The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-03-15
A TERRIBLE NIGHT.
Yet Many Boy in Blue win Recall Similar
Experience.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: 1t was in
the Summer of 1868 that the army of Gen
Banks had settled down to it's grim, long
siege before the walls of Port Hudson, that
occurred the trying nights experience which
l will here relate.
l was a private in Co G, 4th Mass, and
was detailed for sentry duty. The manner
of holding guard over the trenches of Port
Hudson was perilous in the extreme. The
soldier so posted must lie fiat above the
trench, his little bundle of twigs piled cross
wise before him as his only defense. In the
trench below piled all night the negroes al
the work Of extending the trench. When 8
sortie was made the sentry must discharge
his musket, tumble quickly into the trench
and with the negroes retreat, while the outer
line got under arms.
With the Corporal of the Guard, had
seen each sentinel placed, and now away al
the right of the line had come to my place
of duty. The soldier l was to relieve was
above us, with his heels just beyond reach
But we knew the point, and in a whisper
the Corporal said:
This is the place. Climb up and relieve
your man."
All conversation had to be in whispers.
Only the ominous boom of the cannon OF
sharp attendant crack of the rifle that fol-
lowed broke upon the night.
knew what that whispered order of the
Corporal meant. We were neighbors at
home, and / knew that Chris would never
put me in the perilous position alone if he
could help it; for ] was but II the Autumn
before at my enlistment, but seeing men fall
around me in battle and dying in hospital
had made me older than my years, and to
know a soldiers first duty was to obey.
/ climbed out of the trench into the dark
night l crawled up to the side of the watch
ing sentinel. / placed my hand upon him,
shook, and whispered him to go back into
the trench, but there was no movement.
Again 1 tried to rouse the watcher, but to no
purpose. | placed his hands in mine; they
were cold The soldier guarding before
Port Hudson was dead.
The Corporal had followed me, and with
his aid / rolled the dead soldier from his
place behind his little bundle of twigs that
to him had proved so faithess. The Cor
poral grasped my hand, and 1 was then
alone.
Beside me was the dead man. He and
the stars were now my company. To the
impress he had made in the soft earth
crawled. Slowly the hours hung upon the
night. The occasional blaze of cannon, it's
boom and shrieking shell above my head
were answered by our own returning fire.
The distant guns of Farragut, too, gave their
voices. Home and its thousand remem-
ORANGES thronged upon mel
But the stern reality the ping of rife
ball close to my head or its Judgment in my
barricade, made awful the night. l could
hear the voices in the fort. 1t seemed near
eternity to hear the words Of those who
would send me there.
AS the night wore on, deeper darkness
sank upon all, and soon a drilling rain, fol-
lowed by a severe tempest, broke furi0usly
upon the scene. My spot of oozy earth was
now filled with water, but ] could not turn.
In an hour the stars were again out, and
once more the firing began. How longed
for the gray of the morning, for that was to
be the time for my relief.
At last the stars began to pale. ] heard a
whispered voice below. 1t was the Corporal
who had placed me. He crawled up beside
me and whispered:
" Are you alive?"
] extended my hand; that was all.
We then both tumbled into the trench.
When we did so he laid his head upon my
shoulder and sobbed
My lad, l never thought to see you again
alive. | did not want to put you there last
night, but you know / could not help it."-
c. J. HERMANN, Co. G, 4th Mass, Mattapan,
Mass.