University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
A history of Caroline county, Virginia

from its formation in 1727 to 1924
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

collapse section
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
 
collapse section
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
collapse section
 
 
collapse section
 
collapse section
 
collapse section
 
collapse section
collapse section
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
 
collapse section
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
STORY OF DR. JOSEPH W. EGGLESTON
 
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

collapse section
collapse section
 
 
collapse section
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

STORY OF DR. JOSEPH W. EGGLESTON

During the years the manuscript of this work was in preparation,
the author frequently visited Dr. Joseph W. Eggleston at
his office in the Masonic Temple in Richmond. Dr. Eggleston
was Grand Master of Masons in Virginia in 1908, and since has
served for many years as Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of Virginia.
One of his brothers, George Cary Eggleston, became
famous as editor of the New York World, and another brother,
Edward Eggleston, became famous as author of "The Hoosier
Schoolmaster" and other novels. Dr. Joseph W. Eggleston himself
has written and published several books, among them
"Tuckahoe"—an old fashioned story of an old fashioned people;
but those who have known him personally will remember him
best as a raconteur. Following is a story he once told the author
of his experience as a soldier in the Confederate Army. It is
included in this work because the scene of it is laid in Caroline:

"When Grant moved to Lee's left and tried to beat him to
Richmond, it so happened that Lamkin's Battery of Haskell's
Battalion, of which I was a member, was the very last to leave
encampment on the Po river not far from Spotsylvania. We were
to have drawn rations that morning but they only came up in
the wagons at about five o'clock in the afternoon, almost the
very moment we were ordered to march. We started hungry and
did not pause till sometime the next day.


262

Page 262

"I was fortunate in that when we had last drawn rations I
got a triple ration of fat bacon by accepting a piece that was
bruised black before the hog was killed, but perfectly sound.

"All night the only order we got was "close up," often repeated
because Grant was close behind. When we got water at all it
was by dipping our canteens in a creek or pond as we waded
through. What wells there were on the line of march were drawn
dry before we got to them. The dust was a cloud of impalpable
powder which, I was afterwards told, was seen ten miles away.
The men were a funny sight. A pile of dust over eyebrows and
mustaches, and streams of sweat running down every face.

"As we trudged along, we were somewhat silent as a rule.
This was uncommon in that army, for a laugh was the common
condition, even in the deadliest fight. Indeed the famous "Rebel
Yell" was as much a laugh as anything else. It was a mixture
the like of which has never been known since and never will be
again.

"About midday I came up with my brother, George Cary
Eggleston, later editor of the New York World for twenty years
and he was all but dead. All his life he boasted that he never
knew he had a stomach except by being hungry, and as he had
nothing for thirty-six hours he must have been hungry indeed.
Somehow it had not occurred to me that he was worse off than
I who had been munching that dirty black pork without bread.
I heard him exclaim "If I had a million dollars I give give it all
for a piece of meat as big as two fingers." Of course I hauled out
my pork, covered with dirt and offered it to him. He refused it
and I told him I was no longer hungry and that we must soon
halt from exhaustion, if from nothing else, and that plenty was
in the wagons right in front of us. He still refused to take it till
I told him I would throw it over the fence unless he took it. Many
years later, after he had lived in New York clubs for years, I was
there on a visit. He gave a dinner in my honor in the Reform
Club. After a luxurious meal, while we were still at the table,
he asked each one to give an account of the most enjoyable meal
they could recall. One of the guests was a son of General O. O.
Howard. After each had spun his yarn, he described the above
and said that it had always remained in his memory as the most
luxurious food he could remember.

"When we crossed the North Anna the enemy opened on us,
the rear of the army, but we met Pickett's Division there fresh


263

Page 263
and ready for them. There was no time to tear down the bridge
but the Artillery shot it away. As soon as we stopped we drew
rations and I saw a man fall asleep with food in his hand. I also
saw a chaplain of Corse's Brigade preaching in a piece of woods,
with shells tearing the trees, and he preached a long sermon too."