Robert M. Magill—Personal Reminiscences of a Confederate Soldier Boy, 39th Georgia Regiment of Infantry

Tuesday, 23d.—10 o’clock last night ordered to be ready for action at a moment’s notice. 1 A. M., ordered to cook all rations on hand. Daylight, everything ready to move. While waiting, had game of town ball. Left camp at 1 P. M. Closed “en masse” quarter of a mile north of town. Formed in line of battle in front of Colonel Glenn’s house. Reported Federals have taken Tunnel Hill.

Sunday, 21st.—Reported Cleaborn’s Division going to Mobile. Six train-loads in Dalton now. Good many rumors afloat.

Saturday, 20th.—Reported Sherman has taken Enterprise, Miss., and is marching to Mobile.

Friday, 19th.—Hardee’s Corps reported going to Mississippi.

February:

Monday, 15th.—Raining very hard this morning. Singing at night; after singing had good deal of fun, two of the boys trying to see which could ruffle the other’s hair the most, and the fun began; soon the room was filled and everybody laughing; after awhile they remarked “laughing is catching,” and both of them caught and rubbed some other fellow’s head, and he, in turn, helped them. Somebody closed the door, and it wasn’t long till every one had been “initiated;” then the door was opened, and everybody was anxious to see what was the fun. As soon as they made their appearance, they were pulled and pushed in, and “initiated” also, and that was kept up probably one hour. They even went so far as to go and wake fellows out of their sleep and ask them to come and see what fun the boys were having down there. Many came and were immediately “initiated.”

January 19.—This evening a party scouting for Colonel Williams, in command of the military post at Rossville, Ark., returned to camp, having captured in the Magazine Mountains, some fifteen miles east of the post, the county records of Vernon and Cedar Counties, Mo. The books and papers so captured and retained were worth one million dollars to those counties.— Colonel Clayton attacked and routed Shelby’s rebel force, twenty miles below Pine Bluff, Ark., on the Monticello Railroad. The fight lasted half an hour, when the enemy fled, pursued by Colonel Clayton, with his command, for two hours and a half. The rebels were driven seven miles. Shelby was badly beaten, and the rout was complete.

Shelby’s force was estimated at eight hundred. Colonel Clayton marched sixty miles in twenty-four hours, and made fight and gained a victory. —An unsuccessful attempt was made to burn the residence of Jefferson Davis, at Richmond, Va.— A sale of confiscated estates took place at Beaufort, S. C.

Monday, 18th.—Cold and wet. Met in room built for church and debating society, and adopted rules to govern debating society. Went round to Company A, with some others and sang for Mrs. Yancey and Mrs. Fields. Still in winter quarters. It would not be interesting to give every little detail of camp life, but just to show how soldiers employed some of their time, the following is given:

[Note: The next entry is February 15 and describes some of the antics in winter quarters.]

January 14.—Major-General R. B. Vance, made a raid toward Terrisville, Tenn., and captured a train of twenty-three wagons. He was pursued by Colonel Palmer, who recaptured the wagons, and took one ambulance, loaded with medicines, one hundred and fifty saddle-horses and one hundred stand of arms. General Vance and his assistant adjutant-general and inspector-general are among the prisoners captured. — General Grant’s Report—(Doc. 52.)

—A force of about two hundred rebels made an attack on a party of National cavalry, stationed at Three Miles Station, near Bealton, Va., but were repulsed and driven off, after several desperate charges, leaving three dead and twelve wounded. The National casualties were two wounded, one severely.—The official correspondence between the agents of exchange of prisoners of war, together with the report of Mr. Ould was made public.—The body of a Union soldier was found hanging at Smith Mills, Va., with the following words placarded upon it: “Here hangs private Samuel Jones, of the Fifth Ohio regiment, hung by order of Major-General Pickett, in retaliation for private David Bright, of the Sixty-second Georgia regiment, hung December eighteenth, by order of Brigadier-General Wild.”

—The Richmond Examiner held the following language: “Surely British-protection patriots of the Emerald Isle here, have, we are credibly informed, recently shouldered their shillalahs, and cut stick for the land of Lincoln. Sundry others, too, born this side of the Potomac, have wended their way in the same direction,—all leaving their families behind them to sell rum or make breeches and other garments for the clothing bureau. When mothers and sisters, sweethearts and wives, thus intentionally, and by a cunning arrangement, left behind, present themselves at the clothing bureau for a job, they represent, with the most innocent faces imaginable, that their male protectors are in General Lee’s army, and thus enlist sympathy, and sponge on the Confederacy. To poor females every kindness and aid should be extended as long as they and those belonging to them are true to us; but it is past enduring that able-bodied fellows should go North, and leave as a charge here people whom we are under no obligations to support, and who, by false representations, shut out the wives and other female relatives of gallant fellows, who are confronting our ruthless enemies.”

—Lieutenant Gates, with a party of the Third Arkansas cavalry, made a reconnoissance near Clinton, Ark., and succeeded in capturing twelve prisoners, whom he surprised at Cadson’s Cave. —The blockade-runner schooner Union, with a cargo of cotton from the coast of Florida, arrived at Havana. She was chased by the United States gunboat De Soto.

January 13.—The rebel Congress, having passed a joint resolution of thanks to General Robert E. Lee, and his officers, Adjutant-General Cooper issued an order announcing the fact, with the following preface: “The President, having approved the following joint resolution of Congress, directs its announcement in general orders, expressive of his gratification at the tribute awarded the patriot officers and soldiers to whom it is addressed.

“For the military laggard, or him, who, in the pursuits of selfish and inglorious ease, forgets his country’s need, no note of approbation is sounded. His infamy is his only security from oblivion. But the heroic devotion of those, who, in defence of liberty and honor, have perilled all, while it confers in an approved conscience the best and highest reward, will also be cherished in perpetual remembrance by a grateful nation. Let this assurance stimulate the armies of the Confederacy everywhere to greater exertion and more resolute endurance, till, under the guidance of Heaven, the blessings of peace and freedom shall finally crown their efforts. Let all press forward in the road to independence, and for the security of the rights sealed to us in the blood of the first revolution. Honor and glory attend our success. Slavery and shame will attend our defeat.”

—The schooner Two Sisters, a tender to the United States flag-ship San Jacinto, captured, while trying to enter the Suwanee River, the British schooner William, from Nassau.—General Butler addressed a characteristic letter to the Perfectionists of the city of Norfolk, Va.— The following report was made by Colonel James A. Mulligan, from his headquarters at New-Creek, Va.: “A soldier of ours, James A. Walker, company H, Second Maryland regiment, captured in the attack upon the train at the Moorfield and Alleghany Junction, on the third instant, by the enemy under General Fitz-Hugh Lee, escaped when near Brocks’s Gap, on the fifth instant, and reported to me this morning. He informs me that thirteen of the enemy were killed and twenty wounded, in the skirmish. He also states that there was present under the command of General Fitz-Hugh Lee, three companies of negro troops, cavalry, armed with carbines. They were not engaged in the attack, but stationed with the reserve. The guards, he reports, openly admitted to the prisoners that they were accompanied by negro soldiers, stating, however, that the North had shown the example.”