***Tri State News Section of The Mobile Register*****
SURVIVOR OF FINAL CIVIL WAR BATTLES TELLS OF HEROISM OF CONFEDERATE MEN
CH Driesbach, of Baldwin County. One of the Few Veterans Left, Relates how
Flag Bearer, Although Mortally Wounded, Held His Banner Aloft and Tried to
Give Famous Rebel Yell, Gives Graphic Description of Closing Combats In
Alabama
Special to the Register:
Bay Minette, Ala., Jan 27- With his form as erect as the day when he first
donned the uniform of Gray to fight for a cause he believed was right, but
with father time gradually lessening the virile resistance that once
characterized this Son of the South, CH Driesbach, of Baldwin County, and one
of the few survivors that marked the closing of the Civil War, graphically
relates events leading up to what was said to be the last battle in this
section.
History relates to the generation that followed the war descriptions of the
decisive battles, but as Mr. Driesbach says, little is said about some of the
closing combats that proved vital to the South and where many Alabama Heroes
'went west', whose names are cherished by those who survived, but whose
identity has been lost in the cataclysm that followed.
It was on April 11, 1865, according to Mr. Driesbach that one of the last
battles of the Civil War was fought near here and although strongly
outnumbered by the federal troops, a strong resistance was put up. It was in
this battle he recalls, that Harry Davis, the flag bearer of the Confederate
Soldiers, although mortally wounded propped himself up against a tree and
held his flag aloft and vainly tried to give the 'Rebel Yell'.
The Battle occurred in Monroe County when what was estimated 3000 federal
troops under the command of Lucus clashed with the 15th Cavalry commanded by
LT Col Myers and a company of Mounted Infantry, commanded by Capt TC English.
Captain English was a brother to General McClelland, It was English' company
Mr. Driesbach was a member of and one of the few survivors after the
engagement.
"Our Company was guarding a bridge on Little River, between Baldwin and
Monroe counties", Mr. Driesbach says, "while the 15th Cavalry, or rather part
of it was at Claiborne, Monroe County. On the morning of April 11, 1865.
General Lucus and his men were coming up the Highway from Stockton. The
Confederate Troops came together at what is now known as Eliska. The federals
numbered about 3000 and the Confederates had something like 200. Arrangements
had been madebetween Captain Barlow and Colonel Myers that Capt Barlows
company should make a detour and reach the rear of the enemy and advance in
echelon formation. The strength of the enemy was not known at the time.
Colonel Myers decided to wait and attack the enemy in front."
"Shortly after Barlow left on his mission, Arrington's company of the
15thCav, used as an advance Guard met the enemy and it was plainly seen they
were outnumbered. Col Myers then gave the command to charge and at the same
time the 'rebel yell' went up. We drove the advance guard back to about 1/4
of a mile when we came in contact with the enemy consisting of about 3000
men.The fighting was fierce, continued for about 20 minutes, when we were
forced to retire. Harry Davis the flag bearer was shot in about 20 feet of
where I was at, and getting off his horse, sat down by a pine tree and was
last seen holding the flag aloft".
Several were killed
"Besides several being killed about 50 of our men were captured.. In the
retreat William HH Greenwood and myself accompanied the few of the REGT,
which was left to a rendezvous near Claiborne, Al. About April 20 all troops
in south Al were ordered to Gainesville to be paroled. Davis the Flag bearer
was buried on what is now known as the home of Capt CA Marriot."
"My experience during the war, like many another rebel, has been sometimes
dark and sometimes bright. I sometimes hear the boys who have gone before
tapping on my chamber door calling 'Come o're, Come o're'
Following is the official muster roll of Capt English's company that
participated in the final battles:
Oct 3 1864 TC English, Capt: TP Atkinson, 1st LT: Jonathon English, 2nd LT:
Joseph Booth 3rd LT: JF Boyles, 1st SGT: Joel Bullard, 2nd SGT: H McKenzie,
3rd SGT: TJ Booth, 4th SGT: John H Fry 5th Sgt.: James Earle. 1st CPL: James
Singleton, 2nd Cpl.: Charles Engish, 3rd Cpl: TR Dean 4th Cpl.
Privates: WW Adams. M Boyles, William Barr, WJ Bayles. JB Belt, AW Bryant,
John R Coone, HT Crapps, TJ Carter, H Conway, Joeseph Daniels, M Deas, JM
Dudley, WM Deas, J Daily, CH Driesbach, F Earle, A Feast, H Fort, M Ford, WBF
Green, W Gibson, JA Griffen, John Greenwood Jr, J Grisett, BH Harrison, CH
Henderson, HJ Hunt, John Hadley, BF Hardie. H Jones, W Kyle, TH Kraus, DR
King, S Lo?max, JJ Lock, Richard McGee, , WA Mathison, S Moniac, T McCarthy,
MC Middleton, RH Moon, ET Moseley, John A Norwood, JN Powell, S Rodgers, RJ
Richardson, John W Shomo, JB Steadham, SH Spencer, JW Stiggins, Joseph
Stapleton, John Stapleton, R Talbert, E Thompson, C Weatherford, A McG
Weatherford, EG Wiggins, John L White, John D Weatherford, A Boheman, OP
Hall, Reuben Stapleton, YM Dannelly