The National tribune., 1885-08-13
FIGHTING THEM OVER,
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
THE 18th N. Y. zOUAVES.
A Free and Easy Regiment Which Did Coed
Service.


To THE EDITOR: have not yet seen in your
paper among the numerous correspondence OF
the boys in blue, mention OF the gallant lith
Brooklyn IN " Zouaves. Probably no regi-
ment in the war of the rebellion took more
conspicuous part, engaged in so many battles,
and did so much TO enliven the spirit of the
BOYS and keep them from falling into despond-
ency on the weary march, in advance or re-
treat, in bivouack or dreary monotony of Win
ter quarters. A true history of the regiment,
with little coloring, would read like ro-
nance rivaling the fctions Of the days Of
chvalry and of Charles Lever. Not much can
be said in respect to the discipline of the regi-
ment, and, indeed, too rigid discipline would
have materially impaired its efficiency, which
fact seemed to be well understood by the Off
GERS in command. Their enterprise and fertility
of resources in supplying themselves and COM
rades with comforts and ncceSsaries in the most
difficult situations, reckless bravery in battle
and generous bOah0mie endeared them TO all
who knew them; hence. they very naturally
became pets, and even i'll a measure privileged
without exciting the jealousy or envy OF other
regiments whose discipline was more rigid and
exacting. Notwithstanding they were great
straggierSnand fOragerS upon a march, they
were nevef known to be behind on the eve of
a battle, and they always fought with great
bravery.
To illustrate the lack of discipline and the
Implicit trust pidCeu upon iueIil W w thSii
duty in time of need, L will give an incident as
an example: When the grand division of the
army, commanded by Gen. Reynolds, started
upon the Gettysburg campaign from Falmouth,
Va, Gen. Reynolds, after the column got in
motion, rode from the foot to its head. He
found the 14th Brooklyn boys scattered along
the line until he reached the head of the regi-
ment. He examined each one he met and in
quired of him if he was i'll, and when told that
he was not asked if he had permit to fail
out. He found each one armed with permit,
duly signed by the Surgeon of the regiment.
When he came up TO the Colonel in command
of the regiment there were about six Of the
men with the Colonel), he directed him to put
his Surgeon under arrest and have another
Surgeon detailed to take care of the regiment.
My assistant, accordingly, was so detailed, and
whether the usual privileges of the boys were
abridged thereby l never learned. 1t seems
that the Surgeon was prepared with printed
blank permits, which he had signed in blank,
and gave them to his Hospital Steward, with
instructions to fill in the name of the
soldier as he called for it on the
July i, 1863, the Surgeon of the 18th Brook
Ign and myself selected a large hotel on the
north side of the town, opposite to the railroad
depot, for hospital. At the time we took posses
sion ofthe building it was filled with guests, and
no one seemed to expect much of battle; but in
in great numbers and the guests and proprie-
tors left without much order in going, leaving
us in quiet and undisputed possession, with
abundance of bedding, provisions in the
kitchen, and all kinds of liquors in the bar and
cellar. The building soon became filled with
wounded of the two regiments Oath n. Y.
and 18th BROOKLYN, and we were obliged to
take possession of the building adjoining on
the south for the wounded who We're brought
in after the hotel became filled. The more Sc
riously wounded occupied all Of our attention,
giving the slightly wounded freedom of the
hotel. They found the liquor, to which they
helped themselves freely. About 3 o'clock p.
N. was called out to dress the wounds of
some officers and men who had been brought
in and left in small tavern cross street just
above the one on which the hotel was situated.
j think the tavern was kept by a man by the
name of Weaver. As came out of the tavern
to return to the hotel / found that the enemy
had taken the town and We're driving our men
through the streets. / came upon the ad vance
line of the enemy as / reached the main street,
and hurried past, and turned down toward the
hospital without attracting attention. As
approached the hospital found line of about
dozen Of the 14th Brooklyn men formed
across the entrance, disputing possession of the
building with about 20 rebels, who had their
muskets to their shoulders about to shoot them
down. i took in the situation at once and
were wounded men. The rebel officer in COM
mand of the squad thereupon ordered his men
not to fire, and turned to me and said: " Doc
tor, have your men disarmed, or l will have
them shot" / ordered the men to give up
their arms and return into the hospital all
but four or five did so, and they were so crazed
by liquor that they were wholly regardless Of
their fate. By dint of entreaty to the enemy,
and personal effort in getting their arms away
from them, / succeeded in saving all but one.
who was shot through the heart. Just as / had
succeeded in disarming the 18th Brooklyn men
j saw a mounted rebel officer on the opposite
side of the street brandishing pistol and de-
elaring that he was going TO have the hospital
sacked, because his men had been fired at out
of its windows. He about the same time spied
me, and came riding across the street to show
nae his trophies that he had that day captured
from the id Yankees"
The opportunity afforded to satisfy his vanity
in Boosting of his exploits seemed to take the
place of desire of wreaking his vengeance upon
the hospital, and he soon quietly rode off with
out putting his threat into execution. Upon
going into the hospital found the cause of the
disturbance. 1t seems that these Brooklyn
men were looking out of the windows with
their muskets in their hands when the enemy
entered the town, and they discharged their
guns out of the windows. The enemy returned
9 volley through the windows knocking the
u
The Brooklyn men thereupon marched down
and formed across the entrance, where found
them upon my return. All of them had been
more or less severely wounded in the early part
of the day. After the disturbance was quieted
j found the Brooklyn men and the rebels, who
short time before were SO anxious to shoot
them, seated side by side on the curbstODe,
laughing at and joking each other as the best
of friends. They seemed to be well acquainted,
and had often met each other On the picket
line and had friendly game of cards or traded
coffee for tobacco Coffee was a rare luxury
to the rebels in those days.
/ was greatly indebted to the Brooklyn boys
for their ingenuity and enterprise in obtaining
food for our wounded in hospital during the
three days we were within the rebel lines We
were in no way molested by the enemy, save
by guard placed in the hall of the hotel but
We were cut off from our own supplies and We're
dependent upon the enemy. In the confusion
of the battles Of the % and Sd Of July was
unable TO get the attention of the proper rebel
officers to supply u.s. but the fertility Of re-
source of the 18th Brooklyn was equal to the
occasion, and the wounded did not want for
anything
i well remember the entertainments extern
ported by the 14th Brooklyn at Culpeper
Courthouse, Va, when in Winter quarters in
the Winter of 1864, for the amusement of the
Army of the Potomac. They consisted mainly
of amateur theatrical performances and many
incidents of the war were dramatzed with re-
narkable skill and fidelity, affording great
amusement, and contributed greatly to keeI
up the spirits and preserve the health of the
army. rival theater was built near John s.
Pendletons house, about one mile from the