he actually charged me $30 for pegging my boot in the instep where it had ripped. In pricing some provisions, mcal was selling at $60 per bushel; meat $2. 50 to $3. 00 per pound; so you see, A confederate soldier could not buy much on $11. 00 per month, and when rations were scarce, it forced him to forage for his supplies. Next day we left Hamburg, and I cannot tell, from the worn condition of my memoranda, how far we marched, or by what places we went. We crossed Saluda river, I think, near Ninety-Six, of Revolutionary fame, on the railroad birdge and as we went from the river bottom to the hills, where there was an arch of evergreens spanning the road, and the men were invited, if time permitted, (and you know a soldier always had time to get something to eat), to fall out and go to the house near by and get something to eat, for it was the intention at first to hand a snack to every man as he passed, but it was just raining in torrents, Bob Mays, from Company K, however, fell out and brought us back a full haversack of nice catings. I would have gone myself, but I was First Sergeant, and had, at the time, command of six companies of the regiment, for the regiment was divided into two companies, for convenience; among the other five there were two or three commissioned officers, but not one in our six. We went into camp about three miles from the place above spoken of. Next day, March 22nd, we marched 19 miles, passed Cross Hill and en- camped. During the day, as we were passing a farm house, an old lady said, "if I had known all you soldiers was to pass here, I would have given you a dinner, if it had taken a whole hog. " Little did she know of the eating qualities of a soldier. On the 23rd we passed Laurens Court House, South Carolina, and the memoranda says we saw 450 ladies, and I reckon it was true, for the streets were lined with them passing plates of nice things to the men, (God bless them), for they certainly knew a soldier loved to eat, they also gave hats, hankerchiefs, etc. ; for we were the first lot of real live soldiers, I expect they ever saw.
March 24th, we marched 16 miles, passed Mount Shoals, next day marched is males and passed Glenn Springs and Jamesville, Sunday March 26th, marched 23sec Deard siver. After we went into camp here, near Broad -
=: if, e: rather foraging, and came back laughing go with him he had found a good thing for the mess. 'e to be gone until after dark. Rafe palmed him off as a e: of the farm they had gone to. They asked a heap of We bad drilled him, and finally satisfied the negro foreman
as to his identity, when they fixed him up a nice supper,
., while they killed four old hens and baked them, and about a it, and a quantity of hard boiled eggs. About midnight Bob and sudsing, and showing their trophies of that night's foraging.
R. A. Jarman
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THE ABERDEEN EXAMINER The Right: Nor Courting Favor, Nor Fearing Condemnation Aberdeen, Mississippi, Friday, May 2, 1890
NO. 5
Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman The History of Company K, 27th Mississippi Infantry, Continued
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Since writing the chapter for last week, I have received a letter from a dear friend and fellow-soldier, or rather a comrade of Company K, saying he very much enjoyed the history, and over some parts he felt like crying, and over others he was bound to laugh, but said to hold up and not tell too much. So now, I intend to make this a final wind up, for I would not intentionally hurt the feelings of any old comrade of Company K, and I don't think I have told anything for any one of them to be ashamed of now, at this late date.
March 27th, 1865, we left our camp on Broad river, at one o'clock p. m., marched 9 miles, and next day marched 14 miles to Chester, South Carolina. While there we saw that were said to be the lithograph stones (I believe they were called) that were used by the Confederate government to print the bonds and currency with which to pay the troops, purchase supplies, etc., and from the pile, more than a car load, it seemed as if they might have made it fast enough to keep from being behind with the troops, for we had not been paid to a later date than June 3rd, 1864. So you see it must have been patriotism in- stead of money the poor Confederate fought for.
March 29th, we boarded the cars at Chester, and that day went to Saulsbury, North Carolina, next day we traveled all day in the rain to Greensboro, and you can imagine it was anything but pleasant to be crowded in an old box car a day and night and it raining hard most of the time. To-day we passed and had a hand- shaking with part of Company K, that had been prisoners of war at Rock Island for about sixteen months and were on their way home after being exchanged, and I tell you it felt like meeting a brother who had been long absent, besides we hoped to soon have them back with us, for we were hardly a corporal's guard present for a whole company. But our hand-shaking and taling were short, for both trains were on the move soon, in opposite directions. Next day, March 31st, we passed Raleigh, N. C., and that night camped at Smithfield, North Carolina, and this was another day of constant rain.
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Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman, from the Aberdeen Examiner, May 2, 1890
NO. 5-Page 2
While our train was at Raleigh, we took aboard with us a few Mississippi troops that had been cut off from their command at the battle of Bentonville, about two days before, and had just made their way back to Raleigh. While we were stopped at Raleigh, I went out to hunt something to eat for the mess, and made out buy three biscuits at one dollar each. That night at Smithfield, I got on the good side of thecargeant of the guard who was guarding the box that had our commissary stores in it, and got a shoulder and side of bacon, and a peck of meal, and then he came and ate supper with us about eleven o'clock at night. The meat was so. small that shoulder and side were cut together and both did not weigh over ten or twelve pounds, and we ate the most of it that night, for we had been on the cars and on short rations for the past three days, with no chance to forage.
April 1st, we marched out from Smithfield and rejoined our division, after an absence of two months. The momoranda says nothing of interest the next two days, when on April 4th, it says "grand review of the Army of Tennessee, " but it does not say who by, but I suppose by Gens. Johnston, Beauregard and Hood. For the next few days noghing of interest transpired only our daily drill, morning and evening. It put duty pretty hard on me as Orderly Sargeant, to make report for six companies, and attend to all other duties as First Sargeant, and then to have to act as drill master, for as yet we had no commissioned officer among us. April 10th, we broke camp and marched out when there was a general re- organization of the army. The 24th, 27th, 29th, 30th and 34th Mississippi regi- mnts were organized into one regiment, to be known as the 24th Mississippi regiment. Company K, and others to the number of about forth, was known as Company F, Capt. Wilson of the old 34th, Captain. I do not now remember the First Lieutenant; I was promoted to Second Lieutenant. Capt. Jack Evans, with two Mississippi companies from an Alabama regiment, was Company A, in the new organization. Capt. Williamson, of the 29th Mississippi, was made Colonel; and for some reason, I do not now remember, he was generally called by the men "Old Step High. " Capt Dancey, of the 24th was made Lieutenant-Colonel, and he was a very nice and pleasant gentleman; previous to this, he had been with Gen. Brantley as staff officer for some time. I cannot now recall to my mind who was Major of the new organization. Gen. Deas' Alabama brigade was formed into a regiment and put in the brigade with us, Gen. Brantley commanding. Gen. Brantley (now dead) was known to the brigade as "Bull of the Woods. " I think Gen. Deas commanded the division, consisting of Brantley's and Sharpe's brigades. After the re-organization it was said we would go into camp again where we were, but in less than one hour the bugle sounded, and in a short time we were put in motion towards Raleigh, where we arrived next day. The next day, I think it was the 12th of April, we heard Gen. Lee had surrendered to Gen. Grant. We continued our march back to Greensboro, where we arrived on April 16th and went into camp at and around the Court House, and here on the doors we saw an official notice posted of the surrender of Gen. Lee. We were here put on
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Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman, from the Aberdeen Examiner, May 2, 1890
NO. 5-Page 3
guard over all public property, both Confederate and State of North Carolina, and to keep down all rioting and disorders of every character. We kept the streets around the different supply depots guarded day and night, permitting no one, unless with a pass, to come in. I even saw what was said to be the gold and silver, in boxes and kegs, loaded in wagons, and under strong cavalry guard, start South. We here received $1. 15 per man in silver, and later on some received more. I here got a good pair of what was called English army shoes and enough nice Confederate grey cloth to make me a suit of clothes when I got home. Some went nearly every night to headquarters and asked Gens. Johnston and Beauregard what would be done. The memoranda says on April 21st, Gen. Walthall and Gov. Va.ice made speeches to us. On the 27th of April we were notified that we had been surrendered to the Federal army, and two days later we stacked our arms around the Court House at Greensboro, and marched out and gave possession to the Federal advance guard. While here it was necessary to keep a strong guard at the government stock yard to prevent the mules and horses from being stolen, and there was a detail of 20 men from our regiment for the purpose, and Bob Mays, of old Company K, was among the number, and when we left Greensboro, each man of them was given a horse or mule to ride home. Bob Mays called his horse "Abe Lincoln, " and when rested up he was a very good horse. Here at Greensboro there was a large map of the United States hanging on the wall of the Court House, and I daresay it was con- sulted oftener while we were there a few days than it had been in as many years before; the men with strings and straws trying to compute or measure the distance to be traveled to reach their respective homes again. After April 30th, 1865, my memoranda is strangely silent, for I do not know why I stopped writing, but I know that we marched together as a command, with roll call and all, until we reached the railroad from Columbia, to Abbeville, South Carolina, where all Company K called for their paroles, and took cars to Abbeville, then walked across to Washington, Georgia, then by cars to Atlanta, and on to West Point, Georgia, then marched to Montgomery, Ala. , as the railroad had been c'estroy destroyed by F deral cavalry. Twenty-five miles from Montgomery, I was taken sick and had to lay over two days, and all of the company left me except Rafe, and when I got to Montgomery, I found all had passed thro' and had gone home except Frank Evans, and as he had left me, I left him here to get home as best he could, and have never seen him since. All the rest of Company K that were present I have often seen, and besides all those nearly that I now know to be living.
With this article I will close; but some want me to go over and review my pieces; others want me to take up the personnel of the Company, and still others think I did not say enough about a brother or friend, wounded or captured
Excerpt, by: R. A. Jarman, from the Aberdeen Examiner, May 2, 1890
NO. 5-Page 4
at a certain place, or speak of a certain deed of daring of a friend or brother. To all such I say that I have, in a brief way, tried to describe some few things, as seen and recollected by myself, and after my attention has been called I then recollect what they are speaking about. If I have written anything to wound any once feelings, I humbly beg pardon.
But now Mr. Editor, the half of the good things, laughable things, and . also sad things, have not been told; but I think I had better stop.
R. A. Jarman
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Excerpt from the Aberdeen Examiner, Friday, May 2, 1890
ISSUE NO. 5
Editore' Note:
"No member of 'Company K, ' or old comrade of Lieutenant Jarman, will regret to part company with the able and interesting chronicler of the 27th Mississippi regiment more than the editors of the EXAMINER. We have read every line he has written, with interest, and in this history have found the rehearsal of a hundred scenes that are paralleled in every ex- Confederate's reminiscences. Jarman has told a tale that has fanned into life smouldering embers in many a Southrons memory, and his letters have been read by brigade, division and corps commanders with as much interest as by the rank and file of 'Company K." (Eds. Examiner.
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