The following letter has been re-keyed several times and may contain mistakes which are not Lt. Henderson's. This letter is printed in several different publications and was made available by Everett W. Moriarity from Shelman Bluff in McIntosh County.

Cameron, Ga. May 18, 1901
Mr. W. H. Howard
Savannah,
Friend Warren,

Yours of the 9th desiring to know what command I belonged to during the Civil War, and the facts that led to my promotion, has been received.

I was born and raised in Screven County, Georgia; I came home from school and joined a battalion of cavalry commanded by Lieutenant Co. Cummings at Isle of Hope below Savannah, at eighteen years of age. This battalion with other cavalry companies was thrown together and formed the 5th Georgia cavalry, commanded by Col. Robert H. Anderson of Savannah, and did cost duty, you might say, from Jacksonville to Charleston. We joined Johnston’s Army at Kennesaw Mountain. We were then thrown into brigade; our Col R. H. Anderson made Brigadier General, Col Edward Bird of Effingham County, Col of the regiment and R. J. Davant at that time from Savannah, Lt. Col., and added to Joe Wheeler’s Corps. General Anderson was wounded at Vernon by McCook’s cavalry, while our army was ‘round Atlanta, Stoneman and McCook made a dash to our rear, and McCook was annihilated and Stoneman captured near Macon. Wheeler’s Cavalry formed all the resistance, if really you could call it resistance, that Sherman’s Army had from Atlanta to Savannah, but we did one thing at least, we made their Cavalry stick under close cover of their Infantry. Now to the facts that led to my promotion. About a half mile below Wainsboro our brigade was thrown into line to attack a portion of the Yankee Cavalry; I was then acting brigade color-bearer (the color- bearer Walthour being absent) and their Cavalry charged us, and the Adjutant of the 9th Michigan regiment came through our lines and I dismounted him by jabbing him from his horse with the flag staff. I made him my prisoner, and took his horse bridle and saddle, two fine Army revolvers, sabre and belt. The sabre belt was a very fine one much nicer than any used in our Army, and I made it a present to Gen. R. H. Anderson. We repulsed the charge of the Yankees, but they being supported by infantry we had to retreat, and just as we entered the streets of Wainsboro, I stepped up beside my Captain Geo. B. Best poor fellow, he remarked to me, “I took two shots at that Yank before you got him” The words had bravely been spoken when a bullet hit him on the back of the head and killed him, he dying some time during the night. Captain Best was a Mason and wore a large Masonic ring. He fell into the hands of some of their doctors who were Masons, and we learned that they gave him all the care that it was possible to give. The next morning at Roll Call I was handed a promotion for “brilliant and conspicuous gallantry on the field of battle”, from Gen. R. H. Anderson. Up to this time I was 2nd Sergeant of Company “E”.

I went through the war without being wounded, got very hungry at times, and the toughest meal I tried to eat during the war, was a roasted pumpkin without salt. We surrendered in N. C. came home and found our place burned and torn to pieces by Sherman’s Army, reconciled myself and went to work.
Very Truly,
W. M. Henderson