Inside of Rebeldom: Civil War First Hand Accounts, #1

By Jabez P. Cannon, M.D.

The Alabama 27th Infantry Regiment fought throughout the war beginning with the Battle of Shiloh. It was captured twice, at Fort Donelson and Vicksburg, yet continued the fight throughout the Atlanta Campaign, finally surrendering in North Carolina. This book is an excellent first-hand account by one of its members, Jabez P. Cannon. He kept a detailed diary during the war and wrote the book in 1900.

From the Preface...

I have been assured by many who have read these reminiscences that the simplicity of my narrative, the plain, matter-of-fact details of every-day life of the soldier are its chief recommendation, and been requested by the same readers not to make any change, but to let it go into a book just as it is, so I will offer no apology.A large majority of my readers, perhaps, will be of those who were arrayed against me. To them I will say that I did my duty, as it appeared to me, as faithfully as it was possible for me to do, but when I accepted my parole of 12th of May, 1865, I buried all animosity, and with my comrades of the Gray rejoice that we are a reunited people and equally devoted to the same flag which floats over the teeming millions of this free and enlightened country. In a little while we shall have answered the last roll call, and our children will take our places. We of the South and of the North have taught them to love their country and defend it against every foe, and we can rest assured that the American flag will ever have strong arms and willing hearts to uphold it.That this narrative may be received by the survivors with the same feeling of genuine fraternity in which it is presented is the earnest desire of THE AUTHOR, 

Jabez P. Cannon, M.D.

This book has been out of print for many years. We have added details on the officers and a roster of the 27th Alabama along with an index which were not in the original.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eastern Digital Resources
• Release date: Jun 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393465218

Book preview

Inside Of Rebeldom:

The Daily Life Of A Private In The

Confederate Army.

________

By Jabez P. Cannon, M.D.

Late 27th Ala.

THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE,

WASHINGTON, D. C.

1900.

Inside Of Rebeldom: The Daily Life Of A Private In The Confederate Army.

8th Printing – APR 2020 – 6/0/4/0/KN/DD

New material copyright © 2002 Eastern Digital Reserves.  All Rights Reserved.  No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the express written consent of the copyright holder.

Published by:

Eastern Digital Resources

31 Bramblewood DR SW

Cartersville, GA  30120

http://www.researchonline.net

EMAIL: [e-mail]

Tel. [phone]

DEDICATION

TO THE MEMORY

OF

THE HEROES OF THE GRAY AND OF THE BLUE

WHO DIED BATTLING FOR

PRINCIPLES THEY BELIEVED TO BE RIGHT,

WHOSE GRAVES ARE MONUMENTS

TO AMERICAN VALOR,

WITH FRATERNAL FEELINGS OF THE

AUTHOR FOR ALL SURVIVING

COMRADES, THIS NARRATIVE

IS RESPECTFULLY

DEDICATED.

Dr. J.P. Cannon founded Cannon’s Drug store in 1874.

Jabez P. Cannon in uniform

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Officers of the 27th Alabama

Assignments

Battles of the 27th Alabama

Companies Of The Alabama 27th Infantry Regiment

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Field and Staff Officers

Company A -—Franklin County, Alabama

Company B -—Franklin County, Alabama

Company C -—Lauderdale County

Company D -—Lawrence County

Company E -—Lauderdale County

Company F -—Madison County, Alabama

Company G -—Franklin County, Alabama

Company H -—Morgan County, Alabama

Company I -—Lawrence County, Alabama

Company K -—Lauderdale County, Alabama

Company Unknown

Bibliography

Index

Preface

In offering this very plain narrative to the public I have yielded to the request of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE and the urgent solicitation of many friends who wore the Blue. Nothing was further from my mind, when writing it, than the probability of its being put into a book, or even in print in any form, my object being merely to keep a daily record of events as they occurred to me in my humble capacity of private in the Confederate army, to give a true account of personal experiences in camp, on the march, and on the field of battle, my observations being confined almost wholly to what happened in my own company and in my immediate vicinity.

I have been assured by many who have read these reminiscences in THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE that the simplicity of my narrative, the plain, matter-of-fact details of every-day life of the soldier are its chief recommendation, and been requested by the same readers not to make any change, but to let it go into a book just as it is, so I will offer no apology for its many defects.

A large majority of my readers, perhaps, will be of those who were arrayed against me. To them I will say that I did my duty, as it appeared to me, as faithfully as it was possible for me to do, but when I accepted my parole of 12th of May, 1865, I buried all animosity, and with my comrades of the Gray rejoice that we are a reunited people and equally devoted to the same flag which floats over the teeming millions of this free and enlightened country. In a little while we shall have answered the last roll call, and our children will take our places. We of the South and of the North have taught them to love their country and defend it against every foe, as proved by the recent war with Spain, and we can rest assured that the American flag will ever have strong arms and willing hearts to uphold it.

That this narrative may be received by the survivors with the same feeling of genuine fraternity in which it is presented is the earnest desire of.

THE AUTHOR.

Introduction

When I left my home in north Alabama on Dec. 24, 1861, I included in my soldier's outfit a good sized memorandum book, determined to keep a record of my experiences, which I imagined would be interesting to me in after years, if I should be so fortunate as to survive the war. I scarcely thought that more than one such book would be necessary to contain a full history of my soldier life for the few months which the war was expected to continue; but months lengthened into years, and events, new to me, crowded themselves upon me so fast that book after book was filled and sent home for safe keeping. When the long and distressing war did finally come to a close I gathered up my notes and found that all of the first year's record was lost; so to make my narrative complete I have supplied from memory a brief sketch of such incidents as were imprinted upon my mind, prefacing it with a short account of the stirring events just preceding the actual clash of arms, when prejudice swayed the minds of the people, and passions were aroused to a degree which seems almost incredible in these times of domestic peace and fraternal relations which exist between the two sections.

As every one who is old enough to remember it knows, the Presidential campaign of 1860 was one of the most exciting and the most memorable in the history of our country. With four candidates in the field, and two of them from one of the great parties, it resulted, as anticipated by almost every one, in the election of Mr. Lincoln. Secession, which had been hinted at before, was then openly advocated. Mass-meetings were held, and prominent speakers all over the South harangued the people and urged them to prepare for the inevitable. But a large portion of them were opposed to a separation; the conservative element-the Douglas and Bell men-clung to the Union, advising moderation, many believing that if war had to come it was best to fight it out under the old flag.

THE DIE IS CAST.

As the States one by one passed the Ordinance of Secession the lines were drawn closer and closer, until there was no neutral ground. The die was cast, and the original Union men were forced to take sides, and naturally a large majority yielded to the popular clamor, and espoused the cause of their native States.

A few yet hoped that cooler judgment would prevail, and war might be averted; but when the Administration at Washington fully decided on coercion and called for men, even these lost all hope of a peaceful solution, and every mind seemed imbued with the certainty of war, but with very little conception of what it ultimately proved to be. True, some of the older and more prudent looked on the grave side, and predicted a long and bloody struggle, but the young, carried away by excitement, entered into it with all the ardor of youth, and without fore-thought of the consequences.

Meetings increased in frequency and interest. Eloquent speakers stirred the audiences, and the populace went wild with enthusiasm. The assertions so often made that Yankees would not fight, and that one Southerner could whip five Yankees, were greeted with tremendous applause; some even went so far as to place the odds at 1 to 10.

It was during these exciting times that about 125 students, ranging in age from 16 to 25 years-the writer one of the youngest of the number-were assembled at Florence Wesleyan University, all of us hailing from the Southern States, principally Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas.

The majority of us were too young to have any well-defined ideas as to politics, but as a rule followed the foot-steps of our fathers, divided as they were in politics and on the other great questions which were agitating the country; but as the war fever rose higher and higher we drifted with the tide, regardless of any Union sentiments which had previously prevailed.

Companies were being organized all over the country. Confederate gray was everywhere to be seen, and it is not surprising that the contagion extended to us; even the dignified Professors, being almost as much enthused as the pupils, encouraged us in the formation of a company more than 100 strong.

We elected officers, and began drilling every day after school hours, entering into the study of Hardee's Tactics with as much zest as we had formerly done with Greek and Latin. The tailors and seamstresses of the town were engaged for days in making our uniforms, which were of gray cloth with black cuffs and collars and black stripes down the trouser legs, which, with our gray caps, made us look as if we had been transformed into a sure-enough military school.

ENTHUSIASTIC YOUNG REBELS.

When our company was first organized it was with the intention to offer our services to the Confederacy as soon as our term at school expired, which would have been in June; some even insisted on offering at once, but this was opposed by the majority, especially the seniors, who were anxious to finish the term and get their diplomas, for which they had labored so zealously the past four years. Quite a number, though, were so belligerently inclined that they could not wait for so short a time, and began to drop out one by one and go to join home companies.

So, by the middle of May our company was reduced to about 50 members, and a meeting was called, to which the teachers were invited, and, as a result, it was agreed that diplomas be issued to those who would be entitled to them in June, disband the company, and all go home, where each would be free to join any branch of the service he desired.

When I arrived at home a company was being organized in the neighborhood, in which my older brother was taking an active part. I proposed to enlist at once, but my parents objected, and my brother advised against it, giving as some of the reasons that I was too young, had never been inured to hardships, and physically was not able to make a soldier; besides volunteers were rushing to the front faster than they could be provided with arms.

I had always been obedient to my parents' wishes, and reluctantly yielded under an assurance that objections would be waived when it became necessary for me to go.

The company to which my brother belonged soon had a full complement of men, went into camps, and spent the time drilling and making other preparations while their uniforms were being made; and on June 3 left for Virginia, where they met other companies, and organized the 9th Ala.

The Confederate soldiers who went out early generally had very good uniforms, which, of course, were furnished by themselves; but later it was impossible to procure gray cloth, and we considered ourselves in luck when we had anything at all comfortable, no matter what the color or quality of the goods might be, brown jeans being more generally in use on account of the material for the cloth and the dye for coloring it being more easily obtained.

A great many of my most intimate friends went off with my brother's company, and, living far out in the country, where we had mails only three times a week, it was a lonely time I had. With nothing to do and few companions, I grew restless, and could not even enjoy fishing and hunting, which had been my delight in former days.

READING THE WAR NEWS.

On mail days all the old men of the community and the few boys remaining congregated at the village post office to get the latest news from the war and read letters from the boys at the front. The papers were filled with glowing accounts of our armies, and hour after hour of the long Summer evenings was spent by some one of the party reading aloud for the edification of the crowd.

At length a great battle was fought, and a Confederate victory heralded over the country. Enthusiasm was wrought up to the highest pitch; public speakers and original Secessionists had their confidence strengthened, and such remarks were frequently indulged in as: Didn't I tell you one Southerner could whip five Yankees? Boys, you'd better hurry up and get there before the next battle, if you want to share in the glory, for we'll clean 'em up next time, sure.

It has been said, and probably with some truth, that this victory was more disastrous to the South than a defeat would have been, for it seemed to confirm to some extent the assertions so often made that Yankees would not fight, and gave the Confederates an overconfidence, resulting in a laxity of discipline; while it roused and solidified the North and stimulated its people to renewed vigor and determination in the prosecution of the war.

When the boys began to come home, discharged on account of sickness and wounds, one without an arm, another a leg, some reported killed, others captured-many of them my most intimate friends-my reflections assumed a more serious turn, and at times my ardor was considerably, temporarily, cooled. But it would never do to let the war end without doing my part. I thought I would be disgraced forever, and the old longing for the pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war would return.

My father, as I learned later, had a little more sense and judgment than I, and told me the war had just begun, and would continue until many lives were sacrificed on both sides, and that every man and boy capable of bearing arms would be called on before it was ended.

CALLING FOR VOLUNTEERS.

In the Fall of 1861 it was generally believed, and so published in the papers, that the Federals were planning an invasion by way of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. This produced a sensation in the community; the war was coming to our very doors; our negroes would be freed, stock driven off, and the beautiful Valley of the Tennessee desolated. The time had come for every man to shoulder his gun. President Davis issued an urgent appeal for volunteers, stating in the call that the men would have to arm themselves, as he had no arms to give them.

Parties were out drumming up companies. There were no examinations by Surgeons as to physical condition, nor were youth or old age a bar to eligibility; every man or boy capable of carrying a gun was gladly received, and no questions asked. Meetings were held at different places in the neighborhood, and we were entertained with red-hot speeches, picturing in glowing terms the glorious destiny of the young Nation which had just been born. The roll of the drum and the shrill note of the fife could be heard all over the land, while the work of collecting arms and other necessaries progressed.

Double-barreled shotguns seemed to be the most available weapons to be had, and were said to be quite formidable in warfare. The majority of those among us who enlisted had them, and those who had not were soon supplied by accommodating neighbors who were willing to contribute that much to the cause. Bayonets were not to be had, and would be useless appendages with our double-barreled shotguns. Of course, Yankees would not stand long enough for bayonets ever really to be used in battle (if one could have believed half that the public speakers told him of their fighting qualities), but it would look more warlike to have something of the kind, and it was decided that long bowie-knives would be the best substitute, and the most easily obtained; accordingly, a search was begun for material from which to manufacture them.

Almost every farm had a blacksmith shop in those days, and in them were large files and rasps which had been worn out and laid aside as useless. These, and any other pieces of steel which could be manufactured into a knife, were hunted up, and in a short while the ring of the blacksmith's hammer could be heard in every shop, fashioning these once-useful instruments into weapons which were to exterminate all the Yankees who should be so foolish as to attempt to come up the Tennessee River. Tanyards were invaded for leather, and shoemakers engaged to make scabbards; preparations kept pace with enlistments, and by the time we had enrolled 100, arms were ready for them.

Ere this I had carried President Davis's call for troops to my father, and when he had read it I reminded him of his promise that I might go whenever it became necessary, presenting all the arguments I could think of, and particularly emphasizing the necessity as it appeared at that time.

The old gentleman had been a strong Union man up to the time of the secession of Alabama, but after the Ordinance was passed had abandoned all hope of a peaceful settlement, and considering it his duty to go with his State, had become a stanch supporter of the Confederacy.

To him it was a hard struggle between parental affection and patriotic duty; still harder with my mother, for, besides being the only boy left at home, I was the youngest member of the family, and had been petted (perhaps spoiled) from my earliest recollection. Their doubts of my ability to stand the life of a soldier weighed most heavily upon them, my youth and lack of physical development being serious obstacles in the way of arriving at a decision; but the momentous question was finally decided, and I had their consent to go to the war.

Officers of the 27th Alabama

Colonels:

Adolphus A. Hughes

James Jackson

Lieutenant Colonels:

James Jackson

Edward McAlexander

Majors:

Edward McAlexander

R. G. Wright

Assignments

At Fort Donelson, Heiman 's Brigade was in Brigadier General Bushrod R. Johnson's Division, comprising the left wing of the Confederate defenses. The brigade consisted of the l0th, 42nd, 48th (Voorhies') and 53rd Tennessee Infantry Regiments, Maney's Tennessee Battery, and the 27th Alabama Infantry Regiment, totaling about 1600 men.

Battles of the 27th Alabama

Fort Henry, February 6, 1862

Fort Donelson, February 12 - 16, 1862

Vicksburg Campaign, May - July, 1863

Baker's Creek, May 16, 1863

Jackson Siege, July, 1863

Meridian Campaign, February - March, 1864

Morton, February 8, 1863

Chunky Mountain, February 12, 1864

Moulton, March 21, 1864

Florence, April 12, 1864

Atlanta Campaign, May - September, 1864

Resaca, May 14 - 15, 1864

New Hope Church, May 25 - June 4, 1864

Kennesaw Mountain, June 27, 1864

Peach Tree Creek, July 20, 1864

Ezra Church, July 28, 1864

Atlanta Siege, July - September, 1864

Jonesboro, August 31 - September 1, 1864

Ackworth, October 4, 1864

Franklin, November 30, 1864

Nashville, December 15 - 16, 1864

Carolinas Campaign, February - April, 1865

Kinston, March 7 - 10, 1865

Bentonville, March 19 - 21, 1865

Companies Of The Alabama 27th Infantry Regiment

Company A - Franklin - J.B. Moore; till re-organized. Robert Watson; superceded. H. Rodgers; wounded at Kinston.

Company B - Franklin - R.G. Wright; captured at Fort Donelson; promoted. F. LeB. Goodwin.

Company C - Lauderdale - Empson B. Dudley; captured at Fort Donelson; wounded in Georgia.

Company D - Lawrence - H.B. Irwin of Lawrence; captured at Fort Donelson; wounded at Kinston.

Company E - Lauderdale - T.A. Jones; till reorganized. Rob't Andrews.

Company F - Madison - .... Roberts; till reorganized. John Corn.

Company G - Franklin - Tho's B. M'Cullough; transferred. W.A. Isbell; killed at Baker's Creek. S.S. Anderson; wounded at Franklin.

Company H - Morgan - ..... Humphrey; till reorganized. John B. Stewart.

Company I - Lawrence - Henry A. McGhee; resigned. Thomas McGhee.

Company K - Lauderdale - Hugh L. Ray; captured at Fort Donelson.

*C apt. Wm. Word, commanding one of the companies in this regiment attached to the Thirty-third Mississippi, was killed at Perryville.

Chapter 1

Organization Of 27th Alabama-Armed With Shotguns And Homemade Bowie-Knives-Mustered In-First Steamboat Trip-Down The Blue Tennessee-Fort Henry-First Night On Guard-Charge In The Dark-Bombardment Of Fort Henry And Retreat.

Ienlisted in Co. C , 27th Ala., in the Fall of 1861. Companies from other Counties which were required to complete the regiment were slow, and it was not until the latter part of December that we were ready for organization. As the eventful day approached we began to tell friends and sweethearts good-by. Every young fellow who went to the war got a kiss from his best girl, and as it was the first that many of us had ever enjoyed, it is not surprising that a last farewell was repeated over and over again before we actually took our departure.

Our patriotism ebbed and flowed, we being anxious to get off, yet loth to leave home and friends whom we might never see again. It was a trying time when the 24th day of December, 1861, came, the day set for us to meet in Florence and be mustered in. One other company from our County and eight from other Counties in north Alabama met us at the appointed time, and as each numbered about 100, we had a full regiment, and were sworn into the service of the Confederate States for 12 months unless sooner discharged.

If you Yankees could have seen that array of 1,000 doubled-barreled shotguns, 1,000 long bowie-knives-not keen, bright blades, as the story writers would say, for many of these bore the marks of the unskilled blacksmith's hammer, and the rust of years still clung to them, untouched by the stone which ground them to a sharp edge-perhaps you would tremblingly have folded your tents and marched back to your Northern homes and left the Confederacy one of the nations of the earth; but you did not see it, and the war went on, battles were planned and preparations for a movement up the Tennessee River were continued just the same as if the 27th Ala. had not come into existence.

OFF TO THE WAR.

When the ceremony of mustering was finished we marched to the river, where a boat was waiting to bear us to the war, and the work of loading began, which was no small task, for we had enough baggage to supply a division 12 months later. Like all fresh regiments, we had everything we needed and 10 times as much that we did not need. In short, we were fully equipped for housekeeping, with the single exception of feather beds, the nearest approach to that article of luxury being the bed-ticks that we carried for the purpose of filling after we should reach our destination.

When our tents, trunks, boxes of provisions, buckets, washpans, etc., were all on board and we marched on, that boat was probably more heavily loaded than it ever was before. It was late in the afternoon when, taking a last farewell of the anxious friends who had followed us thus far, we loosened the lines, and amid cheers and waving of handkerchiefs steamed out down the blue Tennessee.

This was the first steamboat trip for many of us, and we enjoyed the ride and the scenery, which was all new to us-even enjoyed the novelty of eating cold rations and sleeping on deck; but aside from this the trip was uneventful, and we reached Fort Henry on the morning of Dec. 26.

Henry was a small fort on the east bank of the Tennessee River, in Stewart County, Tenn. It had 10 or 15 guns, chiefly small ones, but looked exceedingly formidable to us who had never seen anything of the kind before. We were not allowed to land there, but were carried to the opposite side of the river, in Calloway County, Ky., where it was intended for us to build a fort that, with the assistance of Fort Henry, was to present an impassable barrier to all crafts and blow the Lincoln gunboats to Halifax, if they should ever have the audacity to attempt a passage up the river.

Our baggage was dumped off on the bank, a guard left with it, and we marched across the muddy bottom to where the ground rose above high-water mark, gradually sloping upwards to the foot of a range of hills which bordered the river for miles in either direction. On this slope we pitched our camps, and began cleaning out the undergrowth and staking off the ground for each company.

JOYS OF THE RECRUITS.

We were provided with large wall tents, but having had no experience in stretching them had great difficulty in getting them properly adjusted; but after tearing down, readjusting, moving pegs from place to place numberless times, we finally got them arranged to our entire satisfaction. The next step was to buy lumber, put down floors, build bunks, and having filled our bed-ticks from a neighboring farmer's strawstack, we felt that we were ready to move in and begin housekeeping; for in our ignorance of the uncertainties of a soldier's life we thought we had come to stay, and that it was the part of wisdom to make ourselves comfortable in the beginning.

All of us, from Colonel down to lowest private were fully as green as the average recruit. I was the only member of my company who had any experience in drilling, my knowledge in that line being limited to the small amount I had learned while at school. However, we had but little of that exercise to undergo, as the weather was bad, and it was difficult to find enough level land to drill on, except in the river bottom, which was too rough when frozen and too muddy when thawed. Nor were we subject to very rigid discipline; our regiment being the only troops on that side of the river, and no enemy near, we were allowed all the freedom we could ask.

Our rations consisted chiefly of a fair article of beef and cornmeal; but we were not much concerned about rations, for we had brought from home great boxes of boiled ham, chickens, pies, cakes, butter, eggs, coffee, etc., and those of us who lived near the river had promises from our good mothers of more to follow every week on the steamboats that made regular trips.

Camps once in good shape, engineers laid off our fort (which, like Bill Arp's well, was never dug,) and we christened it Heiman, in honor of the Colonel of the 10th Tenn., who at that time commanded the forces on both sides of the river.

But little work was done on the fort; it seemed useless to waste our energies digging and spading, when we had not a single cannon to mount. The officers were so careless about it that began to think maybe it was all a mistake about the anticipated invasion, or perhaps Gen. Grant had learned that the 27th Ala. was there with their double-barreled guns and bowie-knives, and had abandoned his plans altogether.

A TRYING NIGHT ON PICKET.

For the first two or three weeks we had as quiet a time as could be desired, with no enemy near, no guard duty except ordinary camp guarding, no picketing, as we depended on a small squad of cavalry that scouted in the direction of Columbus to apprise us of any approach of the enemy. But it so happened that my first night on guard a change was made and a chain of guards stationed something more than a quarter of a mile from camps, beginning at the river above and extending in a semi-circle to the river below. What these guards were for I have never been able to conjecture, but it was so ordered, and being on third relief my time came at midnight.

I imagine most soldiers remember vividly their first experience on guard-duty; how slowly the hours dragged along, how impatient for the relief to come around, how sleepy and tired, and how the eyelids would close in spite of the many devices adopted to keep them open.

I was so impressed with the importance of this new duty that I couldn't sleep, but sat around the campfire waiting, and when the third relief was called I was escorted up the river-bottom five or six hundred yards and placed in front of an old house which looked like it had not had an occupant in 20 years.

The foundations had given away, one corner dropped to the ground, while the fence which had once inclosed it had rotted until only here and there a corner was left standing. A clearing of perhaps half an acre, which had grown up in briars and bushes, surrounded the house, and dense timber, vines and underbrush were every where else.

It was in this dark and desolate place that I was left alone, after receiving instructions as to my duty and being particularly cautioned not to go to sleep, as it was sure death for a sentinel to be caught asleep on post.

Here I was to stand two long hours, everything as still as death at the camps, not a sound to be heard, except the gentle murmur of the river and the hooting of the big owls in the bottom, which only added to the weirdness of my surroundings. I had never been alone in the dead hours of night so far from other human beings, and think I was not more superstitious than other boys of my age, did not believe in ghosts, but as I paced my beat back and forth in front of that old house I could not help casting a glance behind me every time I passed the open door; but no ghostly sounds issued therefrom and no white-clad figures appeared. I continued to walk my beat until, overcome with fatigue and drowsiness, I ventured to sit down on a projecting rail, selecting the most uncomfortable seat I could find. But neither the discomfort of a sharp-edged rail nor my ghostly surroundings was sufficient to produce the insomnia so much desired at that time.

A CHARGE IN THE DARK.

I soon began to nod. My hand gradually loosened its grip. My gun dropping to the ground aroused me, and rubbing my eyes open I resumed my vigils. I thought surely it must be near day and looked in the east for signs of light, but none were visible. The first relief had either overslept themselves or forgotten all about me. After another half hour had dragged along I risked a few moments' rest on the same rail, but my will-power was not strong enough to resist, and I slept again.

In the midst of a dream of home, sweet home, I was startled by Halt! bang! bang! coming from the top of the hill far above me. Then, rip! rip! rip! something came tearing down, making racket enough for a regiment of cavalry; but, I quickly thought, no Yankees would be reckless enough to charge down such a hill as that, through thickets of vines and brush, when it was so dark you couldn't see a foot before your nose. It must be something worse than Yankees. On it came, straight towards the old house. Could it be the departed spirit of the former occupant?

In my excited state of mind it was easy to imagine that the woods were full of them, or it, whatever it might be, and I felt a weakness in my knees unbecoming a soldier of the Confederacy. I