Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-07-13

L NOut0 UOt Uc pcIsudOCu, TIC Colouti Was
obliged to send corporal and file of men
with him to the guard where he re-
manned until the next day, when he was
again reduced to the ranks. | saw the
colonel in the meantime, and pleaded with
him to overlook the matter for the present,
as thought it would do him more good
then become discouraged
But the colonel was firm. He sail,
Captain, there is not a man in the
ley, and l had recommended him in this
letter here, for lieutenant's commission,
but it can't be sent now. ! shall recon-
public He insulted me before the whole
spected by the men. Patience has ceased
to be virtue in his case"
Seeing that any further talk would only
make matters worse he returned to the
city.
Soon after this, the nineteenth corps
was ordered to Virginia, but for some un-
explained reason, our regiment was de-
| tached, and sent to Fort Morgan, where
| We participated in the attack on Spanish
/ Il
| there was, and were among the first to er-
| ter the CITY, l, of course, was returned to
| the regiment when we left the corps, and
had better opportunity to see how Char
| lev was conducting himself. There was
| marked change in his personal appearance.
From the fine looking soldier who had re-
| ceived SO many compliments on parade,
he became dirty, bloated, drunken vaga-
bond. could scarcely recognize him.
| From the time of his last disgrace, he
| went to the bad, and soon became about
| the worst man in the regiment. He was
\ in some difficulty nearly all the time, and
] seemed never to come near me when he
could avoid it.
endeavored to find out where he went
| the night he left me at the st. Charles,
and how he came to get drunk again, but
he would never tell, and could not learn.
| ONLY knew that he did not return to camp
that night.
Soon after taking possession OF the city,
Dick TAYLOR surrendered with his army
somewhere in Alabama, and his ammuni-
ton was brought down the river on steam
ers, and was being stored in some vacated
cotton presses, preparatory to being ship
ped to place of greater safety. One day
/ was detailed in charge OF twenty five
men to remove load Of ammunition from
steamer to the building; Charley was
one of the number. He was sober when
he commenced work, and had been for
several days. because he had been in the
guard house, where he could not get 1t,
and had been relieved only the day before.
When we had been at work about two
hours, noticed that Charley was missing,
and | sent one of the corporals to look
him up, as I suspected he would get to
drinking. The corporal soon returned
bringing Charley with him, much against
his will, however. AS / had feared, he
was intoxicated, and told him to 60 to
his quarters, not far off, and lie down.
He said, "Give me some tobacco, and /
will"
handed him my tobacco pouch, and he
started off in that direction, but soon stop
ped to fill his pipe AS | saw him appar-
emily on his way to camp, and supposing
everything was all right, paid no more at
tention to him, and went down the same
street some distance to the Post Commits
sary's Office.
Just before entering the door, turned
and looked up the street towards the men
who were at work, and was horror struck
at the sight that met my gaze. There was
Charley, who had returned with his
lighted pipe in his mouth and, unobserved,
was rolling keg of powder into that
magazine My God in that building were
thirty tons of powder, quantities OF IL In
broken kegs and barrels, besides a large
amount of loaded shell and ammunition OF
every description, and there was drunken
man staggering in that building with
lighted pipe in his mouth. MY heart leap,
ed in my throat; could not move; l
could not speak. Tired to run, IN order
if possible to get him out before any Dam
age was done; but seemed TO be Invited
to the spot Great drops Of persplratio!in1
gathered on my face, and still had emil
as of death. I could not breathe. But
could think. Why did leave then! Why
did not see him at a safe distance! why
did they not see him and stop him! In
moment it will be too late! Alas IL was
already too late! In much shorter tlme
than I have been able to tell 1t, there was
the most terrific explosion ever hearo ~
my life. was thrown to the grouno WIN
great violence and partially stunned; lHi-
mense buildings were in an instant aehoi-
ished, leaving scarcely one brlcx on an
other Bricks, shot and shell, heads,
hands and arms, were seen hying
IN every ulIcCIioH, o
dealt on every hand. Great damage
was done throughout the city; oev.
eral regiments were quartered near
there, and many of the men were either
killed or wounded. These brave boys had
passed through the war, many. OF them un
scathed, and were now counting the days
that were to elapse before they could re.
turn home, but were now hurled without
a moments warning into the presence OF
their Maker, and the loved ones at home
would look for them in vain. In an IN
slant they were robbed of the light which
had begun to dawn on their future, and
their "bold soldier boy would never
"come marching home TO them.
All this death, all this destruc,,
ton. all this mourning, was caused
by the unnatural cravings of poor,
weak man for strong drink. have passed
through danger on land and sea, l nave
seen the ruin and desolation caused by war
in its worst phases, but never saw or feit
anything to equal the horror OF that mo
ment. God grant that / may never ex-
perience anything like it again: :,
That fond mother now lies IN the cold,
damp grave, killed by the shock caused
by her sons untimely death, and that SIS