News from The Courant American

 
The Courant American
Cartersville, Georgia
December 3, 1891, page 8
 
Transcribed by:  
 

Incident of the War.
Josh Bailey Wants the Address of a Federal Soldier.

Mr. Joshua A. Bailey is one of the best citizens in Bartow county today. He has accumulated from nothing to a sufficiAugust 29, 2006rkets in north Georgia, and his name is the synonym of good eating. He is no better a butcher, farmer or citizen than he was a soldier during the late war between the states. He enlisted while young in Company F Eight Georgia battalion, Gist’s brigade, Walker’s division. During the battle of Chickamauga, this state, he was doing duty as a sharpshooter. It was near sundown and the last charge on Sunday had been made and the union army had retreated. Young Bailey, being ambitious, had advanced far ahead in the weeds, trying to get a parting shot. He heard a noise to his left. It was a human voice asking if he was a federal or a “Johnnie.” His reply was: “I am a Johnnie; who are you?” By this time he had located the voice in a hole where the water had poured over a road and washed out. It was a federal captain, Smith by name, if Bailey had not forgotten, belonging either to the Seventy-ninth Illinois or an Indiana regiment. On being asked what he was doing there he told Bailey he was wounded on the leg by a piece of shell, and could not walk. Young Bailey, forgetting they were enemies, carried him back to the line of the battle out of danger, and gave him into the keeping of a captain of the Sixteenth South Carolina, same brigade. The officer took his sword and started to take his pistol, a fine Smith & Wesson, thirty-two caliber, rim fire. The “Yank” objected and requested that it be given to Bailey, as he had been kind to him and had made the capture, and it was given to him. He has it today, and thinks a great deal of it. The federal captain remarked he would rather give $150 than to part with it, as it was a present from a friend, but of course, he could not keep it. After he was carried back Mr. Bailey says he heard “the boys” say they got $300 from him.

If Mr. Smith is living, or any of his relatives, Mr. Bailey would be more than glad to hear from them, as he wants to know what has become of the Yankee captain.

 

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