New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-23

were under the fire of the enemy.
Alter various arduous services and many hard
SHIPS we found ourselves in South Carolina
karly In 1864 General Gilmore resolved to send
an expedition into Florida to stir up the enemy
there. lie did not. however, contemplate bring
ing on general engagement, for he hastily fol-
charged the commanding officer to avoid doing
40. For the purpose OF the invasion all the
and black. were concentrated at Hilton Head and
placed under the command of Genera! Seymour
On February marching orders were issued to
we entire command to carry SIX days ratlons
three OF them in haversacks, all tents, camp
equpagcs and baggage TO be left behind This
looked like active service and long marches
Late in the afternoon of the 9Th the entire divis-
ion, 1000 men, embarked on thirty-ivc steamers;
and transports and sailed for jacksonville The
next afternoon Just as the sun was sinking ont OF
sight. bathing the deep blue sky in blaze of glory,
the fleet suddenly appeared before the city. The
Inhabitants were surprised. The vessels we're gay
with National bunting, decks crowded with sol
diers and bands all playing. The first mate of
the steamer General Hunter and a colored soldier
of the 18th Massachusetts were shot, but without
other violence we took peaccable possession Of
the city.
Camp. Finnegan, ten miles distant. the largest
in the State, was charged and captured at md
night, the garrison fleeing 10 the swamps. Bald
win was taken on the 9th and Sandorson on the
18th. We were kept busy day and night making
| raids The long and tedious marches in various
directions through swamps and the tCrding OF
rivers continued until were pretty well en-
hausted. Garrisons were left at all of the places
| men.
CARNAGE AT OLCSTEE.
On the morning Of the Goth, very much fatigued
| by our hard marches, and after eating light
breakfast without coffee, we moved forward rap
| idly to point near Olustc, about eighteen miles
distant. The boys seemed in good spirits. The
woods and swamps bore an innocent and peace
full look. and danger seemed far away. All at
the report of single gun sharp and startling,
heard in our front. The order 10 halt was
abruptly given Why stop for single gun
Why not march ,h an the raT9ad
| scene. In open space OF ground on the edge
of piece of woods in orr immediate front was
| a long and heavy skrmish line of the enemy. An
equal number OF the boys in blue were advanc-
| ing TO drive them back. After "A stubborn fight
the enemy disappeared into tie woods In that
wood lay concealed in ambuscade an army Of lG,
| 900 men drawn hurriodly from Georgia, North
and South Carolina and Florida. The ,treetops
We're swarmns with Expert remen VINO poc"pn
| our first great baptism of blood.
Our batteries OF artillery went laundering past
and disappeared in the woods. We heard them
| fire once or twice then there was sharp rattle
| of musketrv for a few moments, and all WIS as
still as desth-painfully. oppressively silent. The
batteries were annihilated the horses were all
| shot and piled up in heaps and the officers and
men were nearly all killed and wounded.
The infpntry were now ordered forward ut a
double quick in great haste. Our regiment num-
| bored 57s all told. officers and men, and was
under the command of Colonel Summons. who
t tSoe up desperately sap Wounded 81 this
Der. during the next three hours more than than
Were ss Tine
for us to attack Nevertheless, We almost won. yer
lost the battle The valOr Of DO 5000 men on
a reinforcement Of 5000, or even 1000. men
| equally brave TO come 10 our support at sun
down! Then We might have won.
Our two file leaders and the tallest men in
|
taii perhaps they might both have been alive
se sass . Gn:Ff i r' long s'Has s%s the
| FIRST one to die, shot through the head as we
were charging upon the foe 1t seemed cruel
had fled His father, the village blacksmith,
waiting in his declining years for his sons
return. would never again sce the arm of his
| Philip Link was an old, white-haired man; he
was destined never to go hack 10 run We
line Of battle, raeman in treeetop iixed III. his
gaze on the old man. ard raising his rife, Tired.
Uncle Philip turned black in the face thrrT
their the bones beached under the southern sky,
George d. Cole shot through both thig ms, the
die But he fought, of the buzzards. and az
ter lying on the field for three, days and spend
| ing one month at AndersonVlie, he sui lives
and shovels coal. o,,
Our company was the color company and
guarded the flags The flags were beautiful ONES ,,c
and had been presented to the regiment by The
ladies at home at a cost OF more, than $1,000
We had promised never 10 auow them TO he cap,
tured by the enemy. The force in our front urea
hard to destroy the color guard and cut down the
flags. Their rifemen took deadly aim and moved
down our men fearfuly Solid rank; charged,
our own company. and Peter j. Keck, Of COMPANY
| Il, who held aloft the flags, ever escaped death
God himself only knows; they ascrlbe their prr-cf
walton 10 the protection and mercy OF COD.
| Drawer men never lived. Tie rebels shook the
Stars and Bars at us. Kcck and Fellows waved
our flags in defiance. Then came an awful con
centrated leaden hail Of death. Oscar j.. Acklry
was killed. James Wieon, another boy only
seventeen the life OF the company, the son OF a
widowed mother having fired his own sA'y ro trns
Of ammunition away, secured fresh supply from
O dead comrades cartridge box: lrvrillhg ms
gun for the sixty first time. and seeing aeh ,e
mass OF the enemy moving upon us, he SUI ~
Sergeant Gould in his usual pleasant way, W men
way shall aim this time, Az lie took soou
aim, but never fired for he fen among the siam
and one Of the bright lights Of our camphfe ana
weary marches had gone out forever. 49,. l..
Richard Francis had been an old sailor but he
must die and he fell dead at my feet with grea'
gaping wound, his blood aud brains pouring ont.
In imagination | sce the dreadful scene now as
vividly as | did twenty-seven years ago.
Charlie De Graf was one OF our nearest neisi-
bors at home A bullet struck him IN the ics'
After the battle he walked a little way anu ,hcn
lay down i'll the woods, saving that he coulG 20
no farther. begged of him to make an enoii
or he would never home again, but he ssld
he was more comfortable where lie was, so he re-
manned. They took him to Andersonvllle where
Inc died, starved to death, August Is, lso4
| Three more of the boys badly wounded died
James II. lettings at Andersonville. Andrew
Stewart at Tallahassee and William Taylor on
the way to prison ,, co.u,.,
BILLY Smith the jolly, sood-natured German
left tie Fatlicrand in order to escape military
service there; but he PIT on the blue. and we
lost him at Olustee. Billy never knew what
killed him Paul Englehart a young German
Eoman catholic. crossed himself and prayed
audibjy every time he fired his gum, and he rs,
capped without a scratch. Among the WOUNDED
were Stone, Wing, Sampson, PhenlX drummer drummer
Cudney, Connolly, Carr. Nanppeh' bruh'"i'"
Nieht came at last. putting an end to the
Of w"und After firing away all Of the ammuni