The National tribune., 1888-12-06

THE SHELLS AND BULLETS WERE FLYING
too thick for my health just in that locality SO
tried to make him think there w.,s some better
water little farther on, all to no avail. l
pounded, coaxed, dug him with my heels but
no, he was going to have a drink if he got
killed IN the attempt; and as i was not IN
happy frame of mind inst then, for ! was in
plain sight of the rebs, and who, thought,
were all trying to see how close they could
shoot TO me and miss me, concluded to get on
the mule and shoot him myself, and tell the
AdjUtant he got killed from under me while
was taking him to rear but just as ! had ar
rived at this conclusion, one OF the 1st Tex.
cavalTymen saw how things stood and rode up
behind me with his sword drawn and struck
his muleship amidships with the fat of his
sword, which took the mule so by surprise that
he did not stand on the order of bis going, but
came very near leaving me behind in the mud
hole. Goily, thought !, that Johnny came
mighty close TO me that time, for was sure 1t
was rebel who had dealt the blow and thought
il was intended for me- as the cavalrymen oil
the list Tex. were not uniformed with our uni
form, but wore buckskin breaches and jackets
and broad brim hats. / tell you was not long
in finding good place to lie down IN, behind
a large sweet-gum tree. Here we lost another
man, John G.. Jones, Corporal IN Co u, who
had his head shot of There was lull in the
fight for a few moments. He made the remark
that he was going to see what they were doing,
but was told TO lie still; but before he could be
told. he raised his head enough to look over the
top of the weeds, when the rebs fired q cannon.
The shell struck Jones in the face, carrying
away the whole of the head except the chin,
scattering Lieut.. Crandall and Lieut.. Richard
son with his blood and brains, and turning him
completely over. He, too, poor fellow, was left
on the field for the rebels to bury.
WE WERE IN BAD BOX HERE,
being surrounded, in the shape of horseshoe,
by about / 400 rebels land we having only
about $50 men, all told, who thought that we
had the woods full of reinforcements or We
would not have stood in the field, but would
have fallen back to the timber, as it was only
few hundred yards to our rear They thought,
too, that it was ruse to draw them out To
make charge upon Us, SO that our troops III
the timber IF we had any there could NOW
them down with grape and canister. We were
delighted that they thought so. In about aa
hour after we were forced to stand here, our
Colonel lGuppy) sent US orders to fall back as
fast as possible to ST. Francisville, which we
did, and / can tell you we made good time at it,
too. The rebs, who knew the lay of all the
country around there, were so sure that they
We're going TO find us as we were crossing the
creek about one-guarter mile from where our
reserve was drawn up in line of battle just out
of st. FTaneisville, that they trained their
guns so they could rake US with grape and can
But they reckOned without their host this
time, for when they made their appearance on
the hill we bad just passed we were lying
down with our line of battle OH the opposite
hill, with two steel ROdman guns trained on
the road at the top of the hill where they made
their appearance, and gave them a shot from
both guns before they could use their cannon
which dismonnted one gun, blew up one eais-
son, and killed q number of their men and
horses. They withdrew as speedily as posi-
bic without giving US a shot. We lay here
waiting for them to make an attack for about
an hour but did not see anything more of them.
We were ordered back TO our transports at
Bayou Sara to re-embark for MoTganza Bend,
as our mission was completed. Just as the
troops were all on the boats, except few of our
officers, among whom was Col. Guppy, our bri-
ga9e commander, who were talking with Capt.
Foster, Of the gunboat, we saw quite number
of the rebs coming over the top OF the Hill back
of the town, and some of our men called out to
Col Guppy the fact, just as the lookout on the
gudboat called to Capt I. that the rebs were
coming over the top of the hill. Capt Foster
told him 10 give them shot, Which &c didy
AND THE WAY THE REBs FLEW BACK
over the top of that hill was a caution. In
few moments more two rebel officers appeared
on their horses, riding over the levee close
10 our officers, with flag of truce tied to
syseeee ed They proved to be Col Scott command
ing the rebels, anu re Aid. He (Col. Scott
claimed he came to remind Capt Fostcc7T that ha
had broken his agreement and that the shell
ne fired lad hit large brick house about
mile out of town aud knocked it down. bury
ing woman and small child in the ruins. Bat
Capt. Foster told him he must keep his men on
the other side of that hill, or he would level
the town for him; that lie had broken the COM
pact first, as our men on entering the town
found number of his men there, and had
taken some Of them prisoners.
Here happened a laughable circumstance.
Col. Guppy looked at his watch and said that it
was time for him TO depart, and he wished the
rebel Col. Seott) good-day and handed him a
drink from bottle. Col. Scott took a drink,
aud wanted Col Guppy to take drink with
him. But when he turned to his saddle bags,
10! his whisky. bottle and all, had vanished.
Some enterprising Yank had grabbed it while
be Col. Scott had been talking with our Off
GERS. He said 10 Col. Guppy: I" Some of your
soldiers have stolen my liquor"
The Colonel told him that he had some very
hard cases in his command, and that they
would steal under any and all circumstances,
but that when it came to fight, be could de-
pend upon them every time.
We drew out into the stream,
LEAVING THE TWO REBEL OFFICERS
talking with Capt. Foster, and arrived at Nor
ganza Bend that evening, having accom-
pllShed our errand so well that the force sent
out from Baton Rouge captured the post at
Clinton and destroyed all the rebel stores that
they could not take away We also took back
with US several prisoners that we had captured.
Thus ended this expedition, which resulted
in putting a stop to the rebels attacking our
foraging parties and outposts in such heavy
force. This was one Of the hottest little fights
our regiment was in while it was out, and
stands recorded on our flag as the Battle of
jackson, La" / would suggest to the soldier
who stole Col. Scott's whisky bottle, that he
send it TO President Cleveland, that he may re-
| turn it with the captured flags, when he thinks
he is able TO consummate that cherished design.
Now, speak up, boys and let Us know who the
thief was.-C A. CRANDALL, Drummer, Co. F,
! 23d Wis, 18S Concord street, West st. Paul,
Mimi.
VERMONT TO THE FRONT.