Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-04-29
TwosToRIFs.
of the Amusing and Serious Sides of War
flrn
Kansas City Times

In the summer of 1868 few companies
oftbe 14th New York cavalry were camped
ot Kennerville, few miles above New Or
Loans. Our quarters we're in nhe Kenner
mansion. and in the front yard we had
formidable six-pound gun, ready for EN-
srgencies. Companies II and l, to the lat
ter of which l belonged was justout
from Rickers island, New York harbor,
and as green as guards as far as mill
tary service was concerned. The date of
which | write was just about the time
Port Hudson and Vicksburgh fell, and the
boys were always expecting the rebels to
make raid on New Orleans One night
about O'Clock the boys were startled by
n terrific shock, and looking out of the
house, we saw large live oak tree in the
front yard apparently dripping with fire.
The night was dark, but as no further
meals of thunder were heard, AVID there
was an apparent smell of powder, some
of the boys jumped to the conclusion
that the enemy" was bombarding US
from across the river. Soon the old gun
was loaded up and shot after was thrown
across the river, until we concluded the
rebs had been routed. On close examin-
alton of the big tree next day it was dis
covered that lightning had struck it, and
while it did not apparently hurt it, the
moss and bark had been badly singed. 1t
was a long time before the "gunnersn had
any peace of mind, the least noise with
out the barracks being the signal for the
taunts of the other boys. The effect of
the bombardment was the destruction of
a few choice watermelons, and "bom-
harding the watermelon patch" got to be
quite chestnut"
Since the fight at Sabine Cross Roads,
Louisiana, in that memorable cotton ex-
petition" as it is called, have no fear of
personal danger. That was the first time
/ had ever been under fire Il was then i'll
my eighteenth year,, and, as had moth
ing to do but sit astride of my horse and
await orders, while the bullets were whist
ling freely about us all-Gen. Franklin,
commander ,of' the Nineteenth corps, and
Gen. Emory commander of the first div
ision, and the aids and orderlies I con
cluded that | would seek shelter behind
large tree only few feet away, and did
so; but | had not fairly settled myself in
my new position before the bark of the
tree, tore by rebel bullet, struck me in
the face. Then | was scared, and deter
mined within my own mind that ] would
be as as safe one place as another | inn
mediately returned to my former post,
and as 1 reigned up my little gray pony
brOadside to the evenly and in line with
several other orderlies bullet struck my
companions horse on the eip, barely
grazing my own. Had ! been a second
later in returning to my post that bullet
would have struck me "amidships" as the
sailors say, and l would probably not now
relate the experiences. That night our
army fell back to Pleasant hill, and in the
fight next day l was kept busy carrying
messages and taking prisoners to the rear
l saw, perhaps a hundred yards back of
the line of battle, a soldier, or rather
member Of the 173d New York infantry,
standing up behind one of those log corn
cribs, pole with terror. The next nom
ent he was a corpse, a bullet from the
rebel lines passing between the logs on
both sides of the crib and entering his
heart The poor fellow was actually
coward, probably couldn't help it, but the
rebel bullet found him in his apparently
safe retreat That circumstance confirm
ed me in my belief that nothing / might
do would save me from meeting a bullet
if it was to be my lot; and strange to say,
although my duties rs a messenger were
dangerous, and / often heard the music
of the bullets in close proximity to my
ears, neither my horse nor myself were
ever wounded, except once at cane river
crossing, when shell grazed my horses
ear.