The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-12-06
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
CAMPAIGN IN TEXAS.
WiIlich's Butch Brigade on the March.


EprroR NATIONAL Tribune: The Fourth
Corps tramp over the dry plains Of Texas after
the war was not IS bloody as some OF the CAM
paigns that VIC had been through, but u was
part Of our experience Of the war. viii only
speak OF my own Dutch Brigade, as the corps
did not remain together.
Tie First Brigade. Third Division, Fourth
Corps, left New Orleans on the 5th Of July IN
'65. and landed at Indianola, Texas, on the 9TH
OF the sane month. We were put ashore "a
small sail-boats III think they were called
hghters) a little before shutdown, aud found
two very large cisteTns containing only sIhal4
quantity Of water, which was issued out very
sparingly, each man getting only hall can
teen fun. We halted outside the town and
made coffee. which left our canteens nearly
empty About o'clock p. m. we were ordered
bv Gen. Which 70 march that night 10 Green
Lake. the distance being 80 miles. The writer
had had his knee dislocated at Cairo, and II was
not entirely well, and marching through the
deep sand caused il 20 swell very badly ana be
come very painful, so that ne had TO halt ana
Henry Smith, Of the writer's company, SAID he
would remain by him. We put up our mos
quito bars and slept until o'clock, and then
made start
After we had travelled about 10 miles we be-
Rsu TO pass men lying ia the sand and begging
us for water. Our own had been used for our
breakfast, so we could only tell them we had
Of tie men at least and about that tine we
could see q tin roof glimmer in the sun at Green
Lake aud were much encouraged by the well
come sight. By o'clock the writer's knee was
SO badly swollen and painful that il was almost
impossible TO walk, and 10 make the matter
worse a high fever set in, and caused such
thirst that nay tongue sWelIed out OF my mouth
and / finally had to stop Smith saw small
hollow ahead a few hundred yards, and went to
il, and, by the grace Of God, he found some very
thin mud ia the bottom of some deep cattle
tracks Well. we drank and drank until we
could hold no more, aud finally became so sick
we threw it all up. But il made US feel ike
new men. We started on, and soon met Zen.
Which riding very fast, with about dozen
CaHteens hanging 70 his saddle. de only gave
us q few swallows, aud told Us il was still five
miles to the lake. Directly we began to meet
ox-CSTts and wagons and men on horseback
carrying water back TO the men. That. night
the brigade all got to the lake, ana we had
fine rest there Of one month. On account of
my lame knee / was detailed as guard at the
house of a Mr.. Hogan, and Jared like prince.
We remained on the lake one month and then
started for the Rio Grande, but only got as far
as San Antonio. We camped there awhile, and
8 few men were contaminated and sent TO
the Dry T0rtggas Islands for six months for
stOning the oliiceTs quarters at night. IheyWere
men Of the 4Sth Ohio. One man, OF 90. Ii, Jumped
OVERHEARD ana SWAIN ashore alteI the su4 hdu
got over a mile from land, that was taking them
to the islands, and got home safely, and our Pay
master fixed him up and paid him. We started
for home from San Antonio about the lst Of
December, marched TO Port LaTaeca, and there
took ship for New Orleans. On the first night
out there arose q very high wind, and the ship
put into Galveston. We remained there day
or SO, then again started, and the next night a
more terrible storm arose, but we made the bar
al tie month Of the Mississippi River at p. N,
cast anchor and at daylight saw a schooner
stranded on the bar. The waves were quite
high, but We started over the bar. The waves
raised our ship and let her fall on the bar twice
before We were over, causing her to spring a
leak, and when we got 10 the city there was
tour feet Of water IL the hold. We landed IN a
Terribly cold rain, and bailt large fires and re-
manned there over night; then went 10 Cairo,
then to Columbus o. and 10 our hOmes.-E.N.
NILES, Co. T. 18th Ohio. Rockville hap.