The Corinth Herald

Corinth MS

Thursday, March 27, 1902

War Time Notes

by Jesse T. Cheeves

The following paper as written by Jesse T. Cheeves at the request of D.T. Camp Beall Camp No. 1327 and read by him at the meeting of the Camp of Rienzi on the 15th instant:

The 32nd Miss. regiment was organized at Corinth in March 1862 and was attached to Wood's brigade, Buckner's division, Hardee's corp, army of the Tenn.   The brigade and division were better known afterwards as M. P. Lowery's brigade and Cleburn's division famous in the Army of [the] Tenn. for its desperate daring and brilliant achievements at Chickamauga, Ringgold Gap and New Hope.   The regiment camped on College Hill but was not fully equipped when the battle of Shiloh was fought and did not engage in it.  Soon we went out to the front on picket duty.  We marched out on the Farmington road to a church called Box's Chapel.  The writer, then a boy was put on picket three hundred yards north of the road.  At daybreak one yankee made his appearance, the first 'yank' this writer had seen, with a gun in his hand.  Owing to his quick disappearance I did not get to fire on him.  Immediately the advancing picket were called in and formed in line with the reserve at the Chapel.  Several shots were fired by the time we reached the Chapel when a lone cavalryman road [sic] up and reported the enemy advancing in force.  We fell back on the road to Corinth to fool them but they did not follow far.  Just before the evacuation of Corinth the regiment had a little 'brush' with the 'yanks' when we lost our first man in battle, James Spain.   May 27th the regiment marched out two and one half miles northeast of Corinth.   Co. A was ordered back to camp early next morning as a guard to the wagon train, Gen'l Beauregard having determined to evacuate Corinth.   Many boys passed their homes on the retreat and many of the writer's former school mates never saw their homes again.  They sleep on far off battlefields.  Some fell at Perryville and Chickamauga and others at Ringgold, New Hope, Resca, Atlanta, Franklin and other places.   I would like to relate the fortunate and misfortune of all the boys of Co. A, but space forbids.  There were thirty-five boys under 19 years of age in Co. A, and I will give the names of six as true and brave as ever wore the 'gray';  Rufus L. Curlee, Gaines Smith, W. H. Rees, Granville Kelton, Daniel Cogdell, and William Barnett.   Curlee was killed in the last charge at Perryville.  W. H. Rees lost his left arm the same day by a cannot [sic] ball.  The man in the rear rank behind Rees was struck in the chest by the same ball and knocked ten or twelve feet and instantly killed.   The writer was to the right of Rees, his left arm touching Ree's right, when he fell.  We were exposed to a terrible fire of solid shot and shell.  The writer noticed one ball that fell just in front of the line, it was about the size and length of a Mason's fruit jar but in the shape of  a minnie [sic] ball.   We remained an hour under very heavy cannon fire.  Sometimes the balls would come as fast as the stroke of a clock.  They made all kinds of noise as they passed over.  Sometimes it seemed they would dip down after us as they passed over the line.  Twelve or fourteen feet behind our line was a large shell bark hickory nut tree full of nuts.   Now and then a ball would pass through the top and bark and nuts would fairly rain down.  At 2 o'clock p.m. our line of battle moved forward, the enemy being just across an opposite range of hill, the valley between us being from 600 to 800 yards wide.   Our cannon ceased firing until the line had advanced far enough for  the balls to pass over heads.  Our guns behind us and the enemy's  in front and the roar of musketry between made such a noise as the boys had never heard.  We were in a field all the time and tore the fences down as we advanced.  We drove the yanks from behind one rock fence.  The writer was talking with a comrade a few months ago who was wounded just before we crossed this fence and lay upon the field until 3 o'clock at night.  Our victory was complete.  Our brigade captured a battery; Company A lost seven brave men killed and many wounded.  We fought close to Co. D., made up at Kossuth, and a fine company it was.  The next day Gen'l Bragg continued his retreat to Knoxville, which we reached Oct. 23.  We were soon ordered to Middle Tennessee.   The 32nd Mississippi was detailed to guard bridges south of Murfreesboro.  Co. A was stationed at Wartrace from Nov. 27 to Dec. 27 and had a fine time there, plenty to eat and that pleased the boys.    On Christmas Eve night I went out with one of our lieutenants on a scout and while passing through a woodland we heard an awful noise.  I never heard such a screaming of women!  Thinking somebody was being killed, we rushed to the scene and ascertained the cause to be a conscript officer had caught a young man and his sisters were crying at the height of their voices.  We left our camp Dec. 27 for Murfreesboro. The ground was covered with snow.  Here was fought a great battle Dec. 31, 1862 and Jan. 1,'63.  Gen'l Bragg moved his army to Tullohoma; the 32nd left Murfreesboro about dark; it rained all night but we kept moving; the next day we reached Manchester where we drew rashions [sic]: corn meal and beef; it was about dark when we got there.  We made our meal up on an oil cloth.  The cook left the dish rag in the skillet and when the bread was done and turned out of the skillet there was the rag in the bread, but we eat it all the same.  You could have heard some of the boys laughing half a mile.  I shall never forget that retreat.   We had a great deal of fun, but some hard times and often little to eat.  The boys were always cheerful, the married men would think of their wives and children at home, while the boys would write to 'the girl they left behind them.'   Bill Elliot would sing 'Poor Nellie Gray, they have taken her away.'  Albert Karr would sing, 'Old grey (also, gray) horse come tearing out of the wilderness.'  Many other incidents I would be glad to mention but feel like this paper is already too long.   The writer was parolled [sic] May 11, 1865, and got back home July 22.   Rienzi, Miss. March 18.'02"