The National tribune., 1885-12-24
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
LIFE ON SHIP ISLAND.


To THE EDITOR: On the 5th of December,
1861, two regiments of troops, known rs tue
Mddlesex Brigade, commanded by Brighten
j. W. Phelps. of Vermont, landed from the
steamer Constitution upon the low and unat-
tractive shores of ship Island. This was the
advance of an expedition which the Govern
Inent was then organizing for the capture OF
Mobile, the capture of New Orleans not beng
then supposed practicable by the force available
for that purpose. Before any more troops could
be sent the Trent affair took place, and for two
months, while the country WAS threatened with
foreign as well as domestic war, these regiments
remained there alone, drilling and fitting them
selves for whatever duty might devolye upon
them.
Finally the foreign war-cloud blew over, and
Feb. II, 1862, re endorsements began TO arrive.
Meanwhile, however, the object of the eXpedl-
ton w2s changed. Mobile being abandoned for
the more magni fcent prize of the city of New
Orleans and the mouth Of the Mississippi. MAJ
Gen. B. F. Butler was placed in command.
Troops and supplies continued TO arrive until,
about the LIST of pril the last of the expedition
landed on the island and Butler's New Eng
land Division, the nucleus of what became the
Nineteenth Corps was organized.
The division consisted of the following regl-
ments viz, 18th, 18th, 14th and 18th Me, Sth
N H. 9TH and Sth Vt, 26th, 30th and 3lst
Mass, 9th, 18th and 18th Conn. and three excel
lent Western regiments. the 18th Wis, 9th Mich,
8nd 2lst Ind. There were also the lst Me, lst
VT. and | think the ID 4th and 9Th Mass bat
teries, and two or three companies OF Mass. cav
airy. II was organized in three brigadcs, COM
manded by Gen. Phelps, Gen. Williams and
Col. Shepley OF the 10Th Me. 1t probably con-
tanned not far from 10, 600 men, as most OF the
regiments had lately entered the service
Ship Island is one of chain of low, sandy
islands which are about 15 miles from the main
land, and separate Mississippi Sound from the
Gulf Of Mexico; and. when above water, which
is not always the case, is part of the State OF
Mississippi. AZ low water it is about five miles
long and has an extreme width OF about halt
mile. The east end of the island at that time
was covered with pine trees, while the west end
was pure. dazzling white sand, except a few
spots which were covered with rushes sweet
brier or cactus.
THE ISLAND.
Asa base of operations the island possessed
some conspicuous military advantages oRset by
some drawbacks ia sanitary point of view.
Being an island, it was of course safe from land
attack, while our preponderating naval force
secured it against the Confederate gunboats In
Lake Borgne and Mobile Bay On the south
side was strip which was overfowed at high
tide, and about midway between the two ends
this extended across to the north side. AT low
tide this formed an excellent drill ground, being
as smooth and level as floor and nearly as hard.
Desertion was impossible and the obtaining OF
liquor practically so. The channel at the west
end was deep enough for the largest vessels, and
on the north side was good anchorage, for which
the island itself formed sufficient breakwater.
At one point there was deep water well inshore,
so that only short wharf was needed.
On sanitary grounds not much could be said
in favor OF the position, its pure air feing
almost its only recommendation. The water
was not what would be preferred as beverage,
unless by those of an exceedingly perverted
appetite. 1t was obtained by digging wells in
the sand from three TO five feet deep and curb
ing them with two empty barrels, one set upon
the other and all the heads removed. The water
in these wells rose and fell with the tide. One
can obtain some idea or the taste of the water
from one OF these wells when first dug by tax
ing quart of water from a frog pond in Au-
gust, dissolving in it a tablespoonful of salt
and a teaspoontui OF guupowder, then favoring
it with a few drops Of creosote. The water
constantly grew worse from the time a well
dug till III two or three weeks it became
absolutely impossible TO use it; then the well
was filled up and new one dug in a different
place. The water, however, was of great ad-
vantage economically, as it rendered the ad-
nliHistratiOn OF cathartics by the regimental
Surgeons decided superfuity. The reflection
OF the sun from the white sand was most dis
tressing 10 the eyes, aud no colored glasses
could be obtained to modify its effect, no doubt
the foundation of many cases Of impaired
vision was laid while the troops remained
on the island. During the early Spring
the weather comfortable but after
the middle Of April the forenoons were posi-
lively not; in the afternoon the heat was gen.
orally moderated by the seabreeze The heat
constantly increased the season advanced,
until in June it could not he correctly described
by any word in the revised version of the
Scriptures, as She0!" does not fully convey
the idea.
THE CoznIIssARIAT.
The rations issued by the Commissary De-
partment were possibly as good as could be OBJ
tained under the circumstances, but they could
not be deseTyedly recommended as a desirable
bill Of fare for a first-ciass hotel. The h2ritack
which was first issued was branded 1872"
and while il possibly was not made in that
year still il was plainly entitled TO the respect
due TO old age. After the supply of that brand
was exhausted it was generally good unless
dampened by salt water during its long VOYAGE
by sea. After a while sheetiron ovens were fur
nished, which, being covered with sand an
swered after fashion for baking. Flour was
then issued and biscuits were baked by the
company cooks. These biscuits were known
among the soldiers by the names of slugs"
"cannon balls" brickbats," stomach wedges"
and paving stones" Their color and consist
ency varied from that of oak-tanned sole
leather TO that Of vulcanized rubber, and
while the Ordnance Department might
have rendered them useful as proiectiles
they were sadly out of place in the commits
lished and loaf bread was issued Then we
began 10 realize the solemn truth that to the
lowest depth there is lower deep" for this
was the worst of anything called bread we had
yet encountered. While the bread made by
the company cooks was of the quality of vul-
canized rubber, that from the bakery had all
the toughness and elasticity of the pure gum
1t was so sour that it was hardly possible TO eat
II without first moderating its acidity by
moistening it with vinegar. When it is con-
sidered that commissary vinegar was made of
sulphuric acid slightly diluted with water, and
that Its only relationship TO cider was picture
of an apple stenciled on the head Of the bar
rel, the sourness of the bread may be imagined
After il had been issued for few weeks there
was on the north shore windr0w of bread
which had been thrown away, the soldiers
thinking its use a greater evil than a moderate
degree of starvation. The pork was almost
uniformly good, but the beef was currently re-
ported 10 be the ossfed remains of some army
mules which, being left Oh the Quartermaster's
hands at the close Of the Mexican war. had
been slaughtered and embalmed by some pro-
cess akin to petrifaction, but unknown to
scientific men of the present day. The rest of
tie rations were generally fair and sometimes
quite good. To this statement there is, how
ever, one exception. There were a few issues
made ofa substance named by the Commissaries
"dcssicatod vegetables" and while the name
was probably correct il was plain that the nroc-