The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-07-05
THAT KEG OF BEER,
And the Trouble IT Caused-An Incident of the
Siege of Suffolk.

UUTIfIg x. a.. Ic55
eral Longstreet, of the Confederate army. quite
interesting episode occurred. At the time of the
advance of General Longstreet towards Suffolk
there was much uncertainty as TO the strength OF
his forces and il thought advisable by those in
command az Suffolk TO have artilleryfnen to man
The gums Ia the various batteries at the front GEN
eral Peek, therefore. telegraphed TO Gen, john A.
Dix, in command at Fortress Monroe, TO furnish
them if he could. As the time mentioned, the
Third infantry. New York volunteers, Col. S. NJ.
Afford, commanding, stationed there doing
garrison duty. Having some knowledge of the
exercises of battery and siege guns. Second Lieu
tenant Limberger, commanding company Il, was
ordered TO have his command ready TO move at a
moments notice That moment soon arrived, as
reports came in thick and fast that General Long
street was advancing in force. So the boys, being
fully armed and equipped and only waiting for trans
portatlon, filed out of the fort and down to the
dock where they were TO take the boat and go up
the Nausemond River 10 Suffolk. Arriving at the
dock il was learned that the captain of the steam
boat had received orders to take the troops on
board, and, consequently. the lieutenant had To re-
port back TO headquarters TOR further instructions
While he away this mission, boat from
Baltimore arrived the other side OF the dock and
commenced to UNLOAD cargo, among the contents
being some quarter barrels of beer. Do You sup
pose old soldiers could see such luxury Gndsr
then noses ana not concoct some plan Tor getting
possession OF AZ least one Reg? No sooner thought
of than one of the kegs was missing. 1t had
been aboard the lieutenants boat and stored away
Tor future action Soon, from the entrance of the
fort, Lieutenant Llmberger was seen coming, with
direct orders TO the captain of the boat to take the
company on board and proceed with them up the
patch, and land them without exposing them TO
the enemys guns should there be any on the banks
OF the river All matters of business being settled
and satisfactory, cast the lines adFit aud pro-
ceeded on our journey. We were well out IN the
bay and had passed Rip Raps when quite com
motion was heard below (the reason YOU will
readily guess,l and the lieutenant, hearing the
noise, and thinking fight was going on, rushed
down 10 ascertain the cause, and, to his utter
prise and Indignation, found the unlucfy beer keg
Apprehensiye that some of the men might be-
intoxicated, he deemed it his duty TO destroy
what was left of the beer, and sezing the keg. he
made Tor the gangway, intending to throw 1t over
board. Unfortunately, however, the lieutenant
pressed against the guard of the gangway. which
had carelessy been left unfastened. and losing his
balance he was precptated, together with the beer
keg, into the river The boat at the time going
at full speed. and but for the heutenants presence
of mind he must have been instantly killed by the
wheels of the boat. To avoid this. he dived deep
as he could. and tie wheels passed over him, very
much to our surprise; everybody supposed that he
would be struck by the wheels. However be-
fore the engineer could be notified of the accident
and the boat stopped, the lieutenant, owing TO the
velocity OF the boat and force OF the tide,
mile astern bobbIng up and down, perfectly cool
and calmly waiting for the small boat to come and
pick him up The members OF the company al
though they had lost their beer on seeing the con-
dIilon OF the lieutenant fastened 10 the upper deck
for the purpose of lowering the boat; but as al
ways happens with green and excitable persons
fouled the dayits. Fortunately a schooner was
crossing the bay at the time, and seeing the lieu
tenant struggling in the water the crew lowered q
boat and went 10 his rescue and put him aboard
the steamboat again.
In the meantime the boys had cleared the fouled
davits and lowered their boat but seeing the lieu
tenant rescued by the schooner's boat, thought it
advisable under the circumstances to look for
the beer keg, which was floating short distance
away, and accordingly recovered it from its watery
sepuicher. On returning 10 the steamer congrsaf-
larions were exchanged all round for the safety of
our lieutenant, and the boat proceeded its Jour
ney, arriving without any further accident. The
lieutenant was wet, and of course, not in n condi-
ton to appear before the general commanding but,
nevertheless, did appear Just he was, and after
informing the general and staff of his fortunate
cape proceeded TO business. The result WAS that our
Wet lieutenant was ordered to proceed to the South
! Quay battery. situated on the South Quay road
We found, however, that it would be impossible to
enter IT In the daytime, the enemy's enfilading
fire fully commanded the entrance and it would be
sure death for any one TO attempt it, the enemy
| having the advantage of the ground the oDlso-
site side OF the river by reason of the windings OF
the stream and the elevation of the banks. al last
| night came, and III single hle we marched in and
took possession OF the battery. The enemy wss
only three hundred yards distant from Us, the river
dividing our forces Upon entering the fort only
two sergeants were found TO relieve. and they be-
longed 10 the Fourth u. s. artillery. Had the
enemy only known the condition of the works and
how poorly manned they were, they would surely
have made an attack and have obtained possession
before we arrived. After the command had settled
down, we found that the battery consisted of five
howItzers and one 3-inch Napoleon. The Napoleon
was always under the Iieutenantis charge and the
howitZers under the sergeants'. Our instructions
on the first night TO remain CT each gun with
our equipments on, ready for any emergency, and
we were on hand, and the first peep of day gave us
an opportunity 10 see the condition of our situation
Right IN our front was the bridge over the Nanse-
mond River, but we could not make a careful in
specton without danger of drawing the fire of the
rebel sharpshooter5 Their works were only three
hundred yards away and web manned The South
Quay road, coming out from Suffolk, along
parallel 10 the fort passing around and TO the front
Of t. and crossing the river. The bridge flooring
/ had been taken up, and nothing remained but the
/ sleepers, making il impossible for more than one
person to pass at q time. Our guns every night
were loaded with grape and canister and trained on
the bridge, so that any force attempted TO cross
death would be the result 20 great portion OF it.
The next day, observing the close proximity OF the
enemy and hearing the whis.hng bullets OF the
slarpshooters at close quarters the lieutenant
Guided 10 drive them out, and at il he went and all
! day long the shells from our guns plowed the
ground around and very close to the Johnnies
making 1t dangerous for them to show themselves
But the next morning they had vacated the ranch
and gone further back, relieving US very much and
allowing the boys 10 stretch themselves at ease and
take turn outside the fort during the day time.
BROOKLYN