The Portland daily press., 1894-12-15
BOSWORTH POST PAPERS.
Up the Red River and Back Again.
COMRADE MOTLEY'S EXPERIENCE
In THE BOTH MAINE.

How the Merrimac Slid off the Coral Reef
The Long March Through the Woods
for Shreveport-The Fightiag In the
Wilderness-The Bullet and Beefsteak
Hen-The Glorious Chargt Under Gen.
Francis Fessenden.
At a recent meeting of Bosworth Post.
Mr.. Fred A. Motley related his experiences
in the Red River campaign.
AT the age of l6 years, he enlisted in Port
land on the Goth. of December, 1868, in Com
pany D, of the 3Oth Maine. He enlisted as
bugler in order to get rid of guard uuty
at Augusta during the winter. A bugle
was given to hiIn at Augusta but in trying
to fill it he found that hiss musical eduoa-
ton had been neglected and he was given
furlough and came home to Portland.
In February the next spring. the 50th
Maine left Portland on the steamer Merri-
mac for New Orleans. They sailed out Of
the harbor on Monday morning and re-
ceived a salute from Fort Gorges the first
discharge of guns from that fertilization.
There was no incident on the voyage, ex-
cept the seasickness of the country soldiers,
until while doubling Florida Capes, about
50 miles off Key West, the pilot run the YES
sell aground on coral reef. The sea was
perfectly calm but the countrmen expected
20 drown Immediately, many of them bring
ing forth the pictures of their wives and
sweethearts and kissing them last good
by.
A novel method was employed to force
the vessel from the reef. There were 1000
men Oh the steamer AS many as possible,
at least 500 men, went forward
AND THEN RUSHED AFT.
This was repeated several times and the
moving weight of this great body of men
lifted the bow from the reef and the steam
er slid off. They reached New Orleans at
ter eight days from Portland.
They remained in that city a day. 1t
was of course inrested by the Federal
troops. Mr.. MoLley's most vivid recollec-
tion of the city is that of the double decked
horse-cars. With others of his company, he
was on top of car and at corner, the
car tipped over and they were all spilled
in to the street.
They were transported to BraZier City
on fiat cars in heavy snow-storm, not a
Maine northeastern, but as the old darkey
says, 1.-THE angels were shaking out their
feather BEDS
They arrived at Teche at midnight and
the next day took a fiat boat up the bayou
for franklin and there joined the Third
Brigade, of the First Division of the 18th,
Army Corps. In marching to take their
place in the line OF brigade the older regi-
ments greeted them and the regiment of
Zouaves, with their red boomers were es-
pecially conspicuous. The Both Maine was
supposed to be made up of recruits and was
christened the 'ginger-bread - regiment,
but most of them were veterans, who had
ser we'd in the Army of the Potomac.
That night the regiment of Zouaves at
tempted to clean them ont, as Freshmen
are raided al college by pulling down their
| tents etc, but the new regiment turned out
| in force and proved too much for their as
| sailants. tearing their red boomers from them
| so that they were obliged to be provided
| with new petticoats and a large amount of
| court plaster"
| The army arrived at Alexandria on March
| 25th, having marched 1870 miles in ten days
| It left there March 28th under command of
GepeI al Banks, and started On the famous
Red River expedition, the objective point
being Shreveport, near the Texas line,
where was stored large quantity of Con-
federate supplies.
But Shreveport never was reached. They
marched but SIS miles through wilderness
of forest and swamp. and over road that
was simply a narrow defile. The only thing
that Mr.. Motley saw that WAS suggestive
of America on that march was in tie little
hamlet of Apprehension something like
that J In the largest house in the place
woman stood in the door with a tiny Federal
flag pinned to her dres3. He always thoua hit
it was not pa triotism but trick to save
her property. At all events she received
such tremendous ovation OF cheers. as
was never heard in the place before or will
be again.
The cavalry took the advance with the
18th corps, next and then twelve miles of
wagons and ambulances. The 10Th corps
came next and then behind were more wag-
ons and the 10th corps, that completed the
army.
On March 18th the cavalry, when So miles
from Alexandria, became engaged with
| the enemy, under Dick Taylor and Kirby
Smith. The 18th corps sustained them, but
| abe 10th corps. Tin which was Mr.. Motley
were just going into camp eight miles in
the rear.
They received orders to adavnce to the
FRONT AT A DOUBLE-QUlCK.
| The narrow road was choked with the miles
| of wagons They were forced 10 pick their
| way on each side through the thick woods.
| Finally they met the 18th corps in utter
| rout, and they formed a line of battle, at
| Pleasant Grove about three miles to the
| rear of Sabine cross-road, where the 18th
| corps first encountered the enemy. They
| held the enemy in check till p. M, and
| then fell back to Pleasant Hill ABOUT Il
| miles.
They had to abandon their wagon train.
| which was a total loss, their stores being
| burned, while their havensacks were empty.
At Pleasant Hill the second stand was
| mode The 30th Maine was on the extreme
left and in the only open space in the will
aerness. The battle opened about 4 p. m
/ rbev we're enveloped in that open space
Inv two brigades of Arkansaw troops under
General Churchill.
"you have all heard of the bloody angle
=, Gettysburg," said Mr.. Motley land other
summer resorts of the Army of the Poto-