The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-08-27

JUNE, 1888
j HERo1sM IN OUR ARMY.-The following
anecdotes illustrating the spirit of the
brave men VINO are fighting the battles o1
freedom against treason and oppression,
are from . correspondent of The Detroit
i Tribune:
A New Hampshire regiment had been
engaged in several battles, very bloody
and desperate, and in each engagements
had been distinguishing themselves more
and more; but their successes had been
very dearly bought, both In men and ofIi-
GERS. just before the taps, the word came
that the fort they had been investing was
TO be stormed by daydreak the next morn
ing, and they were invited to lead the 'for-
lorn hope" For time the brain of tho
Colonel fairly reeled with anxiety. Tho
post OF honor was the post of danger, but
In view Of all circumstances, would il be
right, by the acceptance of such a promo
sition, to involve his already decimated
regiment in utter anRihilationf He called
his long and well tried chaplain into conn
Gil with him, and asked him what was to
be done. and the chaplain advised him to
let the men decideit for themselves.
At the Colonels request he stated to the
regiment all the circumstances. Not one
in twenty probably would be left alive AZ
ter tie first charge. Scarcely one Of the
entire number would escape death except
No one would be compelled to 20, II 10
did not 60 with his heart. Think It over,
men, calmly and deliberately, and come
back at II o'clock and let us know your
answer. True to the appointed time, they
all returned, "All3" said l. eyes, Sir.
all, without exception, and all Of them
said the Chaplain, '.go to your tents and
write your letters-settle all your worldly
business, and whatever sins you have up-
on your counsciences uneonfessed and nm.
forgiven, ask God to forgive them. Al
%ss wiz 60 xh % and the so Lord do
came, the assault was made, and these noble
spirits rushed into ''the imminent deadly
breach" right into the jaws Of death. But,
IKE Daniel, when he was thrown into tho
lions den, it pleased God that the lions
mouth should be shut. Scarcely an hour
before, the enemy has secretly evacuated
the fort, and the forlorn hope entered into
man!
There is another anecdote which well de-
serves to be entered under heroism, If any
thing does. Hearing one day Of four ship-
wrecked sailors who had been four days
and four nights on the wreck, without any.
thing to eat or drink, and who had lust 81.
| rived, covered with erysipelas, and utterly
destitute. went over to the gunboat to
supply them with shoes, dc: What was
my surprise and delight to find that the
gnnboat was the Sassacus, and the captain,
Captain Roe, whose famous attack on tho
Rebel ram Albemarle. puts his vessel in
the same category with the original Moni-
| tor and Kearsarge. In common with sey-
eral other vessels Of this class off the coast
Of North Carolina, (none Of them iron-
clads, however, the gunboat Sassacus had
been assigned the duty Of watching the
Rebel ram and iron-clad Albemarle. Tho
statement of Capt. Roe, a. drew it out Of
him, almost reluctantly, at three different
times-1 was on board his vessel preach
ing, &c:-was about as follows:
had fully made up my mind what to
do, II the ram came out, viz: to stand my
guard and attack her. A candle shot from
musket had often heard could be made
to penetrate . deal board, and though
might prove correct one. Why not tho
momentum Of wooden vessel make up to
some extent the difference in MATERIAL
The hour of battle at length arrived. First
Of all, briefly commended myself to God
for wisdom and protection, and then SUM
mind for the desperate conflict. Appsaiinr
J to my officers and men, found they were
with me, heart and soul, every man or
them. Though 1t was scarcely ten minutes
from the time ordered ON all steam and
told the pilot to steer straight for the ram
watch would have believed that it was an
honr.
All this while there was an irresistible
impulse within me that said, "Do it, do itr,
and never hesitated for moment. The
officer of the Albemarle knew me person.
ally, and as I afterward found, pointed me
out to the sharpshooters in my exposed po-
sition, and the bullets whistled around me
like hail. The heavy guns of the Albe-,
marie opened upon us, and struck us again
and again. On came the ram, running with
all steam on, at right angles to the course
right to the mark at which aimed her,
and with the desired result. Our PROV en-
tered the side Of the ram, Just forward or
the smoke-stack, and by the onward move
| ment of the ram was bent in the opening
like the half-shut blade of knife, thus
| laying the two vessels side by side. The
guns were so close that neither ship could
run them out to their full length-the pow
der OF each explosion blackening the an
tagonist's side.
A large solid shot went through the star
board boiler from end to end ranging aft,
than its own width, just missing the crank.
Further ait it passed through the bulk
head of the ward-room, smashing the lock-
er, and glancing against heavy stancheon
slowed itself away in one Of the midship-
mans berths. Meanwhile the escape Of
the steam scalded q large number OF my
crew. Right in the midst of the conflict
they came running up to me on deck, their
scalded flesh hanging from their arms and
faces. saying so piteously, 20 Captain, Cap
tain" like 30 many children, that it almost
unnamed me. We had bags Of powder in
the tops to throw down the smOke-stuckA
of the ram, but did not succeed. With our
hand grenades We were more successful
and the battle ragged more fiercely than ey.
or. BY great effort the ram disengaged
herself from the Sassacus, and made f0r
and there she has remained ever since.
felt, under God, that I had achieved yio-
| tory of which the service need net be
ashamed.