Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 19.djvu/267

 A Confederate Veteran.

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a bottle of apple brandy on one side and a box of cigars on the other. This was too much for a Confederate soldier even for " Old Hines." He was marched back to camp under the guard. In a few days he was hauled up before a court-martial then sitting. Major Henry S. Carter, a tobacconist, now of our city, then an officer of the Third Howitzers, was one of the court. Charges and specifica- tions having been preferred, "Old Hines" arose, and with a wave of the hand, said : " Gemmen, I don't make no practice of leaving camp, but I allus keeps Christmas I allus does." This was the longest speech " Old Hines" had ever been known to make, and it electrified the court. He was sentenced to remain in camp one week, and wear suspended around his neck a board or. which was written, "Absent from the camp without leave." It so happened that the very next day, when the sentence was to go into effect, the battery received marching orders, and "Old Hines" and the sen- tence were forgotten. After marching about five miles, " Old Hines," bringing up the rear with his plunder, he suddenly stopped and re- marked, "I'll be durned if I ain't forgot that thing them gemmen give me," wheeling around he trudged back to camp for his board, which he wore suspended from his neck for six months or more, apparently delighted.

TAKEN PRISONER.

Towards the latter part of the war, while trudging along under a mountain of plunder which completely hid him -from view, he was pounced upon by the enemy and taken off to prison. I have been told by some Howitzer, who was a prisoner with him, that " Old Hines " was a great mystery to his captors he would not tell what company, battalion, regiment or corps he belonged to, because he never knew. To his honor, it may be said, he persistently refused to " take the oath," and while other and younger men around him were taking it to avoid the horrors of prison, " Old Hines" remained true to his colors. Doubtless, he has long since " been gathered to his fathers," but hundreds in this city and elsewhere would like to know what became of "Old Hines," of whom it may be said there never was a poorer soldier, a greater plunderer, or a braver man.

Ex. OFF.