Winter 1862

Christmas should be a joyous time for all 
families.  The coming of a New Year, brings 
hopes and dreams for all.  All I see right 
now, is the promise of more blood shed and 
loss of life for many a young man.  Such a 
waste, when one should have all they look 
for in life, someone to love and care 
for, a home, where children abound with the 
everyday wonders of the world.  Not the tell 
tale signs of War.  Poverty and hunger seem 
to be taking over where once prosperity and 
plentifulness abounded.  

This past August, the Army of Northern 
Virginia, under the Command of General 
Robert E. Lee, along with his General's 
"Stonewall" Jackson and Longstreet, gallantly 
defeated the Union Army once again at the 
Second Battle of Manasas.  You would think 
that those Yankees, would have learned the 
first time not to do Battle again in the same 
place.  It was such a rousing victory for our 
Army.  But on  a sader note, there was another 
Battle, the Battle of Sharpsburg, which was 
fought on Maryland soil.  A great many lives 
were lost that day on September 17th, 1862.  
This had to be one of the deadlist and bloodiest 
days of the War, with over 23,000 casualties.  
The Battle turned out to be a draw, 
both sides claiming victory, neither side really 
winning.  How can either side Win, when so many 
promising lives are lost?

I must now tell you a story that happened not 
long ago.  Maybe it will change the tone and 
mood that seems to be taking over this country.  
My brother Stephen Decatur, who serves with the 
8th Tennessee Calvary under Capt. George Dibrell, 
a unit that was formed in neighboring White 
County, was nearby and stopped by the farm for a 
short visit this summer.  His horse, poor 
creature that it was, was in need care.  He was 
just wore out and in need of a rest.  My brother, 
knowing that we always had fine horseflesh here 
on the farm, asked Enoch if he might have a mount 
that he could borrow for a short time.  He had 
taken to hiding the horses that we had left in 
the woods, so that the Yankees as well as our own 
troops would not take them from us.  Enoch thought 
about it and decided to give him a little mare 
that I had taken to riding some time ago.  I never 
had gotten around to naming her.  About the only 
thing she was good for was as a riding horse. She 
being to small for the wagon or carriage, and not 
at all a good horse for hunting with.  She was 
skittish when it came to gun fire.  She was a fine 
mare, the fastest I had ever been on.  Enoch had 
hopes of getting some fine colts out of her for 
saddle stock after the War, if we could keep her 
that long.  Stephen gladly took her and Enoch hid 
his horse and gave him a good feeding.  Stephen 
promised to return for his horse and bring her 
back safely to me to ride once again after the 
War was over.  

He was not long gone from the Farm, making his 
way down the river bank, when he came upon some 
Yankees troops that were in the area.  He was 
doing a fairly good job of avoiding them, when 
he was spotted by another group of Yankees that 
were coming the other way.  Gun fire was 
exchanged and poor Stephen began to find out 
just how skittish my little mare was. She was 
prancing wildly about, he was hardly able to 
control her.  About that time a shot was fired, 
hitting the branch of an overhanging limb of a 
tree right above my mare’s head, almost between 
her ears!  Well, I must say, that was enough for 
her and Stephen too I might add.  She got the 
bit between her teeth and took off towards the 
river.  Stephen hung on for dear life as she was 
always one of the fastest horses we ever owned.  

With the continuing gunfire all around her, she 
hit the middle of the river in one bound off the 
bank, took another few jumps and was climbing the 
bank on the other side, before the Yankees knew 
she was there.  Stephen just let her run till 
they were long out of the area.  She was returned 
to us, a little worn and ragged, still as skittish 
as ever after her service in the Confederate Army 
with my brother.  Stephen made Enoch promise that 
he would never sell that little mare as she saved 
his life that day.  I wish all the boys could have 
a horse that would save them from the unknown of 
this War.