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From: Jean Strain <>
Subject: Re: [ARIZARD-L] The Bloody 7th
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 19:11:43 -0800 (PST)
In-Reply-To: <000601c61c5c$72604ac0$6501a8c0@dell3000>


Vera~~~thanks so much for sharing that with us~~we just don't realize the sacrafice ANY war calls for, until it's pointed out to us~~~wasn't that sad?? They had NOTHING to come home to~~~all rubble~~~it puts a lump in MY throat!!!
Thanks again Jean in Tx

Vera Reeves <> wrote:
This was not posted to start a fuss about the war between the states. Many of us had ancestors in the 7th.



Melbourne - Jun 30, 1922 - "The Bloody 7th"

At the first call for troops in 1861, where was organized and mustered into service on the head of Mill Creek, one mile east of where the Izard County court house now stands, a regiment whose history was destined to be written in blood on the fields of many hard fought battles. The 7th Arkansas was composed of ten full companies of 100 men each, with the usual quota of officers. Upwards of 1000 young men, brave sons of our beloved southland, voluntarily left their homes, their wives and children, their sweethearts and in obedience to their country's call, shouldered arms and marched forth to do battle for a cause held sacred by every true southerner. Inspired by a lofty patriotism, enthused by the principles of right as they believed. (and many of us still believe) undaunted by fear, regardless of superior numbers and equipment of the enemy, notwithstanding the adverse conditions and circumstances under which they fought. The brave boys of the South led by their galla!
nt generals, Lee, Stonewall Jackson, the Johnsons, Kirby, Smith, Morgan, Pat Cleburne and others of more or less equal fame, carried the Stars and Bars through four long years of bloody conflict, the like of which had never been known to that time. Never in the world's history had there occurred such sanguinary fighting, such scenes of carnage, an equal loss of life and a corresponding amount of hardships, hunger, pain and death as marked the time between the firing upon Ft. Sumpter and the final surrender at Appomattox.

Not whipped, nor yet subdued. After four years of mortal combat, overpowered by greatly superior numbers, half clad, almost starved, her resources exhausted, her farms, her factories and her cities laid waste by Sherman's reckless use of fire, the south was forced to surrender and lay down her arms and the surviving veterans, many of whom battle scarred, crippled and sick, slowly wended their way to their former homes, some of which were in ruins, all bearing marks of neglect, decay and dilapidation.

The 7th Arkansas regiment through this four years of bloody struggle; her deeds of valor were witnessed upon the fields of many hard fought battles; the blood of her dauntless brave was shed upon the soil of Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia; her colors always seen in the thickest of the fight. When the color bearer was shot down, as was the case (pardon me) when a young kinsman, Jim Dixon, an 18 year-old boy was killed while scaling the enemies breastworks at the battle of Franklin, Tennessee, a comrade wrenched the flag from the stiffening fingers of the dying boy and bore its colors gallantly on in the very face of the deadly fire of the enemy. Such deeds of daring, such manifestations of courage, such disregard of personal danger proved the heroism of the men composing this regiment and demonstrated their willingness to die, if need be, in defense of their country and its traditions. A brief history of the 7th Arkansas, written by a survivor after the cl!
ose of the Civil War, discloses the fact that of the original number, upwards of 1000 men and officers mustered into service at the beginning of the war, there were only about 70 who survived, less that enough to constitute a company and by reason of the heavy losses sustained in the many conflicts through which it had passed this regiment became known The Bloody 7th. --- A. C. Dixon --- Boerne, Texas, June 24.




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