87                                  HISTORY OF THE SEVENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT O.V.V.I.

           When our forces took possession of Western Tennessee, he fled with his family to Jackson, Mississippi; and was driven from this place of refuge farther East, when he entered the army as a Chaplain, and his family reduced from great opulence to destitution in search of their rights and the Confederacy. How true the declaration of the prophet, "he feedeth on ashes; a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say is there a lie in his right hand." Truly such men have left off preaching Christ, and teach instead the commandments of men.

           When our troops took possession of the place, Doctor Waddell was so indignant he refused to occupy his pulpit. Lieutenant McCarty, Provost Marshal, informed him by order that the church must be opened, and he must either preach himself, or he would have his pulpit filled. The Doctor then consented to preach, and the soldiers of the Union army crowded his house to its utmost capacity, and the Doctor was compelled to preach an excellent gospel sermon. The same kind of spiritual food he had been administering to the people of the South would not be very palatable to the Union soldier.

           Doctor Grey, who was professor in the college, was a very different man - tall, straight and head as white as snow, which contributed much to his reverent appearance. He seemed one of the most heavenly-minded, devoted and spiritual men I ever met. It was refreshing to the Christian heart to hear him talk and preach. His mind seemed so imbued with heavenly things that he talked little about either the Union or the Confederacy. He had no slaves, consequently had little interest at stake. He had an only son, who was a young man of very high attainments and promised great usefulness, but very much to the pain and grief of the father he was induced to leave his home and break away from his parent, in whom his comfort and joy were centered, to enter the rebel army, when he was taken prisoner by our forces and sent North; his health was much impaired, so that he died in hospital. The sorrow-stricken father could scarcely bear up under the terrible shock and affliction.

           Our stay at Lagrange was of short duration, but was attended with most healthful effect for the Union cause. Colonel Leggett had endeared himself to many of the people by his kind and gentlemanly trreatment of the citizens. Business began to grow active, and Northern sutlers soon filled the place with a large stock of goods.

           Here we saw for the first time the cruel treatment spoken of by Abolition papers in the North, which we supposed were much exaggerated, but we now see it so fully realized that we conclude the one-half has never been told. It makes humanity startle, and man ashamed to claim kindred with the white race. I presume slavery is no worse here than elsewhere, the treatment of the slave no less merciful and more severe than in other places, but we happened to be so situated that we could see it in all its internal workings. I will not stir the heart of the reader by a recital of the dark and sickening treatment that fell under our observation.

           When General Hurlbut had completed his mission to Holly Springs, he returned with his Division to Lagrange; we were ordered again to Grand Junction, where we remained between three and four weeks. In the meantime General Hurlbut marched his Division to Memphis. Our Brigade, composed of the Seventy-Eighth, Twentieth and Sixty-Eighth Ohio, remained alone on this outpost, several miles in front of our main lines. The enemy was all around us, but still we protected our communications, and had from forty to fifty wagons out daily gathering forage and cotton; the cars were busy night and day carrying away

Intro Previous Next ToC Index