"
We were supporting General Cleburne's division. Our division (Cheatham's)
was commanded by General John C. Brown. Cleburne's division advanced to
the attack. I was marching by the side of a soldier by the name of James
Galbreath, and a conscript from the Mt. Pleasant country. I never heard
a man pray and "go on" so before in my life. It actually made me feel
sorry for the poor fellow. Every time that our line would stop for a few
minutes, he would get down on his knees and clasp his hands and commence
praying. He kept saying, "O, my poor wife and children! God have mercy
on my poor wife and children! God pity me and have mercy on my soul!"
Says I, "Galbreath, what are you making a fool of yourself that way for?
If you are going to be killed, why you are as ready now as you ever will
be, and you are making everybody feel bad; quit that nonsense." He quit,
but kept mumbling to himself, "God have mercy! God have mercy!"
Cleburne had reached the Yankee breastworks; the firing had been and was
then terrific. The earth jarred, and shook, and trembled, at the shock
of battle as the two armies met. Charge men! And I saw the Confederate
flag side by side with the Federal flag. A courier dashed up and said,
"General Cleburne has captured their works--advance and attack upon his
immediate left.
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