The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-07-31
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
ARMY OF THE JAMES.

q reader of your paper for some time, and
nearly all the personal "reminiscences of COM
rades have been connected with our Western
and the Potomac armies. Although our corps
the Eighteenth, Badly" Smith commander
was attached TO the Army of the Potomac
during the early siege of Petersburg and for
over 80 days my regiment-the I'd Pa. III. A
had been under constant fire night aud day in
the trenches. and had taken part in the severe
struggles 10 storm the works from the 10Th to
the 18th of june 1864, yet our corps along
with the Tenth Corps and Kautz's cavalry,
were better known as the Army Of the
James"
After being relieved from the Petersburg
front we encamped at the Bermuda Hundred
front until the night Of the 2sth of September,
1864 when our whole command, under Gen.
Butler tour corps under Gen. Ord and the
Tenth under Gen. Birney), received marching
orders to cross the James River on pontoons
before sunrise on the morning OF tho 29tb. We
broke camp at ! a. m, and arrived at Jones's
Landing at daybreak. This pontOon bridge
was of unusual length.
The planks were covered with sawdust and
boughs OF trees 10 deaden the sound, yet there
was considerable noise from the marching
column, as the bridge swayed to and fro, and
some OF the men &C the edge lost their balance
and fell into the river. The bridge was an
chored, and had a man at each rope holding it
taut so that il could not sway. Still it swayed
with the swinging motion of the troops
When our division reached the bridge the
skirmishers of our corps were engaged on the
ridge known IS Chapin's Bluff, which was n
large fort, one Of the main forts on the line of
the defcnses around Richmond. This was cap
tured BY the First Division of our corps, and
j think the I5Sth n. Y. was the first regiment
over the works. After the capture OF this
important position, we were double-quicked to
the right, passing Gen. Ord, who was wounded
and in his headquarters ambulance and who
said as We passed, Hurry up, boys! we'll be
in Richmond tonight" And no doubt we
would have been, If he had not had to leave
the field.
We were now in front Of Fort Gilmore
large fort to the right Of the fort just captured.
Here our regiment supported two batteries,
who were playing on the fort prior 10 the
charge. The artillery Of the forts was heavy
siege-guns, which threw grape and canister by
the bucketful. While lying here a shell struck
the ranks Of my company, killing Joseph
Spence and wounding II men. Many Of them
were wounded by splinters from the muskets
Of the men. One comrade had TO have the
handspring Of a gun cut out OF his breast,
where il imbedded itself. Allen J. Egglestin,
Of West Pittston, Pa, lost his hand by this
same shot Poor Spence, of Co. NJ, lived long
enough 70 be lifted upon a stretchcr, saying:
els" he was not yet l6 years old.
Another incident showing the terrible effect
OF the heavy artillery in the Richmond works:
A solid shot took of the head of one OF our
regiment in Battery 4, and scattered the poor
fellows brains in the face Of the Colonel of the
9Th Vt, who was passing in the rear of that
company. be was a very young officer, and
was in full uniform and finely dressed. His
remarks, after taking out his handkerchief and
wiPing his face and front OF his coat, were: "
had almost IS soon il had been my own"
The LIST and ID battalion Of our regiment
now charged Fort Gilmore. but were reuulsed
after several attempts 10 capture the fort.
which, they said, was faced with sheet-iron
and besmeared with mud. so that the men
slipped down into the very deep ditch that sur
rounded the work. Our battalion was sent 10
the right while this was going on TO capture a
smaller work 70 the rebel LETT Of Fort Gilmore.
An attempt was made 10 cross the field but We
had 10 fall back to a Eunkeu road, under cover
from the terrible effects Of the rebel guns Had
Fort Gilmore fallen we could have captured
the smaller fort, for its guns covered a large
line Of the enemy's works. While we lay In
this sunken road many incidents occurred.
There was 8 house between the lines, and many
Of US ran the risk Of getting there and confscat-
ing its contents. ! remember / got a green
six dress, which was torn into handkerchief
for orr necks. One comrade came out with
AODJsk4EL o. ana many eLBGT ridiculous scenes
tTauspircd. well foil OF fine water was an
other attraction, but the rebel gunners soon
got the range OF the house and the well, and we
had 20 fail hack. The curb Of the well was
shot away aud the house was soon in ruins
About sundoWn We fell back 20 the main
line, where the other two battalions Of cur
regiment were These battalions went into
the fight under command Of Majs Anderson
bnd Sacaler; the former was killed, and the
latter wounded and taken prisoner
The losses IN our regiment were reported 10
be from four 70 five hundred in killed, wound
ed and prisoners. 1T viii he remembered that
or regiment was larger than most Of the bri-
gaces
That night, after considerable marching
around il the dark, we were ordered 10 rest.
il the morning We commenced to fortify our
position, Whep the rebel ram Richmond and
other gunboats IN the James River opened on
Us, throwing ZD0-pouBd shell up in the air, as
they could not elevate their guns TO get the
range, on account Of the high banks Of the
river. These tar buckets and nail-kegg" as
the boys called them, caused considerable con.
sternatiOn and noise but dad not iniure many.
II these guns could have been elevated. no
works could have ever been built there
On the afternoon o. Sept. 20 three divisions
sent from Petersburg charged three times up0u
The large fort captured by ug the previous dav.
Tins Tort was OpeH IN the rear. and VIC had not
A4L4S 70 AAihl EebeTElng *. EtIll, ln IL were
three solid lines Of battle, one above the other.
on the bill, and from the effects Of their terri
bic discharges Of muskeiry lone line having
seven EhOotersy they were Fepulsed each time
Win great loss. Talking with q wounded
North LaTDliBiau after the action, lie said
You uns did not seem 10 load your gunsD
Toward night terrible raiagtorm set in.
lasting three Or four days aud nights, aud the
wet and cold caused US a great deal u suffer
ing, as no fires were allowed. and we were
started On this flank movement In liyht march
ing order, with no tents. All We had were
gum blankets and three days' ratious, which
gave out, aud the rise Of the river cut the
pOntoOn bridge ia two. 80 that we were IN
iamished condition. A large c0rndela near
by furnished Us relief We split cautccug a,d
punched holes in them aud made graters on
which we grated the corn aud made meal ont
q which We made musA aud pancakes. Tho
pancakes were fried On the shoyelg we had
used ln digging tho FiGc-pits
During TINS storm the Sanitary Commission
at City Point, hearing Of our situation. sent IN
on tug large maci4Ec for making coffee. AZ
IL came over the hill from the landing All
surmises as 70 what il WAS came from the b0ys'
Ups. Some said il was fre-engine. which II
looked very much like As IL was drawn Lv
horses, and smoke came from IT, others said Il
was the devils flying artillery One, more
consideraie than the rest, said, You'll find
out before you are through with IL that IT,
Christs flying artillery" Sure enough the
boys thought that the latter name was not ont
Of place, as II dispensed a large cup OF hot