A Georgia farm boy tells about his service in Wheeler's Cavalry.
By O. P. Hargis

The following story appeared in two early issues of The Confederate Veteran. I will find out exactly which issues and post it here.

Editor's note: The following journal, in two parts, gives some of the experiences of a Southern soldier during Sherman's campaign in Georgia in 1864. The writer is O. P. Hargis, who served in Company I, 1st Georgia Cavalry, which was a part of Iverson's Brigade, Allen's Division, Wheeler's Corps, Army of Tennessee.

I AM WRITING this little book to show the rising generation how people lived when I was a boy. I was born in 1846 on a farm near Cass Station, in old Cass County, Georgia, now Bartow, near the Western Atlantic Railroad. People in those days in the country lived in log houses as a general thing; and the kitchen was in the yard. We had no stove, then, but cooked on the fireplace in skillets and ovens and old fashioned gridles. We lived hog and homney style, they raised everything we consumed on the farm. My father was a hard working man and taught his boys to work; there were five brothers of us and two sisters, all stout and healthy.

When my father was about forty-five years old, he began to loose (sic) his health, after awhile he got so he could not work any on the farm; we boys cultivated the farm under his directions. One evening late, father came out to the field where brother Henry and brother Dick was plowing and as they drove out to the end of the row, father said, 'Well boys, you have done a good days plowing., sit down and rest a while,' they sat down on the grass, and father began to talk about different things, at last he said, 'boys, there is going to be a war and it is going to be a bad one, I won't live to see it but you will probably be in it, and if you are I want you to make good soldiers.'

MY FATHER died in 1857, and the war he spoke of broke out in '61. Mr. Lincoln was elected President of the United States. The South would not agree to that and serve under his administration. They rebelled and claimed that they had a right to seceed from the Union. They withdrew until there was thirteen states that withdrew from the Union. They began to raise companies and regiments to fight against Mr. Lincoln's administration; after they got enough men in the field they sent them to different parts of the country to defend their borders.

The first one of us boys to volunteer was brother Henry, he joined Company B, Phillips Legion cavalry and went to Northern Virginia in 1861 under General Floyd; that left the rest of us to work and support a widowed mother. The war increased in fury and brother Dick was the next to volunteer, he went to Virginia, joined Company B, Phillips' Legion under General Stewarts [Stuart's] cavalry. My brother, T. V. Hargis, was shrewd enough to keep out of the War by hiring a substitute, that left myself and younger brother J. F. Hargis in charge of the farm. We done the best we could until May '64. General Johnston's army had fell back to Resaca by that time I was eighteen years old and I told my heart broken mother that I would have to leave her and go into the service.

WHEN I began to make my arrangements to go to the front, my choice was the cavalry. Lieutenant Gilbreath was at home on a furlow at that time, he came to our house one day. I told him that I wanted to come to his company and he said alright when do you want to come? I told him that I wanted to come right away. Well, if you say so, I will muster you into the service right now. I told him all right. He sat down by a little table and enrolled my name and mustered me in. I forget just how it was done. He went back to his regiment and I started in a few days. I told my mother that I would have to take the young horse that we had raised on the farm, and she said all right. I fixed up my saddle and blankets and haversack ready to start to the front next morning. I bid my mother goodbye, mounted my horse and started.

When I arrived at Calhoun, I could hear the booming of artillery. I arrived at Resaca at about three o'clock in the evening and found the First Georgia Cavalry camped just below Resaca on this side of the river. The boys that belonged to the company I enlisted in was all glad to see me, for I knew a great many of them. I selected my messmates, Mathew McDonald and myself were together until he was captured at Robertsville, S.C. After the fight, we were ordered back to our horses. You don't know how sad I felt when I saw that my trusted companion's saddle was empty. I did not know whether he was killed or captured and never found out until the war ended and he came home from prison.

I WILL turn your attention back to Resaca and relate my thrilling experience from that place to Greensboro, N.C., where we surrendered. General Joseph Johnston was entrenched around Resaca on the other side of the river. He was in a very close place, General Sherman in his front, and the river behind them, and only one bridge to cross on.

One morning, I thought I would go up on the hill near the river and see what was going on. While I was up there by myself, I saw a Federal column of Infantry four deep massing their forces to attack Johnston. I saw the Sixth Georgia Cavalry, led by Colonel Hart, make a charge across the river bottom to gain some breastworks on the bank of the river.

The Federals were behind some breastworks on the other side of the river, and saw our men coming and they raised up to pour a deadly fire into the regiment and the regiment dropped to the ground as the Federals fired on them. My heart fairly sank in me. I thought they had killed the last one of them. They all rose and went on into the breastworks, and when they got to the works, the Federals left their works in confusion, Colonel Hart jumped on top of the breastworks and waved his hat. There were several in the regiment wounded. Lieutenant Colonel Fane was mortally wounded, so that he died.

THE BATTLE OF RESACA was fought and both sides lost heavily, but they never broke Johnston's line. That night General Johnston retreated across the river and went in the direction of Calhoun. General Wheeler threw his cavalry in between Johnston and Sherman to cover his retreat until Johnston made his next stand.

We had a hard time. We were almost continually fighting. I carried fence rail making a temporary breastworks until I never wanted to see another fence rail.

A man by the name of Bob Smith that came to our company as a recruit, told the boys that he would be killed the first fight he got into. They laughed at him and told him that was all a notion to think that, but you could not make him believe otherwise. Somewhere on the retreat from Resaca to Calhoun our company was standing in a group on a little knoll in a field waiting for the Federals, and Smith told Lieutenant Glasgo that if we had a fight there he would be killed.

Lieutenant Glasgo told Smith if he thought that as strong as he did he would go to the rear. He said no, the boys would say he was a coward. He stuck to his post. The Federals flanked around us through the woods and was almost in the field of our rear. We had to get out of there in a hurry. As we ran out, the Federals fired on us, and sure enough, Bob Smith fell from his horse the first fire, mortally wounded. We were in such a close place we could not carry him off the field, and he was left in the hands of the enemy. We learned that he died the next day. He was the only man who was hit.

WHEN WE FELL BACK to Calhoun, our company formed a line of battle in the lower edge of town and threw a heavy skirmish line in the town, and orders were given to reinforce the skirmish line. Bud Jenkins who belonged to my company was detailed to go on the skirmish line, and his brother Jim told him he would take his place and stepped to the front. A braver soldier never fired a gun than Jim Jenkins. After a while the skirmish line was ordered in, and we caught up with some infantry. The infantry didn't like the cavalry and as we passed along by them a fellow with his knapsack on his back looked up at me and said "You humped-back cavalry, you think you are fine. Show me some of your sort and I will show you some of mine."

Johnston made a partial stand at the Gravel House above Adairsville and formed a line of battle, our cavalry formed across a field behind a fence row and Cheateam's division of infantry came up and formed right behind us. Johnston and Sherman had a heavy artillery duel. We lay there the balance of the evening under a heavy fire of artillery. We had many killed and wounded. That evening I thought the sun would never go down. About a half an hour before the sun we were ordered back to our horses and went into camp that night.

Johnston fell back in the direction of Cassville, next morning our cavalry covered his retreat and we were skirmishing with them all day, and when we fell back to the McDow farm we built a temporary breastwork across the field with fence rails.

WHILE WE WERE WAITING the Federals, I went down to the McDow house and there I found Mrs. McDow standing in the smoke house door taking down fine hams cutting them up for the soldiers when I walked up she knew me and was glad to see me. Her two sons belonged to the same company that I did, after asking me about the boys she cut me about four pounds of ham and gave it to me. I was glad to get it for I was hungry. I thanked her and told her goodbye and went back to the breastworks.

We were ordered back to our horses and we went in the direction of Cassville, then orders came from General Wheeler to Lieutenant Gilbreath of our company to detail some men from his company to drive out all the surplus cattle from there to Cartersville. I was one that was detailed under Sergeant Neel, and we gathered up all the cattle that we could find and drove them out ahead of the army. At that time Johnston was entrenched at Cassville. When we got to Cassville and Kingston road with our cattle, the road was full of infantry and artillery moving towards Cassville, and it was sometime before we could get over or across the road. Sergeant Neel asked me if I could find a good place to put the cattle that night. I told him I could.

WE CAMPED in a half mile from my home and after we went into camp, I went up home and spent the night. My mother was so glad to see me she could not help crying with joy. And that night everything was in a perfect stir all night, people from Cassville was traveling all night getting what they could out ahead of the army. After a night's rest, I rose early next morning, saddled my horse and bid them all goodbye, and as I went out the gate, I met some soldiers coming in. I told them that it was hard to have to give up my home to the enemy, they seemed to sympathize with me. I went back to the camp, and we drove the cattle on to Cartersville and turned them over to the army butchers. Johnston gave up his position at Cassville and fell back across the river at Cartersville and burned the bridge behind him. They gave us a little rest until Johnston made his next stand at New Hope, Dallas, and Kennesaw Mountain. Sherman advanced across the river and Johnston intercepted him at these three places, then the fighting was terrible. Wheeler's cavalry was busy guarding General Wilder's cavalry in a pouring rain on Noonday Creek on the right side of Kennesaw. We came very near capturing General Wilder when we was flanking around to attack him.

GENERAL WHEELER came very near losing his life by three of Wilder's cavalry that was out foraging, our advance guard captured them and they were brought back to General Wheeler. They had not been disarmed.

After Johnston held Kennesaw as long as he could, he fell back to Smyrna, and there made his next stand, our cavalry covering his retreat. General Wheeler placed a heavy skirmish line at the foot of Kennesaw Mountain and I was one of the skirmishers. I could see the Federals on top of the mountain watching us, then they threw out their skirmish lines and we had it hot and heavy from there to Smyrna.

During the day I came very near getting killed. I was walking along near the railroad, looking back I saw three Federals walking upon the railroad in about one hundred yards of me. I was in plain view of them, and as soon as they saw me they raised their guns and fired, as they fired, the toe of my boot caught my spur and I fell to the ground. When I fell they hollowed, they thought they had killed me, but they did not touch me. I jumped up grabbed my gun and ran into the woods out of their sight.

AFTER JOHNSTON gave up his position at Smyrna, he crossed the Chattahoocha River. Our cavalry covering his retreat again, and we were hard pressed. When we got to the river to cross on the pontoon bridge I thought that we would never get across on that little bridge and the Federals shelling us while we were crossing. After we got across we cut the bridge loose and let it swing around on our side. Then we formed line of battle behind breastworks on our side of the river, and the Federals on the other.

Sometimes we would get friendly and talk to each other across the river. One evening they would come down and play the band for us. And after they crossed the river, they flanked around us and drove us out of our positions, we fell back and lined up with Johnston around Atlanta, we were dismounted and placed in breastworks for some little time. While we were there, one day the Federals charged us three lines deep and drove us out of our works. There our Lieutenant Colonel Strickland was killed.

While we were around Atlanta our beloved Joseph E. Johnston was removed from his command and General Hood was put in his place. Then Hood began to lay his plan to attack Sherman and on the twenty-second of July the great battle was fought between Hood's army and Sherman and nothing was gained. Both sides lost heavily and they held their ground. Our cavalry fought the Twentieth Army Corps of Infantry of Sherman's army at Decatur, when we made that famous charge into the town of Decatur. When we got into the public square three women ran out into the street and cheered us on, when General Allen saw them he ordered them to be taken into the cellar out of danger. I ran into the back yard of the hotel to get some water and while there, I saw two big pones of egg bread on a stove in the kitchen, and I ran in and grabbed them out, took them on my arm, and carried them on to my company. We drove the Federals out of Decatur and we captured a good many prisoners that was hid around in the town during that time.

GENERAL SHERMAN (he meant Stoneman) had gone on a raid to Macon, Georgia, and as soon as General Wheeler found it out he sent out our brigade and one Kentucky Regiment under General Iverson after him. We traveled on a forced march until we met him trying to make his way back. He had been repulsed at Macon by the Militia.

We met at a place called Sunshine Church. General Iverson then attacked him at once. Stowman (Stoneman) tried to break our lines by charging us mounted, but he failed to do so, then he dismounted his men and we had it hot and heavy. We pushed our line on him and driving him back until he made his last stand. We re-inforced our skirmish line and I was detailed to go on the skirmish line. We went through a skirt of woods into the edge of an old field, then we saw one of Sherman's officers coming towards us with a white flag tied to a stick.

The captain of the skirmish line ordered us to cease firing. The officer rode up to our line and asked where our commanding officer was. He was told that he was back with the line of battle. He said "send after him that General Stowman wishes to surrender." Colonel Cruise was commanding the fight, General Iverson was sick and not on duty, then General (Colonel) Cruise and his staff came riding up to meet the Federal officer. They saluted each other and the officer told Colonel Cruise that General Stowman wished to surrender. Colonel Cruise said "alright I will go in and receive him." They rode back together and we followed on.

WHEN WE GOT over the little hill there the Federals stood in line with their guns stacked in front of them and General Stowman sitting on his horse. Colonel Cruise rode up and saluted General Stowman. Stowman said that he preferred to surrender to General Iverson, but was refused by Colonel Cruise.

After Colonel Cruise received General Stowman we all formed up in the road. Stowman's Adjutant General saw Colonel Butler, Kentucky Regiment, sitting on his horse, and he said, "Hello, Colonel Butler, how do you do? I am glad to see you." They had went to school together. Then the Adjutant went around among the officers and got a pair of fine English navy pistols, and told him he would make a present of them to him. Colonel Butler said, "Thank you sir. I hope I will do good service with them the next fight I get into." The Adjutant said, "Don't talk to me that way." Colonel Butler said, "I don't mean if you and I come into contest, I mean among your men." Then he said "three cheers for Colonel Cruise," then General Stowman hung his head. Stowman was a fine looking officer. Then we marched all the prisoners back through the battle ground to General Iverson's headquarters and put a strong guard around the prisoners for the night.

The next day we started for Macon, and on our trip we had nothing to eat but roasting ears. We would stop by a corn field, go in and gather roasting ears, Federals and all, then we would build up a fire and lay them and eat them all. The soldiers that were with us will remember that well and when we got to Macon and delivered up the prisoners, we went back and joined General Wheeler.

During our raid in Tennessee, we went through the mountains of Pickens and Murray Counties and on to Dalton. On that trip, I saw an awful sight, our soldiers caught two bushwackers or deserters and they were ordered to hang them by the roadside and when we passed by they were hanging by their necks. It was a bad looking sight.

We then went on to Dalton, tore up the railroad and took a Fort garrisoned with negroes. We then came near Spring Place and camped. Next morning General Wheeler sent for our company to report to his headquarters. We saddled our horses and went to his headquarters. He was in a two story house, we rode up to the gate and Lieutenant Gilbreath dismounted and went in and stayed a while with General Wheeler, then came out and told us to mount our horses and we rode off in the direction of Carter's quarters. Lieutenant Gilbreath did not tell us at that time where we were going. We traveled the balance of the day, wondering among ourselves where we were going. When we got to Carter's quarters, we camped for the night. That night, Lieutenant Gilbreath told us what our mission was and where we were going. He told us that he had orders from General Wheeler to operate on the Western and Atlantic Railroad from Cartersville to Calhoun inside of the Federal line. It was a dangerous undertaking.

Now I will tell you, my readers, what a time we had during the three months scouting inside of the Federal line in the rear of Sherman. We all trusted our gallant officers, Lieutenants Gilbreath and Glasgow, to carry us through, which they did and we never lost a man. The first thing we did when we left Carter's quarters was to make our way to the McDow farm on the railroad below Adairsville. When we got near that place we staid (sic) in the woods until night, left our horses with a strong guard, and made our way through the McDow farm to the railroad. Our aim was to tear up the track. We tried everything that we could hold of to tear it up, but we could not move it.

While we were trying to tear up the track, we heard a train coming north. We all jumped over inside a field, hid ourselves in the fence corner, and two trains passed us loaded with Federals. It may seem strange to my readers that we would let them pass and not fire into them, but our orders were from General Wheeler that we were not to fire a gun unless we were compelled to, to keep from being captured. After the train had passed, we started back to our horses.

When we got near the McDow house, a man by the name of Cathcot asked Lieutenant Gilbreath if he and myself could go by the house, for Cathcot's family lived in a house in the yard and I was well acquainted with the McDow family. He told us to hurry and they would wait for us. They went on to the horses and we went quietly through the garden, knocked at the window and awoke the family up. There we made inquiry if there had been any Federals in that neighborhood previous to our arrival, they said no.

After the family were thoroughly over their fright, and were convinced that we were Confederates, and upon recognition of Mrs. McDow of Cathcot and myself, we were cordially invited for a meal, which consisted mainly of a big pone of lightbread. In spite of the turbulent conditions and poverty, this good woman offered to share her scanty provisions with our boys and at once prepared for us a large pone of bread. Then she cut a large plug in the pone of lightbread like you would plug a watermelon, and filled it with butter, then we bid them goodbye and we went on to our horses with the big pone of lightbread and all the boys were glad to get a slice of the bread for they were hungry.

I guess my readers would like to know how we lived, while we were inside the Federal lines. The people would find out where we were camped and cook a basket full of rations and bring them to us, and we would get feed for our horses from them. We would do all the harm to the railroad that we could then we would go back into Hall County and recruit up our horses, then we would make another raid to the railroad. When inside the line, we would tear up the railroad, cut telegraph wires, throw off trains, and do all we could to block transportation of army supplies for Sherman's army.

Now I will carry my readers back into Hall County with us, near Gainesville, and what we done while we were recruiting our horses, ready to make another raid into the Federal lines. We had a good time out there. We would ride horseback with the girls to church and go to big corn shuckings, eat big suppers, served in old fashioned style. One time just before we started back to the railroad, brother Henry came to see us from the Virginia army and came with us inside the Federal line. We camped near Crow Springs, above Cassville. There were five us got permission from Lieutenant Gilbreath to try and make our way home, for our people were left inside the Federal lines.

We started late one evening in the direction of Cassville. We arrived at Cassville just after dark. We rode right through the town, but we never saw any Federals. We rode down to the Baptist Church and there we turned in the direction of the Male College. The moon was shining bright, and about the time we got half way to the college, we saw three Federal Cavalry coming, meeting us from the direction of Kingston. We held a council of war, and we concluded to meet them. We formed in a breast and went on, and when we got in about ten steps of them, we halted them, and told them to surrender. They said they would then we rode up to them and told them to give up their arms. They gave them up and they were very much excited for they were taken by surprise. We asked them what their mission was. They told us that they were couriers carrying dispatch from Rome to Marietta. We told them to give us the dispatch. They gave it to us and we read it. It was from General Kilpatrick at Rome, to Captain Hayes, in Marietta, ordering up all the ambulances, breast bands, horse shoes and horse shoe nails under a heavy guard of dismounted cavalry.

Then we had the Federals and didn't know what to do with them. We concluded to carry them back to the company. We turned back through Cassville and went about a mile and a half and stopped and held a council of war to decide what to do with them. We concluded to turn them loose. We told them to dismount, they dismounted, and we asked them what they thought we were going to do with them. They said they did not know. We told them we were going to turn them loose, they were delighted to hear that. We asked them where they wanted to go. They said to Cartersville. The night was cold and we gave them a blanket apiece and swapped hats with them, with their consent, and sent them on their way rejoicing. We took their horses and turned back through Cassville. We had to flank Cass Station for there was a Federal garrison at that place. We crossed the Western and Atlantic Railroad at the Hamilton crossing above Cass Station. We divided there and appointed that place to meet again then each one went to their home.

I lived in about one half mile of Cass Station. Brother Henry and I went near the house, hitched our horses, and went up by the barn. The moon was shining and the dogs began to bark at us, and Mother came out to the back porch to see what the dogs were barking at. We walked up and spoke to her and she was the worst surprised woman you ever saw. She said how in the world did you get here. We told her we just flanked around and came in. She said three Federal officers just left here, their pickets are between here and Cass Station. There were two young ladies spending the night with Mother. One of them was Miss Lizzie Headden, she was a sister of Dr. Headden. These two young ladies watched us while we went into the house and ate our supper. We stayed about one hour and then left and went back to our meeting place. When we got there we found the boys waiting there for us, we then went back to the company for the night.

The next day, we divided the company and started a general scout, thirteen of us under Lieutenant Gilbreath went in the direction of Cass Station, and the balance under Lieutenant Glasgow went in the direction of Calhoun. Brother Henry and myself were with Lieutenant Gilbreath.

We crossed the Western and Atlantic Railroad and scouted that part of the country in broad daylight. We learned that the Federals were sending out forage wagons from Cartersville into the Foster settlement, hauling off their corn. Although we had orders not to fight, that was more than we could stand, and we concluded to give them the best we had if they came out that day. We went over to the back of the field, pulled off our saddles, got some corn and fed our horses, and some of us lay down and went to sleep.

We stayed there until about 2 o'clock, then Lieutenant Gilbreath sent two men up to the corn field to see if they had come in. They soon returned and told us they were in there gathering corn. We saddled our horses, got everything in good shape, mounted, rode up to the fence, and lay the fence down in several places so we could get out of there if they got too hot for us. Then we divided and attacked them in two directions. There was about forty of them. They had four four-mule teams and two or three horses. We opened fire on them and drove them from there wagons. We thought we had made a big haul, which we had.