Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 26.djvu/234

 224 Southern Historical Society Papers.

his sword and move off a few yards. He then pulled down the fence and crossed it, putting on the Colonel's sword and pistol, strap- ping his Austrian rifle on his back and proceeded to march his pris- oner to headquarters.

Looking back through thirty-three years, in the light of all I have seen and read, I do not believe that any country in the world's his- tory, before or since, has produced a braver or nobler set of men than those who constituted the Confederate cavalry. There is, first of all, our own glorious Wheeler, Bedford Forrest, J. E. B. Stuart, Hampton, our own gallant and chivalrous Kelley, our own W. W. Allen, Fitzhugh Lee, Martin, Humes, VanDorn, Robinson, Chal- mers, Hagan, Adams, Armstrong, Ashby, Brewer, Williams, John H. Morgan, Basil Duke, Iverson, Brewer, Wade. Clanton, John T. Morgan, Roddy, Buford, Wailes, Prather, our own Tom Brown, Terry and Wharton, Charley Ball and a host of others, good and true men, of whose heroic deeds it would-be pleasant to tell you, but time will not permit.

I did not mention the name of poor Clay King. He deserves a better fate. Let me tell you one instance showing the gallantry of of this man: At Booneville, Miss., while we were led by General Chalmers, with the 8th Confederate on the left, Clanton' s ist Ala- bama in the center and Wirt Adams on the right, we charged upon a force under General Sheridan at Booneville, Miss. Clay King's battalion was left to protect our rear. We had driven the Federal cavalry away while they were feeding their horses on wheat, and Clay King permitted his men to take the bits out of their horses' mouths and let them turn into the fence corners and feed, while the other forces were fighting in the front. While in this position a col- umn of Federal cavalry charged them in the rear. King then caused his men to mount, without bits in their horses' mouths, and charged the enemy and drove them back.

Happy am I at the recollection of having been associated in those days with such men as the gallant McEldery, who fell, with many others, at Varnell Station, near Dalton, in as gallant a charge as was ever made in war. There was Knox Miller, Charley Pollard, Tim Jones, Tom Hannon, David T. Blakey, Warren Reese, Barron, Crommelin, Anderson, Chambliss, Moore, John Clisby, George Allen, Clay Reynolds, Powell, King, Bob Snodgrass, Ed. Ledyard, Pete Mastin, John Leigh, Jim Judkins, and hundreds of others whom I remember with pleasure who risked their lives on many bloody fields, and showed to the world what only a Confederate cavalryman