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HIS OLD WAR COMRADE
The
following letter was written February 25th, 1906,
and is re-printed at the request of some of
the friends of the writer:
With great sorrow I read
in the Bulletin of Feb. 22nd, the notice of the
death of my old friend and
comrade, John Pankey.
He and I, with Charles
B. Taylor, Israel Taylor, James Caruth and
Harvey Caruth, left Burnet January
15, 1862, to join the Confederate army. On the
20th we were sworn in and attached to Company
D, 24th Texas Cavalry. We were known as
the “Burnet Mess No. 1,” and
camped at Hempstead
until the spring of 1862, when we went to Arkansas
and the regiment was dismounted.
Jim Caruth
died of typhoid fever in El Dorado in July, 1862.
The regiment was captured at Arkansas Post
January 11th, 1863, and was exchanged and sent to
Virginia in the spring of 1863. Later on they were
sent to Bragg’s army in Tennessee, where they were
placed in Deshler’s, afterwards in Granbury’s
brigade, and took part in all the engagements of
tat command, until they were surrendered
in North Carolina in 1865.
Israel Taylor died with smallpox
at Camp Butler near Springfield,
in Illinois, in 1863. Charley Taylor
was transferred to Gen. A. R. Johnson’s
company in Kentucky
and served until the end of the war, came home and
died many years ago. I escaped capture at
the post by being absent on furlough at Little
Rock, and immediately joined Capt. Rust’s
(afterwards Buck
Walton’s) company, and stayed with them until the
break up in 1865. This company was from Burnet
county, and in it were Frank Thomas, Geo.
Lacy, Gus Green, Ples Fowler and many
other f riends
and neighbors.
Harvey Caruth
was wounded at New Hope church and died during the
Georgia campaigns.
John Pankey
was wounded and lost his leg at Atlanta, Georgia,
Feb. 22, 1864. When he was discharged all
the six from Burnet were dead or scattered, but it
was still known as the “Burnet Mess” until the surrender.
John I considered one of
the best soldiers in the army. He was as brave as
the bravest, but had none
of the bad qualities which many of the best
fighters had. He was patient and obedient to discipline.
In fact I can not think of any faults in him, and
have nothing but words of warmest praise to say
of him as a comrade, friend and citizen, and I
hope you will publish this tribute to my old
comrade.
I believe it would
interest many of their relatives and friends who
are still left among your readers.
Respectfully yours,
John Moore
Published in “The Burnet
Bulletin” 1 Mar 1906
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Burnet Bulletin Obituary
From the Burnet Bulletin, 22 Feb 1906
J.B. Pankey Dead
J.B. Pankey, one of the landmarks of
Burnet County, died at
the home of his sister, Mrs. Dodd, in
the Spring Creek
community, last Saturday evening, February
17th 1906, and was buried the following Sunday
in the Bluffton cemetery.
The life of "Uncle John" Pankey, almost since
the days of the
Civil War, in a battle of which contest he
lost a leg while gallantly serving the
Confederacy, has been closely identified with
the history
of Burnet County. He has held a number of
positions of public trust, among which was
that of County Tax Assessor. by the
conscientious
discharge of every duty entrusted to him, he
was deservedly considered by everyone a man of
sterling character and strong
principles for the right.
He was truly a good man and his relatives
should cherish his
memory.
The Bulletin extends condolence to the
bereaved relatives.
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