This is one of the best firsthand accounts of the experiences men in the western theater endured in the Civil War. It was compiled by Captain E. D. Willett from diaries of men under his command. As each man was killed, another took up the account. Towards the end of the war, Captain Willett was promoted to Major of the 40th Alabama. Lieutenant James A. Latham was promoted to Captain and continued the account. After he too, was killed at Bentonville, the final pages of the diary were written by Sergeant John H. Curry.The history is quite detailed, with scarcely a day without entries. Of particular interest is the detailed account given of the siege of Vicksburg.
"A considerable portion of the day our men were wading in water knee deep, Capt. James A. Latham, of Company "B" was killed and his body left on ground occupied by the Federals. Our lines changed position during the battle leaving his body behind. David Morrow, Wiley. Horton, Thos. Cameron and Sardine Hildreth, all of Company"B"were wounded. David Morrow died in an ambulance while being carried to field hospital. Wiley Horton had his leg amputated and died in hospital at Charlotte. Sergeant Curry was sick with chill on day before the battle and was not able to keep in line. Capt. Latham gave him permission to march out of ranks at will, in other words travel as best he could. He could not keep up with his command as he had to rest at intervals during the day. When he came up with the army on the morning of the 19th, he found that his regiment was some distance from where he approached the line. Being weak and not knowing where his command was located, he joined a Company belonging to the 51st Virginia and fought with them during the day. At night, the battle over, Curry asked the Commander of this Company to discharge him that he might go in search of his own command.
The moon shone brightly, and traveling up the line in a westerly direction among the wounded, dead and dying, he at last came upon the ground that had been occupied by his Company during the en gagement. He first found the dead body of Clarence H. Ellerbe, Adjutant of the 40th Alabama, which he came near stepping upon as he stepped over a log. He could hear the groans of wounded men on every side, and going from one to another, came at last upon David Morrow and Wiley Horton, of Company "B"who were lying in a few feet of each other in a low place, thickly set with un derbrush. Morrow shot in the body, Horton in the leg. As they had fought in the water they were wet to their hips and very cold. Their sufferings were intense. Curry built a fire, dried their clothes and administered to them during the night. During this battle our flag with forty men was cut off from our regiment, got behind Federal lines, and the men had to make their way to Raleigh and return by rail.
The flag bearer tore the flag from the staff, took down his pants, tied it round his leg and brought it out all O. K. except the staff. Several days after the battle they came into camp with it flying on a staff cut for the occasion. Such a sensation was never produced in our command before-men shouted, cried, kissed it, hugged it..."
The flag is now in the Alabama Archives.
