Elbert County GaArchives News.....E. B. Higginbotham Civil War Memoirs
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Chandler Eavenson 
http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00030.html#0007294

The 11 March 1898 edition of the Elberton Star contained the
following article: 

"Mr. E. B. Higginbotham writes of the dark days of the 
Confederacey. 

"Mr. Editor: Will you allow me space in your valuable columns
to say a few things about the past and present In 1861 our 
country ws involved in a serious difficulty and called on its
citizens to rally in defense of their rights and their homes.
I remembered then and now that God speaks in his word saying
'My son give me thine heart.'

"In my humble judgment all citizens ought to have the good of
their homes and the entire country at heart; and again God
admonishes, saying, 'Children obey your parents.' We should
feel ourselves under obligations to obey the call of our 
country.

"With these convictions I left home and family and went to
Virginia, carrying with me two as good feet and legs as any
man need to have and engaged in the great struggle, Stonewall
Jackson commanding the corps, General Euel the division and 
General Lawton the brigade (afterwards General Gordon.)

"As was often said, Jackson marched his infantry as though
they were cavalry and would fight when he could get a chance
to whip the enemy. The good feet and legs, alluded to above,
was sufficient for the occasion and enable me to keep up, and
I was in all of the battles that my regiment was engaged in
up to the 12th of May, 1864, numbering thirteen hard fought
battles. My regiment was never in a battle without me up to
that time. On that day I lost the noble feet and legs 
mentioned above. 

"It is true that I have been sorry that I was a cripple and 
had to use artificial limbs and crutches and undergo the
embarrassment that such conditions in life naturally bring, 
but I have never seen a day or an hour that I was sorry I
obeyed the call of my country, and was at my place of duty 
at all times. First, my God; second, my home, and third, my
country, is my make up. 

"I am very glad that so many of my old comrades met with us
on the first Tuesday and formed the camp, but I am not 
satisfied with the number. I want every man in the county
that enlisted in the defense of our country to come into 
the camp and we will try to do you good. You are all 
remembered by me very kindly. In me you have a friend. 
E. B. Higginbotham, Chaplain "

[Rev. Elijah Benson Higginbotham (1838-1912) was the son of
Dr. John Green Higginbotham and Sarah Thornton, dau. of 
Benjamin Thornton, Sr. Dr. John Green Higginbotham was the
son of John Satterwhite Higginbotham]

Submitted by: Chandler Eavenson