The National tribune., 1886-01-28
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
SPANISH FORT.

Cor,rade Sandes Thinks it Easy 10 Kill Dead Lion.
To THE EDITOR: In recent issue Of THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE ! see a report of the cap
ture of Spanish Fort one of the defcnseS OF
Mobile, by John w. Fry, of the 42d OHIO. In
this report as given by him see several errors
and believing that as n soldier ne would not
Intentionally do injustice TO any, beg leave TO
correct some of the most glarlng.
First. he states there was only part OF the
Sixteenth Corps in that expedition, when in
fact the entire Corps was there, and during the
investment of Spanish Fort was occupying the
right of the line. The Third Brigade Col.
GeGdes, of the Sth Iowa, commanding OF the
Third Division Gen. Carr cOmmanding) was
occupying the extreme right and resting on
the bay. This brigade (the Third was COM
posed OF the Slst ILL.,, Sth Iowa, l0Sth and l2ith
III.
The slst III was on the right OF the whole
line Next TO their left was the Sth Iowa. In
front of the Slst Ills. sap had been made
over the hill and partially through the swamp
intervening between our lines and the rebel
fort, and carried within short pistol range OF
the rebel works.
On the evening of the Sth of April, say,
about y. m. when the bombardment began
to which Mr.. Fry refers, Col. Geddes ordered
our regiment (the S1st I'D to occupy this
ditch. l being the senior officer of the right
wing of the regiment was ordered by my regl-
mental commander, Col. Rogers, to move down
this ditch to the edge of the swamp. | did
not know at the time where the left wing of
the regiment was. l obeycd the order, how
ever, and took the position indicated and re-
manned there awaiting further orders.
Just before shutdown Col. GcddeS came down
the ditch followed closely by the 9Th Iowa.
They passed my men and went forward to the
extreme end Of the gap, and the first thing L
knew had leaped the breastworks and with
deafening yells were charging through the
swamp toward the rebel works. In a moment
Col. Goddess A. A. q. ran TO me and ordered
the Slst to follow. / ordered my men forward,
and was Just in the act OF moving by the flank
over the breaStwOrks, when Col. Rogers came
up with the left wing of the regiment and took
command. By this time the Sth Iowa had
reached the rebel works and was holding their
position. Our regiment reached the rebel
works and took position on the right of the
9Th Iowa.
Not knowing what we might find within this
line we at once sent forward inside the rebel
fort two companies of skirmishers, Capt. l..
Refs commanding and captured some 20 pris-
oners. By this time Gen. Carr and also Gen.
A. J. Smith had come up. 1t was not yet very
dark Col. Geddes ordered up the other two
regiments of his brigade, and the whole brigade
marched inside the rebel works, went down to
the water batteries stacked arms, and had
general jubilee. This all occurred before
o'clock p. N. of the Sth of April. l remember
Very OlSJlQcIlN WnllC SltlBGiilS On Top ol INC
fort down at the landing examining large
pivot gun and watching the soldiers going for
the rebel commssary near by. l SAW light
coming round the point of timber below; i'll less
than three minutes we saw a flash, and then
heard a Shot coming. 1t passed by and struck
near the rebel commiSsary. We were at once
ordered into line, and while the boys were get
ting to their guns another shot came and just
passed over us, causing the men to fall fat on
the ground to avoid being hit. These shots
came from our feet, which had not learned
that the rebels had evacuated.
Our brigade marched out TO our old camps,
reaching there by 10 p. N. Mr.. Fry says: AT
2 D. M of the 9th Gen. Bartram marched in
with his brigade without opposition" / am
not surprised. when six hours before that time
the Third Brigade of the Third Division of the
Sixteenth Corps had captured every rebel inside
the fertilization. l remember also that the
morning OF the 9th in company with some other
officers, | went over to see how the inside of
the fertilization looked by daylight, and what
should we see? 4 shoulder-strap gentleman
marking the guns captured by the Thirteenth
Corps While we were larleying with him Gen.
Carr came up and at once stopped him, and
sent his Chief Of Ordnance over and marked
every one of them captured by the Third Bril-
gade, Third Division, Sixteenth Corps.
TO verify my statements in the above / refer
to Gen. A j. Smith, of ST. Louis; Gen. Carr If
living; Gen. Gcddes, of Iowa; Col. s. w. Rog-
ers, Of Warrensburg, No; Capt. +. Campbell, OF
CURED. We know all about the gallant charge
made by Gen. Bar:ram, and was standing out
at the works liz front enjoying the fun, and
thinking it did not take very much courage TO
enable q fellow 10 Kick a dead lion.-D. L.
SANDEs, JOnesboro, I'll.