The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-07-10

LIE sIeerlD8-WDeeI was battered lQIO
match Der, and all the apparatus for
controlling the vessel was utterly de-
stroyed. Everything was in chaos inside
OF our shattered citadel, but the Commo-
dore, sorely wounded though he was, had
suhlclent presence of mind to order the
steam shut Off as the vessel was still
moving toward the fort without pilot
or rudder, and the fort was playing
upon her with terrible effect. What
saved us all from death or capture was
the fact that we were fighting upstream
and when disabled we soon drtted out OF
range. Had we been fighting down
stream we should have drItted into the
fort under an awful fire to inevitable de-
structlon. The other vessels of the fleet
were all badly damaged, but none so
badly as the st. Louis. Tie Commodore
lost neither courage nor temper on ac
count of his wound. l summoned the
surgeon to his aid, but he would receive
no assistance until the others had been
served. We carried him down the lad
der and along the gun deck to his cabin;
but ne was cool, watchtul, courageous
and observant, ana did not retire until
ne knew that his injured vessel was
safely moored to the shore beyond the
reach Of the Confederate guns. God )
Will be done, if it's only temporary set
back said he, as we lad him on his
cabin lounge.
And so ended the gunbOat battle of
Fort DonelsOn after an hour and a half of
terrible cannonading, with a loss OF %
per cent. of those engaged in it on the
mon side. At the wardrOom mess
table on the St. Louis. of which / had
been courteOusly made guest-consst-
ing OF the commissioned officers below
the rank OF captain-there were ten for
breakfast on the morning of the 18th and
only SIX for supper that night. The tight
received little attention at the time be-
cause it was overshadoWed by General
Grants victory and Buckner's surrender
two days later. But if | had a chance to
choose for a future experience between
two hours on the hottest battlefield Of
the war and ten minutes i'll that pilot
house L would pick the battlefield for
comfort.
l saw General Grant under fire several
umes during the Nlcksburg campaign,
but only once when he was the supreme
commander of the day. one of the good
traits OF Grants character Was his scru-
pulous regard Tor the rights and feelings
OF MS suDordlnates, and hence on bat
tie field he often cOntented himself with
the position of adviser, without assum-
ing that OF director, to which his rank
entitled him. When the battle involved
only subdivision of his army, he left
everything to one Of his corps command
ers, and only when all his corps COM
manders-Ot whom there were three at
NlcksDurg-Were engaged did he take
full control. Thus in his Memoirs he
speaks of being with Sherman at a
certain battle on one day. with McPher-
son" at another battle on another day,
and so on; but when il comes to an en-
gagement in which all his troops partici-
paLed he makes it plain that everything
was under bis personal control and di-
rectlOn. The two assaults on the Con-
1ederate works at Nicksburg were two
occasions of this kind. The second of
these assaults took place on the 22d of
May, when the whole army, with scaling
ladders, forlOrn hopes and all the in
gradients of the terri BILE thunder of battle
made desperate but unsuccessful effort
to capture the Confederate STRONGHOLD
AS the bearer OF an unimpOrtaut mes
sage from a division commander. | had
an opportunity OF seeing the great soldier
IN one OF the most eVenJtul hours of his
eventful life. l had been told to look tor
him somewhere near the center. and
well to the 'front.'" and | found him very
well to the front, and almost exactly in
the center OF line extending from the
\ azoo River on the right to the southern
limits OF Nlcksburg on the left. He was
the least milItary-lOoking membe of a
small group, consisting, in addition to
himself, of staff officers and orderlies-
six or eight in all. He wore a soft hat
surrounded by a cord, on which there
were traces OF gold thread, and a blouse
without shoulder-straps-a garment of
Which second lieutenant would not
have felt proud. But while careless of
his own garments he had initiated Cali
gula by comforting rank upon his horse.
whose saddle cloth bore the glitterinr
double stars of a Major General. Only
he tOff Loo
drawn up, and seemed TO be twisted
round the pomnel OF the saddle. In his
left hand the General held a pine stick,
Which he was whiting with big knite
in the right. In his mouth was
a big cigar, which he was smoking vio-
Iently. / delivered my message, to which
an approving nod was all the answer re-
CURED or given. The General continued
TO white and smoke without betraying
the slightest emotion.
1t was about noon and the battle had
been raging since 10 o'clock-eVery man
OF the whole army engaged. The staff
officers and orderlies in the group
around the General were discussing the
situation in all forms and degrees Of agi-
tation, but the General said nothing I'M
less asked a question, and then said very
little. He was watching with his ears
rather than with his eyes, because the
range of vision was short owing to the
trees and the Notifications. He listened
to the firing as the noise advanced or re-
coded, and told him that his troops were
gaining or losing ground. Suddenly a
shell from Confederate battery DIowed
into the ground near where our marty
stood. The General, without moving a
except of his legs, Strengthened
himself up III his saddle, and in tone of
voice not stronger than he would use to
call Tor glass OF water, said to one of his
staff officers, THAT battery ought to have
been slenced an hour ago See why il
has not been silenced." The staff officer
went oil on gallop, and the General re-
newed the attack on his pine stick, which
had by this time been whitfield to the di-
Of lead pencil. l mustered
courage enough to approach him and ask
how the battle was going. lie answered
In very pleasant voice that be thought
everything looked we'll, but that there
was a great deal to be done vet before
Y icksburg was taken. What he meant
was that there was much heavy fighting
over the trenches and earthworls ana
against almost impeuetrable mud forts.
between where the army then was and
the actual possession OF the stronghold
am satisfied now that when the GEN
erM answered my question he had made
up his mind that the assault was a failure
and that Nicksburg could not be taken in
that way, but there was nothing in his
manner or voice to indicate he had
reached such "a conclusion. There prob
ably would not have been the slightest
noticeable change in his manner or voice
if, instead OF defeat. he had been assured
OF victory. His imperturbable se.I-pos-
session could not have been wrested from
him by any change OF fate or fortune. If
his army had been annihilated he might
have smoked two cigars al time instead
of one, but that is as far as his emotions
would have carried him, at least in their
outward manifestation. | started back