Читать книгу The Story of a Confederate Boy in the Civil War - David E. Johnston - Страница 9

Table of Contents

 Organization of Volunteer Forces.

 Giles Not Behind Her Sister Counties.

 A Company Organized at Pearisburg, with James H. French as Captain; Eustace Gibson, First Lieutenant; William A. Anderson, Second Lieutenant; and Joel Blackard, Second Junior Lieutenant; Captains James D. Johnston and R. F. Watts on the Committee to Purchase Uniforms, etc.

 The Ladies of the Town and Country.

 In Barracks and on Drill.

 Anecdote.

 Dixie.

 Our March to Wolf Creek.

 Presentation of Bible and Flag.

On learning of the adoption of the Ordinance of Secession by the convention, the country was ablaze with the wildest excitement, and preparations for war began in earnest. Volunteer organizations of troops were forming all over the state. Why and wherefore, may be asked. Not to attack the Federal Government, to fight the Northern states, but only to defend Virginia in the event of invasion by a Northern army. There was at this time in the county, already organized and fairly drilled, the volunteer company of Capt. William Eggleston, of New River White Sulphur Springs. Pearisburg and the region roundabout in the most part received the news of the secession of the state with apparent relief and gladness, and immediately James H. French, Esq., of Pearisburg, a lawyer and staunch, bold Southern man in education, sentiment and feeling, assisted by others, commenced the enlistment of a company of volunteer infantry to serve for the period of twelve months from the date of being mustered into service, believing that war, if it should come, would not last longer than one year. Enlisting men for war was something new; people are always ready to try something new, and as our people were possessed of a martial spirit, this, together with the excitement and enthusiasm of the occasion, made it no difficult matter to enroll a full company in an incredibly short time. Names were readily obtained, among them my own. I had to go with the boys—my neighbors and schoolmates, little thinking, or in the remotest degree anticipating, the terrible hardships and privations which would have to be endured in the four years which followed. The idea then prevalent among our people was that we were not to be absent a great while; that there would probably be no fighting; that Mr. Lincoln was not really in earnest about attempting to coerce the seceded states, and if he was, a few Southern men would suffice to put to rout the hordes of Yankeedom. If, however, the Northern people were intent upon war, our people were ready to meet them, because thoroughly aroused.

Our people had by this time arrived at the conclusion that war was inevitable; no settlement on peaceable and honorable terms could be had. They had therefore left the Union, which seemed to them the only alternative. Consequently we felt obliged to appeal to the sword for the settlement of questions which statesmanship had failed to solve; yet always willing to make a child's bargain with the Northern people—"You leave us alone and we will leave you alone." Extravagant utterances and speeches were made as to Southern prowess. It was even said that one Southern man could whip five Yankees; that the old women of the country with corn-cutters could drive a host of Yankees away; but the people who made these assertions knew little of what they were saying, for ere the war had long progressed we found we had our hands full, and it soon became evident that we might like to find someone to help us let go.

The organization of the company which afterwards became Company D, 7th Virginia regiment, took place April 25, 1861. The only contest for office worth relating was for the captaincy, which was between James H. French and Andrew J. Grigsby, and resulted in the election of the former. The following is a complete roster of the company, with dates of enlistment, rank, etc., to be followed later by a tabulated statement of losses in battle, by disease, desertion, discharge, etc.:

ROSTER OF COMPANY D, 7TH VIRGINIA INFANTRY.

Date of enlistment.	Name.	Rank.
1861—April	James H. French	Captain
1861—April	Eustace Gibson	First Lieutenant
1861—April	W. A. Anderson,	Sec. Lieutenant
1861—April	J. Blackard,	Second Jr. Lieutenant
1861—April	Allen C. Pack	First Sergeant
1861—April	John W. Mullins	Second Sergeant
1861—April	Joseph C. Hughes	Third Sergeant
1861—April	Wm. D. Peters	Fourth Sergeant
1861—April	Hamilton J. Hale	Fifth Sergeant
1861—April	Allen L. Fry	First Corporal
1861—April	Elisha M. Stone	Second Corporal
1861—April	T. N. Mustain	Third Corporal
1861—April	John W. Hight	Fourth Corporal
1861—April	David C. Akers	Private
1861—August	George W. Akers	Private
1861—August	William R. Albert	Private
1861—August	Daniel Bish	Private
1861—August	Allen M. Bane	Private
1861—August	Robert H. Bane	Private
1861—April	Joseph E. Bane	Private
1861—August	Jesse Barrett	Private
1861—April	Alexander Bolton	Private
1861—August	Travis Burton	Private
1861—August	William H. Carr	Private
1861—August	James M. Collins	Private
1861—April	John R. Crawford	Private
1863—March	William Crawford	Private
1861—April	James B. Croy	Private
1861—April	James Cole	Private
1865—January	D. E. Dulaney	Private
1861—April	M. J. Dulaney	Private
1861—August	Tim P. Darr	Private
1861—April	John S. Dudley	Private
1861—April	William H. Douthat	Private
1861—April	Thomas Davenport	Private
1861—August	David Davis	Private
1861—April	Elbert S. Eaton	Private
1861—April	Elisha D. East	Private
1861—April	John W. East	Private
1861—April	Joseph Eggleston	Private
1861—April	James H. Eggleston	Private
1861—April	Francis H. Farley	Private
1861—April	William C. Fortner	Private
1861—April	James H. Fortner	Private
1861—April	Jacob Tyler Frazier	Private
1861—April	William Frazier	Private
1861—August	Creed D. Frazier	Private
1861—April	William A. French	Private
1861—April	John S. W. French	Private
1861—August	Andrew J. French	Private
1861—April	James H. Gardner	Private
1861—August	Francis M. Gordon	Private
1861—April	Andrew J. Grigsby	Private
1861—April	Charles A. Hale	Private
1861—April	John A. Hale	Private
1861—April	John D. Hare	Private
1861—April	Isaac Hare	Private
1861—April	James B. Henderson	Private
1861—August	John Henderson	Private
1861—Mar. 1862	Baldwin L. Hoge	Private
1861—April 1861	James Hughes	Private
1861—April	James J. Hurt	Private
1861—April	George W. Hurt	Private
1861—April	John F. Jones	Private
1861—April	Manelius S. Johnston	Private
1861—August	George Johnston	Private
1861—April	David E. Johnston	Private
1861—April	George Knoll	Private
1861—April	Charles N. J. Lee	Private
1861—April	Joseph Lewy	Private
1861—April	Henry Lewy	Private
1861—April	William H. Layton	Private
1861—April	James Lindsey	Private
1861—April	Patrick H. Lefler	Private
1861—August	Anderson Meadows	Private
1861—August	Ballard P. Meadows	Private
1861—April	John Meadows	Private
1861—April	Newton J. Morris	Private
1862—March	Christian Minnich	Private
1861—April	George A. Minnich	Private
1861—April	John H. Minnich	Private
1861—April	Absalom D. Manning	Private
1861—April	Raleigh Merricks	Private
1861—April	Tapley P. Mays	Private
1861—April	John Q. Martin	Private
1861—April	John H. Martin	Private
1861—August	Wiley W. Muncey	Private
1861—August	George C. Mullins	Private
1862—March	James J. Nye	Private
1861—April	John Palmer	Private
1861—August	Charles W. Peck	Private
1861—April	John W. Sarver	Private
1861—April	Demarcus L. Sarver	Private
1861—April	Josephus Southern	Private
1861—April	Samuel B. Shannon	Private
1861—April	Joseph C. Shannon	Private
1861—April	William H. H. Snidow	Private
1861—April	John P. Sublett	Private
1861—April	William T. Sublett	Private
1861—April	Lewis R. Skeens	Private
1861—April	Alexander Skeens	Private
1861—April	Joseph Skeens	Private
1861—April	Amos L. Sumner	Private
1861—August	Thomas J. Stafford	Private
1861—August	William H. Stafford	Private
1863—January	Ralph M. Stafford	Private
1861—April	Andrew J. Thompson	Private
1861—August	Adam Thompson	Private
1861—August	Alonzo Thompson	Private
1861—April	Thomas S. L. Taylor	Private
1861—April	Lee E. Vass	Private
1861—April	Washington R. C. Vass	Private
1861—April	Elijah R. Walker	Private
1861—April	Lewis N. Wiley	Private
1861—April	Gordon L. Wilburn	Private
1861—April	Ballard P. Watts	Private
1861—April	Hugh J. Wilburn	Private
1861—August	William I. Wilburn	Private
1861—April	Edward Z. Yager	Private
1861—April	Thomas J. Young	Private
1861—August	Isaac Young	Private
1861—April	Jesse B. Young	Private

Whole number of enlisted officers and men, 122.