The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1888-06-01


purely practical to the speculative and mys-
tlcal, and our views, as is usual with very
young men, were more positive than they
would be now. On my referring to the odd
ness of his name, and his air of mystery, he
replied that when the war was over, should
he survive it, he would have no more re
serves; that then l would understand his
present motives for conccalment.
Once moro we went our respective ways;
he going to Grant in Tennessee, and to the
Mississippi flotila bent on opening the river.
He was at Shiloh, while was at the capture
of Island No. 10. | had intended to Join
Grants army after that event; but his victory
was Won almost simultaneously, the battle
having occurred earlier than had been antic-
lpated, owing to the enemy making the at
tack. Ireccived letter from Hakluyt, and,
reading between the lines, could see that he
had once moro distinguished himself He
had carried, through u deadly fire, several
highly important orders, on the issue of
Which the engagement turned. lie might
not have told me this, had he not been hon
orably mentioned in the dispatches and pro-
NOTED to the rank of colonel.
We did not see each other again until we
were before Vic;sburg in the winter and
spring of 1863 One night we We're on the
Louisiana peninsula, opposite tho besicged
town, when some of our gunboats ran the
Confederate batteries. We, with others who
had gone there to witness the spectacle, were
directly in range. The shot and shell tore
through the trees above our heads, shatter-
ing tho trunks, and cutting Off the limbs.
which fell around us in fragments. 1t was a
terrible fire. The Mississippi shore seemed
for miles all ablaze. Cannon after cannon
shot
of deadly missiles; it appeared as if no liv-
ing thing in front of them could escape But
the danger was more visible than actual. We
lay on the ground, and the shot passed above
Us, commonly at a height of ten or twelve
feet. Our chief peril was from tumbling
branches and flying splinters. Wordless
called the ceaseless fire military wood cut
ting machine; cords OF wood might have been
gathered the next morning in our vicinity,
though it would hardly have been worth the
powder and iron expended for it.
In a lull of the cannonade we overheard
group of men near us giving directions as
to the disposition of their bodies in case they
should be killed. Being all married but one,
they wished their remains and what money
and valuablcs they had Oh their persons
sent home to their wives. The bachelor, who
was the Bohemian correspondent of u Chi
cago newspaper said: BURY me just where
l lie; nobody :arcs for me, and haven't a
cent in my pocket" Halluyt laughed at
this, and said: "It's IL great comfort, isn't iti
when q fellow is in danger to think that he
isn't married" 81 have heard" | replied,
that mature husbands are often Indifferent
to danger, even to dcath.n Is it because
they have nothing to live for2 or because
they have nothing more to fearl" Another
roar of the batteries prevented a response:
and as the gilnboats had passed, the firing
gradually ceased, and in IN hour or two we
We're asleep on one OF the TRANSPORTS
That nights experience had awakened in
both of us Il desire to run the batteries. lie
thought it might be exciting, Il sort of sensa-
tion, since all that could be done would be:
| as the phrase is, to stand and take it, which
is commonly thought to be a trial of courage.
| told him that his valor had been tried SO
| often that it was superauous to try it further.
| But he insisted, as before, that exposure to
new kind of peril might frighten u man who
had reason tc believe himself brave, and
added: 81 have never run batteries, you
know, aud the thing appeals to my inagina-
tion. hope we shall do it together, some
| time"
| Within week he was ordered to Wash
| ington as a bearer of important dispatches,
expecting to return speedily. The plan of
the campaign against Vicksburs demanded
that some of the transports should pass the
town, and preparations were made to that
end. A year before, when Gen w. Il. Sherman
had suggested the idea, he was pronounced
crazy. 1t had always been accepted as an
incontrovertible military fact that wooden
vessel could not go by o stationary battery of
heavy grade The attempt had never been
madeby any nation. But America was going
to try it; indeed Farragut's war ships had
already tried it successfully. We had already
taught Europe various military lessons, and
we We're destined to teach her more | had
arranged to run the batteries on the first
transport that was to steam past the strongly
defended town. had telegraphed to Word
less, who had replied: "Am very anxious to
accompany you. Wait for me-"
waited and lost my opportunity. The
first transport went, and the second, and
the third, and they all got through.
Meantime the river was steadily falling, and
| the conditions for running tho batteries
| grew more and more unfavorable. My
| friend did not come telegraphed again
cause. He was so faithful to his word that l
became alarmed. Finally the last expedition
| was fitting out; it was composed of two
barges loaded with provisions and bales of
hay, to be laslcd to tug. The soldiers be-
| low needed rations, and the horses fodder.
| No time was to be lost. must go then, or
not at ALL and | had set my heart Oh having
| the experience.
The night fixed for our departure was
| Sunday, May g. lSG3 The moon was full,
and, at the hour when we should be opposite
| the batteries, would be in the zenith. Sew
eral old Mississippi pilots, hearing of my in
tent, came to me ard urged me not to make
the venture. They said the water was very
| low; the barges were unmanageable; the
enemy had felled most of the trees on the
| peninsula, SO as to have no obstruction be-
tween their guns and tho Yankee boats,
which had to follow sharp bend in the
stream, bringing them in direct range ct the
batteries when several miles above
tho city. The artllerymen, they insisted, had
got the range by practice, and, assisted by tho
brilliant moonlight, would make every shot
tell The probabilities were that we should
get aground in turning the bend, and be at
the mercy of the heavy guns. We should,
in all likelihood be completely destroyed;
not man would escape.
My reply to all this was that, as was
simply seeking a sensation, the greater the
danger the greater the sensation. They inti-
mated that was blank fool, and too young
to know how big fool might be-
| We got Off just before midnight. The
| night was like day, tho moon being SO bright