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Confederate Veteran, Nov., 1920.
PERSONAL REMINISCENCES
by George W. Sirrine
Greenville, S.C.
Many personal reminiscences of Confederate
soldiers appear...responding to your request for contributions , I
venture to give an incident that is unusual.
Just before the advance on the Federal lines
at Franklin, Tenn., a detachment of Harvey's Scouts, of which I was a
member, was ordered by General Forrest to cross the river and watch the
extreme right flank of the advance.
When night closed in and the line retired, I
found myself alone between two lines...in my hunt for General Forrest's
headquarters, passing through a field, I found a small stack of fodder.
As my horse had had nothing to eat since the night before, I dismounted
and tied about 20 bundles together with my halter strap, I continued my
search. Failing and being very tired and disprited, I stopped at a fire
where several had struck camp, tied down Old Jim, gave him as much
fodder as he could eat and made down my bed between two rails. Opening
several bundles of fodder, I spread it evenly on the ground, placed my
blanket over this, made a [pillow of saddle, boots and belt , threw my
oilcloth over me, with my feet to the fire and was asleep in less than a
minute.
I must have slept an hour or more when I was
rudely awaken by two or three men pounding me and pulling at my clothes.
In my confusion I fought and hunted for my pistol, but soon found that
friendly hands were doing something necessary to my comfort.
It seems the sparks from the chestnut rail
had been thrown under my blanket and set fire to the fodder. Fortunately
the blanket was all wool and burned slowly. One of the men happened to
be awake and discovered my plight before the flames reached my skin and
, with the assistance of others, pulled me up and put out the fire, but
not before one leg of my pants and one coat sleeve were scorched so that
the cloth fell away on being touched, leaving me with a one- legged pair
of pants and a one-sleeve coat, my hat a wreck.
Few days later, we were sent to Lebanon and
the good women of the place provided me with a coat, pants and hat. The
family of a MR. Ashworth and a fine old lady named Mrs. White were the
donors....
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