Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-12-03
IN CAMP AND field.
A MEDICAL MANS MEMORY
OF WARTIME

OF WARTIME
berP' All this was said excitedly, but no
one gave answer. Grant meanwhile said
nothing and pretty soon all rode on.
Whether the battery practice did any exc
cution to friend or foe, no one ever knew.
The wounded man was conducted to the
rear and properly cared for when the
writer again went forward to his regi-
ment.
In passing over hill the dead body Of an
artilleryman was seen who had just been
killed by a musket ball on the very spot
upon which the writer stood moment be-
fore. Passing forward it was found the
regiment had advanced. The firing
from the Confederates had now
awinded down nro to @1w GSG S;stGin1
bullets. One of the latter came in close
proximity of the writer as he passed over
another hill, it struck little sycamore
bush just to his right. At the foot of the
hill lay q regiment of infantry and just be-
hind it fell several cannon balls, these the
writer saw coming through the air in his
front and knocking on limbs OF trees as
they descended
The sun was so low, and before reaching
the regiment four men were met, just from
It, bearing upon a stretcher one Of the OIL
GERS who had received an ugly wound in
the hip from a grape shot. The party were
conducted to a farm house, where the
wounded man was properly cared for.
The country all about Grand Gulf, Miss,
is hilly and broken up into ravines and hol-
lows.
A little west of Port Gibson the road to
the river divides and two road ways, for
number Of miles, follow along two lines OF
ridges.
Upon either Of these roads General
Bowen, in command of the Confederate
kOr II fiun
Gibson the night of April 30, 1868.
Here he encountered the Federals May 1,
was driven back with considerable loss,
| and just before night made stand with
| small part of his force two miles from Port
Gibson while his main army retreated.
crate withdrew beyond Bayou Pierre, and
| the bridge behind was burned.
The same night the Federals slept on
| their arms, with orders to renew the con-
| flict early in the morning.
When morning came, however, it was
| found there was no enemy near.
The night of May 1, 1858, is as indelibly
| impressed on the writer's memory as the
previous days battle. Through the day
the excitement, the novelty Of being for
the first time under fire, the many strange
| and interesting things incident to battle,
made the whole experience rather pleas
| urable than otherwise. But night brought
| any thing but pleasurable experiences. AS
before stated, the knapsaclks, blankets and
| all of the kind had been left behind. And
as the nights in the South, even in the
| warmest weather, are cool, much discom-
| fort was experienced for want of some
thing in the way of covering.
A rubber blanket was shared with a COM
| panion, but this seemed to catch all the
| dew and moisture there was in the atmos-
| phere, and from its surface was absorbed
/ al Todd fhn ~ I'M
| stances sleep was broken, and in wakeful
hours the mind naturally dwelt upon the
horrible in the previous days history.
| Thoughts something as follows had free
| course through the writer's brain:
"Wen the regiment for six months has
| been wanting to be in a battle, and now
| it's been in one and not a hard one either,
but there is probably not a man but next
| time will cheerfuly take some other fell
lows word for it and stay out himself if he
can do so honorably. Then those dead fell
lows lying beside the road just like they
were slaughtered hogs or sheep. And
besides how pitiously the wounded moaned
and how horribly their poor MANNED limbs
and gaping wounds looked. There may
be lots of glory in war but it isn't sc
radiant nor very appar emit at about one
o'clock the next NOR ming after battle"
However the mornings sun of May
came up warm, bright and beautiful; some
strong coffee was taken, when word came
in that the Confederates were badly de
feated the day before and had all returned
from our front, and that we were to fel
low Immediately. At this time a young
confederate soldier turned up, but from
Just where no one knew. One of thu
surgeons however tapped him on the
shoulder saying: "You are my prisoner
He like Barkis was WilIing and was at onc'
turned over to the proper authorities.
All fell in line and were soon on the roat
| to Port Gibson. A little way along tn
route, the place whore the Confederate
made their last stand was seen; this wa
at the top of a hill, and by the roadsid
near pile Of rails, lay dead Confederate
He seemed to have been a tall, lank fellow
a typical specimen, and though the wealth
er was as warm as June in the North
there was yet on his head heavy fur CAP
A little farther on under a mulberr
tree lay the body of good looking youn
Confederate. He was rotund in figure an
had on what seemed to be a new suit O
: gray jeans. Already the blue-hies wer
lowering about the dead body, but his lat
enemies, thus soon becoming familiar wit
] violent forms of death, complacently gath