"April 28th.—The brigade was paid today one dollar and a quarter in
silver per man, the last, I suppose, of the Confederate treasury. I shall
have mine made into a medal to keep and value as received from the dying
hands of my government. It is the greatest earthly satisfaction and my
only consolation now, that I entered her service on the day of the inauguration
of this war; was never absent from my command except by authority
or from wounds, and continued in the field until the last day.
"30th April.—Still in camp. Rumor seems to have tired of her occupation.
The stern reality of accomplished defeat is upon us. Famine begins
to threaten us.
"May 1st.—Still here, disorganized, dissatisfied. No right acknowledged
now except might, no property safe which is not defended with pistol and
rifle. Regimental and higher commanders ordered to High Point to receive
paroles. Colonels sign for their regiments, brigadiers for their staff, and
colonels, major-generals for their brigades, and so on. Paroles are not
to be issued to individuals until we reach the end of our journeys to our
respective States.
"May 2d.—Lancaster courthouse has been indicated as the point in
South Carolina where our brigade is to disband, and there seems no reason
now why we should not start for it. General Hardee has quietly slipped
off; General Hoke is with us still, though his division consists only of the
remnants of Colquitt's and Hagood's brigades. Our brigade surrendered
forty officers and three hundred and ten men; Colquitt's about the same.
"In all these terrible days of desertion but one officer (Lieutenant
Brownlee, already mentioned) had fallen away from this brigade. Our
horses have for a week been reduced to one quart of corn per day, while
the mules get no grain and but a handful of long forage.
"Expected issues from the Federal authorities have not been received.
Ten days' rations of bacon are in the brigade commissariat and no meal.
No orders to leave have been received, but with famine staring us in the
face, General Hoke consents to our starting. As it might, however, turn
out a serious step, in the event of our not being able to get food on our
route, the question of waiting for the Federal issue of supplies, or of starting
now was submitted to the men. Of course, they voted to go. They
would go with the certainty of starving. Received General Hoke's farewell
address to his division. It is full of feeling.
"May 3d.—This morning at 8 a. m. our brigade started upon its last
march. The Twenty-seventh led the column with seven men in its ranks;
the Twenty-fifth followed next with five; the Seventh battalion, which had
not suffered so much in battle as the other regiments, had near a hundred
men in ranks; the Twenty-first not quite so large, and the Eleventh regiment,
numbering sixteen in all told, was the rear guard. We stopped at
Hoke's headquarters to pay him our respects and say good-bye. He and
his staff seemed to feel the occasion deeply, and their expressions of regard
and good will were very grateful to us all. The last link that bound us to
the army thus severed, we resumed our weary journey homeward. At
sunset we had made eighteen miles. The Washington artillery overtook
and camped near us.
"May 4th.—The men straggled off at daylight and are scattered widely
on both sides of our route seeking provisions. The wagons are all that
mark the march during the day, and at night the men reassemble as they
come up to where headquarters are made. Crossed the Yadkin at Stokes'
Ferry; marched twenty-eight miles and bivouacked at Colonel Kendall's
farm. During the day the commissary obtained and had ground into meal
twenty bushels of corn. This gives bread for the rest of the march to
South Carolina, but our mules and horses are starving.
"May 5th.—No incident on the march. Our animals still without forage.
At night they attack the wagon covers and essay to devour them. There
is no grass; gnawing rails and trees is their only feed. The country
through which we are marching is of the poorest description.
"May 6th.—Made a march without incident, passing through Monroe and
camping eight miles south of it.
"May 7th.—Arrived at Lancaster courthouse, in South Carolina, about
11 a. m. Halted in a grove on the edge of the village and proceeded to the
work of disbandment.
"We first distributed the transportation of the brigade, as directed by
General Johnston, officers and men taking an equal chance in the lottery,
then the paroles were given out to the men and the work was done."
