77 Years Of Dixie

By Sr. Possum John Dewayne D Lanham

"Seventy-seven Years in Dixie: The Boys in Gray of 61-65" by H.W. Reddick is a poetic, sweeping epic chronicling one young man's experience fighting the Yankees in the American Civil War. Following him through battles and time spent as a prisoner of war, we experience alongside him aching hunger, terror before battle and the humanizing moments that come when, stuck alongside brothers, young soldiers see what makes each of us human.

Complete with a series of poems celebrating the heroism of thos

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 9, 2014
• ISBN: 9781628384987

Book preview

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Seventy-seven Years in Dixie

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The Boys In Gray Of 61–65

John Dewayne Lanham, Sr. Possum

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Copyright © 2014 John Dewayne Lanham, Sr. Possum

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc. 2014

ISBN 978-1-62838-497-0 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-62838-498-7 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

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Foreword

Few men go to war and come back the same. They must each come to terms with death. War is a life changing event, some good and some bad. A special kind of courage comes forth, a gut courage. Which leads to a moral courage to press forward no matter the mission. General Douglas McAuthor, WWII put it best; Duty Honor Country. In less noble terms the gray and blue were fighting for each other, a brotherhood of honor and days of devotion. This is where we find CPT H.W. Reddick CSA, 1st Florida Infantry in service for the South. We seldom see the truth of war, horror with moments of humor and sad impacts on communities involved; as we do with our very memorable eye within and combat infantry officers. The tears, blood, and deep motivations that invoke reasonable men and women in some cases, to kill for ideals and cause, all had a story and heard the call to arms. We must honor our dead for they are our fathers who set the foundations. Our grandfather who gave us vision and our great-great grandfather and beyond who gave us noble roots to endure life changes with a steady state of grace. I wish to thank Page Publishing for the excellent over site and encouragement that allowed me to bring this history to life in record word for generations to come.

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Foreword Continued

General Biographical Record

1st LT Henry W. Reddick, 1st Florida Infantry (New) Company. E. was born July 2, 1835 in Houston County, GA, or Bibb County, GA. Henry died in 1925, buried in Hatcher Cemetery, Freeport Walton County, FL.

He enlisted on March 1, 1862 at Camp Walton, FL. He was captured in Kentucky and exchanged near Vicksburg in late 1862. He was paroled on May 26, 1865 at Montgomery, AL. He was 5’8", light bushy red hair and skin, and had blue eyes. Henry was a well-known man who owned a saw mill in Walton County.

Within Florida pension records, he noted his active war experience in 28 battles of the civil war. He printed it in 1910, a pamphlet as to the war, which was passed down to the family. He was educated and was a positive figure in his community until his death. He was and always remains for the South and the United States after the war. I recall a tin 1860’s picture of him; he was not a big man, but stood out because of his bushy red hair.

John D.

Possum

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CHAPter I

THE ENLISTING

When I first enlisted in the army of the Southern Confederacy, it was for one year in 1861—our company was called the Walton Guards, on detached service, guarding East Pass and the Narrows, which had been bombarded by a United States gunboat.

The first flag I saw hoisted calling for volunteers to go to war was at old Eucheeanna, Florida. The ladies of the county hoisted that flag and marched around old Eucheeanna and made a direct appeal to each man in these never-to-be-forgotten words: Go, boys, to your country’s call! I’d rather be a brave man’s widow than a coward’s wife. To those loyal women is due the honor that sixty of us volunteered that bleak March day at old Eucheeanna.

In about a month we met again, organized and elected our company officers—Billie McPherson, Captain; Chas. L. McKinnon, 1st Lieutenant; H. W. Reddick [author], 2nd Lieutenant; A. B. McLeod, 3rd Lieutenant. We then appointed the hour for moving to the front, bade farewell to all who were near and dear to us, and designated the spot from which to embark, which was Alaqua Creek, just below Berry’s little mill.

The night before our departure we met at a little cottage known as the Belcher Place, and I believe that nearly all the people of Walton County were present to bid us farewell. We danced all night, and as I was busying around it appeared to me that everywhere I went I found horses and buggies standing.

Next morning after breakfast, the program was to get on board the schooner Lady of the Lake, which was lying in the creek just below Berry’s mill alongside the bank. We fell in line and marched down to the schooner. The crowds of people who had gathered to see us off followed us down to the bank, and when leaving time came the scene was one long to be remembered. Some were laughing, some were crying and some were making speeches. The order was given to get on board and we sailed down the Choctawhatchee Bay, arriving at Gamier’s Bayou [Ft. Walton] next day, but stayed on board all night and until after breakfast next morning. The boys were feeding themselves and furnishing their own guns and ammunition and were in high spirits.

After breakfast a detail of twelve men was sent ashore to reconnoiter. They returned in about two hours, badly frightened, with the report that they had found a horse tied out in the woods.

This was supposed to be a Yankee spy and the Captain gave the order, Boys, all hands on deck! Leave your guns below and every man see that his shoes are well tied!

At least that is the story told on him.

Another detail was made, this time of twenty-four men, who were sent ashore and returned after a time with a man and a horse, but the man was not a Yankee spy, but old