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WAR STORIES. The Capture ol' Hajrper'?s Ferry September Kith, .1 Kania Journal. I aw following General C. A. Kvans' advice to all Confederate soldiers, namely, to furnish for the columns of the Atlanta Journal "our" history of the great "civil" war, although I fail t ) SIM where the "civil" part cot in at. A Confed?rate soldier who < not a "political historian" defines history thus: "lu generalities, true: in par ticulars, false." This d?finition doubtless is not far from the truth, and nt the same time it is not the fault ?-f the historian, but "is" the fault of the participants in historical events. I. for one, do not propose to criticise historical nar ratives, except to give to the pubiic, if possible, what I "know" about it. Thc Confederate soldier who objects to any point in history which he "knows" is not fair or true should let such objection bc known through the Journal by giving a true version. If he can't write, get some one who can to write for him. F.very private Confederate soldier has just as much right to wriie a history as has thc general or thc politician. These views alone actuate mc in writing for thc Journal. 1 never did anything grand or startling as a sol dier, but I did a whole lot of walking, talking, starving and looking on, and in these points I feel that I am a full fledged historian. I am proud of thc Confederate sol dier, for I saw him do so many grand and noble things, and it was a great honor for me to be along and sec him at me for being along, but a fellow could not bc aloug and see anything of account unless he took all his brother had to take. Harper's Kerry wus captured, it is true, but its capture was a costly one to Kcrshaw's brigade. Kershaw's brigade of South Carolina and liarksdalc's brigade of Mississippi were sent by General MoLaws to cap ture thc heights on tho north Bide of the Potomac Uiver, and which over looked the town, whieh is situated just opposite and on the south bank of the river. These heights are known as Maryland Heights. The ascent from the base to tho top is lcrg and rough. Tho mountain or ridge was covered with a dense growth of chest nut and Homo timber. The surfaco was rook-ribbed with boulders and not at all easy to walk over. Near thc summit the Federals had out dcm tho timber for probably a hundred yards or so in width and olear across the crest of thc ridge. In the edge of tho dearing ?highest up the ridge they had constructed breast works of the bodies of the trees, and built them so that in the course of logs next to tho top one thoro were loop holes for them to shoot through, so that they wore completely hid from view or bullets. In the edgo of tho . clearing farthest down thc ridge they piled up thc tops and branches of thc large trees and all of thc small ones, thus forming a solid brush heap along their entire front. Thoy had three of these clearlngB and each one prepared for defense as described. On the crest of the heights i they had a battery of heavy guns. Reaching the foot of tho ridge Kcr shaw's brigade was formed across the -center of thc ridge and Barksdale's brigade placed on thc flanks. This was in the afternoon. Thus formed the two brigades advanced up the mountain. Protty soon we encountered tho ene my's pickets. Those were forced back and the Confederate lines pushed straight ahead till night, when wc slept in line of battle all night. At daylight the advance was re newed and in a short while Kershaw's brigade struck the first clearing. The men could not get through the brush heap and shoot at thc same time very well, so, while getting through and firing as best they could, they were subjected to a heavy fire from thc Yanks behind thc logs. Wc could not see a Yank to shoot at-saw noth ing but thc smoke of their guns through the holes in thc logs. When the men at last got into the clearing the Yanks broke loose and ran for the next clearing. This was 'the case at each dearing. Wheo he 1 brigade had driven the Yanks irom the works at the clearing nearest the top as my regiment had gotten over the log breastworks we were halted and the Federals opened on us with .their artillery. Just at this point where I got over tho works was a Yank lying, stretched out on his stomach like a flying squir ai T wintered if he W?? hurt or not nd pushed him with my foot. He flopped over on his back like a flap jack auddenly turned on a hot griddle. Then as quioklv up on his feet and beswn to .lance, uud prance and beg ns not .. uart him. He offered us every / thiriL' he had lo appease <mr supposed hatred, turned his pockets and otfered thc contents- a pocket knife and some Olli-? .-'ate ."-erip or money. Ile was .i hoy, about eighteen years of age, and had "103 Ohio" eu his cap. I thought (-? io;, -i ii', v 'n(MI I noted thc number ol' his regiment: "How many soldiers have they got anyway?! 'flu- fellow had no doubt been told thc yaru ol thc ono eye and the horn, ami thought it thc truth. Wc kept idling him to be quiet, we would not hurt him: but fear had dethroned his reason, and the only way that he could bc assured of our good intentions was for us to play the "good act" and accept some of his offerings. He pulled out of an inside pocket in his coat an opera glass and offered this. This was the last ditch, he thought, doubtless, us wc had not taken any thing yet. Colonel J. i). Kennedy, seeing him going on so ridiculously, came up just as he had pulled out thc glasses, and told him he would take or accept them, and thc Yank handed bini thc glasses. This satisfied him and he quit his girations and antics, no doubt feeling thankful that for once in his life at least, he had found something which would appease thc auger of "thc gods." About this time thc fire from tho Federal cannon made it advisable for "thc gods" to get on thc otherside of thc logs and take a scat, which we all did. Sitting there with our backs against the logs and toward thc guns at the same time, I saw the shells from tue cannon as they passed over our heads and over thc clearing. They did not seem to be going very fast and looked like black walnuts flying through the air. They jrashed through thc timber and exploded near our field hospital. It was not long, however, until wc drove the Yanks, with their guns and all, off tho mountain and looked down on tho town of Harper's Ferry. Tho Y'ankec army was all in plain view. Wc then got a battery of three-inch rifled parrots up the moun tain and posted them so as to have a plunging fire on the town. In this assault Korshaw's brigade had about 1,100 men, and lost in kill ed and woundod about 300. I saw but seven Yanks. The Yankee force was about 3,500, and then ran away from us. I found that thc linen told on us and whioh made the enemy class us with "the gods" was rather luoky, after all. It is simply charm ing to bo classed as a god, when the other follow is tho only one who knows it. Maryland, however, was the only place I ovor visited whore tho peoplo classed us with tho gods. For this reason I shall always love Maryland. Tho capture of Maryland Heights was a bloody engagement as far as Korshaw's brigade was concerned, but tben it suocccded. Cobb's brigade was badly cut up at Crampton's Gap by a portion of McClellan's army, and thc Federals thus got in tho valley in our rear. This necessitated our im mediate march down tho mountain. This vc did, and formod line of battle to opposo the Y'ankecs. There I saw numbers of Cobb's men hatless and eoatlcss. They woro scattered like a flock of partridges. Not |heir fault. They had fought as best thoy could, and single handed, 30,000 Yanks. About the time I began to look out for some moro sightseeing by an ad vance and a charge on the enemy General Kershaw rode up to quite near whore I was standing, lifted his hat from his head and called out: "Men, Harper's Ferry has surrender ed !" With that we began to cheer and tho Yanks took it as oignal of attack. We then got the orders to full back towards the river, which wc did while the Yanks were anticipat ing an attack. That afternoon all of the Johnnies crossed the Potomac on a Yankee pontoon bridge, which was thc first one I had ever walked on. Marching through thc town wc wont into camp just outside tho fortifica tion. It was then noarly sundown. Along with a lot of other men I was detailed to go back into tho town and get such articles of food from tho cap tured stores as wc oould secure and bring to camp. Wo wont to where the Yanks had their supplies stored away in tents, and I saw a cherry tree there with a wall tent fastened almost from tho top to the bottom of the tree. Tuii, no doubt, was tho white flsg they had hoisted as a token of surren der. They evidently meant business when it carno to surrendering, judging from the size of the sign. We went first into one tent and then into stiothor. In these lento we saw a lot of things besides food and clothing. There were all kinds of builders' hardware and tools, box hinges, screws, door looks, nails, axes, shovc?Sj hand saws, files, etc. Evidently they intended to build a New .Jerusalem somewhere in thc South after they bud licked us. Mut we nipped the little plan in the bud right then and there, for 1 never saw any of these thiugs in subsequent captures. In one tent I found a lot of cider-vinegar. I got a pint cup and Glied it to the brim. I tasted it. It was gof?? to mc then. I drank it all. The reason it didn't upset me, I reckon, was because my appetite had turned to brass and my stomach to sheet iron. That was ali 1 ate or tasted. I finally, after going into about all the tents, fastened onto a side of bacon. ? placed my bayonet on my gun and stuck the bayonet through the side of bacon, and putting the gun en my shoulder, started back to can?{?. It was then about dusk. When we reached the place where; we h it the regiment it was gone, so we trudged along the road up thc river with our loads and finally came upon the brigade cain ped on the side of the road. Just as we found them thc long roll aroused them and off we all went for Antietam or .^harpsburg, which place we reached carly in the morning and where we sat up all day with thc Yanks. W. A. JOHNSON, Company 1), Second 9. C. V. Atlanta, Ga. UM . Um Battle of Gaines' Mill. ! read in Saturday's Journal a letter written to Mr. K. K. Bullard, of Mil ledgeville, by a member of thc Six teenth Michigan regiment, ll. S. vol unteers. Reading this letter recalled an inci dent of the eivil war which I will relate. 1 was a member of Company B, Palmetto Sharpshooters, S. C. volun teers. The battle of Gaines' mill was fought June Lit?, L802. About noon of that day General Longstreet received orders to attack the Federal position in his front. Thc order was imme diately executed. fJhc strongly forti fied position of tho Feder*!* sn our front was stormed and captured by Longstreet's men, together with a number of prisoners. Longstreet's men were highly ct>m plimonted by Gcuoral icc in person for the gallantry displayed on this oc casion. But to thc inoidont. Late ia tbe ft!toruoon of that day Colonel Jenkins, commanding the sharpshooters, de tached his regiment front the nain command and startod- on the march through an open field whiofo lay in our front. Why this movement1 wa? made I never know. Aftor goinp about a mile we discovered a body of troops emerging from- some woods on our right and not more than 75? yards from us. They had their nug furled. It was getting dark, so thai it was hard to distinguish friend'from foe. Colonel Jenkins' attention was di rected to these troops in our front bs some of OUL- boys, who had been close ly watohing them, speaking in a low tone: "Them's Yankees," "Them'e Yankees." Whereupon, he ordered his regiment to "halt, front face," and immediately called-to- Abe troops in our front: "Unfurl' your ?Mg.' Not paying soy attention te? thin de mand, our colonel, still undecided called to thom again: "Unfurl youi flag or we will fire into you." Theil commander then called to his men "Halt; front face." Immediately Col onel Jenkins gav o the- commanc "Fire!" Kvery ono of our boys hat his gun to his shoulder ready to pul trigger, and they pulled it, you ma; he sure. These troops proved to-be the Six teonth Michigan, 1,100 stsong-as fini looking body of men as I ever saw They w^ro almost annihilated. Sue! slaughtor was. perhaps never knowi during the civil war where so fe\ troops were engaged. When we ra? up to where they wer their dead and wounded were literall piled up ons on top. of another f roi one cud of their line to the othes Many of tho Confederate soldier; eyes tilled with toars as they gaze upon the terrible hnvoo their deadl missiles made. Many were the e: pressions of sympathy and tender < help by bravo men who but a fo minutos before had fired tho guns th) produced this terrible slaughtor. You sec the Carolinians got in tl first fire. They wore in an open fie! -not a treo, bush or stump intervei ed between thc opposing foroos. Ht the Michiganders got tho first fire tl result would doubtless have bc; equally disastrous to the Carolinian Not one of our men killed and on 2 or 3 slightly wounded. I would like to know if the Miol gander who wrote friend Ballard w a member of the Sixteenth Miohig when tho circumstances I have rolat transpired, and if so would like te a him if he remembers a yoong Cai li ni an about my size bringing cantee of water from a branch near by quench the thirst of his wounded a dying comrades. At tho surrendei* at Appomati the Palmetto Sharpshooters stack arms io front of the Sixteenth Mid gan. Remarkable, wasn't it? Talk shout your "close calls." this wasn't a "close call" fer thc Ca linians then I don't know what "close call" is. All that ?avcd them was getting the first fire. JJ. M. RUSSELL, "High 1'rivate" Co. B; Palmetto .Sharpshooters. A Yankee Story. "Where we were camped one spell in front of Petersburg," said a Civil War veteran, "there was one gun on the other side that seemed to have a linc on our company street. "As a ger ^ral thing the shells would go over us to thc rear; but once in a while one would burst over the street, and now and then we'd get ??ne touching the ground. And with thc conditions as they were, when a shell actually stirred up the dust in the street like that it almost struck very close to one particular spot, that being at thc inner end of the street and on the cook tent's side. "That u'jed to disturb us eonsidei able, because we didn't know but what some day a shell might come aiong through lhere and carry oil our dinner; and we tried to get the cook to shift the fire a little, ten feet ^r so, so it wouldn't be in so much danger: but he was a stubborn cuss, and he wouldu't. "Ile said a cook fire wouldn't look very nice in thc middle of the com pany itreet, aud there wasn't any danger, anyhow. What he wanted, I guess, was to keep it where it would Ve most convenient, right alongside of his tent; but there's where he did keep it, anyway. We could't move him till something happened. "Our fire arrangement was just the usual thing, a couple of crotched sticks driven in the ground, five or six feet apart, with a pole laid across be tween them, and tho camp kettles hanging from that pole, with the fire built under them. We got a shell from that gun one day that took away one of those crotched sticks and scat tered earth around pretty freely, but it didn't do any other damage; it was ?lint nftnr breakfast^ wh??U there was nothing on the pole; but we got a shot latter that same morning, when there was something there, our dinner. "We were going to have boiled pork, boiled beans and coffee for dinner that day, and all three kettle? were hang ing side by side and close to the ground, and how it ever did it I don't kuow, because it didn't have the ket tles in line; but it et&nageo somehow, all the same to smash all three of them into seventeen different kinds of cooked hats, and it scattered onr din ner pretty much all ever croation. "For about a- minute it just rained beans and coffee and ?hunks of pork all round that neighborhood. Some ef the poik came down four streets away;, and rt. seemed aa though in our street there- wasn't a teat but what got more 'sr less of the beans or coffee or both. You? wouldn't have thought they could have been so- widely dis tributed, so-?hat there was enough of 'em togo 'round so far, and the shell didn't explode, you understand, either, just smashed) the kettle and passed on. "Well, we lost our donner that day, bub the loss sawed our good purpose; we were able after that to get the cook to move the fire a tittle, anyway, out of the range of that gun."-Nevo Yovk Sm*. Nt* So Vet? Bard. An old army surgeon who was fond of a joke, if not perpetrated at his own expense, was one day at a mess when, a wag remarked the doe tor, who had been somewhat severe in his re marks os? the literary delinquencies of some of the officers appointed from civil life: "Dootor, are you acquaint ed with Capt.. G?" "Yes, I know him well?" replied the dootor. 4 'But what of him?' ' "Nothing in particular," replied the officer. "I have just received a letter from bim, and 1 wager you that you oannot tell in five guesses how he spells cat." "Done," said the doctor. "It's a wager." "Well, commence guessing," said tho officer. "K-a-double-t." "No." "C-a-t-e." "No, try again." "Kate." "No, you'vo missed it again." "Well, then," returned the doctor, "ca-double-t." "No, that's not tho way: try once more, it's your last guess." "Ga-g-t." . "No, said the wag, "that's not the way; you've lost the bet." "Well," said the doctor, "how does he spell it?" "Why, he spells it c-a-t," replied the wag with the utmost gravity, amid the roars of the mess; and, almost ohoking with rage, the doctor sprang to his feet, exclaiming: "Gentlemen, I am too old to be trifled with in this manner." < - In Tyrol the mother of a female infant nukes during tho first year of its ?ifs a bsiutifu! ?so 2i*cdkerchief. After it is finished it is laid away lo be brought over and placed over her head. After the marriage it is again laid away to be seen no more until death, when it is again produced and laid over hor face in thfc ooffin. The Mississippi River. "I han been very much impressed with the.importance of small things in late years/' said an old steamboat man, "and the Mississippi Hiver has furnished me some rather good ex amples. I can understand now why Caesar looked out upon the Nile in such curious amazement and offered all that he stood for to the Egyptian priest if he would show him the source of that wonderful river. But the antics of the Nile look like insignifi cant nothings to me when compared with thc strange conduct of the stream .hal oozes out of ?he earth at Ita. ca and hurries on its murky aud devious way towards the Guli of Mexico. Towns along the Mississippi that stood right on the bank of the river have been isolated even in my day, and there are, too, all along the course of the stream little empires in view where the river has enroached upon small centres of population, finally eat ing the earth away and forcing the inha bhants to seek other quarters. There aro hundreds of these places that are almost forgotten now even by the men who are constantly on tho river. ' What brings about these violent changes along the banks of the river? Not floods. It is just the ordinary doings of the stream. In the first place the current of the Mississippi is wonderfully swift, and the sediment deposited at any point where resist ance to the flow is offered is very great. Tie a string to the neck of a bottle and sink it with the mouth of the bottle up and open. "If held in one place where the flow is normal, in an extremely short period of time the bottle will fill with sedi ment. Stretch a nefcacrosss the river, a net so finely woven that nothing but the pure water of the river can pass through, and, on account of the rapid ity of the flow and the greatness of the deposit of sediment, almost in a tn.billing the river would be dammed at that point. Experts have admitted j.r.rru:_ L_:_^~ ?v._:_. ~? . Ula. J. ?11.-7 i/tiuga ure \.xr one piu? ?si my narrative. "The flow of currents is frequently infcerferred with by sunken boats, per haps by a jaekBtaff sticking up above the surface. The current is diverted by degrees, generally touching the far side of the siream a mile from the point where it again meeba resistenee, and immediately begins the building of a sandbar. I have seen a thousand examples of this sort duri ng: my career on the river, and I have known of in stances where the root of a tree or the mere twig of a willow have brought about similar conditions-. These things have tended to make a riddle out of the river; yet the stream after a while will be handled BO as to undo all that it has accomplished i? this way."-New Qriearrt? T?vbo8<-Ihm#i?Tat. How to; Bes?me Wealthy, la a New Hampshire city there dwell? an octogenarian physician, whor in addition tobie wide medieal skill, is known far and wide dispenser of blunt philosophy. The ether day a young man af his acquaintance call ed at his office. "I have sot oome for pills this time, doctor," said the visitor, "but for advice. You have lived many years in this world of toil and trouble and have had rauch experience. I am young, and I want you to tell me how to get rich." The aged practitioner gazed through his glasses at the young man, and in a deliberate tone said: "\es, I ean tell yo?. Yon are young and can accomplish your object if you will. Your plan is this: First, be industrious and economical. Save as much as possible and spend Ss little. Pile up the dollars ?nd put them at interest. If yon follow out theBe instruction, by the time you reaoh my age you'll be rieh as Croesus and as mean as h-1."-Buffalo Com mercial. Don't Marry. Almost everybody remembers the cele ! brated advice of the London JFSiuch, "To. those about to marry. Don't." There is in that advice the expression of the i feeling of many a mother who says, " I hope my daughter will ne'ver marry and suffer as I have." In ninety-eight cases in every hun dred there's no need for this suf fering. 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