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A Sketch of Hoods "Texas Brigade ~of~ The Virginia Army" -BY ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "Joe Joskins"
A rebel in Co "A" 5th Texas Vols. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "Hoods Texas Brigade" "Fields Divission" "Longstreets Corps" "Army Northern Virginia
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"Crown ye the brave! Crown ye the brave! As through your streets they ride, And the sunbeams dance on the polished arms, of the warriors side by side; Shower on them your sweetest flowers, Let the air ring with their praise" (Hemans)
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"Hoods Brigade." "Joe Joskins"
Should the eye of a stranger by chance peruse these lines I sincerely desire, That a has ty judgement will not be formed. This is not written to be read by any but my self. it is not written, because I make any pretensions to being an author. but it is written in a hurried and very negligent manner, for my own amusement, since it is a pleasure to carry back our thoughts into the far distant past
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and in imagination live over the [stirring?] and bloody scenes of The Southern War & especially those which are associated, by ties of blood, suffering, and human great ness, with my own Brigade. Written under such circum stances, with nothing but memory to guide my pen & direct my thoughts, it can not be expected that this sketch will be perfect, since in composition, spelling, & punctuation, it would not be creditable to a ten year old school boy, but for this, I am fortified with a good reason since I was but 17