ered why old Joe
did not attack in their rear. The explanation was that Hood's line was
being enfiladed, his men decimated, and he could not hold his position.

We are still fighting; battles innumerable. The Yankees had thrown
pontoons across the river below Resacca, in hopes to intercept us on the
other side. We were marching on the road; they seemed to be marching
parallel with us. It was fighting, fighting, every day. When we awoke
in the morning, the firing of guns was our reveille, and when the sun
went down it was our "retreat and our lights out." Fighting, fighting,
fighting, all day and all night long. Battles were fought every day,
and in one respect we always had the advantage; they were the attacking
party, and we always had good breastworks thrown up during the night.

Johnston's army was still intact. The soldiers drew their regular
rations of biscuit and bacon, sugar and coffee, whisky and tobacco.
When we went to sleep we felt that old Joe, the faithful old watch dog,
had his eye on the enemy. No one was disposed to straggle and go back to
Company Q. (Company Q was the name for play-outs). They even felt safer
in the regular line than in the rear with Company Q.

Well as stated previously, it was battle, battle, battle, every day,
for one hundred days. The boom of cannon, and the rattle of musketry was
our reveille and retreat, and Sherman knew that it was no child's play.

Today, April 14, 1882, I say, and honestly say, that I sincerely believe
the combined forces of the whole Yankee nation could never have broken
General Joseph E. Johnston's line of battle, beginning at Rocky Face
Ridge, and ending on the banks of the Chattahoochee.

ADAIRSVILLE--OCTAGON HOUSE--THE FIRST TENNESSEE ALWAYS OCCUPIES TIGHT
PLACES

We had stacked our arms and gone into camp, and had started to build
fires to cook supper. I saw our cavalry falling back, I thought, rather
hurriedly. I ran to the road and asked them what was the matter?
They answered, "Matter enough; yonder are the Yankees, are you infantry
fellows going to make a stand here?" I told Colonel Field what had been
told to me, and he hooted at the idea; but balls that had shucks tied to
their tails were passing over, and our regiment was in the rear of the
whole army. I could hardly draw anyone's attention to the fact that the
cavalry had passed us, and that we were on the outpost of the whole army,
when an order came for our regiment to go f