The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1893-07-13
MEMORIES OF FORT FISHER.


Buried Thirty-Six Hours I'm the
Debris When the Fort Blew Up.
The funeral Of Joseph Nelson took place
in Oakland last week, and when the coffin
was lowered into the grave he was buried
for the second time. The first burial was
twenty-seyen years ago, when he was en-
tombed alive at the explosion of Fort
Fisher, when he was buried in the debris
for thirty-six hours before he was found,
and then he was dug out for dead, says the
San Francisco Examiner.
Joseph Nelson was then q lad Of 21,
volunteer in Company Il Of the Sixteenth
New Yark regiment, and attached to Gen.
benjamin t. Buffers division. He was at
the storming of Fort Fisher under Gen.
Ames with fleet under the command Of
Admiral Terry. Fort Fisher was captured,
and when tie Union forces took possession
the fort was blown into the air and the
Union troops with ii. MIR. Nelson was
buried many feet under the ruins, and 1t
was thirty-SiX hours before he was found.
He was paralyzed from the burial and be-
came Il sufferer from sciatte rheumatism
for his entire life from the effects OF the
shock aud exposure. he never recovered,
but was for white able TO perform the
duties of conductor On light run ON
the Southern Pacific railroad.
Mr.. Nelson was not always willing to
tell of his unusual experience OF eelng
buried alive for such length Sf time. he
was very graphic in his account, however,
lit all seemed like a nightmare or the
things one fancies while In q fever. Fort
Fisher seemed to be on top of me, with all
the guns directed ut me. could neither
move nor speak. Slowly ! began 10 grow
cold so cold and numb that began 10
wonder if | were dead. 1t began 1T my
feet and crept up through my limbs ami
up my body until it almost seemed to
clutch ut my heart. ! thought that II was
death itself, but could hear noise. 1t was
only too plainly that l was still aliye-the
cries of the dying and wounded from the
battle and the explosion.
''rhey were over me and around me-
cries that made my already chilled body
colder l could hear them everywhere,
1t seemed to me, the cries Of those in
greater pain than I, for they We're wounded
and mangled, while Il was only cold.
II was buried up to my shoulders in the
heavy sand of the breastWorks, but my
head was free. Over it some timberS and
and they had formed a roof over my head.
This ! did not know Mt the time, ! could
only feel the terrible cold that beRumbed
me- for the pressure res Of the sand around ny
and left me without feeling,
Il could not move; my arms were buried
IN the sand ana l was . absolutely Rini9ned,
there came a great pain In my head, It
seemed as if it would burst; and still
was helpless. l hardly knew whether
could hear the cries of the wounded; but
that was all | knew save that l could not
move and that | was cold.
The fort blew up at ] O'Clock in the
morning. and 1t was the following day be-
fore | was found and dug out, and all that
time 1 was conscious but helpless"
When MIR. Nelson was found he was
taken to the hospital at Wilmington, n, G.,
but he never fully recovered from the in,
jury to his spine, and during the greater
part of his life walked on crutches.