The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1862-04-18

The third one fred horse pistol at the
picket and they then padded of with
speed peculiar to them. Speaking Of i
yesterday, the picket in a mournul tone
said, 81 felt mighty bad that night after
shot that mSu-beeouse I idd no rerolcsr
so could shoot he other i,co." About two
minutes after he shot, two darkies came
running down TO his post, armed with
muskets and were evidently spelling for a
fight.
On Coosaw there arc twelve armed
durkics who voluntarily turn out at every
alarm. Our Chsploin's waiter, black
man from Hilton Head, went along ith
us on a scouting expedition TO The min
land. We found muskct aud cartridge
box in one of the houses along the Coo
saw river and gave them to him. lsskcd
him if he was going TO pitch in. 81 shoot
de fuss one sse,n said he, and he would
have been as good as his word if he had
been left alone.
"A sergeant was sent forward by the
captain with three privates, including
myself, TO look at the deserted camp OF
the rebels. This was two days after the
battle at Port Royal Ferry.
The camp was back of the ferry about
two miles, Fred, the dHrky was along
Six horscmcn came trottipg along about
is or 20 rods in front of us just a. we
reached the camp aud were starting to e1-
anime n twelve FOUNDER laying dismount-
ed on the other side Of it. drew up my
piece and thought | had a sure thing on
one, that have since learned was Cap
tain Croft Of Beaufort, but the sergeant
ordered me not to fire. On bringing
down my gun, / looked around to the left
ard saw Fred. down on one knee taking
deliberate aim. lie was stopped too and
never saw fellow look SO disappointed.
"Oh! Coll msssa" said he, "why don't
you let me shoot, kin kill i'm dead -
His lips stuck out considerably farther
than usual all that day aud the next. I've
no doubt but that if the policy Of armihg
the negroes was carried out, II full volun.
teer regiment of them could be raised here
with ease.
Shortly after the affair at the ferry, we
Pickets st the brickyards drew. our sup.
plies from tn, mainland. We congratu-
lated ourselves on having such u good
"hunting ground" but on the 9TH Jan. the
captain took -four ofus over there and l5
cavalry took after us. We made "forced
march" for c0useway that connected
the island when we landed with the main
reached il and escaped. 1t was u rather
narrow escape after crossing the cause
way; seeing that it would be useless to try
to reach the boats before they could over.
take us, We tried a little "blufr." We
waived our caps for our "rcsorve," con-
sisting of one man left at the boat. He
was sitting on gate-post "Os cool as a
cucumber" and then waved on the rcb-
els. 1t worked like a charm. They
stopped and looked at us while we SUM
tered leisurely TO the boat. The captain
would have stopped and fought them hut
we were in ali open field of over three
hundred acres and no cover near. He
reported to the Col. who was quite gcelul
over our "bluf game" but ordered him to
stay on his own side of tho creek. Cap
tain said. Oh them, let thirty or
forty come on our side Of the river if they
dare and we'll SEQ whether they will get
back"
i came back to camp last Wednesday
after being out on tho picket posts six
weeks at a stretch. The regiment are
drilling in the bayonet exercise now. /
am tho drill master for cur company,
having acquired some profcience along
with chum in his store-garset in Ann
Arbor.
The western boys have driven the reb-
els down here and we expect an attack
nightly. Forty rounds Of ammunition
were dealt out to each man to-day. This
morning four pieces of a field battery
were sent TO the ferry, think the enc
mey will have 10 be "too numerous to
and fight hard before they take
possession Of Port Royal Island. The
boys all seem to want to fight. They ex-
press great regret that they have been
aging idle 80 long, while in Kentucky,
Tennessee and Missouri, the western
boys have been covering themselves with
glory.
II must be expected that / will have
something good TO say of our regiment
'ut | will coRfne myself to what Brig
zen. StcyenS says Of us. We have the
equation, with him, of being the most
orderly regiment, in the brigade, ever
iince we were assigned to it, and since
he affair at the ferry he sent his thanks
9 US for gallant conduct. "No set of
men could have acted better" he said.
Cooks are yelling shot coffee" aud
must 90 and partake.
Yours truly,
ii, R. w.
p. s. Guns are banging at the ferry at
his moment, and l begin to get nerv-
,us.