Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-03-07
MEMOIRS OF THE WAR.
Narrative OF Confederate Navy Man
Who Took Part in Lees Retreat
Fall Of Richmond.
Evacuation Of Drewry's Biun--rhc BLOW.
ing.up Of tho Confederate Gun. Boats
in James River.
written Tor Tho Gazette.

Written for tho Gazette.
J The first Sabbathlin April, 1866, was
beautiful day. Not cloud Swallowed tn,
sky, and the spring sun beamed witt
genial splendor. Everything appeared
quiet and still, as If touched with the In
fluence of the holy day. The military
occupants OF Drewry's Bluff were fully
alive TO the beauty and serenity of thu
day, little dreaming that before the rising
OF another sun the last Confederate sol.
| der should have left the city of Rich.
mond. That night / lay down in my
soldier blanket, not imagining that before
the close OF that eyentful night I should
be summoned by the long roll TO fall into
line and begin march. knew not how
| was awakened, but when awoke | sup
| pose II was about midnight. My first i'm
preston on awakiDg was OF many voices,
| footsteps hurrying To and fro, confused
sounds, the distant beating OF drums,
and strange, dim light that seemed to
| penetrate the crevices Of the cabin from
Il distance. rubbed my eyes and looked
around TO assure myself that had not,
like Bedreddin in the Arabian Nights,
been transported during my slumbers TO
some distant place. But no. was still
In the same soldiers cabin; at the same
military station; ut DrewTy's Bluff.
looked closer, to see, II possible, what
was the matter. The men were rolling
up their blankets; some buckling on their
accoutrements; Others
SEEKING THEIR MusKETs
or knapsacks; all seemingly in the con
fusion Of haste. | raised myself on
my elbow and inquired of a
comrade "what was the fraetion?n But
he did not hear, or If so did not heed me
amid the hustle. My first conception of
the character and demands of the occa.
sion was when ordered by an unknown
voice to get up and fall into ranks.
"Going to march," asked.
Don't know" replied the same un-
known; and suppose he didn't. So up
bolted, though, as was Just out of d
chill, felt precious little like tramplng
any great distance, Had | known
forced march of some sixty miles without
sleep or rations was before me, should
not have felt extremely pleasant. bur
ried on my soldier jacket, got on my ac-
coutrements, rolled up my blanket in
three seconds, graspcd my musket from
q corner, made my exit from the door of
the hut and llowed the crowd to where
the company was forming. 1t was
being marshaled in front of
the huts and by the light Of
some two or three miles
on the opposite side of the James. This
light spread Il lurid glare over the entire
camp; and by 1t | could perceive all the
signs OF one OF those sudden and unex-
pected occasions that give to war its in
teresting and exciting character. Soldiers
were hurrytng across the scene,
THEIR BAYoNETs GATHERING
in the red light Of of the conflagration;
squads and companies were marching TO-
ward headquarters, and voices could be
heard giving their commands in the dis
liant portions OF the camp and at this the
silent hour OF midnight We first marched
to the commissary house; when ratious
Tor one or two days were dealt out to
us. Then, after a short respite, we were
ordered to the headquarters of the fort.
Here the whole battalion was drawn ont
m linei group OF officers was collected
IN front, their splendid swords clankinr
BY their sides, and their figures lllumi. !
mated by the light across the river. cast |
M dim shadows, and among the officers |
recognized the tall portly form of Com !
modore John II. Tucker. As we stood |
ready to move three signal runs were
lred, and as the officer in immediate
command of US paced in front of the
column, light suddenly burst forth in
our own camp, and within few yards of |
our line. 1t was the commissary build
ng ON fire. AS the flames protruded
.helr red tongues out of some window
me oilicer FASTENED to the spot in order
. ascertain the origin of the fire. At
eas' that, to all appearances, was his
lesigh' lie rushed back and with a
'ocRcd revolver in his hand, demanded
% know VINO set the house on lire? No
lnSWer was made. lie then, In apparent
y great rage, ordered the incendlary.
j found, to be Instantly shot.
'sIIOoT HIM"
IL shouted. have been under the i'm
'resSloh that DrcWrys Bluff, like the
'uter outwOrks of Richmond and
ndeed, the city itself, was burnt by Con
euerate authority II so, why did our
ommaldng officer act thus on the nioht
u us destructionI In a few minnfes ,,
ne deep voice OF Commodore Tucker !
vas heard addressing our immediate
commander: Move your menun az. :
entlon! Right facet forward. marcbip \
aWlcu the officer, and off we tramned to !
nc westward. The most of the cabins I
ontlsuous to the commissary had now u
aught, and the light of their burnin" a
laae plain our road till our line LOST v
seli IKE a serpent in the adjacent nine
,rSsls' Before passing into their deem
lu gloomy shadows some women from !,
ouse near the roadside came, and .
coping, took their last look At the y
Treating Confedcrates. Fate decreed a.
ia Destiny determined that these sim. p
9 inhabltants should never again he. y
ia me confederate uniform as an EN-. III
EN- OF power. ." e'nT
i'acn man preserving a solemn silence
marched about three or four miles
was IN the wee Sma' hours ayant fho
'ar.p Suddenly great light sbone
oin li,e eastward and lit up the darkness I'd
az resigned amid the iunereal pines m
oAed up and saw, TO my aslonisbmont CO
great dark-looking mass rise bigh in tbo he
I, IKE a basket upon a column Of famo ly
en- scatter like chat, the light dIson nj
an Us suddenly as il had orlrInatcd co
49, TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION.