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Page 23
As for the effect of the war upon the country generally, I can not
give many facts, though I had some opportunity of observation, as
will be seen. Preaching was maintained in most of the churches in
the large cities; but in many of the smaller places, and in country
churches, service was suspended. This was true so far as my
observation reached, and it must have been so in other places, from
the fact that so great a proportion of the men were engaged in the
war. And even where preaching was kept up, every sermon I heard was
embellished and concluded by a grand flourish, about the duty of
praying and fighting for their homes and institutions. This
universally belligerent spirit was evidently unfavorable to the
progress of true and consistent piety. Schools and seminaries of
learning were chiefly closed, and they were not very abundant
before. In fine, I think if this Rebellion continues a year or two
longer, the South will be a moral wilderness.
CHAPTER IV.
CAVALRY SERVICE.
New Field of Action. -- Promotion. -- Guerrilla Warfare. --
Characteristics. -- Tendencies. -- Captain J.H. Morgan. --
Character. -- Personal Appearance. -- Anecdotes. -- Success.
-- Southern Cavalry superior to Northern. -- Advantages. --
Riding Courier. -- General Johnson evacuates Bowling Green.
-- Excitement in Nashville. -- Preparations for Defence. --
Commissary Stores. -- Vandalism. -- Rear Guard. -- Line of
Retreat. -- Dreadful Hardships. -- Losses. -- Forced March.
-- Desolation. -- Cause of Retreat. -- Other Counsel. --
Accident. -- No Union Feeling evident. -- Intolerant yet
Sincere.
While at Nashville, recovering from the typhoid pneumonia, I
resolved to seek a transfer to the cavalry service, as affording me
a new field of observation, and perhaps a more stirring and exciting
life. As Captain F----s was recruiting a company in and around
Nashville, I rode with him from day to day over the country, and
thus secured his advocacy of my wishes. On the 4th of February,
1862, I was transferred to his company, and entered it as orderly
sergeant, and a vacancy soon occurring, I was promoted to a
lieutenancy, Our company was to have been attached to a battalion
commanded by Major Howard of Maryland, formerly of the United States
army, and as my captain was in service on General Hardee's staff, I
acted as captain during the whole of my term in this branch of the
service. Shortly after, my company was attached to the command of
that celebrated guerrilla leader, Captain J.H. Morgan, at that time,
however, acting under the rules of regular warfare, and not, as now,
in the capacity of a highway robber.
The system of guerrilla warfare has been indorsed by an act of the
Confederate Congress, and is fully inaugurated over a large part of
the South. As there practiced now, it is distinguished from regular
warfare by two things: First, the troops are not under any brigade
commander, but operate in small bands, much at their pleasure, with
a general responsibility to the major-general commanding in their
department.
One result of this feature of the system is to develop a large
amount of talent in the ranks, as every man has an individual
responsibility, and constant opportunities to test his shrewdness
and daring. It also gives a perfect knowledge of all roads and
localities to the whole force in a given section, as some one or
more soldiers will be found in each gang, who, in their frequent
maraudings, have traversed every by-path and marked every important
point.
The second prominent characteristic of guerrilla warfare, is the
license it gives to take by force from supposed enemies or neutrals,
horses, cash, munitions of war, and, in short, any thing which can
aid the party for which he fights; _with the promise of full pay for
whatever he brings off to his head-quarters_. This is the essential
principle of the system, giving it its power and destructiveness. As
it displaces patriotism from the breast of the fighter, and
substitutes in its room the desire for plunder, the men thus engaged
become highway robbers in organized and authorized bands. Nor do
guerrilla bands long confine their depredations to known enemies.
Wherever a good horse can be found, wherever silver plate is
supposed to be secreted, wherever money might be expected, there
they concentrate and rob without inquiry as to the character of the
owner. Hence the system is destructive to all confidence, and to the
safety of even innocent and defenseless females.
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