Our people had by this time arrived at the conclusion that war was inevitable; no settlement on peaceable and honorable terms could be had. They had therefore left the Union, which seemed to them the only alternative. Consequently we felt obliged to appeal to the sword for the settlement of questions which statesmanship had failed to solve; yet always willing to make a child's bargain with the Northern people,—"You leave us alone and we will leave you alone." Extravagant utterances and speeches were made as to Southern prowess. It was even said that one Southern man could whip five Yankees; that the old women of the country with corn-cutters could drive a host of Yankees away; but the people who made these assertions knew little of what they were saying, for ere the war had long progressed we found we had our hands full, and it soon became evident that we might like to find someone to help us let go.

The organization of the company which afterwards became Company D, 7th Virginia regiment, took place April 25, 1861. The only contest for office worth relating was for the captaincy, which was between James H. French and Andrew J. Grigsby, and resulted in the election of the former. The following is a complete roster of the company, with dates of enlistment, rank, etc., to be followed later by a tabulated statement of losses in battle, by disease, desertion, discharge, etc.:

ROSTER OF COMPANY D, 7TH VIRGINIA INFANTRY.

Date of enlistment.Name.Rank.
1861—AprilJames H. FrenchCaptain
1861—AprilEustace GibsonFirst Lieutenant
1861—AprilW. A. Anderson,Sec. Lieutenant
1861—AprilJ. Blackard,Second Jr. Lieutenant
1861—AprilAllen C. PackFirst Sergeant
1861—AprilJohn W. MullinsSecond Sergeant
1861—AprilJoseph C. HughesThird Sergeant
1861—AprilWm. D. PetersFourth Sergeant
1861—AprilHamilton J. HaleFifth Sergeant
1861—AprilAllen L. FryFirst Corporal
1861—AprilElisha M. StoneSecond Corporal
1861—AprilT. N. MustainThird Corporal
1861—AprilJohn W. HightFourth Corporal
1861—AprilDavid C. AkersPrivate
1861—AugustGeorge W. AkersPrivate
1861—AugustWilliam R. AlbertPrivate
1861—AugustDaniel BishPrivate
1861—AugustAllen M. BanePrivate
1861—AugustRobert H. BanePrivate
1861—AprilJoseph E. BanePrivate
1861—AugustJesse BarrettPrivate
1861—AprilAlexander BoltonPrivate
1861—AugustTravis BurtonPrivate
1861—AugustWilliam H. CarrPrivate
1861—AugustJames M. CollinsPrivate
1861—AprilJohn R. CrawfordPrivate
1863—MarchWilliam CrawfordPrivate
1861—AprilJames B. CroyPrivate
1861—AprilJames ColePrivate
1865—JanuaryD. E. DulaneyPrivate
1861—AprilM. J. DulaneyPrivate
1861—AugustTim P. DarrPrivate
1861—AprilJohn S. DudleyPrivate
1861—AprilWilliam H. DouthatPrivate
1861—AprilThomas DavenportPrivate
1861—AugustDavid DavisPrivate
1861—AprilElbert S. EatonPrivate
1861—AprilElisha D. EastPrivate
1861—AprilJohn W. EastPrivate
1861—AprilJoseph EgglestonPrivate
1861—AprilJames H. EgglestonPrivate
1861—AprilFrancis H. FarleyPrivate
1861—AprilWilliam C. FortnerPrivate
1861—AprilJames H. FortnerPrivate
1861—AprilJacob Tyler FrazierPrivate
1861—AprilWilliam FrazierPrivate
1861—AugustCreed D. FrazierPrivate
1861—AprilWilliam A. FrenchPrivate
1861—AprilJohn S. W. FrenchPrivate
1861—AugustAndrew J. FrenchPrivate
1861—AprilJames H. GardnerPrivate
1861—AugustFrancis M. GordonPrivate
1861—AprilAndrew J. GrigsbyPrivate
1861—AprilCharles A. HalePrivate
1861—AprilJohn A. HalePrivate
1861—AprilJohn D. HarePrivate
1861—AprilIsaac HarePrivate
1861—AprilJames B. HendersonPrivate
1861—AugustJohn HendersonPrivate
1861—Mar. 1862Baldwin L. HogePrivate
1861—April 1861James HughesPrivate
1861—AprilJames J. HurtPrivate
1861—AprilGeorge W. HurtPrivate
1861—AprilJohn F. JonesPrivate
1861—AprilManelius S. JohnstonPrivate
1861—AugustGeorge JohnstonPrivate
1861—AprilDavid E. JohnstonPrivate
1861—AprilGeorge KnollPrivate
1861—AprilCharles N. J. LeePrivate
1861—AprilJoseph LewyPrivate
1861—AprilHenry LewyPrivate
1861—AprilWilliam H. LaytonPrivate
1861—AprilJames LindseyPrivate
1861—AprilPatrick H. LeflerPrivate
1861—AugustAnderson MeadowsPrivate
1861—AugustBallard P. MeadowsPrivate
1861—AprilJohn MeadowsPrivate
1861—AprilNewton J. MorrisPrivate
1862—MarchChristian MinnichPrivate
1861—AprilGeorge A. MinnichPrivate
1861—AprilJohn H. MinnichPrivate
1861—AprilAbsalom D. ManningPrivate
1861—AprilRaleigh MerricksPrivate
1861—AprilTapley P. MaysPrivate
1861—AprilJohn Q. MartinPrivate
1861—AprilJohn H. MartinPrivate
1861—AugustWiley W. MunceyPrivate
1861—AugustGeorge C. MullinsPrivate
1862—MarchJames J. NyePrivate
1861—AprilJohn PalmerPrivate
1861—AugustCharles W. PeckPrivate
1861—AprilJohn W. SarverPrivate
1861—AprilDemarcus L. SarverPrivate
1861—AprilJosephus SouthernPrivate
1861—AprilSamuel B. ShannonPrivate
1861—AprilJoseph C. ShannonPrivate
1861—AprilWilliam H. H. SnidowPrivate
1861—AprilJohn P. SublettPrivate
1861—AprilWilliam T. SublettPrivate
1861—AprilLewis R. SkeensPrivate
1861—AprilAlexander SkeensPrivate
1861—AprilJoseph SkeensPrivate
1861—AprilAmos L. SumnerPrivate
1861—AugustThomas J. StaffordPrivate
1861—AugustWilliam H. StaffordPrivate
1863—JanuaryRalph M. StaffordPrivate
1861—AprilAndrew J. ThompsonPrivate
1861—AugustAdam ThompsonPrivate
1861—AugustAlonzo ThompsonPrivate
1861—AprilThomas S. L. TaylorPrivate
1861—AprilLee E. VassPrivate
1861—AprilWashington R. C. VassPrivate
1861—AprilElijah R. WalkerPrivate
1861—AprilLewis N. WileyPrivate
1861—AprilGordon L. WilburnPrivate
1861—AprilBallard P. WattsPrivate
1861—AprilHugh J. WilburnPrivate
1861—AugustWilliam I. WilburnPrivate
1861—AprilEdward Z. YagerPrivate
1861—AprilThomas J. YoungPrivate
1861—AugustIsaac YoungPrivate
1861—AprilJesse B. YoungPrivate

Whole number of enlisted officers and men, 122.

James Harvey French

Upon the company being organized, a committee was appointed by the county court to purchase uniforms and blankets. This committee, which was composed, as now recollected, of Captains James D. Johnston and R. F. Watts, acted promptly, and the materials for the uniforms were soon on hand. The ladies of the town and surrounding country went to work in earnest and with energy to make our outfits. Herculean as was the task, they accomplished it in an incredibly short time, and we soon donned our bright new clothes, with nice brass buttons, and began to think ourselves soldiers in fact. We occupied as barracks the large frame building on the south-east side of the town, the same lately owned and occupied by Capt. James D. Johnston as a residence. While here we usually had daily squad and company drill, conducted by the accomplished Captain W. W. McComas, then a practicing physician, who had been a soldier in the Mexican War, and who, after the departure of our company, raised and organized a company of which he was made captain. He fell at his post in the forefront of the battle of South Mills, North Carolina, April 19, 1862. He, like many others, died too soon for his country's good, and his friends were greatly grieved and distressed over his untimely death.

During the period which elapsed between the organization and departure for Lynchburg, the designated place of rendezvous, and while in barracks, "the boys," as we were wont to call ourselves, played many pranks upon each other, one of which is worth relating. A sham or mock election was held for the election of a fifth Lieutenant, the choice falling on a very credulous member of the company, who, after the announcement of his election, became quite anxious to know what the duties of his office required of him,—which we, also ignorant of military duties, were unable to answer. With his consent, it was agreed to refer the solution of the matter to Lieutenant Anderson, who was always full of wit and humor, ever ready with answer, and always enjoyed a good joke. Upon the arrival of the Lieutenant, the question was promptly referred to him, and without pausing he promptly answered, "His duties are to carry water and catch fleas out of the soldiers' beds." This seemed satisfactory to the newly elected Lieutenant, and doubtless, as was afterwards demonstrated—for he always obeyed orders and did his duty—he would have proceeded to perform his prescribed duties as explained by Lieutenant Anderson, had not some one told him that it was all a joke and a sell.

Early in May we were invited to a dinner prepared for us by the good people living at and near the mouth of Wolf Creek, whither we marched, partook of a bountiful repast, and returned to our barracks. During our stay in barracks at Pearisburg, as before stated, we were frequently drilled by Captain McComas, who attempted to teach us to keep the step and to cheer, or huzzah. The latter was no easy task, for in fact we never did learn uniformity in the "huzzah," but gradually drifted into that wild "rebel yell," as it was called, which so often sent a thrill of horror into the Yankee ranks, and the memory of which brings a cold chill over those fellows yet! "Dixie," "Bonnie Blue Flag" and other patriotic songs, sung by the choir of the company, greatly enthused us, but "Dixie" had more music in it than all others put together, and it has ever been so, even to this good day.