William Whitaker was born April 29, 1842 and died May 19th 1921. His father owned a plantation near Milledgeville, Ga. William was in the 4th Ga. He was wounded at Blair's farm, near Washington City. He was a Prisoner of War in Elmira, N.Y. His younger brother James was in Terrell's Artillery. James was badly wounded in defense of Savannah. He was struck in the head by a bursting shell. He became a prisoner of war. William and James are the 2x great uncles of John Whitaker Allen.

          After serving six months on the coast in the service of the State, on Sunday Aug.22nd,1862, bidding them all farewell at home I left for Lee's Army in Virginia. In those days there were no trains running on Sunday from Milledgeville to Gordon. Gen. Doles and Mem Campbell were at home on a furlough, and I intended going back with them, but they went down to Gordon on a crank car, and our carriage driver carried me to Gordon in a buggy. We were told not to attempt this trip, as Big Commission Creek was up, and when we got there we found the bottoms all covered over for there had been heavy rains. We came back as we were told to do, went about half a mile to a house, and got the good man who lived there to go down and pilot us across the water, it ran into the foot of the buggy. We arrived at Gordon about dark and remained there until the 9 o'clock train passed going towards Savannah. We went down that night as far as Millen where we remained until the next morning, when we took the train for Augusta and from there to Richmond and joined the command two days after the second battle of Manassas at Stewart's farm near Manassas. The first question the boys asked was, if I had anything to eat? I said "no" and they said they didn't have anything either. Some of the boys gave me some green apples, this was all I had for the time being. I was with the company only an hour or two when we were ordered to fall into line, the army then set out on its first trip into Maryland. We went by way of Charleston, where old John Brown was hung. We crossed the Potomac and marched on to Frederick City, then crossed the mountains at Boonesborough Gap, where we rested a day or two. Our regiment was then put on reserve picket. The Yankees were advancing behind us, there was picket fighting at the Gap, our Army was moving towards Sharpsburg. After the Army had left, someone said to the General that one of our Regiments had been left behind, it was the Fourth Georgia. They sent a runner back as quickly as possible to tell them that our army had left. As we were passing through the town of Boonesborough the Yankees were coming on behind us, we did not lose any time getting away, we could look back and see their guns glittering in the sun, and clouds of dust raised by the their continual tramp, We crossed the Antietam and formed into line of battle with our army. The Yankees soon caught up and formed into line of battle on the opposite side, it was then getting late. As soon as they could get their Artillery placed, they commenced throwing shells over us and kept it up all night. The next morning at day light the frolic commenced in earnest, which was kept up nearly all day, it was a hard fought battle, and many a poor soul lost his life then. The night of the second day Lee crossed the Potomac, the next morning the Yankees thought that Lee was gone. There were some old breast works on the bank of the river, some of our men hid themselves in them. The Yankees started across, and when they got nearly across, our men rose and let them have it, they made the river blue with them. Those who escaped returned to their own side and did not try it anymore. Our army then fell back to the South bank of the Rappahannock. The next big fight was the battle of Fredericksburg, which was a great victory for our men. The next battle fought was Minerun. The Yankees crossed the Rappidan and marched on to Chancellorsville, we went out to meet them, we formed into line of battle on Minerun, threw up breast works and waited for an attack. It was winter and very cold, but our men did not seem to mind it, and were anxious for a fight. The Yankees could not stand it. They were freezing to death on picket, and they soon retreated across the river. We marched back to an old camp near Grace Church. The next big fight was Chancellorsville, we were called out and marched to Hamilton's Crossing and formed into line of battle. We remained there until next morning. That night the Yankee shells were coming over all night. There were two negroes in our company to wait on their masters, ( Jack and Robert) they would come to our lines at night to bring rations. When they saw the shells coming over the would say, "you all hurry up and draw your ration, one of those things will fall down here directly and kill a lot o' you'' Only a part of the Yankee Army had crossed here, the main force had crossed above and was then in Chancellorsville. On the first day of May or brigade was ordered towards Chancellorsville to join Jackson's men. We laid in line of battle until next morning, the second day of May, when Jackson's division was ordered on a force march of several miles to get in the rear of Hooker. Part of the way we marched through the woods and crawled through the thickets to keep the Yankees from seeing us from their balloons. We made the march alright, but a god many men gave out, it was so hot. We stopped for an hour or two for the men to rest and catch up. There were thick woods between our line and the Yankees. The order to advance was given, and to be quick as possible, until the word was given to charge. They were out in an old field, had their guns stacked, and were cooking up rations for the big march they expected to take the next day to Richmond. They did not dream they were cooking up rations for Jackson's men. As we got nearly to the old field we broke out with a rebel yell. There was a stampede among them, and they ran off, leaving rations, guns, and all. So we got the rations and a large amount of small arms, and six pieces of Artillery. When our men would pass by the captured artillery some of the boys would jump up on the guns, flap their arms and crow like a rooster. We ran them until dark over took us, which was about three miles. Our men got scattered and mixed up. Just before dark we were going through a thick woods, some how I got ahead of our men, and the first thing I knew I was among the Yankees. It was getting dark, and they were in such a stir and running so, they did not see me. There was an officer on horse back in front of them, tying to stop them. As soon as I found out where I was, I turned back in the woods, when an old Yankee passed in ten steps of me, he looked at me, and I kept an eye on him, so we both went our way rejoicing. I was in a close place. We stopped for the night and reorganized. When everything got quiet, the pickets began to fire, some of the Yankee's bullets came near us. The moon was shining bright, we saw them carrying off some one that was wounded, out to the rear. They tried to keep from the men who this was, but we soon found out it who it was, it was our noble and brave Stonewall Jackson.

          The next morning at daylight we were in one ordered to go forward, and in a few minutes we were in one of the hardest fights of the war, it was the fight of the 3rd of May at Chancellorsville, and on Sunday. There was hard fighting nearly all day until evening. When everything became quiet, the wounded were gathered up and carried off to the field Hospital. The Yankees set the woods on fire, which burned up a great many dead and wounded. We laid in line of battle all day Monday waiting for another attack. On Tuesday morning to our surprise they had recrossed the river. On the 6th of May we were ordered back to our old camp, and began the Pennsylvania campaign. We passed through several small towns on our way from Culpepper Court House to Willliamsport, which had a small garrison of Yankees, they skedaddled away when they saw coming. We remained there until the 19th day of June, when we marched on Hagerstown Maryland. On the 22nd we resumed our march, entered Pennsylvania and camped at Green Castle. On the 24th, starting early we passed through Chambersburg with the band playing Dixie, and the boys shouting, " Here Are Your Rebels, Just From the Okefenokee Swamp." On the 27th we marched to Carlisle, which is twenty miles from Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania. On the 30th, we were ordered to Cashtown. Meade was then advancing to Gettysburg. We were the ordered to Gettysburg, where one of the hardest battles of the war was fought, and I should have said one of the bloodiest battles. On the first day our command ran the enemy through the town of Gettysburg, and captured a whole regiment. We the formed line of battle in the streets of the town. The enemy had retreated to Cemetery Ridge, we had them on the go, and we ought to have kept them going, for if we had they never would have had a chance to have fortified on those hills. After fighting three days, Lee retreated Hagerstown, the Potomac was swollen by recent rains and was too high to ford. Lee formed line of battle, and offered Meade battle. On the 14th day of July Lee's army crossed the Potomac neck deep, four had to go side by side to keep from being washed away. It was my good fortune to go across in a flat. It was strange how our boys kept up so well, with such sore feet, if they should pull off their shoes at night, they could not get them on again the next morning. Our army then fell back, and took position at Morton's Ford on the Rapidan, and threw up breast works, and remained there until the 8th of Oct., when we set out on a march to Warrenton, seeking the rear of Meade's army near Warrenton Springs. We were engaged in supporting our Cavalry all day of Oct.14th. Meade's army had fallen back in the direction of Manassas. After tearing up the railroads we recrossed the Rappahannock at Kelly's ford, we built log houses expecting to remain there during the winter. The Union forces unexpectedly ran our pickets in, and crossed the river. We had to leave our good quarters and everything, double quick into line of battle. We had some heavy skirmishing nearly all day. That night we began to fall back marching all night, occasionally forming line of battle, not knowing how near the Yankees were to us. We kept that up all next day until we crossed the Rapidan. Our men were out of food, we tried to satisfy our hunger with acorns. We again went into camp and put our pickets on the banks of the Rappidan. While camping on the Rappidan we had nothing to eat, there was a mill two or three miles above us on the river we had been going up there to get meal. It was run by our men when it was in our hands and by Yankees when in their hands, so it was never burned. There was a little house on the opposite side from the mill, three or four of us started to the mill with sacks to get meal, the road ran along the river nearly half a mile, on the other side of the road was a high mountain, near the foot of the mountain were some old breast works, before we got to the mill the Yankees began to pour out of the little house, and began shooting at us. We did not know which way to run, we looked and saw the breast works , and we got in them, and crawled on our all-fours until we got out. No one was hit, but all were badly scared, and had to return to camp without any meal. Our General then got up a volunteer crowd to go across and run them out of the house. We then went into regular winter quarters near Morton's ford, doing picket duty on the Rappidan. We were on picket one week, then back to camp until our time came again. Our winter quarters were log houses dubbed with mud to keep out he cold, with the ground for the floor, and stick mud chimneys. After building our quarters, we then would build a log church for preaching, with split logs for seats. We had a Chaplin to preach every Sunday and several times through the week, sometimes we would have a great revival, and a good many would join the church. Our Chaplin was a Methodist preacher, and all that joined wanted to be baptized by immersion. We did not have clothes to change in, so they were baptized without any ( there being no ladies present.) While in winter quarters some one would go home on furlough, when they returned they would bring back old trunks laden with good things, such as boiled ham, sausage, cake, pie, etc., we all would have a good time as long as it lasted. While in winter quarters the boys would amuse themselves playing snowball, sometimes two or three brigades would form a line of battle, and we would have a regular snowball battle. Once while up in Valley Forge we drew our rations, Henry V. said to me, " Yonder is a good secesh house, lets go over there and cook our rations, I said "alright" so we went. I said," I cannot make dough" he said, "you will have to make it up, for I am not going to do it" He had to make up his own dough, and he made up his first. We had nothing but the flour. The good old negro cook who was in the kitchen, said, " what are you going to put in the flour? "We told her that we did not have anything, she said, " hold on a minute," she went off first, then brought back lard, soda, and milk. Henry made up his dough first, then I went to work on mine, but instead of making dough, I made batter, so the old negro had to go up stairs to the barrel twice to make mine stiff enough, so when I got through I had twice as much as Henry. He said, that was a trick of mine, and that I would have to divide with him. I said" no sir, you would not make up mine for me," thus we went back to camp with some good bread to eat once more. It was not an uncommon sight to see those hungry men gather the wasted corn from under the feet of half fed horses, and wash, parch and eat it to satisfy their craving for food. Again on the 6th of February the Union Army crossed the Rappidan at Mortin's Ford. We soon made them skedaddle back with the loss of several of their men. We did not lose any except some of the men who were on the Ford who were captured. We then went back to our quarters and remained until the 4th of May 1864, then with Grant at the head of the Northern Army, we crossed the river, which was the beginning of the bloody campaign of 1864, the battle of Spotsylvania from May the 8th to the 12th. It was at this time "The Battle of the Bloody Angle" was fought, when large trees were cut down by minnie balls. On the 10th, General Doles' line was broken, the enemy massing their forces against Doles' line, several others besides myself were on picket, we could hear them coming down through the woods like a drove of Texas cattle, and in they came, we fell back to our lines and before they got to our breast works we made the ground blue with them. They killed and captured about three hundred of our brigade, we had to fall back, Gordan's men came to our assistance, and with his aid we regained our works. I had a tin cup hanging just over my head on a pine limb, and when we got back to our work my tin cup was still hanging there with a minnie ball hole through the bottom of it. Grant tried to flank Lee, but Lee kept a head of him until they got down to Cold Harbor, where another big battle took place, which was a victory for Lee, and where General Doles was killed.

          Now, comes my last long march and Prison life. After the battle of Cold Harbor, Early was ordered to Lynchburg, we arrived just in time to save Lynchburg from being captured by Hunter, who was just outside of town, we went through the town double quick and shouted the rebel yell, and forming line of battle through the cemetery waiting for an attack next morning. Hunter could not stand that yell, he fled over into West Virginia, we followed him two days, then turned back to the Valley Turnpike. We then marched up the Valley through Lexington, Stanton, Winchester, Martinsburg, Harper's Ferry, then crossed the Potomac on to Fredrick City and Blair's Farm near Washington City, where he had some pretty sharp skirmishing. We lost several men, killed and wounded. My Captain lost his leg, his brother was killed, and I was wounded through the calf of the leg. Two were killed in my company----On the night of the 12th of July Early fell back across the Potomac, leaving dead and wounded in the hands of the enemy. We remained there in tents until the second night on account of the road being blockaded with trees and brush to keep our men from going into the city. It was about 12 o'clock the second night before we got to the Lincoln Hospital. The next morning I saw my first ghost. I was sleeping soundly when I felt something rubbing over my face. I opened my eyes, looked up and saw the ghost, it was a Sister of Charity. I was frightened for awhile. She asked me if I was wounded, I told her I was, she then asked me if I would like to have something to eat, I said I would, she went away, but was soon back with a nice breakfast for me. We had good quarters there, good beds, and plenty to eat. We remained there six weeks, were moved then to the old capital building where we remained six weeks. Our room was in the third story, there were 45 of us in one room. We now missed our good beds, we had plank bunks up and by the side of the wall made out of rough planks. There was a small yard for us to go down into to get water and wash. In one corner of the yard was a gallows standing all the time, once in a while they would take one our men and hang him in retaliation for someone our men had killed. On this gallows Wirz and Mrs. Swat were hung. Only three of us were allowed to go down into the yard at one time. There were three gimlet holes in the door, and a peg in each hole. If you wanted to get out, and there was a peg in one of the holes you would take it out and say to the guard on the outside of the door," I have a peg, let me out" He would then let you out and holler to the next guard to let you pass, and so on, until you got into the yard. You had to pass three guards before you got down. We were allowed fifteen minutes to stay in the yard, when we returned to our room we had to put the peg back into the hole. They gave us plenty to eat while there. We remained at the old Capital six weeks, then we were ordered out to a Northern Prison, we knew not where. On our way to the depot we were marched into a large room where the good ladies of Washington had prepared a bountiful meal for us, which was our last good meal until we got back to Richmond six months later. We were then marched to the depot and put in box cars, and left for parts unknown to us. We went through Baltimore, Harrisburg, Penn., we landed at Elmira, N.Y., one of the Andersonville's of the North. The Prison grounds were fenced around by a high picket fence twenty feet high with a walk on the out side near the top where the guard walked. On the inside were box houses and tents, the houses were numbered. I was put in ward seven, there were 150 in that ward when I got there. Each ward had a ward master who kept a roll of the men in the ward. We had to form in line and the roll was called twice a day. We had plank bunks nailed up and down the side of a wall, with one blanket to lay on and one to cover with. There were two stoves, one at each end of the ward which were kept red hot all day and until 9 o'clock at night, when all the lights and fires had to be put out until the next morning. Some time some of the men had to be carried to the stove to be thawed out the next morning. There was a dead line around the stove, about ten feet from it. If any one was caught over the line he was carried away to the lock up or dungeon and kept there three or four days without any fire. Morning and evening we had to from a line, and the ward master would call roll. At seven o'clock in the morning we would form in line, march to the cook house and draw a slice of bread and a slice of meat, and march to our ward to eat it. Again at three o'clock we would march to the cook house to get another slice of bread and a pint cup of water they called soup- and march back to our ward again. Each one would have a tin cup to pour his soup in. It was the Winter of 1864, the ground was covered with ice and snow all the time, it would rain and freeze, and the ground would get slick we could not walk on it without falling. The ice around the pump was so thick we had to lay down and reach our for the pump handle to pull up by to get water. Rats were great luxuries there, it was a common thing to see some one carrying rats around to sell, at five cents apiece. A dog came in one day, it was the Yankee Major's and some one killed it to eat, they found out who did it, and he had to wear a barrel shirt and march through the prison grounds every morning and evening for about three days, with a sign board on it, with "dog eater" or thief written on it, whatever the crime may have been. I got one square meal while I was there. I was detailed one day on the street cleaning crowd, after we got through cleaning the streets we were marched to the cook house, and they gave us what we wanted to eat. I remained there until the 10th of Feb. 1865, when I was paroled with five hundred others. We were marched to the depot, put in box cars and left for Baltimore, there we were put on a boat and went down the Chesapeake Bay and up the James river to Richmond, where we were met by an escort and marched up into a large hall to a bountiful table furnished by the good ladies of Richmond. It was our first food meal after we left Washington. After finishing that good meal we were carried out to camp Winder, where we remained three or four days, and drew a lot of Confederate money. I drew $230.00, we were the given transportation home. I rode part of the way on the train, and walked the rest. I arrived at old Milledgeville on the 10th of March 1865, that was the last of the war for me, except hiding out when we were looking for Wilson, who was then marching on from Columbus to Macon when Lee surrendered.