Statewide County MsArchives Photo Person.....Ross, Jerry ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/ms/msfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Pattie Snowball http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00017.html#0004072 October 11, 2007, 12:36 pm Source: Our Heritage, October, 1925 Name: Jerry Ross Photo can be seen at: http://usgwarchives.net/ms/statewide/photos/ross5971gph.jpg Image file size: 141.8 Kb JERRY ______ “Old Jerry” he was affectionately called by my comrades who wore the Gray, not so much from age as because of his long body, short legs and bald head— bald from a cause we never knew. When, at sixteen years of age, I marched away to war, my mother sent Jerry to take care of me. Many miles we marched and many experiences we had together. He was a good forager, even if he was not of the fighting force, and after a hard days march or light his welcome to the campfire and supper, even when it was bacon and hard tack, was looked forward to with pleasure. Jerry was all that I carry with me of the home and its loved ones and my mother had made him promise that he would stay with me and care for me whether well and happy or sick or wounded and if my life should be one of the many given to my Country that he would bring the body of her boy home. There are many stories I could tell of Jerry’s love and faithfulness but this one seems the best. After the fall of Vicksburg and exchange of prisoners, who had been paroled by General Grant, my regiment, the 3rd., Miss., with General Loring, was at Demopolis on its way to Georgia. The exchanged soldiers needed cannon, caisons, wagons and so forth to take the place of those surrendered at Vicksburg, and as blacksmiths were scarce, an order to impress both white and black blacksmiths was issued by the Confederate Congress. Jerry had been found to be a good blacksmith so he was impressed by the authorities of Demopolis Quartermaster’s Department. As he was a known part of the Military, being the Cook of Company C. 3rd. , Mississippi, I received permission from my Captain and Colonel and hired a lawyer to secure his release. The Adjutenant General and the Attorney General both assisted me and Jerry was released. The Quartermaster General then made an appeal to me on the plea of patriotism to accept hire for Jerry and leave him at Domopolis. I refused to hire him but said: “If Jerry wishes to stay here he can do so—he is free to accept or reject your offer.” By much persuasion, Jerry agreed to stay 60 days at a salary of $200 per month, and his board at the Quartermaster’s camp. I signed the contract, gave Jery a pass to come to me and told the Quartermaster to give him a pass to come to me wherever I might be a as a soldier of Featherston’s Brigade, Polk’s Corp. The boys in camp-twitted me and said: “You have seen the last of Jerry, With a pass anywhere and money in his pocket he will never seek you in the sound of cannon and muskets.” I told them I had confidence in Jerry. I believed if he lived he would join me and after sixty days I began to look for him. We were on the line of Johnson against Sherman – the famous march of Sherman to the Sea. I kept inquiring of the wagon crowd back of the various lines from Resaca to Atlanta if they had seen any thing of him. The boys crowed their prophecies of my never seeing Jerry again but I never lost faith in him. One hot day in June when we were moving to the right on the range of mountains where Sherman was Flanking Johnson’s shorter lines, I heard a hearty peal of laughter-ha-ha-ha. As Company A’s position in line of march was the center of the Regiment, I knew the laughter came from near the head of our Regiment and I said: “Oh, boys that is old Jerry. As we came nearer I heard: “Howdy Capon Willis, Howdy all of you. Where is de Boss?” Now Captain Willis was at the head of the Company and I was at the bottom so all the boys reached him before I did and they all yelled: “Howdy Jerry.” When I came in sight I heard a duplicate of the peal of laughter he had let loose when he dad seen Colonel Mellon at the head of the Regiment a short while before. We were marching in double column and so he walked near me on the side of the road. When we halted he said: “I got here last night. I had to walk all de way from Demopolis. I started to New Hope becus dey told me you was dere. Den I heerd you was at Pine Mountain and den dey said you was dis side of Marietta: so I found our wagons and Mr. Siveley’s Phillip come out to the road with me and I seed Colonel Mellon. I sho was glad to see his old horse, Do Me Good and also de Colonel looking so well. I got some biscuits and a little meat fur you and here is de money de Quartermaster gin me. He said it was fo-hundred dollars. I aint counted it.” “Jerry,” I asked, “How did you get here and not spend any money?” “La, bless you, de white ladies gimme all I could eat and drink an more too. When I told em where I was qwine de patted me on de back and said I was a hero.” “Did you walk all the way?” I asked. “No, bless yo heart, I recon I rode a thousand wagons and a hundred buggies. Some only a mile and some as much as ten. I never let none pass me I didn’t ask for a ride.” Never since the days of Peace have I tasted such good biscuit and meat, though they looked like children might have been playing with them. As I was wounded at Kennesaw Mountain and sent to Thomaston Georgia with Jerry as my nurse and then furloughed Jerry and I parted for a time, as I thought it too hard a trip for him to go back with me through Tennessee, though he insisted that I needed some one to take care of me. The love of the slave for his master and the strong bond of sentiment that bound the master to the slave even death cannot sever. In this life, Memory - a spiritual gift – still exists and in the next we may be sure all good things will be preserved. Written by Jerry’s Boss – 62 years afterward. H.C.S. Additional Comments: A letter to Mrs. Gillespie from Clay Sharkey dated Sept. 17, 1925, notifying her that a marker had been placed in the Negro Cemetery during his recent visit to Raymond.. Inscription: JERRY ROSS Born A Slave 1839. Died 1903. A faithful slave A true friend. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ms/statewide/photos/ross5971gph.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/msfiles/ File size: 6.7 Kb