Chapter VI: Carry Me Back to Old Virginia

While in winter quarters at Dalton, I received a letter from a relative saying that she would soon get married, and had woven on her loom a nice suit of jeans, and that I must come a week before in order that the tailor could make them. Therefore, I made application for a furlough, and it is not necessary to say here that I obtained a genuine one. My destination was New Canton, Va., on the James River, sixty-six miles above Richmond. I went via Columbia, S. C., and reached there without any money. As I had not drawn any clothing from the Confederate States Army for a year, I was entitled to so much money in lieu thereof. I think the paymaster paid me ninety-five dollars.

When I reached Petersburg I heard that the canal was frozen over between Richmond and New Canton. I therefore went from Petersburg to Farmville by rail, and thence horseback to New Canton, hiring a negro boy to bring the horses back. Near Buckingham Courthouse we had to ford Slate River. Some men were working in the low ground, and I asked them where to ford, as the river was much swollen. They pointed to a place above, and in my horse went; down the stream he swam, and I clinging to him. I got pretty wet, and as it was a very cold day I rode to the town for some stimulants. I got a small glass of whisky, for which I paid one dollar, and I said to the landlord: “It tastes like turpentine.” He said: “It is pine top.” They cut off the boughs of pine and put them into the whisky to color it and give it strength; hence the name “pine top.”

I reached my destination without further mishap, and after a few days’ rest carried my piece of jeans to the tailor at Columbia, and soon I was the best-dressed soldier in Buckingham county. The night for the wedding soon drew near, and what a repast there was! There were on the table all shapes of cake—tea, pound, and sponge cake—but all made of the same ingredients, flour and sorghum. The coffee was made of parched rye mixed with parched sweet potato peelings and sweetened with sorghum. I do not believe that, in January, 1864, there were more than five bags of coffee in Virginia. Nearly all the saddles had been denuded of their skirts to make soles for shoes; and when leather gave out, the farmers blocked out of hickory or dogwood solid soles and heels. By taking sheepskin for uppers, it gave a solid hair shoe, comfortable to ride in but very hard on the feet and limbs in walking. The negro boy who made my fire woke me up by his tramping upstairs like a horse. Of course in riding horseback the wooden shoes were all right.

I was struck with the absence of young men. They were all at the front with General Lee. The old men and women, the girls and boys, were at home, and the slaves watched over and guarded those girls as if they were their own children. I never heard of an improper act committed anywhere in old Virginia by any of the old-time slaves. All honor to these old trusted servants, many of whom sleep in the sacred dust of old Virginia! Another thing that impressed me was the devotion of the Southern women to the boys in the army. They would deny themselves any little delicacy they could get to send to the boys, and they would knit and knit, sew and sew from morning till night; and as scarce as was cotton goods in 1864. I have seen the women tear up their skirts and make them into bandages and send them to our wounded in hospitals in Richmond.

The nearest male relatives I had at that time were three first cousins. Two of them had been discharged, and the other was in Company C, commanded by Captain Miller, and was in the Forty-fourth Virginia Regiment, General Jones’s Brigade, Major General Edward Johnson’s Division, Army of Northern Virginia; and I desired to be with my cousin in the final struggle. Being a native of Virginia, I was entitled to the transfer under certain conditions: (1) The assent of the captain commanding my company; (2) the consent of the captain of the company to which I wished to be transferred; (3) the approval of the Congressman representing my Congressional district.

Armed with these papers, I went to Richmond, and stopped at the Spottswood Hotel, next day sending my card to Hon. Thomas S. Bocock. He invited me to his room, where I explained to him my mission by saying that I wished to come back to my native state and try to defend her against the encroachments of General Grant. Mr. Bocock slapped me on the shoulder and said: “Young man, we would like to have twenty thousand like you. We will go down to the War Department, where we will meet Mr. Judah P. Benjamin, and will arrange the transfer for you.” We had a pleasant meeting with Mr. Benjamin, who was then acting in place of Mr. Seddon. Mr. Benjamin said that I would have to return to the First Tennessee Regiment at Dalton, and the transfer would reach me through the headquarters of General Joseph E. Johnston. On my return to Dalton the regiment was in comfortable winter quarters, but I was very lonely. Only nine of my old Company B were present, and I was glad a few days after to get notice to report to Captain Miller, Company C, Forty-fourth Virginia Regiment, on the Rapidan, near Vedersville, Va. As General Lee’s army was in winter quarters, and I did not have to report in any specified time, I returned to Virginia, and went over much the same ground as previously, except that I made the trip by canal. I visited also while in Lynchburg. I arrived at Orange Courthouse March 14, 1864, on quite a cold night. I went to the only hotel near the depot, which was covered with what are called in Virginia “clapboards.” I was surprised on awaking next morning to find about three inches of snow on my coverlet. It had drifted in under the boards. I found outside about ten inches of snow, through which I had to trudge ten miles before I found my regiment.