HIB0338 Vybrané problémy z dějin americké občanské války: Každodennost vojenského života

 Personal Recollections of private John Henry Cammack

 It happened that about that time we held a meeting of Southern people at Romine‘s Mill to decide whether we would volunteer and offer our services to the government. Although the Virginia Convention had passed the ordinance of secession it had not as yet been voted on by all the people.

 A beautiful day dawned on us as we gathered on the green at the school house at Rornines Mills. John Hofman, a lawyer, and afterwards a Brigadier General in our army, was there and made us a speech. Re read several extracts from Horace Greeley‘s paper, which was not calculated to mollify us very much. We also had two or three drurns and fifes. Several enthusiastic war speeches were made, interspersed with the inspiring drum. [...].

 My brother L. S. Cammack and I volunteered that day in the service ot Virginia. We expected to be organized in a company with Maj. Armsby, as our Captain. Maj. Armsby was a neighbor, right popular in the neighborhood, and knew something of military affairs.

 When we went horne that evening and reported that we had vo1unteered father and mother were greatly worried, especially about my going, only sixteen years and four months old. Well, they thought it over and finally mother said she would rather we went both together than one alone, so finally to my great joy it was understood that when the company marched away, I would be with them. [...].

 We were quartered and there during the night, I was at the horne of Judge Lee. There were two companies of Union men and one company of Confederates in Clarksburg.

 The next morning the Clarksburg rnen under Capt. Turner paraded in front of the principal hotel preparatory to marching to Grafton.

 One of the most remarkable things that I have ever known of occured there. The Union Companies came around, most of them willing to talk and such expressions as these could be heard: "Well Tom, you‘re going South I see. Well, goodbye, I guess the next time I see you will be in battle." "So long, you‘ll catch the devil when we do get to fighting, alright, all right [sic]. " Neither side kept their guns the night before. By agreement the arms were locked up in the county jail.

 Many of the men shook hands with their foes and sometimes there were kindly expressions of good bye.