USA > Virginia > Under the stars and bars ; a history of the Surry Light Artillery > Part 13
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Both armies appear to have tacitly agreed to take a rest, and everything has been quiet for some time.
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Even the big guns on the fleet have stopped their booming. The Federals, no doubt, are fixing up good, warm barracks for all the men, infantry, artillery and cavalry. They have ample supplies and means, and all the world to draw upon. Why should they stint themselves ? After so much and such stubborn fighting, the armies may well pause for a good, long rest. Both sides are growing tired of war, but the fanatics at the North keep the men in the field, and the war goes on. Were it left solely and exclusively to the men in the two armies, I believe peace would be made before Christmas.
The men on picket along the lines often meet and exchange such things as they may have to part with-tobacco or peanuts, on the part of the Confed- erates ; coffee or bacon on the Federal side. There is a tacit agreement on both sides that no one is to shoot while these exchanges are going on. When orders come for shooting to begin, the men inform the other side, and then all hasten to get behind their breastworks.
Such is one of the better phases and experiences of soldier-life in the trenches. It shows that humanity is not clean dead in the soldier's heart.
May hope and safety be with you forever.
Your friend, B.
[There is said to be abundant evidence that, since the failure of both Grant and Butler to capture Richmond, and after the merciless slaughter of so many of his
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men, that marked Grant's battles from the Wilderness to Cold Harbor, a feeling contrary to the continuance of the war began to prevail and grow, both at the North and in the Northern army in the field. Be this as it may, it is the firm belief of the writer that, could General Lee's army have been properly recruited, clothed and provisioned during the winter of '64-'65, General Grant's army would have been checked in its advance beyond the Weldon railroad, and the abandon- ment of Richmond would not have occurred. In spite of the terrible losses at the South, the lines here before the two cities would have continued intact, and Grant, as well as Butler, would have been penned up on his base of supplies. It all hinged upon the question of men and means to meet and check the foe.]
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LETTER FORTY-FOURTH.
The paymaster around-Prices-Health of the Company-Fur- loughs-Absentees-Note.
CAMP HENRICO, VA., Dec. 15, 1864.
My Dear Friend :- Good news! The paymaster has been around again, and the men now have four months' pay in their pockets! And the hucksters are driving a good trade with their "pies an' things." Hucksters ? Yes, there are retail venders of things to eat, still going the round of the camps, though it is hard to tell where they get their supplies from. Gingerbread-sweetened with sorghum molasses-dried-apple pies, sweet pota- toes at ten cents apiece, boiled beans at twenty-five cents a plate, a chicken wing or leg at ten cents, one baked apple at five cents-such are some of the articles they sell, and the prices they charge for them, all in Con- federate money, of course. The sight of a silver dime would frighten a negro huckster half to death now.
But what are twelve dollars a month, Confederate money, to the prices of things that prevail now? The two are out of all proportion. If the Government only would scale up and pay us en ratio with the times, things would be more equal. How are the families of soldiers that reside in towns to live on this pay ? But I am not complaining.
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The health of the Company is excellent; I believe it was never better at any time. None are in the hos- pital, and no case of much significance in Camp-only a chill now and then, or colds, and wheezes and sneezes.
And-so quiet is everything along the lines, and in the enemy's camps-even furloughs are allowed now. But somehow, by some sort of rule, they are taking the names from the last end of the list, down at the zeds and zees, the wyes and tees, and the Williamses and the Waggoners, the Wrights and the Whites, are getting them all, for we have a big bunch of these names. We have one man named Waggoner, who came to us either from the conscript camp, or from a company of roughs that had been made up somewhere of men from nowhere, so to speak, and who succeeded in getting a transfer to the S. L. A. He says the men of the other company were too rough for him ; he could not stand them. They handled him badly, because he was a "tender-foot." Waggoner is a good man, moral, sober, quiet, and faith- ful to all his duties, and the men all like him and re- spect him. But Waggoner is from Highland county, over between the Shenandoah and the Alleghany mountains, and on the border of West Virginia. And he has just got a furlough and has gone home. The boys posed him a good deal with questions before he left, and when he departed they all bid him a kind good-by, and told him they knew they would never see him again. And some of them pretended to weep a little. Such are some of the good-natured comic scenes that are ever taking place.
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We have a number of absentees, who are away from the Company without permission. They are mostly from the new recruits, the substitutes, and no one has any idea where to look for them. One or two may have crossed the Potomac over into Maryland. Some may have gone home and joined the skulkers; and some may have deserted. I would not write thus of any of the older men. They stick, and are here to stay to the end of the war, "let the big guns boom as they will." -
Many of the higher officers of the commands around us here-of Gary's Cavalry, especially-have secured winter quarters in private residences, either taking homes that were unoccupied, or a set of rooms where the families still remain. Thus they are fixed out in quite home-like style, are living comfortably, and have plenty. Our own officers might have done the same, but they have not. They are here with the men, and "mess" and room with the privates.
Three of our men have been transferred to other commands during the year now near its close. George W. Armistead, who came to us from Richmond, I be- lieve, in 1863, has passed into the Richmond Naval Department as a teacher. He is an educated man, a mathematician, and was needed in the other branch of the service. Marion Messersmith has gone to Com- pany H, 13th Virginia Cavalry. And Lewis L.
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Turner, a noted character with us, has obtained a transfer to the Richmond navy, and is serving on one of the ironclads lying there.
May the holy angels guard the homes and loved ones of all the soldiers, and keep us in the army safe from harm to the end.
Your friend, B.
[It will not be amiss, perhaps, to make here a special note in relation to Lewis L. Turner-"Turner L." as the boys called him. He was indeed a noted character, and, I suppose, no man in the Company ever gave Captain Hankins and the rest of the officers more trouble than "Turner L." He was a native of Isle of Wight county, but was living in North Carolina when the war began. He joined a North Carolina company, and was at the battle of Big Bethel, June 10, 1861. He came to us in the winter of '61-'62, and remained until some time in 1864, when he transferred to the navy.
"L. L.," or "Turner L.," was a sharp-witted, and withal, quite an intelligent man. He was an expert "forager" and a "blockade runner" of the first class. While the Company lay around Richmond, he paid almost nightly visits to the city, and was often on double duty or undergoing some severer punishment for his frequent absences from roll calls. In fact, he was often in a scrape of some kind, not quite bad
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enough, perhaps, for a court-martial, and yet demand- ing some severity. He became well acquainted with the inside of "Castle Thunder," and, in fact, passed a good deal of his time there. Though an able man physically, he did very little service for the Confederacy. He lived several years after the war, and married and settled in Southampton county.
I regret that I cannot add here a note in relation to the post war history of Armistead and Messersmith. They appear to have wandered off into other parts, and I have not been able to hear from them, or to learn if they are yet living.
Deducting the losses of the Company for the year 1864, by transfers, deaths and absentees, our numerical strength at the end of that year should have been about 125.]
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LETTER FORTY-FIFTH.
The winter of '64-'65-No prayer meetings-Reading and sport- The cannon's boom again-Beef and biscuit-One meal a day-Note.
CAMP HENRICO, VA., Feby. 10, 1865.
My Dear Friend :- The present winter has dragged its slow length along in very equable mood, with no extremely cold spells or great storms of snow, and with a goodly number of mild and pleasant days. We have had some rain and sleet since February came in, but the men have passed the winter thus far in much better comfort than was anticipated when we came here in December. There is an old English saying that, "God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb," and perhaps He has tempered the winter to the thin-clad soldiers, for many of our men are but sorrily clad, and few of them have overcoats. And good shoes or boots, and woolen socks are greatly needed. Such a thing as a dress- parade would be out of the question now. The officers would be ashamed to exhibit such a rag-a-muffin, tatter- demalion set as the average private would make. Such a thing as a whole uniform is rarely to be seen.
Yet the boys do not take it much to heart because of their rags, but sing their songs and have their sports and fun, just as earnestly as though they were the
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best clad fellows in the land. Many of them have learned to patch quite neatly, and we have some men that could pass an examination for tailors. In fact, one of our boys has had his wedding suit of Confederate gray made for him by one of the Company. And it was pronounced by all to have been a good job. But I reckon you would laugh heartily if you were to see some of the odd patches that some of the boys stitch on. The most of them never think of cutting out the old rent to set in a patch, but they stitch the piece on over the old cloth, which, of course, makes a bungle of it all. They say it makes the clothes warmer to set the patches on top the old cloth, and it is easier work.
But hardships and short rations seem to make the men hardier and more able to endure privations, cold weather, exposure, etc. The majority of the men are in vigorous health, and ready for any service. Instead of repining at their sufferings, I believe the men are really thankful that it is no worse with them than it is. If one of the men were to get sad and mope around with a long face, the rest would pose and tease him half to death for it. One may see more cheerful faces in the army on the outer posts or in the trenches, than any- where else in our land.
There has been a great lack of prayer-meeting ser- vices in the camps around us this winter. There has not been a single evangelist around here or, I suppose, in Gary's whole command, since we came into winter
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quarters. Some of our own men assemble occasionally at night for singing, and every one who desires it has plenty of good reading matter-tracts, papers, books, Testaments. There is a goodly supply of religious books in camp. But books make dead weight for baggage, and are not allowed to be put in with the essentials when we move or start out on a march.
The gunboats that crowd the James are thawing out of the ice again, and once more the boom, boom of the big guns is daily repeating its harsh and monotonous reverberations from river to wood, and back from wood to river. It seems like a silly waste of material, for not one shell in five hundred does the least harm to any one. May be the Federals think they will keep "the Rebs" at a respectful distance from their lines by this means.
By some piece of good fortune, our Commissary Sergeant managed recently to get a supply of nice fat beef, and good, sure-enough flour-two articles that have depreciated much in quantity and quality the last twelve-month.
And if ever you saw a fellow's face radiant with smiles, it was that of the said Commissary when he road into camp that day with the wagon loaded with the said beef and flour. Milton does like to do a good part, by the boys when he can, and the beef and flour that we have been getting for ever so long have been so inferior, that the men had about lost faith in Milton as a successful commissary.
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But this good haul saved his reputation, and brought smiles to many more faces than Milton's; and soon the compliments were rolling in upon him at a lively rate. And very soon every "mess" in camp was making elabo- rate preparations for a liberal meal of "beef and biscuits," or boiled beef and "pot-dodgers."
Our friends at home, though lacking many things they formerly enjoyed, yet doubtless have their three full meals each day. But, I tell you that the Southern soldier would regard himself as very fortunate indeed if he could always be sure of even one square meal a day. He would gladly take that one of just plain "beef and biscuit" without any pretense at dessert. Other things would be but superfluities. He would laugh and sing, and grow fat, and fight the Federals like Trojans on that. Fill up Lee's ranks again to one hundred thousand men, and give them all though but one full meal a day of good beef and biscuit, and they would bid defiance to all the forces the Northern despot could pit against them.
After the "messes" had all eaten their fill once more, many a Richard felt that he was "himself again," and ready for any emergency. And more than one humble private audibly thanked God for "one more square meal." And there was a whole "camel's load" of grati- tude in the words, for, I tell you that scrimp dinners, rather than full ones, has been the rule in Lee's army for many a long month.
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It is the recital of such things that alone can give you a just and accurate conception of the actual needs and privations and self-denials of the Southern soldier in this struggle for State rights and native soil unpro- faned by the vandal's heel. All General Lee's army needs to be invincible is more men and more of beef and biscuit. With these and their indomitable spirit, Lee's men would soon clear the State of every foe.
Your friend, B.
[Perhaps my old comrade and warm friend, John H. Bell, will bear me out about that nice tailor-built suit that he made for M. A. Delk, some time during the war-and how proud Matt was when it was finished and he got his furlough to go home. That was a red- letter day for Matt, one of the happiest of his life, no doubt-one to which he will ever look back with pride and thankfulness-thankfulness for the happy results that led out of it, and gratitude that his life was spared through the war, and that he has been permitted to enjoy so many years of peace and happiness since then. Very few of the boys, I fear, will be able to recall such a pleasant reminiscence as this of our friend Matt's.
I can recall few things of any particular importance that occurred at our Camp during this, our fourth and last, winter spent in the service of the Confederate States. Both armies remained very quiet all winter.
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We had but little of sickness among the men, and we were located rather too far from town for the few incorrigible "blockade runners" there were still in the Company to venture out often. "Turner L." was gone, transferred to the navy, and he had been the ring- leader among the half-dozen men of the Company that might be set down as our worst "blockaders." I think there must have been less shirking of duty, more of good conduct and kindliness among the men, and fewer calls for discipline than had been the case any previous winter of the war. Even our magpie, Joseph Kea, was less noisy than ever he had been before. But "Tom the fiddler" was not with us now, for Joe to worry and exasperate into fever-heat all the time. Poor man ! he had passed over the river, and was beyond the reach of any earthly trouble. As I look back and think of our life in camp, a feeling of regret comes to me that something more had not been done by the men to render the life of that man happier and sweeter. I fear his light went out in a darkness that might have been made a little less dark, if only a little more of brotherly kindness had been shown him.
And Waggoner had not returned. His time was out, but he had not reported for duty. He never did. Per- haps the preponderance of union sentiment and talk, when he got home, was too much for him; he had to remain. Or, perhaps, he was held a prisoner and not allowed to return. No one will ever know. Yet, I am very sure that he was not a bad man, or false to his
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State. For him the S. L. A. will entertain kindly feelings, and register his name on our bead-roll of honor as one who did his duty well while with us.
I do not recall a single Battalion drill or inspection as having occurred during this winter. And the pay- master never came around again after that visit in De- cember, '64. It really made but little difference. We were penniless soldiers, and likely to remain so to the end, for the paper they gave us had but little purchasing value for anything that was worth buying. Two months more from the date of this letter, reached the end of it as money.]
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LETTER FORTY-SIXTH.
Butler's ditch-Our idle iron-clads-Pushing around the flank- Southern railroad . cut-Grant's railroad-And his towers- Note.
CAMP HENRICO, VA., March 10, 1865.
My Dear Friend :- We have heard rumors several times during the last four or five months, that Butler has been digging-or is having dug-a great ditch or canal at the place on the James river known as "the Dutch Gap," and it is reported that it is completed, and is a real success. By a short cut of one hundred yards, all that long bend in the James of several miles around Curle's Neck, is obviated, and boats pass through easily to the upper part of the Neck without having to go around it.
Now, if this is reliable news, it is the cleverest thing that Butler has done in these parts since his arrival here, the first of May of last year. If it is true, he has done something of value, to perpetuate his name and fame to posterity. Virginia and Richmond, in future years, will thank Butler for his gratuitous service. If the canal is really a success, it will be a perpetual bene- fit to the navigation of the James for all time to come.
What advantage the Federals hope to realize, how- ever, from the said ditch, is not so clear. It will not
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put their iron-clads above Drewry's Bluff, and that, after all, is the military key to Richmond by water. It is hard to see the military value of the great canal, under the existing condition of things. Let him now undertake another canal, to put his fleet around and by the Bluff, and he will be there, and even Grant, I suppose, will thank him for his labors. After all, Gen- eral Butler may succeed in winning immortality for himself, if be only has time and means enough allowed him. A canal around the Bluff should be his next move.
In the meantime, what are our four or five idle iron- clads, that are rusting in the dock at Richmond-what are they doing to make things lively for Butler, and help General Lee to check the advance on the Southern railroad below Petersburg ? If only those same iron- mailed monsters could be induced to make a sudden dash, one fine morning before long, on the Federal fleet about Curle's Neck, and the aforesaid Butler's canal, they might stir up a little breeze that might be inter- esting to some one. They might win glory for them- selves, and help our cause a good deal. And, in case they were beaten, the run back under the Bluff would be but a short one. They ought to try it, even though they sank for it. Such, at least, is the view one private takes of it.
The news comes that Grant is constantly pushing his lines around to the south and southwest of Petersburg. His forces already hold the Southern railroad, so that
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important line of communication between Richmond and the South is severed, and General Lee is still crippled in his resources. Oh, for men to meet the emergency, and strike the enemy a telling blow !
And Grant has a railroad of his own, a sure-enough iron rail, all the way from City Point, around by the east and south of Petersburg, along the line that his army occupies. So vast are the resources and appli- ances of war at his command. They do not spare in means or men, but are lavish of both. But the Con- federacy seems to be getting more and more impover- ished, and is growing weaker and weaker every day. The hope of foreign recognition is about at an end, and the blockade of all our ports renders it impossible to secure the needed supplies.
And the Federals have built vast towers, or look- outs, at points upon their lines-a sort of frame-work, a hundred and fifty feet or more in height. And they send men up to the top of them to watch the movements of the Confederates, and spy out the weak points in the thin lines behind the breastworks. They do not use balloons, as did McClellan, but high wooden towers. In some cases they have fixed ladder-ways up to the top of tall trees, and use them as look-outs, for gaining information of all that is going on along General Lee's lines. The Federals are a resourceful people.
But they are invaders. They have come into our State with hostile intent. They are desolating our land, destroying our property, robbing our homes, burning
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bridges, mills and churches. They seek to pauperize our people, to overpower and rule them. What ought we to do but to fight them? Yea, we will fight them to the bitter end. We need more Stuarts, more Mosbys, more Jacksons-men who know how to strike them at odd times and places, and in unexpected ways. We should not tie down too closely to West Point morals when fighting invaders. I would take the advantage of them in any way and manner possible. I would strike at their supply trains, shell their transports, cripple them in any way that might appear. What right have they on our soil ? Should we not treat them as common robbers? Yea, arm the boys and the old men, and fight them to the bitter end. This is the dictate of common reason, the only course for a people who would be free. Shall we bow the neck to a foe so insolent and high-handed as these vandals ?
I trust you will not imbibe the too gloomy and despondent tone in which I write. I believe there is hope for us yet. From the beginning of this struggle until now, I have ever entertained an abounding con- fidence in the ultimate success of the Southern cause. I hold that confidence still. The principles for which we contend, founded in truth, justice and right, are as eternal as the hills, and must prevail. There may be changes, revolutions, disasters, failures, but Statehood rights and personal liberty are invincible. Tyrants may arise, oppression may come, freedom and self- government may suffer long interregnums, but at last
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the principles of the old constitution, as framed by the best wisdom of our fathers, will be sustained.
Let us take courage and struggle on. A brighter day will dawn. All is not lost. This is our land, and we will hold it. On this platform we will rise or fall. Your friend, B.
[The reader will observe, from the date of the above letter, that the Confederacy was within two months of its dissolution. Of course, then, there was prevailing at the time an undertone of despondency in the army, and distrust in the ability of our Government to hold out a great while longer. The privates saw and felt this, and deplored it. But the collapse came sooner . than was expected-and why? It was because of the very liberal-even generous-terms offered General Lee by General Grant. Had Grant's conditions been at all harsh or unreasonable, General Lee, I feel sure, never would have yielded as he did, but would have fought his way through the cordon that surrounded him. Gen- eral Grant's terms of surrender was the occasion of the close of hostilities, at the time that it occurred. Had the tyrant, Stanton, been there to dictate measures, or any one else less tolerant than General Grant, the his- torian would never have heard of the surrender at Appomattox. Grant's clemency, his liberality, his generous treatment of General Lee, did more to end the war than his army ever could have done. The Army of Northern Virginia, though fearfully depleted
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