Anderson Intelligencer
May 26, 1914
Page 44
SOME
WHO SERVED
Anderson
Soldiers, Some of Whom Have Passed Away – Part 2
--------------------------
SAMUEL
McCRARY of Pendleton—Served with John Martin’s Company, Second Battalion, S. C.
Reserves. Guarded prisoners most of time
in Columbia or rather west of the city, where 1,500 Yankees were confined, with
less than 300 men to guard them. They
were kept in an old field for three months.
They were all commissioned officers that we would not exchange. After this they were carried to the old
asylum. At this time Mr. McCrary was
sent to the hospital where he had measles and typhoid fever. He says warfare was something awful and he
wonders that all the men didn’t die, sick or well, it was “corn bread and
molasses.” When they got a little meat
they ate it all at once and then had to do without for a while. Mr. McCrary says his fights were limited, as
he saw but few battles, but agrees with all the old soldiers that he wants no
more war.
J.
W. BALDWIN of Williamston—Enlisted in Co. B, 13th S. C.
Regiment. Served the full time. Was taken prisoner the day of Lee’s
surrender. Was taken to New York for the
purpose of making them regulars in the U. S. Army. There were 750 men picked for this. Then began the struggle to force these
prisoners to join the regulars. For
weeks they were very nearly starved, the diet being only a slice of bread and a
glass of water for one day’s fare, with negroes for their guard. Later they were allowed a bit of beef. Still later they were fed very well with
Yankees for guard. About sixty prisoners
joined the regulars and about the same number died. After being convinced that the others would
starve before they would join, they were detained but a few weeks more then
given a parole and taken to Charleston, leaving them there to do the best they
could, this being an awful position as they had neither money nor
transportation, and their clothing in such condition that the city officers
forbade them to walk the streets. Mr.
Baldwin says tongue can never tell the tortures of a cruel war.
A.
A. HERBERT, of Pelzer—Joined Co. K, S. C. Regiment, in service three and a half
years. With M. S. Messer as captain and
Goodlett, colonel. Mr. Herbert was
seriously wounded at the battle of Gettysburg and yet carries a minie ball in
his leg received in this battle. Also
lost three fingers at the Kinston, N. C. battle, which he believes to be the
worst fight he engaged in during the war.
Mr. Herbert thinks the feelings of a soldier toward the wounded and dead
are so different. A note should be made
of it. If a soldier saw one of his
comrades suffering he would risk his life to relieve him, but if he found one
of them dead, he gave him but a glance and hastened by. No doubt this comes from the intensity of
war, no time was given for reflection.
Mr. Herbert gave us ____ of an ironclad car used by the Yankees at
Newberne, N. C. It was something new and
very useful for war service. The war
played havoc around Newberne and Kinston, being a battle among home folks, with
nothing but the state line between, which mattered not to the blue and the
gray. Mr. Herbert laughingly told of the
shrewdness of a negro spy, whose smartness only caused him to lose his life. One of Marse Jolly’s brothers was shot down
only a step in front of Mr. Herbert, so near that in the rush he had not the
time to walk around but had to step over the dead body.
G. W. DAVIS of
Pelzer—Entered service in Co. E, Hampton’s Legion, with Wade Hampton colonel
and as Mr. Davis says, the best officer in the south- one who had no fear if
duty called. He saw Hampton when his
horse was shot from under him and the next instant the general had mounted
another. Mr. Davis believes the battle
of Gettysburg the worst of all the battles.
This veteran served four years.
J. D. HOWARD, of
Pelzer—Entered the army in the 24th S.C. Regiment of
Volunteers. Served four years. A prisoner once at Trevilian. Had horse shot from under him. Mr. Howard’s four years of service is full of
interest. Says war means sorrow and
destruction with nothing commendable.
J. E. NORREL, of
Pelzer—Began service with Co. A, Second S.C. Infantry. Served four years. Wounded one time. Was in several battles and skirmishes. Was in the siege around Petersburg which
lasted about six weeks. Mr. Sorrel [sic]
says his four years in the war were trying- full of hardships and weakened
every organ of the body and he feels that he deserves a better pension than he
receives. He scarcely gets enough to pay
for his drug bill.
H. S. LONG of
Pelzer—Entered the service in Co. B, Seventh S. C. Regiment. During the four years’ service was in the
hospital once for a short time and received three furloughs home. Served the last two years in the
cavalry. Mr. Long says the commanding at
Fort Fisher, Wilmington, N. C., was the grandest sight during the war. Gunboats surrounded the place. In this battle Gen. Ripley was wounded and
taken prisoner, dying in a short time in prison.
L. CHILDRESS of
Pelzer—Entered the service with Co. C, Holcomb’s Legion. Was in the war three years. Mr. Childress thinks the Second Battle of
Manassas his worst experience. He was
captured at Hanover Junction and [sent] to Point Lookout. Ninety-six of his
regiment died from dysentery.
P. A. JONES of
Pendleton—Entered the war New Year’s Day, 1862.
Joined Co. I, Orr’s Regiment. Was
in the Seven Day’s Battle. Was first
wounded Dec. 13, 1862 at Fredericksburg; later wounded in battle of Riddles
Shop. Had one leg torn up with a bomb
shell. Came home and could not walk for
eight months without crutches. At
Spotsylvania they fought breast to breast with the other side. During the service he was in eight severe
battles. Missed the Battle of Gettysburg
on account of measles. Says he was
furiously mad at one time during the war, and that was the time he and three
others stole a bee gum, carried it three miles to camp, the heaviest bee gum he
ever lifted, and after reaching the camp they invited several of the company to
help them eat new honey. After knocking
the head off they found the gum full of wet ashes. Told of a fright an old blind horse gave him
one night while on picket duty. Says his
wife sent him a suit of jeans and a box of provisions, but they failed to reach
him. Says on returning from the war he
possessed nothing but a wife and one child and two crutches. Spoke of the kindness of our late townsman,
Joptha Wilson. War is a bad thing, says
Mr. Jones.
[Transcribed
by Sharon Strout]
