The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-11-20
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
TwIGGS'S VICTIMS.
Another OF the Old sth U. S. Infantry Found

TWIGGS'S VICTIMS.
Another of the Old Sth q. s. Infantry Found.
To THE EDITOR: Through the medium of
your valuable paper have heard from two oil
my old comrades of Co. E. Sth u. S. Inf, for p
months fellow prisoners with me in Texas L
was only too glad to hear from any of the old
members of the regiment, now scattered from the
Atlantic 10 the Pacific, and more especially from
two of my Own company as dear to memory
as Hiram Marsh and VIM. Rowland, There Is
not much TO add TO the story of these two COM
radcs and perhaps it is imposing upon the val
liable space of your paper, as well AS lts read
ers in giving them monotonOus reading, but L
will risk it this once. nave not forgotten the
many changes of camp our rebel captOrs COM
PEELED us to undergo. and the extent of terri
tory traversed in those changes i'll Winter,
with us a.oot and tllinly clad. and our guards
mounted and comfortable; no sooner had We
fixed ourselves shelter, before we were taken
away from il and marched off. do not like
to write much about our experience, as We
read so much about the personal experience of
o;hers-some better able and in better situa-
tiOns to tell them, while others tell from hear
say aud Imagination In q mere spirit OF bra
vado-that one necessarily feels constrained
and insignificant Of one thing L feel assured,
however, that none were more loyal and de-
voted to our cath and the dear old flag than
the detachment of the Sth L. s. Inf. surren-
dered at Adams's Hill (l2 miles west of san
Antonio) on the 9th day of May, 1861. 1t was
the first time VIC realized that war was immi-
nent and our country in danger. Had the boys
been given a chance. / always did believe we
could have whipped Gen. Van Dorn's whole
Brigade of State troops, or, at least, cut away
from them, avoided an imprisonment, and
foiled the calculations of Twiggs, Van DORM
Bee. and Others. We were given scant food,
less clothing, and no shelter except what we
constructed ourselves under every disadvan-
tage Juggling the material on our backs The
writer, as well as others, was offered work in
San Antonio Arsenal, TO say nothing about the
offers of large, tempting b0unties in gold, as
well as the promise of commissions. These did
cot swerye us from our duty, nor tempt US to
desert the flag we had sworn to protect, and
follow the example of many of the officers
We preferred fealty TO our cause-then repre-
senting hunger and privation. After standing
it as long as We could, myself, with Hiram
Marsh and three Others, in a dark November
night, slipped through the lines to place of
rendezvous where one of the brave women,
who was soldiers wife and staid with her
husband, had carried our haveFsacks, with
three days rations of parched corn meal. We
attempted to escape to Mexico, but We're cap
tured within 80 miles of the line and marched
back-frst to San Antonio Prison, and later,
back to camp. Maj Taylor in command of
the battalion of mounted Rangers that guarded
us, told US he had a notion to have us shot,
when we told him he dare not do it. A musket
did not have much terrors for US then. We
were ordered in irons, which we wore until
paroled, Jan. 1, 1863. Recruiting officers were
daily in camp to aggravate US to desertiOn.
When chained, we scorned all offers of release
and promotion as an insult, only to realize af-
ter exchange. that we estimated our fidelity to
the Government higher than any one else as
we only did our duty, which, in the greater
events of the times, was passed unnOticed;
though eulogized by general orders and saluted
with salyos of artillery, we could not even,
after exchange, get short Through to see our
friends. While carrying heavy ball and
chain after recapture, we were ordered to break
camp. The command was marching off i'm the
wet; as we were double prisoners, we were with
the guard in a large hospital tent the only one
then standing 1t had been raining all night
MAJ. Taylor rode up when / stepped out and
asked him what he intended doing with our
chains. He smiliDgly said we could carry them
on our shoulders. | told him that he could
shoot me, but never could make me march
through the mud with a ball and chain clash
ing at my feet. Through the intercession of
the officer of the day and officer of the guard
two humane and kind oficers-he was per-
shaded to leave US remain, to be brought
up later with the camp equipage In wagons.
Shortly after this We were paroled and marched
to Shreveport La, in the depth of Winter,
with nothing on our backs but a blouse aud
shirt, pants made up out of discarded clothing
picked up in the rebel camp, some with shoes
and some with moccasins made ont OF raw
hide, and no socks, with cornmeal for full
ration of bread. coffee, ETC.
Al Shreveport we took a steamer down Red
River into the Mississippi. At Alexandria we
beheld Ito us sad sight-the flag of our conn
try with the field down on the captured gun
boat Queen of the West. At Port Hudson we
lay all night under the guns of the fort, for
fear Porter would come across rs. Next morn
ing We started down stream with flag of
truce. When we met Porter with his Essex and
the flag so dear to us proudly waving, we
gave him a rousing cheer. We came into our
lines at Baton Rouge; from there to New
Orleans where we were exchanged, to take
part in the Red River expedition, though re-
heyed and sent north from Opelousas, La,
after the issue of General Orders No. "a, head
quarters, Department of the Gulf, Nineteenth
Corps. before described by Comrade Hiram
Marsh. After our return north we were rather
unceremoniously hurried to the front, and
Joined our regiment at Fairfax Courthouse,
Va, and returned to New York on the 18th or
18th of July to guell the draft riot. / re-
enlisted in 1864 and was discharged at Raleigh,
N. C., in July. 1867. / have tried to be brief
in this article, not wishing to intrude on your
valuable space; but it is very hard to crowd the
memories of years and the varied sufferings
and privatiOns into small newspaper article
If you think this worthy of your notice, please
give il space in your valuable paper, not for its
intrinsic value, but rather as a favor to the
members of the old 9Th U. s. Inf, from any of
whom / would be glad to hear-WM A. G.
CoBB, LIST Sergeant, Co. E, and Commissary