This is the reason my gggrandfather gave. You will notice he says "I was in the defense of my country." His father had died shortly before the war and his two older brothers had already enlisted before he was old enough. He left his mother and three sisters at home. His brother John died in the hospital early and Asbury was severely wounded twice and imprisoned.

From “Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray 1861-1865” by Mamie Yearby, 1912

G. M. Bennett, Montgomery TX – Born June 13, 1842, at Opelika, Russell Co, AL, and enlisted in the Confederate Army in March 1862, at Westville AL, as a private, in Co I, Thirty-third AL Regiment: Lowery’s brigade; Cleburne’s division, and Hardee’s Corps, Army of TN. My first Captain was named Hughes and first Colonel named Adams. Was never changed, wounded, nor taken prisoner. Was in the Battles of Chickamauga, Spring Hill, Missionary Ridge, Peach Tree Creek, Corinth, MS, Nashville TN, Resaca GA, Kenesaw Mountain and Raleigh NC.

When I was walking the picket line, the moon being my only guide, I was thinking of my dear mother and sisters at home. I was in the defense of my country-no pay; nothing but ragged clothes to wear and often times fought hard battles with just parched corn to eat, but tried to make a good soldier. But it was pretty hard, as sometimes we had to make our beds of snow and then when our clothes were wet they would freeze on us. But we fought just the same. I had a brother to die in the army.