I found this in my memories as I posted this a few years ago. For whatever reason Facebook wouldn't let me share ,but it is an important and all but lost accounting of Heard County history.
This is an interesting letter that William W. Potts wrote to the Pension Board in 1911 about the formation of some of the civil war regiments from Heard County, Georgia. This letter was included in William W. Potts civil war pension application/file. (The entire transcription of his civil war pension application is in the Heard County Genweb archives):
Letter written by W. W. Potts in February 1911 to the Board of Pension
Examiners:
Heard County, Georgia
" The out brake of the Sivil War 1861. The first Volunteer Company that was mayed up in Heard County was mayed up by one Captain Hix. The Company was called a Minut Company that ment go at a minuts notice. The Company Numbered
over one hundred young men all wearing a blue cockade pined on ther hats ready and anctious to go. I was a member of the Company.
So Captain Hix receved orders to go to Charleston S.C. with his Company. At the same time Captain Hix was taken sudently sick and dyed in a few days. So that done away with our Minut Company. Then there was a Volunteer Roll formed up for three years or during the War.
So me Thomas Hales and William Wood was the first three to inrole our names from that. There was soon a large Company mayed up. When it came to electing a Captain for the Company too men were mentioned, Joe Brown and C.W. Mabrey. Some wanted Brown others wanted Mabrey. This caused a split in the Company and we mayed too Companys of it. Captain Brown was the first to get off with his Company.
Soon after Captain Mabrey had his Company ready and was ordered to Atlanta GA. From there we was ordered to the Big Shanties GA. There on the 23rd day of June 1861 we was mustered into servis under W.W. Boyd Colonel of the Regiment. The Regiment was then numbered as the 9th GA Regiment, the letter of the Company was B.
So we remained at the Big Shanties and drilled until some time in July. The Regiment receved orders to go to VA at that
time. I was sick not able to go with my Command. So I was given papers of Retainment? until able to go to my Command. So I went home very much greved because I could not go with my Company.
Soon after I got home I taken Wooping Cough. About the time I was recovering from Wooping Cough I was sezed with
Mezels which went hard with me and it was sum time before I was able to go to my Command but as soon as I was able I went back and rejoined my Command which was then in Virginia. By this time the number of the Regiment had been
changed from the 9th to the 19th GA Regiment. The letter the Company had ben changed from B to E.
The Regiment was then attached to Archers Brigade D. H. (?). with volunters from each State of the Confederacy. There its soldiers in Brigades together the 6th 19th 23rd 27th and 25th GA Regiments was put together which formed Colquitts Brigade. The Brigade was then attached to Hooks Division Stonewall Jacksons Corps after the Battle of Chanclersville VA.
We was transfererd to General Buragards Command and was ordered to Kingston NC. After a short stay there we was ordered to Charleston S.C. There we defended Battery ? Wagenor and Fort Sumpter for 6 or 8 months. In February
1864 we was ordered to Floridia. On the 20th February 1864 we fought the Battle of Olesta Station Fla. From there we was ordered to Petersburge VA.
Soon after we got there we fought the Battle of Petersburge Hights. Some times called Druries Bluff. From there we was ordered to Cold Harber. After the assalt on Cold Harber which we defeated we was ordered back to Petersburge
geting there at night after the yankees had taken the brest works that evening. We was the first troops to get there after the brest works was taken so we was marched out in front of the old ditches that was held by the yankees and formed lines of battle. Every man went to work throwing up brest works.
Those that could not get any tools used their baonets and tin plates and so by day light we had prety good best works. So we held this porsison until better works was erected back to our reer nearer Petersburge. Then we fell back to those works under the darkness of night.
This was the begining of the sege of Petersburge. There I remained in the ditches with my Command until or or about
the 12th of August 1864. Thare and then I was taken out of the ditches with hemorrge of the lungs and carried to the sick camp and honerbely discharged and sent home.
So this ended my carer as a Confederate Soldier and I saw no more of the cruel war. This is to sho some mistakes that has bin mayed in regard to my servis in the Confederate army. So several years after the surrender the State of Georgia past a law to pension her disable soldiers. Under this law I was entitled.
After some time I sent in my application and receved a pension of fifty dollars per year for four or five years. About 8 or
9 years ago I happend to the misfortun to get broake up, lost three crops in succession from overflows. My children all married and left me, my helth give up, my wife dyed. So I was left homeles no place of ?, stay only with my daughter Mrs. J.A. Dulin.
Soon she my daughter with her husband moved to the State of Texas. So I was agane left homeles. After a short time I went to my daughters in Texas expecting to return home in few weekes but unfortunately I was taken down sick and could not get back home and receved my pension but in leaving Texas I left under promise to go back and stay three months which I did.
Soon after I went back I saw from the Franklin News that I had bin reported by the Gran Juror as living in Taylor County Texas and was stricken from the pension role. This was rong and was done through malace. Never have I went to Texas only on a visit but alas I came back home in the corse of three or four months in January 1908. I was at Simpson GA at the time.
The old soldiers was going to Franklin to sign up papers for their pensions and I was asked why I did not go. I replyed that there was not any use of me going that I had bin stricken from the pension role. Some of them sayed that did not make
any deference if I would go I would get my pension. I did not go but writin to Ordanary Crain in regard to it so he replyed at once. Also sent me a notice from the Commissioner of Pensions that I had bin reported to him as living in Taylor County Texas but the time was out when I got this notice.
Ordinary Crain stated that he would of notified me sooner but did not no where I was. So last year i sent in my application under the New Pension Law and was turned down on account of a mistake mayed in regard to the time that I was discharged from the servis and it has also bin reported that I spent my pension money in riding on rail roads that is positivly false. Never did I spend my pension for anything but for something that I was compeled to have. I always boho style items that is cheap to wear of the wedding
considered that was give to me by the State as a living and I would not use it in any other way and I can sefely say if there is any of the old soldiers that is entitled to a pension under the Pension Law I am one of them. This is a true and correct sketch of the hole matter. W.W. Potts