Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 33.djvu/221

 The Twelfth Alabama Infantry. 217

trousers was fully four inches above my worn-out, soleless shoes. My soft wool hat was battered and torn until it didn't deserve to be dignified by the name of hat. It was scarcely a head covering-. A few days after this election we began our retreat between the York and James rivers to Chickahominy swamp, via Williams- burg, and in passing the I4th North Carolina I overheard this remark loudly spoken by one "Tar Heel" to another: "Look there, boys, see that uniform? there goes your new election." I was trudging along by the side of my company in the same uniform in which I had saluted Col. Jones, and with the borrowed sword buckled around me. The dilapidated condition of the whole reg- iment was a constant source of humorous remarks, not only by those who composed but by all who saw it. But they were not alone in this particular. The army at Yorktown was one clothed

in rags.

THE BATTLE OF WILLIAMSBURG.

Yorktown was evacuated by Johnston May 4, 1862, at night. He marched steadily, but was delayed by mud, rain, slush and boggy roads caused by wagon and artillery trains.

Rodes' Brigade, during the afternoon of the next day, heard the firing of cannon and hastened forward in the direction of the fight- ing. As we passed through the Old Capital of Virginia, the doors, windows, balconies and side-walks were crowded with beautiful women and children who were wild with excitement, waving hand- kerchiefs and flags and handing us sandwiches, fresh water, etc., and speaking encouraging words. The men became enthusiastic, the very air rang with our shouts, and we pressed forward eager for the conflict. We hurried to the field, and were formed in line in the rear of General Early's command. Artillery and musketry and the shouts and shrieks of men; some in the tongues of triumph and oth- ers in those of pain, greeted us as we rushed along. Minie balls flew over the heads of our brave comrades in front, but none of our men were seriously wounded and we were not actively engaged.

Darkness fell and put an end to the fray, It was an unhappy night, we were wet and faint with hunger and fatigue. It was cold and we kept stamping our feet, marking time, and crowding to- gether in groups to keep warm, as we halted and then moved on.

It was a memorable May day, this 5th of the month, and was our first actual experience in war. We marched before day through Williamsburg, and the men literally waded almost knee deep in