Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-11-28

LANDING IN FRONT OF Observation-Disclosures
from Sketch in Harper's.
But after the first two or three weeks
time at Camp Butler had dragged heavily
and many had become homesick, and were
already tired of the service.
Pretty soon after the regiment became
fully equipped orders came for 1t to report
at Memphis, Tenn.
One cold rainy evening the cars were
taken and after a cheerless ride, st. Louis
was reached, where transportation down
the river was procured on the steamboat
General Robert Allen, the meanest old
hulk afloat.
The trip was exceedingly tedious, water
in the river was at a low stage and the old
boat frequently ran aground, but, with the
help OF spars put upon either side the bow,
and hosting apparatus, always managed
to again get under way.
One evening the boat tied up on the AR
Kansas shore, 1t being section said to be
infested by bands of armed rebels, night
navigation was deemed perilous. The reg.
lment was marched ashore where nothing
was found, save a rude log structure, said
to have been used before the war as q
store.
The region was heavily timbered, with
also dense growth of underbrush; but
much OF it had strange appearance,
nearly every thing being yet in leaf. Be-
ing in the enemy's country strong picket
guard was thrown out The writer's COM
pany with another was detailed on this
duty. The men were marched out the dis
lance of a mile from the regiment, broken
up in squads of four, and with freshly
loaded guns, awaited any cause for alarm
There was no disturbance, but being in
the enemy's country was an entirely new
experience, and though there may not
have been an armed Confederate within
fifty miles, it is safe to say that in the
whole regiment but few eyes closed that
night in sleep.
Six months later so Injured had most of
them become to wars alarms, that sweet
and refreshing sleep was often taken di-
rectly under fire.
The next day was Sunday, and about
noon the old boat was again boarded and
the journey resumed.
A man belonging to the regiment died
not long after leaving st. Louis; the car
penter of the boat made a pine coffin in
which the body was placed and taken to
Memphis. At this period a death in the
command made something of sensation,
but all were soon to become very familiar
with this king of Terrors.''
AS the journey down the river continued,
chmneys standing alone and cherries, the
houses having been burned, became famil.
lar objects.
The lights from Memphis came in sight
one evening and the old boat began to
whistle, but from some arrangement in the
''shut off" the noise could not be stopped {:
consequently after the landing was made
and the boat tied up the whistle blew as
long as the supply of steam in the boilers
lasted.
Fora good while the night was made hide
Gus and the ears of sll tortured by the
screeching whistle of the old boat, but this
was fit ending to the tedious and danger.
GUS trip on the crazy old craft.
The quartermaster of the regiment, how
ever, became much the wiser from this ex.
perience and never again had such trans
portation put upon him.
SECTION VI.-IfS AND ABOUT MEM
PHIS DURING THE WINTER OF
1923.
Fort Pillow, in the Mississippi, was evac-
uated June 4, 1S62, after which the National
eetdropped down the river, and at early
dawn June 9, under Commodore Davis, at
tackled the Confederate fotilla lying in
front Of Memphis, Tenn, ,