MEMORIES
OF THE
CIVIL WAR
As experienced by an old Veteran
J.A. Small

I volunteered on the 24th day of August, at the age of 17 years, at old Bellwood, 1 ½ miles east of Many, now known as old Sulphur Springs and on this date a big barbecue and dinner was given in honor of the boys by the citizens. Speaking by Col. E.C. Davidson and A.R. Mitchell, boosting the cause of the South and encouraging the rebellion, after which we proceeded to organize a company known as the Sabine Rebels and elected our Commissioned officers as follows: D.W. Self, Captain; L.J. Nash, 1st Lieutenant; Mat Thompson, 2nd Lieutenant; S.T. Sibley, 3rd Lieutenant; and after perfecting our organization we lay over until morning.

Next morning, August 25th, we took up our line of march for Kirk’s mill, arriving there about noon, we found the citizens of that community had prepared another barbecue in our honor and we had speaking by Hon. John R. Smart and Rev. N.H. Bray. After speaking and dinner, we marched t Anacoco Church where we lay over for four days.
On August 29th we received order to take up our line of march for Alexandria. On arriving there we were furnished a sumptuous dinner at the home of the Hon. Tom Richardson; August 30 we were furnished breakfast by Col. Wells. After breakfast we returned to Alexandria and were taken on the teamer Roebuck for New Orleans. Arriving at New Orleans in about three days, we took lodging at the St. James Hotel. We were sworn in service the morning after our arrival under a large cotton shed and took the train for Camp Moore, but failing to have a full company, we could not get into camp, so we marched out about three miles and lounged around a saw mill for two weeks and during this time Lt. Nash and Pvt. David Bray went back to Sabine to gather recruits. During their absence the boys became eager to be recognized and insisted that something be done. When Capt. Self saw the situation he at once went into Camp Moore and borrowed men enough from the Claiborne Rifles to complete our company. When Nash and Bray returned they had with them 12 of the noblest sons of old Sabine, but found us already recognized and at this point we were mustered into service in the Confederate Army for a period of twelve months.

We then proceeded to elect commissioned and non-commissioned officers as follows: D.W. Self, Captain: L.J. Nash 1st Lieutenant; Mat Thompson. 2nd Lieutenant; S.T. Sibley, 3rd Lieutenant. Non-Commissioned officers were: C. Bray, 1st Sergeant; John Weeks, 2nd Sergeant; Henry Francis, 4th Sergeant; T.T. Small, 5th Sergeant, and V. Byles, 1st Corporal; W.J. Garius, 12nd Corporal; S.B. Sanford, 3rd Corporal.
Under the above named officers we began training for service and after being properly trained, were organized into the 17th Louisiana Regiment, I being a member of Company B of said Regiment. We continued training until Dec. 1st. when we were ordered back to New Orleans and set up camp at Chalmette on the old battleground of Jackson. We remained there until March 1, when we were ordered to Corinth, Miss. We remained at this point until after the battle of Shiloh in Tenn. On the first of April we took up our line of march for the battlefield and lay under arms two nights before entering the battle on the 5th day of April, 1862. We took the enemy by surprise, having reached our line of battle the night before and had everything in readiness at the break of day. The enemy was at breakfast when we attached them by surprise, which gave us the advantage, result being that we killed about forty thousand of the enemy; some were killed with their cooking utensils in their hands and others in various positions. (Actually the total Union casualties for the Battle of Shiloh was 8,000 wounded and 1,752 killed)

We drove the enemy back that day to the Tenn. River, our commander, Gen. Johnston, being seriously wounded, died on the battlefield among the other dead and wounded. Oh, what a horrible night we spent hearing the screams of the dying men from the bullets of our guns. This was the first battle we fought, and I tell you now it tried the souls of men. But out boys stood like heroes and stemmed the storm.
On Monday was pay day and the boys got the greenbacks in large sheets on their bayonets and would run about over the battlefield, calling them flags. About two o’clock a field adjutant got into a Yankee tent, finding a Union flag, wrapped it around his body and mounted his horse and went galloping over the battleground, but the Rebels shot him into doll rags. About 3 o’clock we were organized and marched through the woods and when halted, hoisted our colors and the enemy fired into us and myself and five others fell behind a little tree on the ground and when I looked around they were all gone. I leveled my gun and fired, then took to my heels and ran.

The next morning, April 7th, we found that the enemy had re-enforced their army and after fighting from 7 o’clock p.m. and our Captain getting wounded, and two privates and one killed, we were ordered to retreat, and my command covered the retreat. That night we experienced the fate of a soldier’s life, as it rained all night and having been in action for five days and nights, we were absolutely exhausted for rest and sleep and the little sleep we got was on wet blankets and muddy ground. This caused us to think of “home sweet home:. The next morning we continued our retreat, getting back to Corinth about April 13.

We rested here until May 1st, when we were ordered to Vicksburg unarmed. On our way to Vicksburg, we met at Meridian 27 recruits of Capt. Wright’s disbanded company from the fall of New Orleans who joined us. We landed in Vicksburg about May 10th, 1862. We were in camp here about two weeks when ordered out on the V.S.&P. railroad for Edwards station, a distance of about 20 miles for recreation. We remained at this point until about the middle of July, when a call was made for re-organization, first calling for volunteers offering a bounty of $50.00 for all who would volunteer for three years or for a period of the war. All re-enlisted except five privates who were under 18 years of age, and two officers who failed to be re-elected: L.J. Nash, 1st Lieutenant; S.T. Sibley, 2nd Lieutenant; seven in all.

We remained at this point until about the middle of August, and we fared sumptuously as far as provisions were concerned, but were very shy on clothing. On or about the 20th of August we were ordered back to Vicksburg to guard that point and on arriving there were refurnished with arms. My company was put on duty two nights each week, guarding a point about one-half from the city, and we were very short of food, but stemmed the tide. During all this time the enemy was shelling us both day and night from Milligen’s bend with 300 mortars, a distance of 12 miles above the city. During these sad hours I have sat on the fence many a night and watched those 300 mortars winding their way through the air, carrying with them death and destruction, and many times my blood was chilled.

While we seemed to be in the very jaws of death at this place, Sergeant Weeks, Corporal Garius, Bill Self and myself ran away to attend an officers ball at Vicksburg. While we were gone the 46th Mississippi Battalion moved between us and our company and captured us and held us the remaining part of the night, but turned us loose the next morning, we being a little excited acted very foolish in so much that we gave this bunch the name of our regiment and company, who at once reported us to our headquarters and as punishment, Sergeant Weeks and Corporal Garius and myself had to pile rocks in front of the Colonel’s tent, then we would have to tear them down and re-pile them at other points. This we kept up all day, which was very humiliating to us, but we held our heads just the same. While here, provisions ran shot and I being a good forager, my mess mate’s would sent me out to get something to eat, whether we had the cash or not, I always brought the goods back with me with but few exceptions. I would very often get extra duty on account of these foraging expeditions, but this did not make a Christian of me as it was war times and everything was fair in war.

There was a special call made for volunteers to go to the city on provost guard. I at once volunteered and stayed at Vicksburg on that duty for two months at a time. Later a call was made for patrolling the city. I again volunteered, but failing to have the countersign, I found myself locked up in jail with my comrades. The next morning we were turned loose and returned to our command. Our captain being anxious to know why we stayed out all night, we very brazenly told him, when our Captain told us that our Corporal had the countersign and was in position to pass the men, but the provost guard in town would not accept his pass for all the men, so we were locked up. At this juncture our officers received the sad news that the enemy was on its way to Vicksburg, so we were ordered out about midnight on a forced march, meeting the enemy at Chickasaw Bayou, when the engagement opened at once. We fought them for two days, the 27th and 28th of December. In this conflict, we captured and killed about two thousand, and lost about one thousand in captured and killed.

We had been in action for two days and were very hungry. I found in one of our tents the fat part of a ham and ate it without salt or bread and I thought it was the best meat I ever tasted. On the night of the 28th our company was put on picket, ten paces apart and it was a very cold night and we almost froze to death. We were not allowed to speak above a whisper and to be caught asleep meant the death penalty. Such times were sorely trying to the souls of me.

The next morning at daybreak we were taken off duty and our command took up a line of march for Snyder’s Bluff, 12 miles through the sleet and snow. Some of our guys being thinly clad and barefooted, walking over the frozen ground, causing the blood to ooze out of their feet. On reaching Snyder’s Bluff, we remained there for three days, having but little to eat and no place to sleep, except to put rails in the crack of the fence , with one end on the ground, spread our wet blankets on them with half under us, and covering with the other half and you know how pleasantly we spent the nights.
On January 1, 1863, we were ordered back to Vicksburg, remaining there until the 1st of February, when my company was detailed to go back to Snyder’s Bluff, to board a steamer, called “Magentia”, a so-called gun boat, with 1700 bales of cotton on her, and six pieces of artillery on her, three six-pound and three twelve-pound mortars, headed for Greenwood on the Yazoo River. Arriving at that point in about two weeks, we were there on duty two weeks, and then ordered back to Snyder’s Bluff, reaching there about the first days of March in 1863. We were at once ordered to Vicksburg, reaching there about midnight. We remained until about the 1st of April. During April, we were continually on the march from Vicksburg to Port Gibson, resting at intervals with about half enough to eat. The battle at Fort Gibson was fought on the first day of, 1863. In marching through the city, the good ladies gave us cakes and pies of all kinds with plenty of cold water to drink, waving their handkerchiefs, hollering, “Hurrah Boys!” which gave us new courage.

On reaching the battle lines, one mile from the city, we skirmished all day. In the evening, I saw an enemy coming across the field, poked my gun through the crack of the fence and took as good aim at him as I ever did at a squirrel and fired at him, when he fell and hollered. My comrade Joe Cooper, who was sitting by me fired at him and he hollered no more. Later on we were ordered to cross the road. In crossing the road, one of my comrades was shot down by my side and died instantly. In a few minutes there was a call for volunteers of ten with one sergeant to go across the field to guard another important point. In about two hours we were ordered to retreat, and when we started, three comrades and I picked up our Comrade, Dan Lucius on a stretcher and carried him to the hospital in the city, he having been wounded while skirmishing by our own batteries.

Then the army proceeded to cross Bayou Pierre, not being able to get all our men across at this point, the remaining part of the company marched ten miles up the river to another bridge. My company being the last to cross the former bridge, found a barrel of turpentine prepared to saturate the bridge with for the purpose of burning it down to prevent the enemy from crossing, which we did. We were then ordered to a point up the river known as Mineral Springs, a distance of two miles, but the enemy having us cut off, we were forced to march a distance of 24 miles to reach the point. On arriving at this point, I found that all my Company had fallen out except just enough to make one stack of arms. We stayed at this point only about two hours, when we were ordered back in the direction of Vicksburg. On this march, myself, brother Tom Small and two other comrades fell out, with the full determination of allowing ourselves to be captured by the enemy. But after due consideration, I said to my brother and the other two comrades that they could do as they pleased, but as for myself, I was going on to my command. So I twisted my blanket over my shoulder, took my gun in my and started. I having gone about fifty yards, looked back and saw that my brother and two comrades were following me which gave me new courage.

We reached our command about one hour before night, crossing the Big Black on a pontoon bridge, when the command stacked arms for a rest. A number of the boys went in bathing, when we found that the enemy was near enough to us to throw shells in our camp. Then we picked up and marched in the direction of Vicksburg. Reaching a point about 15 miles from Vicksburg we stopped for a short rest, being almost exhausted from fatigue, having been on the march several days. We did not rest much.
The next morning at four o’ clock the long roll was heard which meant “Get up and get ready!” So at the break of day we started for Vicksburg, reaching there at one o’clock p.m. We lay up and rested for three days, when we were ordered back in the direction of Port Gibson to a point known as Baker’s Creek, where our men had a skirmish with the enemy, but my command reached there too late to get in the engagement, as the enemy had been repulsed when we reached the point. We were then ordered to guard the Big Black River from this point to the V. S. & P. crossing. On the 13th we were ordered to the Big Black bridge to reinforce our army, getting there too late for the battle. We found that our men had been defeated and were ordered back to Vicksburg. My division covered the retreat and our rear guards held the enemy in check until our army could get to Vicksburg, which was about ten o’clock on the 16ty of May.

On the 17th of May, they had us completely surrounded. On the nights of the 17th and 18th we built our breastworks, having heavy skirmishing on the day of the 18th, which told us we were in the midst of a great battle. On the morning of the 19th the enemy was charging us on about a ten-mile front, but they failed to break our lines and ceased firing about 12 o’clock., but continued sharpshooting the rest of the day. During the sharpshooting that afternoon, I was wounded about four o’clock. The enemy’s bullet struck my head from behind. I having my head turned talking to my Captain, cutting a gash about four inches long and to the skull bone. My brother Tom, running up to said, “Jim, you will keep your head down now, won’t you?” I never said a word, as I thought the whole top of my head was blown off, and I would be dead in a few minutes. But realizing that I was not dead, the first word I spoke was, “I want some water, which was furnished me by my comrades.

I was carried to the hospital where my head was dressed by our regimental surgeon, Dr. W.R. Curtis. Finding my wound was not fatal; I wanted to go back to the command. But the doctor would not let me go, so I remained at the hospital and around the cook tents for about thirty days. During that time our men had been fighting and had lost from my company six men killed and three wounded. Now I thought I was about well of the wound, when erysipelas set up in the wound and I was forced to go to the hospital in Vicksburg for treatment. I remained in he hospital until ten days before the surrender, when I went back to my command. It was laying back in reserved. Our rations were so short the boys were forced to eat mule meat. Some would cut the meat from the mule while he was yet alive. This friends, is the life of a soldier. About three days before the surrender, a detail was made to go to the breastworks and fire off guns. I being one of the details felt like we were sacrificing our lives. But having port holes to shoot through, we had some protection. However we had orders to look and if we could see an enemy we were to take aim and fire. If no one was in sight we poked our guns through the port holes and fired in the direction of the enemy, holding our heads below the port holes.
On the 2nd day of July, the white flag was hoisted when general Grant of the Union Army and General Pendleton of the Rebel Army held a conference, General Grant agreeing that if Pendleton would surrender, he would parole all the boys that were in the siege at Vicksburg. After due consideration General Pendleton agreed to accept the proposition and surrender the 4th day of July and stacked arms on the front lines. Our Brigadier General, Bob Richardson, was stationed and when the news came to him that we had surrendered and stacked arms, he cried like a whipped child. Our boys marched back to our quarters, when late in the evening the enemy marched through our camps, taking possession of the city.

On July 5th, our provisions being exhausted, the enemy issued us rations to last as long as we stayed in the city, composed of bacon, lard, coffee, sugar, flour and hard tack. Now you ought to have seen us boys enjoying the square meal, which we had not had I the last 46 days. Yes, I almost forgot, we got plenty of Yankee flat tobacco, which made us pit read and think of old times at home, when we boys would slip a plug of Pap’s honey dew.

We remained in our quarters until the 11th of July mingling with Union soldiers who were very kind to us. On the evening of the 11th we were called into the city and given our paroles, which made us feel good as we knew that in a few days at least we would get back home. We went to our quarters that night and remained there until the evening of the 13th, when we were marched out, searched and turned loose, except one of our field generals, Uncle Bill Cook, as we called him. He tried to make his escape by using flour in its loose form, rubbing it on his face and hands, tying a handkerchief over his head but was detected and failed to make his escape. But later made his escape. We marched out from town ten miles that evening, struck camp near a farmer’s field of roasting ear, and like a bunch of wild shoats, we pulled and ate nearly all of his corn leaving all of his field bare.

Next day we marched to Raymond, Mississippi. Our commander wanted us to go to Atlanta, Georgia to parole camps, but we vigorously refused and sent Lieutenant J.F. Smith, better known as Fisher Smith, a man of the people, to our Colonel and Brigadier General, telling them that we would follow them as far as we would any man or set of men, but we are free now and are going home and we busted up and started for home, crossing the Mississippi River at Rodney’s Ferry, back into Louisiana, which made us feel we were at home, it being late in the evening when we put our feet on Louisiana soil, we were hungry for home grub, which we found at the home of a rich planter, but we had to eat it at his gate, but it was good just the same. After supper we marched on until about 10 o’clock when we laid down and went to sleep.

Next morning rising very early, we went on to Waterloo, passing through on our way to Harrisonburg. We traveled all day, sleeping at night in the woods with nothing to eat but milk and bread. We got into Harrisonburg about 12 o’clock and the good people gave us plenty of good grub. We continued on our journey to Natchitoches of 45 miles. We hired a team twenty miles from St. Morris to carry us on to St. Morris costing us two dollars each, but luck being in our favor, we had gone but a short distance when we met my father with Bill and John Estes’ father, with horses to ride home. Just before we met them, we had charged a peach orchard and got about a bushel of the finest peaches you ever saw and when we met our fathers, we were eating peaches and singing “Dixie”, that you know was one of the happiest meetings we had experienced during war travels.

We reached Natchitoches about 2 o’clock p.m., got dinner at a hotel which you know we relished. We remained in the city until about four o’clock, when we rode out eight miles to our old time friend; John Ellzey’s where we were entertained during the night. (The Ellzey Plantation house was then located where the old Tom Lambert house was later built. The original Ellzey house was moved to Robeline and is now the Keegan Cook Bed & Breakfast)

Comrade Hamp Williams was with me at this point. He had a faithful dog, called “Buckner.” Many times Hamp Williams, Jim Spears and myself would take old Buckner out hog hunting n Red River swamps and as he was a first-class hog dog, we always found our hogs, so we ad plenty of hog and hominy at this point. We being exposed to all kinds of weather and eating too much pork, I got sick and had to get a pass back to Pineville where I left my company. On returning to my old quarters, I learned that my company had been ordered to Cotile Landing on Red River. I remained two days in Pineville with my comrade Joe Cooper, after which I followed my company to Cotle Landing. We stayed in this place until about the 1st of April. Being a convalescent, with others I was put aboard a boat and sent to Natchitoches, La. Our camps were located at a point called Gum Springs, about two miles from the city.

Our comrades followed on and took up camps at this place. We remained here until about the 1st of May, when we were ordered back to Shreveport. Getting out to the white store on the Shreveport road, I went to my captain to get a pass to go back home. He first refused, then I told him if he did not give me one I would run away and go by home just the same, so he gave me a three days’ pass. I stayed my pass out. My father took me back to my command about 4 miles above Mansfield, La. on Boggy Bayou. There I found my company all busted up, bending their guns around trees and driving their bayonets into the ground land swearing they were going back home regardless of consequences. My Major D. W. Self, Dr. W.R. Curtis and A.J. Montgomery, all having good horses and I riding one of my Major’s horses, in company with the above comrades, went to our friend’s Martin Garlington, and stayed all night spending a pleasant night. Rising next morning, a sumptuous breakfast was served and we stated for camps, everybody was gone except Major D.W. Self, Capt. F.D. Self, Lieutenant J.F. Smith and Cavil Gray, our Major and Colonel gave us our discharges.

Lieutenant J. Fisher Smith, Cavil Bray and myself started for home. Getting about three miles distance, Smith and Bray stopped at a house to get water. I laid down at the root of a tree. Having a high fever and being much fatigued, I felt very lonesome. But looking down the lane I saw a man riding up. I picked my bundle up and started down the lane. Meeting him I found that he was a Negro. The thought struck me, now’s the time for me to get a good mule. I took his mule by the bridle and told him to dismount. He vigorously refused to obey my orders. Smith and Bray came up and told me to let the Negro alone. I said “No”. Being armed with Lieutenant Smith’s sword drew it on the Negro and told him if he did not dismount, I would cut his throat. This excited him, so he fell off on the other side from me. I mounted the mule and turned his head homeward. I rode about two miles below Mansfield and turned out of the road to rest, as I still had a very high fever. I lay there until about 4 o’clock in the evening. My fever cooled down some and I took up my journey for home. Went about four miles and stopped all night with my friend, Wiley Polk.

Here I again met Lieutenant J.F. Smith and Cavil Bray who had left me the evening before. The next morning I left my friend’s home and arrived at Many, my old hometown just at sundown on or about the 12th of May, 1865, all broken down with the hardships of a soldiers life, to begin life anew. I found conditions had changed. The home that was once attractive had gone almost to rack, while my father, dear old mother, two sisters and a brother were trying to make a living for themselves and help us boys in the camps. I joined them in the task of rebuilding our home and in a few years had it looking much improved and we were once more enjoying life like we did before I left the old home to serve the country in the great struggle between the North and South. As the South was trying to hold their property we thought our cause was just and do today, but we lost in the end.

Doubtless I have forgotten many sad events that transpired during this cruel war, but enough has been said that people who were lucky enough not to have bee in the conflict to know that it was a man’s job and it took men with nerve to bare their breasts to the bullets of the enemy and watch their relatives and friends fall on the battlefield and struggle in their own blood and no help could be given them.

In these, my last days, when meditating on the past, I shed many tears and say “My God, how an such things be?”

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J.A. Small's great granddaughter, Polly Snell has the original diary in her possession.

The CSA 17th Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Moore, Louisiana, in September, 1861. Its members were recruited in the parishes of Ouachita, Sabine, Catahoula, Plaquemines, Orleans, Caddo, Bossier, Morehouse, and Claiborne. The unit fought at Shiloh and in July, 1862, contained 27 officers and 373 men. Assigned to Baldwin's Brigade in the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, it lost 2 killed, 10 wounded, and 1 missing at Chickasaw Bayou, then was captured at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. Exchanged and reorganized, the regiment was placed in A. Thomas' Brigade, Trans-Mississippi Department, and engaged the Federals within the boundries of Louisiana. Early in 1865 it disbanded. The field officers were Colonels S.S. Heard and Robert Richardson; Lieutenant Colonels Charles Jones and Madison Rogers; and Majors Robert B. Jones, William A. Maddox, William A. Redditt, and David W. Self.
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Dean Lambert