My Genealogy Hound

William D. Reed (deceased), an uncle of George W. H., and an elder brother of Alvis Reed, made a settlement here in 1829, his farm adjoining A. A. Reed’s. He married Sarah Alexander, daughter of John Alexander, a native of Kentucky, who made a settlement here in 1829. William D. Reed by his marriage had twelve children, eleven of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, of whom Ester (who married Jonas Peerson), John H., Richard, William J., George W. C., Samuel M., Abigail (who married Enos Yoes), Martha (who married Charles Pence), Sarah (who married Jacob Yoes, Sr.), Mary Ann (who married Jacob Yoes, Jr.), James W. (who died as bugler of Capt. Reed’s company, Company D, First Arkansas Cavalry, Federal service). The following war song, composed by Col. W. H. Reed, is taken from a file of the Arkansas Sentinel, of October 22, 1885. “It was often sung here by the father, Anthony A. Reed, in long years ago,” says the Sentinel, and its publication has been requested. Col. George Reed sings it well, and says it reminds him of the days when his father used to sing it around the old hearth-stone in his childhood days:

When thundering war’s loud cannons roar,
We left our families and our homes,
Marched to the field of destiny
To die, or gain sweet liberty.

Near Nashville town we did encamp,
On Cumberland’s bank we pitched our tents­
Staid there some eight days or more,
Boats and provisions to secure.

Some did weep while others rejoice,
Their wives and sweethearts for to leave,
To leave them all so far behind,
Awaiting for their long return.

The Mississippi deep and wide,
As we sailed down its troubled tide,
And many dangers we did screen,
In sailing down to New Orleans.

But when these dangers were past and gone,
We soon did meet a thousand men,
And in the field of battle go
To meet a bloody tyrant foe.

December the 28d, at night,
The first attempt was made to fight;
The volunteers from Tennessee
Were, killed and captured, ninety-three.

We kept the ground in battle array,
Till December the twenty-eighth day.
They marched in order to our lines
Till we frustrated their designs.

We kept the ground in battle array.
Artillery on both sides did play;
Their fiery darts they at us threw,
Were cannon balls and rockets too.

On New Year’s morning as the sun did rise
A heavy fog darkened the skies;
A British cannon did us alarm,
Which made us fly to our arms.

We kept the ground in battle array,
Till January the eighth day,
The British charged on us again,
Which proved to them a day of pain.
Three thousand of their men did yield
And lay as victims on the field;
The loss to us but did sustain
In killed and wounded just thirteen.

And now we have gained a victory,
And caused our enemy for to flee;
We long to hear General Jackson say,
He will march us home to Tennessee.

And on our journey we will pursue.
And bid Orleans a long adieu;
To Tennessee our course we’ll steer
To meet our wives and sweethearts dear.