Upon making known my purpose to these young friends, they responded as did tent number one, and promised their cordial support.
I then visited the other seven tents in the line and spoke, among others, to James M. Lester, who was killed near Appomattox C. H., just before the surrender. Private W. F. Moore, who died recently in Texas; Private William Mimms, who was killed at Cedar Creek, Va., October 19th, 1864; Walter O. Nicholson, who was later discharged, under age; Dick Nobles who died at Elmira, N. Y., a prisoner, in 1865; Dan Oswalt who died since the war; John Preeskitt, who was killed at Gettysburg July 1st, 1863; Nat Richardson, who was discharged soon after for being over age, and died in 1904; A. P. Reid, afterwards second sergeant of the company and died in Texas three or four years ago; Ben F. Smith, the best fiddler I believe in the Army of Northern Virginia, an old bachelor, who died a few years since; Nathan R. Simmons of Opelika, who became a sergeant and died in Opelika, holding the position of superintendent of public works, in December, 1904; Dr. H. R. Thorpe, of Auburn, who later was promoted to assistant-surgeon of a North Carolina regiment; J. W. Wright, who was elected third lieutenant next day, but left the company and the confederacy very soon after; George W. Wright, who was afterwards elected second lieutenant and retired on account of wound received in the head at Gettysburg, and died afterwards at Loachapoka, Ala.; George Pierce Ware, of Auburn, Ala., the brave, Christian soldier