My Daddy Was a Confederate Soldier

As told to Hazel Drane by Stephenie Johnston Harrod

My name is Stephenie Johnston Harrod. I was born in Springdale , Arkansas , on November 29, 1911 , to Stephen Johnston Harrod ( 18 June 1834-18 May 1915) and Velma O. Halpin Harrod ( 24 November 1879-28 March 1956). My father was born in Clayton, Barbour County , Alabama . He died in Springdale , Arkansas . I was three years old when my father died. My mother told me about him and his time in the service of the Confederacy. I'd like to share it with you.

My Daddy, Stephen Johnston Harrod, was a farmer and lived with his father, Eli, in Cadaretta , Mississippi , Choctaw County . He was a Confederate soldier from 1861 to 1865. He served under my cousin General Joseph Johnston. They were in Company D 3 rd Mississippi Regiment. My grandfather, Eli Johnston Harrod wasn't in the service. He stayed home to farm.

My great grandfather, William Luther Harrod ( 20 Oct 1786 South Carolina-1 Sept 1866 Mississippi ) was a Seventh Day Baptist preacher. He was told he was too old to go to battle so they made him a Private. He was determined to help the Confederacy and when he heard they needed ammunition and Mexico was expecting a large shipment, he got several young boys together, hitched up his wagon, and went to Mexico to get the much needed ammunition. Not only did he get ammunition, but some food as well. He brought a wagon load back. It was filled with hams, oranges, and avocados. The war was over by the time he returned but the food was much appreciated.

When you enlisted in the Confederate Army you brought and wore your own clothes and shoes. Once they were worn out you had to scrounge up replacements or do without. It was at Chancellorsville that Private Harrod thought he had finally found a pair of shoes for himself when he found a Union soldier lying dead. He started pulling the shoes off the man when he let out a scream. It almost scared Stephen out of his wits because he thought the corpse had come alive. The Union soldier said he was just waiting for his troops to come back and help him.

Stephen Harrod wrote a letter saying he had been a member of the Rough and Readies, Company D, Hardcastle's Battalion. Afterward it became Charleston 's Regiment, General Lowery's Brigade, and at last it was called the Third Mississippi Battalion, Pat Cleburne's Division, Hardy's Corps, Bragg's Army. Then it went to his cousin Joseph E. Johnston's Army. He saw a great deal of hard service, having been in the Perryville Battle, Battle of Murfreesboro, Missionary Ridge , Chickamauga and New Hope Church fights and Kennesaw Mountain .

The 3 rd Mississippi Regiment found themselves on a mountain in Tennessee one winter without ammunition, food, or any supplies. They had the regiment's cannon and the horses they used to pull it with. Once they ran out of food for themselves and their horses. They butchered the horses and used their hides to wrap around their feet. The cannon was the property of the regiment and in the spring they started down the mountain. Four men were assigned to take care of the cannon. Since there were no horses, they had to pull the cannon themselves. Eventually they were unable to keep up with the retreating Confederate Army, so were captured by the Union Army.

Stephen was captured at Kennesaw Mountain and taken to Louisville , and then to Camp Douglas , Illinois , where he remained from July until January. They were fed two pieces of bread and one piece of salt pork each day. Conditions were so bad they soon were ill with scurvy. He was so weak he couldn ' t walk so he got around on his knees and elbows. He lay on the floor not moving. He was paroled because he had scurvy so badly. When the man in charge of the prison saw him and his buddies lying there like they were dead, he ordered a wagon brought to transport the men to Richmond , Virginia , to a hospital.

When the war was over the hospital just turned them out with a bag of food and gave Stephen a pair of crutches since he couldn't walk. They were told to go home. It isn't known whether the men were given discharge papers or not. It took 42 days for Mr. Harrod to walk from Virginia to Mississippi . His only “shoes” he had were pieces of the horse hide he had wrapped around his feet. Along the way people would share what little food they had with him. Sometimes they let him stay in their home or barn. He liked talking with the people. They were nice.

When Stephen got home, the only horses he could find to pull his big surrey was two ex-race horses. No one wanted to ride with him because they went too fast.

19 February 2004

Hazel Drane

San Diego , California