Thirteen months in the Rebel Army : $b being a narrative of personal adventures in the infantry, ordnance, cavalry, courier, and hospital services; with an exhibition of the power, purposes, earnestness, military despotism, and demoralization of the SouthStevenson, William G.
History
Thirteen months in the Rebel Army : $b being a narrative of personal adventures in the infantry, ordnance, cavalry, courier, and hospital services; with an exhibition of the power, purposes, earnestness, military despotism, and demoralization of the South
Stevenson, William G.
Impressment -- History -- 19th century; Stevenson, William G.; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives, Confederate
The captain went to the colonel, and reported his company in a state
of mutiny. Colonel Walker immediately mounted his horse, and
galloping to our quarters, ordered the men to take their arms and
proceed to the drill-ground. Not a man moved to obey this order,
although a few would have done so had they not feared the vengeance
of their comrades. The colonel stormed and swore, and assured them
that he would have them all shot next morning, if they did not
return to duty; but finally, cooling down a little, he demanded of
them the reason for refusing to do duty. Some of them answered that
they wanted their money. He scornfully asked them, if they came out
to fight for the paltry sum of eleven dollars a month; upbraiding
them with their lack of patriotism. One of the men remarked, that
the officers could afford to be very patriotic, as they drew their
pay regularly every month. The colonel then got wrathful again, and
ordered out the rest of the regiment to quell the mutiny; but in the
mean time they had come to the same resolution, and refused to move.
He then placed all the commissioned officers of the regiment under
arrest, for not quelling the mutiny. As there was but one other
regiment at Fort Pillow at that time, they could not put it down by
force. In two days we were paid, and all returned peaceably to
duty. Colonel Walker was then put under arrest by General Pillow,
and tried by a court-martial, for allowing his regiment to be off
duty for two days, but he was acquitted.
General Pillow, from whom this fort received its name, is a short,
stoutly built man, about fifty years of age; has a mild, pleasant
expression when not excited; firm, large mouth; gray eyes; hair and
whiskers sprinkled with gray. He is fond of the good opinion of his
men, and does every thing consistent with military rigor to gain
their good-will; nevertheless, he is a strict disciplinarian, and
has punished several men with death for desertion and disobedience
of orders.
About the middle of August, General Pillow's division, including my
regiment, was ordered to Columbus. On our way we passed Island No.
10, which was then being fortified, and did not stop again until we
landed at Columbus, Kentucky. This town is situated on the east bank
of the Mississippi river, 140 miles above Fort Pillow, and 20 miles
below Cairo; while, directly across the river, lie two or three
houses which are designated by the name of Belmont.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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