Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray, 1861-1865 Page: 9
[6], 904 p., leaves of plates: ill. (1 col.), ports ; 25 cm.View a full description of this book.
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Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray, 1861-1865. 9
I never missed but one roll call during the war. Of course, when on
duty or out by permission was the same as answering to my name. This
is only a sample of what the Confederate soldier had to do. We had to
take the weather as it came, hot or cold, wet or dry. On Gen. Sherman's
"destruction" to the sea, four or five of us rode out of ranks to where
the Yanks had burned and destroyed everything on the place, where a
two-story house with six chimneys had stood. An old lady, about 85 years
old, was there with a crutch under each arm and a night cap on..One of the
boys says "the Yanks have burned and destroyed everything." "Yes,"
she says, "and I do not know where those two little children and I are going
to stay." In every direction we could see the smoke of burning houses.
If it had not been for the dear ladies we could not have held out as
long as we did. They planted and cultivated the cotton, spun and wove it
to make our clothes and raised the provisions, nursed the sick and wounded.
God bless the women of the South.
R. M. ALEXANDER, Seymour, Texas-Was born in Lauderdale County,
Mississippi, and enlisted in the Confederate Army in Titus County,
Txas, as private in Company A, Col. Stone's regiment, Gen. Majors' brigade,
Gen. Green's cavalry, Trans-Mississippi Department; John Wilson,
first Captain, and Stone, first Colonel. Was in the battle of Mansfield on
the line of Louisiana and Texas, and in many skirmishes.
THOS. HENRY ALEXANDER, Fort Worth, Tex.-Born Aug. 18, 1845,
in Mississippi. I enlisted as my father's substitute in 1863 and on my own
account in 1864 at Sardis, Miss., as private in Company H, Home Guards,
first, and the second time I enlisted in Eighteenth Mississippi Cavalry, Gen.
Alex Chalmers' battalion, Gen. McCulloch's brigade, Gen. Chalmers' division,
Gen. Forrest's corps, Army of Tennessee; first Captain, J.
T. Johnson, and second, W. J. Floyd; first Colonel, Blythe. In
September, 1864, we were changed to Mobile under Gen. Maury to
strengthen his force. Was not wounded, captured nor promoted. Was in
none of the large battles, but in many skirmishes around Memphis, Tenn.,
and Oxford, Miss., among them Coleman's and Brice's Cross Roads.
GEORGE ALLEN, Austin, Tex.-Born March 4, 1835, near Rochester,
N. Y. Enlisted in the Confederate Army in June, 1861, at Eagle
Lake, Tex., as a private in Company F., Fourth Texas Infantry, Gen.
Hood's brigade, Gen. Hood's division, Gen. Longstreet's corps, Army of
Northern Virginia; Ed Cunningham, first Captain, and Hood, first Colonel.
Was wounded in the battle of Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, in right arm close
to the shoulder, and it was amputated on July 3. I was taken prisoner at
David's Island. I was in the battles of Elthams Landing, Va., Seven Pines,
Gaines Mill, Malvern Hill, second battle of Manassas, South Mountains,
Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, where I was disabled for
war and for life.
Comrades killed and wounded at Gaines Mill were as follows: Colonel
Marshall shot from his horse; Lieut. Col. Warwick was killed; Tom Cunningham,
private, was wounded and died a few days later. One of my
mess, Carr by name, as brave a boy as ever fought a foe, was killed by
grapeshot. Many were the skirmishes in which we were engaged, but
at Gaines Mill we went in with 2,500 men, and answered at night to roll
call with but 1,000.
At the battle of Gettysburg I lost my arm, but it strengthened my faith
in God and Christ and Southern rights. Thousands of men lay dead and
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Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray, 1861-1865 (Book)
Sketches of several hundred Confederate veterans, residing in Texas after the Civil War, giving particulars of their war service.
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Yeary, Mamie, 1876-. Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray, 1861-1865, book, 1912; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29786/m1/16/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.