Military: Confederate Interviews, 1928, Winn Parish, LA
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From: October 18, 1928 Winn Parish Enterprise

Excerpts from article headlined "Four Confederate Veterans Debate On
Presidential Nominees Tuesday"

"Mr. (W. E.) Dark, who wore the Confederate veteran uniform and who displayed
more badges to national reunions than any other veteran present, is secretary
of the Winnfield Camp 1603.  He was courier during the war and served in the
Twenty-Six Georgia Battalion.  Mr. Dark took part in many of the major
engagements in Georgia and Tennessee.  He was in Atlanta when Sherman had
surrounded the city, but he gout out of the city while General Hardee held the
Federals.

"'As a courier, I didn't do so much fighting,' Mr. Dark said in relating
thrilling experiences during the war.  'I was usually on the run.'

"'I was too good at dodging bullets to get shot,' Mr. Dark added, his eyes
twinkling.  'But I never will forget the time I age a dispatch.  I had a
dispatch to deliver to General Von Zinkins at Corinth.  I was riding on the
top of a train from Iuka, Miss., to Corinth.  We saw some horse soldiers ahead
of us and thinking that we were about to be surrounded by the enemy, I was
ordered by my superior officer to destroy my dispatch.  The only way was to
eat it.  How I did it, I do not know, but that was one message that was not
delivered.  The enemyk proved to be some of our own men, and I had some
explaining to do when we reached Corinth.'

"Mr. Dark has been married three times and is the father of 22 children.  He
has seventy-five grandchildren.  His youngest children are twin girls,
seventeen years old.

"T. H. Alexander, known as "Uncle Tom" is almost 85 years old and has a farm
out from Hodge.  He belonged to the Bienville Stars, Company A, 28th Louisiana
Regiment, commanded by Colonel Henry Gray.  

"'I was the little smart alex, they said.  It was sort of a joke, ___ relied
on me for speed,' Uncle Tom said.  'General Taylor said it too, that I was the
racehorse of the army, and that in case of retreat I would be in the lead.'

"Uncle Tom was accidentally hurt by men of his own company while fighting was
going on around Pleasant Hill.  The men, headed by General Taylor, were
returning to camp after a night venture into territory occupied by the enemy. 
They ran into Uncle Tom, knocking him down and injuring him.  Uncle Tom fought
in the Battle of Mansfield and the Battle of Pleasant Hill.  He was a great
admirer of General Taylor and declared that General Kirby Smith weakened
Taylor's army when he sent part of it out of Louisiana into Arkansas, when
Banks and Steele, federal generals, were attempting to carry out their plans
to meet in Shreveport.

"In April, 1863, Uncle Tom was captured with 1200 other soldiers by the
Yankees and put into prison in New Orleans.  He didn't stay in prison long, as
he became ill with a fever and was transferred to a hospital.

"Uncle Tom wears the Democratic emblem embroidered in gold on his tie and is
a staunch supporter of Al Smith.