Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 9, Number 2, May 1999 Page: 87
[57] p. : ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Reminiscences of the Old Brigade
old ranch, or rather, two ranches, Pedgeon's
and Johnson's, the weather was so cold and
our covering so light, that we could not sleep
much at night. A portion of Teel's battery was
with us, but as no battle was expected, Lieuts.
McGinnis and Bennett were not with us, but
the battery was in charge of three non-commis-
sioned officers Nettles, Hume and Norman, all
formerly members of our company, who had
been detailed to work the cannon.
The night passed off, and as I have stated,
it was too cold to sleep much, the reader will
remember, too, that we had to keep up our camp
guard, and pacing a weary beat for two long
hours with bare feet on the cold frozen snow-
covered earth is not by any means comfortable.
On the 26th, Phillips' Company of Brigands
was placed on picket, about 12 o'clock the sun
made it warm enough for us to sleep, and we
went to sleep trusting everything to our pick-
ets, and they trusting everything to us, I reckon,
went to sleep, too, at any rate they were cap-
tured, and we were rudely awaked from our
slumbers by a volley of musketry fired into
camp. In a moment every fellow was on his
feet gun in hand to repel the assailants, it was
reported that the enemy was about to capture
the cannon, everything was in confusion, but
every fellow put out at his best speed for our
cannon, on the way we heard Norman from
our cannon's mouth in clear ringing tones speak
to them twice, and then we met him coming to
us with the cannon at full speed, and then we
heaved a sigh of relief. Two men, Pyron and
Shropshire, are rapidly moving back and forth,
calm, cool and deliberately restoring order and
forming us in line to meet the foe and finally
succeeded, the companies, however, in pick-
ing their camping ground were considerably
scattered, and while each was fighting all the
time upon their own hook, yet it took a consid-
erable time to get them together in order to
have some concert of action. Capt. Shannon
with Company C, got into a kind of a pocket,so that the enemy were on three sides of him
and here he lost a good many of his men, but
by dint of hard fighting and good running he
finally got to us, and our line was formed across
the canyon facing north, and we began driving
the foe, our company at this time being on the
extreme right. When we had gradually pushed
the enemy back about three hundred yards, and
Norman, Hume and Nettles were beginning to
preach to them in true war-like style from our
"six pounders," it was discovered that the en-
emy had a force below us in the canyon, which
were moving up to attack us in the rear. Pyron
then ordered us to move over on the left and
form across the mouth of another canyon run-
ning into the main canyon, and thus compel the
enemy to attack us in the front, this order our
company did not receive, and when the other
companies moved off we stood still. The en-
emy moved upon us from above and below and
completely encircled us, we making it as lively
as possible for them. After we were completely
cut off from the command and surrounded, our
situation caught the eye of Shropshire, we were
his old company, his boys, upon whom his
whole affections centered. I was a wild, way-
ward boy then, and he was my friend. I see
him now around the camp fire, his mild dark-
blue eyes beaming in love upon us. I hear his
kind voice cheering the sick and drooping. O,
yes; he loved us, and we loved and still love
him. He died for us. Like an avalanche he came
to us right through the lines of the enemy, but
there was no love beaming in his eyes then, in
its place there gleamed the fierce light of battle,
from his face beamed no bright smile, but the
storm cloud of war rested dark and deep upon
his brow, calmly and lovingly amid the death-
dealing missiles so thick in the air he spoke to
us, "Boys, follow me." Some one said, "We
are out of cartridges." He replied, "Then take
your knives" (he at his own expense had made
for each of us a knife, the blade about 18 inches
long, a guard over the handle and made very87
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Nesbitt Memorial Library. Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 9, Number 2, May 1999, periodical, May 1999; Columbus, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151406/m1/39/?q=nesbitt%20memorial%20library%20journal: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Nesbitt Memorial Library.