The Federal army under General Scott consisted of over 60,000 men, while
that of General J. E. Johnston was only half that number. Someone asked
General Scott, why he, the hero of Mexico, had failed to enter Richmond.
He answered, because the boys that led him into Mexico are the very ones
that kept him out of Richmond.
The proclamation of Abraham Lincoln calling out for troops was responded
to with alacrity. In the meantime, we on the Confederate side, were not
asleep; Washington County had then only one military organization of
infantry called the Washington Rifles, commanded by Captain Seaborn
Jones, a very gallant old gentleman, who was brave and patriotic. The
following was a list of the Company's membership, who, by a unanimous
vote, offered their services to the newly formed Government to repel the
invader: (See Appendix A.). Their services were accepted, and they were
ordered to Macon, Ga., as a camp of instructions, and for the formation
of a regiment, of which the following companies formed the
contingent--their names, letters, and captains. (See Appendix B.)
J. N. Ramsey, of Columbus, Ga., was elected Colonel. We were ordered to
Pensacola, Fla., for duty, and to guard that port, and to keep from
landing any troops by our enemy who were in possession of the fort,
guarding the entrance of that harbor. This was in the month of April,
1861. From Pensacola the regiment was ordered to Northwestern Virginia.
The Confederate Capital was also changed from Montgomery, Ala., where
the Confederate Government was organized, and Jefferson Davis nominated
its President, to Richmond, Va.
About the middle of May, the same year, twenty-one young men of this
County, of which the writer formed a contingent part, resolved to join
the Washington Rifles, who had just preceded us on their way to
Virginia. We rendezvoused at Davisboro, a station on the Central of
Georgia Railway. We were all in high spirit on the day of our departure.
The people of the neighborhood assembled to wish us Godspeed and a safe
return. It was a lovely day and patriotism ran high. We promised a
satisfactory result as soldiers of the Confederate States of America.
At Richmond, Va., we were met by President Davis, who came to shake
hands with the "boys in gray", and speak words of encouragement. From
Richmond we traveled by rail to Staunton, where we were furnished with
accoutrements by Colonel Mikel Harmon, and which consisted of muskets
converted into percussion cap weapons, from old revolutionary flint and
steel guns, possessing a kicking power that would put "Old Maude" to
shame. My little squad had resolved to stick to one another through all
emergencies, to aid and assist each other and to protect one another.
Those resolutions were carried out to the letter as long as we continued
together. We still went by rail to Buffalo Gap, when we had to foot it
over the mountains to McDowell, a little village in the Valley of the
Blue Ridge. Foot-sore and weary we struck camp. The inhabitants were
hospitable and kind, and we informed ourselves about everything in that
country, Laurel Hill being our destination.
An old fellow whose name is Sanders, a very talkative gentlemen, told us
how, he by himself ran a dozen Yankees; every one of us became
interested as to how he did it, so he stated that one morning he went to
salt his sheep in the pasture--all of a sudden there appeared a dozen
or more Yankee soldiers, so he picked up his gun, and ran first, and
they ran after him, but did not catch him. We all felt pretty well sold
out and had a big laugh, for the gentleman demonstrated his tale in a
very dramatic way.
The following morning, we concluded to hire teams to continue our
journey, which was within two days march of our destination. We passed
Monterey, another village at the foot of the Alleghany Mountains, about
twelve miles from McDowell. We crossed the Alleghany into Green Brier
County, passed Huttensville, another little village at the foot of Cheat
Mountain, from there to Beverly, a village about twelve miles from
Laurel Hill, where we were entertained with a spread, the people having
heard of our approach. We camped there that night, and passed commandery
resolution upon its citizens, and their kind hospitality. The following
day we arrived at Laurel Hill, where the army, about 3,000 strong, was
encamped. The boys were glad to see us, and asked thousands of questions
about their home-folks, all of which was answered as far as possible.
The writer being a Frenchman, a rather scarce article in those days in
this country, elicited no little curiosity among the members of the
First Georgia Regiment. Sitting in my tent, reading and writing, at the
same time enjoying my pipe, I noted at close intervals shadows excluding
the light of day--looking for the cause, the party or parties instantly
withdrew. Major U. M. Irwin entered; I asked him the cause for such
curiosity, he stated laughing, "Well, I told some fellows we'd brought a
live Frenchman with us. I suppose those fellows want to get a peep at
you." I at once got up, mounted an old stump, and introduced myself to
the crowd: "Gentlemen, it seems that I am eliciting a great deal of
curiosity; now all of you will know me as Isaac Hermann, a native
Frenchman, who came to assist you to fight the Yankees." Having thus
made myself known, I took the privilege to ask those with whom I came in
contact their names, and what Company they belonged to, and thus in a
short time I knew every man in the Regiment. We were now installed and
regularly enrolled for duty.