Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 09.djvu/119

110 Company B, Captain James Ingram, of Henderson; Company C, Captain James M. Fitzhenry, of Uniontown; Company D, Captain Willis S. Roberts, of Scott county, which had blended with Captain Scott, of McLean, Scott being made First Lieutenant; Company E, 0aptain Benjamin I. Monroe, of Frankfort, which blended with Captain Steele, of Woodford, Steel being made First Lieutenant; Company F, Captain John A. Adair, of Green county; 0ompany G, Captain Tandy L. Trice, of Trigg county; Company H, Captain William P. Bramlette, of Nicholas; Company I, Captain Thomas W. Thompson, of Louisville, which blendidblended [sic] with Blanchard, of Mason (Blachard sought other service, and Samuel T. Forman, of Mason, was made First Lieutenant); Company K, Captain Joseph A. Millet, of 0wenmoro. When we were called to the color line we numbered about 1,000 men.

It will Be noticed that our regiment was collected from widely divergent portions of the State, and it was true that probably no command in the Confederate service represented so many different types of the true Kentuckian. Bluegrass and hemp lands had met with tobacco and corn, and they were not slow in speaking of their leading products either. Each section had some staple production of which it was proud. And they had their peculiar characteristics, which they clung to as they did to the cause they had espoused. And while it is a fact that each section maintained its distinct originality, under all circumstances, whether in battle or quiet camp, on the toilsome march or competing for prizes on the parade ground, the men were secretly proud of being associated each section with the other. They perfectly exemplified the phrase. "Distinct as the billows, but one as the ocean." For instance, if one of our number visited the families in the neighborhood of our encampments in the far South, he would claim the whole of Kentucky as his own, and talk about how "we raised fine stock, barley, hemp, tobacco, corn, hogs, etc." In camp, however, they were disposed to claim that each represented the garden spot of Kentucky.

The Fourth was one of the best drilled regiments in the army. This was due to the efforts of Major Monroe, who acted as instructor. He formed his officers into a school, assigned them regular lessons, and had regular recitations; besides which we had constant daily squad, company, battalion drill, and guard-mounting. He was very patient and persevering—so much so that before the first battle came off he had us under complete discipline.

Colonel Trabue was not a very thorough tactician, but as a provider for his men, and a never-ceasing thoughtfulness for their comfort and general welfare, I assert positively that he never had an equal. He