The Portland daily press., 1882-03-30
Hartford Post.l
What the Soldiers Saw.
An Incident of the Memorable Siege OF
Port Hudson.
"H. c." OF OLD sAYBRooK

The story of Corporal Wells, whose life was
"Saved by Corpse" published in The Post OF
December 2, 1884, recalls another incident Of
the siege of Port Hudson, relating to the terri
BILE sufferings of the wounded who were left on
the field after that disastrous repulse of Sun
day, June IA, 1868, to die under the burning
sun, for the dead and wounded were left where
they fell in that fatal charge until the morning
of the 18th, when blackened and blistered they
were gathered mp under a flag OF truce and
consigned to common grave. The groans of
the wounded mad then ceased, for death had
relieved all those who had been unable to crawl
away in the darkness
A charging party, consisting of the Twelfth
Maine, Ninety-First New York, Hath New
York, Eighth Vermont, Twenty-Fourth Con-
necticut, and part of the Twelfth Connecticut
regiments, had been engaged in storming the
formidable works, which the rebels had erected
near the Clinton road, and were repulsed with
heavy losses, but the Twenty Fourth Connect
lcut succeeded in holding position within a
few rods OF the main angle of the enemy's
works, by means of the cotton bags which each
man carried to throw into the trench for the
charging party to cross over on. These placed
together at the top of a ravine formed a slight
breastwork, from behind which they returned
the enemy's bullets with interest during that
long day. When night came shovels were pro-
cured and an embankmeut thrown up, which,
by shoveling nights and sharp-shootfng days,
was held until the surrender July 9.
The day following the repulse, when the roar
of shot and shell had nearly ceased, the men
who still held positions near the front were dis
tressed at hearing the groans and cries for help
of the wounded scattered all over the aban-
doned battlefield without being able to render
any assistance to the unfortunate sufferers and
officers and men were especially exercised with
sympathy for wounded soldier who sat on the
bank only few rods distant, but very near the
enemy's sharpshooters, and who was begging
for water and help. While all we're regretting
that nothing could be done for his relief,
young soldier from the Twelfth Maine regi-
ment, which held position not far away and
who had contrived to creep unscathed to the
protecting embankment held by the Twenty
Fourth, after listening for a little time to the
cries of this sufferer, surprised the officers by
Offering to take the necessary relief 10 the man
or die in the attempt. The offer, after some
debate, was accepted, and canteen containing
water and whiskey and supply of "hard-
tack" the best We had, was furnished, which
he took and starting from one end of the en-
bankment sprang up in open view of the rebel
gunners and walked on apparently unconcerned
toward the wounded man. We looked on anx-
iously, expecting to see him shot down every
moment, but instead the sharp cry Of Halt!
what do you want?" rang out from the rebel
works.
He replied: "To carry water to that wound
ed man."
GO ahead, we will not hurt you," came
back from the rebel side, and the poor fellow
was seen holding his parched lips to the cam
teen.
After doing what he could for the relief of
the sufferer, bathing and swathing his broken
limb and lifting him into the shade of q small
shrub. he started to return, when the sharp
cry came from the rebels. "Halt! come to us or
YOU are q dead man -
He looked with longing eyes to us, then at
the row OF threatening musketS, and seeing
that he must surrender or die, waved his hand
to US, said GOOD bye, boys, it's no use to
rebel embankment, while his friends hurled
imprecations and cries of shame at the rebel
captors.
A flag of truce was granted the second day
after, but the poor fellow whose sufferings had
SO moved our sympathies had found relief in
death.
When the colonel mentioned the circum-
stance to General Grover the latter exclaimed,
Brave fellow! If we ever get him back alive
will see that he has commission" The
surrender was made in due time, and soon after
the oath Connecticut and Twelfth Maine were
ordered to ship Island, and the writer, with
some half dozen companions from the Twenty
fourth, was returned to New Orleans on de-
tached duty. On the passage attention was
called to familiar face among the passengers,
th6e VI O pAifdto WIZ bcouoQ Fcly 1dAlbidr
with the major of the Twelfth Maine After
studying his face for awhile the writer felt
confident that it was the brave soldier who
had risked death and capture at Port Hudson
in seeking to alleviate the sufferings of that
wounded man, and with much interest sought
and listened to his account of his adventures
in the rebel stronghold.
He was first taken to the presence of Gener-
al Gardiner, who demanded to know how
many men held the new trenches from whence
he had come, and many other questions. He
said he told them some big lies and magnifed
the few hundreds there to thousands. He sub.
sisted there with other prisoners on mule beef
and half cracked corn until the surrender of
the place. When told that we heard General
Growers remark that he should have COM
mission if he escaped alive, he said that Gen
eral Grover had proposed to the lieutenant
colonel in command of the regiment that be
should be given a commission, but that the
lieutenant colonel and his father had had
long lawsuit at home and that bad bleod was
still between them; that the lieutenant colonel
had represented him as unfit and prevented
his getting it, but that the major had been Or
dered home to collect recruits and had pro-
cured him q three months furlough, which he
would rather have than commission.