he fly to the officers of the company, and kept the
tent to protect the goods until distributed, and incidently themselves.
This tent and fly were the only ones left in the company now, as
nothing of the kind had been on hand for many a month.

During rains, a blanket stretched over a pole, three feet from the
ground, would somewhat shelter three men. When it was not raining,
shelter was unnecessary to the hard old veterans.

Once again and for the last time, Lumsden and most of his men got into
whole and comfortable clothing. Our new comrade, Richard Maxwell did
not hold out long. He had lately married a young wife, and nostalgia
got hold of him, he lost all appetite, and was attacked with dysentery,
so off he was sent to hospital in Columbus. There he did not improve,
and he persuaded the surgeon in charge to order him to report to
Tuscaloosa hospital. He soon found friends in Columbus to take him
home. The most of Hood's army, that still had arms, were now rushed
around by rail, via Meridian, Selma, Montgomery, West Point, Macon and
on to North Carolina to Gen. Jos. E. Johnston, once more to try to
prevent Sherman's march to the rear of Richmond. Our command having no
guns was ordered to report to Gen. Dabney H. Maury, at Mobile, the old
drivers now to act as cannoneers, making up sufficient to again man a
four or six gun battery in a fort.

At Mobile we were placed temporarily at Battery B., above Mobile in a
fort with big cast iron siege guns, commanding a portion of the march.
We were soon well drilled in the handling of siege artillery of this
class, and also had some practice with small Coehorn mortars, firing at
targets out in the marsh. Here, the boys went in for a good time
whenever they could get permits to visit down in the city. They would
test the restaurants to see what sort of meals Confederate money would
still bring in a big city on the sea coast. Fish and oysters were
plentiful, as well as eggs and vegetables. But for coffee we had to
take whatever substitute was available. Usually sweet potatoes, okra or
sage. For sweetening either long sweetening (molasses) or short
sweetening (a moist clammy dark brown sugar.) For cream, if wanted, a
beaten egg answered, but most of us preferred the "coffee" "barefooted
and baldheaded," i.e., without cream or sugar, or "straight." Some
little new corn whiskey, white as water, could be had also "sub rosa."
Occasionally, at a social call at some private residence,