Source: http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/1117/pratt.html?200710
Diary of Pvt. Hopkins Pratt
While here, some of the boys practiced stealing every thing that come in their way that they could conceal. My nap sack was plundered and a haf box of pen points tok out. One of my friends lost out of his nap sack, a spy glass, some paper, ink, envelopes, and other things. Two rogues stold a box containing several botles of whiskey for hospitles purposes.
This evening very unexpectedly to me, the hospitel warf boat was landed, and when we got here we found all the boys that left the boat this morning. And when the boat landed, some of them ran on board and stold venison ham and a turkey from Docktor Hale. He took his gun and was going to shoot the man that had the turkey but was hindered from doing so by two other men. From this time on for a flew days, evervthing past off very smoothly, though I was severly afficted with the Dispepsy which is a very painful weakning complaint. While I was on this boat, I formed acquaintance with two clever disposed genteel men, both of the regiment that I belonged to. The name of the men were ``Clift'' of capton croffords company and ``Gurnea'' of capton mathewses company. While here we would walk out on the shore and shoot birds and dress, cook, and eat them. In this way time passed off slowly, nothing of much importance occuring until the 2 of April.
This morning, Mr. Clift and myself took a hunt for small game, and after walking up the east shore of the river near a mile and back again, killing only two small robins which made me a very good breakfast for the morning. But when we returned to the warf boat from our hutn, I was strick with amasement and joy to see the three men of my company that was left at Fort Thompson on the night of the 13 of March, who had made their way safe out of the hands of the Yankees. They struck out from the river on the morning of the 14 and kept a sharp watch out of their enemy wading through mud and water from shoe mouth deep to half they and waist deep for 30 or 40 miles. They struck by land and made the best of their way to Helena on the Mississippi River, a distance of near 300 miles caning their map sack, clothing and blankets on their backs. In their travails they found some good friends who gave them good and nurishing food and a warm bed to rest their wearied limbs on. When they landed at Helena, they then took a baot and come up to Memphis and then took another boat and come to Fort Pillow thinking that the regiment was at the place. But here they learned that the regiment was further up the river as fare as they could go on the account of th enemy having conon planted on the west shore of the river to Prevent our boats from running up to Tiptonville on the Madred Bend whare our regiment was stationed. So they were compelled to remain at this Place a short time.
April the 3, this day I was looking at the show about me and I chanced to see on one of the gun boats that they lay at the shore near whare our warf boat was landed, some 5 or 6 men I took to be some of the artilera men that helped to manage the guns that was on the boats. These pore fellows had their hands fastened together with handcuffs as I supposed, and their hands drew up over an iron rod that extended along the senter of the boat as hy as they could reach when standing on their feet. What the punishment was for, I did not learn, but supposed it to be for some disobedience.
And it was while on the warf boat that I became perfectly disgusted at the conduct of some commissioned officers and big nosed, big mouthed dutchman. I took him to be a corporal an I thought he held that rank, that is if he had any office. I always thought that they ought to be moral and sivil men, but here I learned that some of them care for no one but themselvs. No, not for a sick man for they would drink whiskey and curse and swair and rip tair over the boat like wild men while one pore fellow making his last struggles for breath.
sometime later...
I reached home and my wife met me at the yard gate and with a little assistance, I alited from my nag and walked in the house and laid my weak and worn out fraim on a soft bed. Here I lay with anxious ear to hear one tell of my ups and downs during my absence. But my mouth was so soar on the inside that it was very painful for me to talk, so I said but little for several days. I tele my wife that I had served my last day in the Reble Army. And in a short time after I reached home, I was severely attacted with the yellow jandres which left me in close confinement for near a month.
At the experation of my furlow, I reported to the dockter by leter and he answered my letter very promped and ordered me to report to the 2nd Arkansas Regiment as soon as I was able for duty. So I still remained at home until the unholy conscript law was past and all from the age of 18 to 35 was ordered to report for duty including all solders on furlow.
So, their was a camp organising at the county Site of the county I lived in and me and my brother in law, J. W. Lockhart, who was at home on furlow was ordered to report to that camp for duty. But instead of report for duty, we took our blankets and guns and went to the woods. We was determined never to raise arms agains the Union again although we had bin galled into it once. And we intended to remain in the woods until the Union Army drove the Rebels from our Country, which we were confident they would sooner or later. We also heard that they intended to send a file of men after us and have us dead or alive, one. But in a short time the company wase missing.
I had nearly entire blindness and my eyes continued soar for six months which was a great injury to my sight. and J. W. Lockhart sent a sick report so we still remained at home unmolested and occasionally reporting until the Union Army drove the rebles from the Capitol of our state.
Then hope sprung up in my mind that we would not be molested any more. But in a short time, a man by the name of Webb, commenced raising an independant guriller company and all the men he caught that would not join his company he took to head quarters of the rebble army and called him a deserter and got 30 dollars for bringing in a deserter. In this way he soon had Confederate money and considerable company, for a great many men wood join his company for the sake of plundering the country rather than go into the regular sevis for three years. This was about the first of September 1863. Now, me and Lockhart concluded to take to the woods again until we had a chance to get the union army. So in a short time this gurellea ... (End of Diary)
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NOTE: It is believed that Hopkins Pratt was hunted down by Jonas Webb's men and dragged to death behind a horse. An affidavit found in the papers of John W. Harrison of Leola contains a sworn statement by James D. Stuckey, that he saw Jesse L. Pumphrey assist in Pratt's murder. What happened to James W. Lockhart is unknown. James D. Stuckey was the son of Jackson and Sarah Stuckey of Davis Township. Jesse L. Pumphrey of Company F, 11th Arkansas Infantry, was the son of Nathan and Louisa Pumphrey. The Pumphrey family lived four households away from the Pratts. The Stuckey family also lived nearby in Davis Township. Men and officers of the 1lth Arkansas were released after a six-month stay in prison in Ohio and Illinois. In September of 1862 these men were released and exchanged. The regiment was consolidated and transferred on March 31 to the 17th Arkansas Infantry.
They were designated the 11th and 17th Arkansas Mounted Infantry. When Port Hudson surrendered in July 1863, many of the men of the Ilth Arkansas were captured again. These men were released on parole and transported to the west side of the river for their trip back home to Arkansas. Many of these men then joined Major James T. Poe's Battalion of the Arkansas Cavalry operating in the territory of Saline, Dallas, Hot Spring, Jefferson, and Pulaski counties. The surrender of all Confederate forces occurred in 1865.
Additional information in regard to Saline County units can be found in two publications by Anthony C. Rushing: (aconfed@aol.com) Ranks of Honor published in 1990, and Along the Road to Glory published in 1985. Also of interest is The Raving Foe, a diary of Major James T. Poe, C. S. A. and the 11th Arkansas Volunteers, compiled and edited by J. C. Poe in 1967.
11th Arkansas Infantry