The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-01-16
IN A HOT BOX.
Carload of Troops in Great Danger from
Fire

Fire.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Shortly
after the disastrous Guntown expedition,
under Gen. Sturgis, in 1864, the writer had
an experience startling in every way. and
dangerous in the extreme.
We had been loaned to Sturgis-the rest
of the corps A. ]. Smith's Sixteenth) hav-
ing gone to the relief of Gen. Banks, who,
to use an army phrase had "bit off more
than he could chew up Red River. We
had, however, at this time rejoined our COM
mand An expedition was fitted out, and
under our own noble commander, Gen. A. j.
Smith, whom we considered invincible, had
been organized at Memphis.
We had been transported on box and fiat
cars TO La Grange, a town in the interior
some 80 miles, where we camped for few
DAYS while rations and forage came up from
Memphis. The writer, by his exposure on
the retreat from Guntown, drinking swamp
water, being wet to the skin on the long
night and day marches, with no food nor
rest had accumulated more bile and malaria
than his hide could hold, and nature had
begun to throw it off in the shape of boils.
But having never missed an expedition with
my corps, / determined to 20 along. But
while at La Grange our Surgeon positively
forbade me going farther. When the eX-
petition was ready to move, all who were
unfit to march were placed in box cars,
and returned TO Memphis, the writer amongst
the rest.
The car in which ] was placed had doors
on either side, but no end doors. The car
was within three or four of the rear end OF
a long train. There was no caboose, as this
was merely military train, run by an en-
gineer and fireman.
We were running at least 80 miles an
hour, when it was discovered that our car
was on fire, having caught from hot box.
At least 20 cars were between us and the
engine. As the train was over straight
stretch Of track he could not see our dan
ger, neither had we any means of signaling
him.
The speed of the train created draft, and
the fire was raging at the front end of our
car, the smoke pouring in in sitting in
tensity. Many of the poor boys were too
sick to sit up, or in any way to help them
selves. The heat now became unbeatable.
What could we do? Must we be roasted
alive? i tell you minutes seemed like hours.
There were no steps on the outside at the
doors by which one could Chamber onto the
roof As this dawned upon us we despaired
OF attracting the engineers attention.
But the writer did succeed somehow to
scramble to the top of the car, and painfully
moving over the swayiDg cars finally got up
to the engine and attracted the engineers
attention, and told him of the condition OF
the poor comrades in the rear He at once
stopped the train, while he and the fireman
removed the sick as rapidly as possible, I'M
coupled the car, moved the rest of the train
burn. There was no way to put the fire out.
The sick were placed in another car. and
we sped on to Memphis. The writer drop
ped down on top of car, completely over
come with pain and the excitement through
which he had just passed, and there remained
until we arrived AT Memphis.
] hope this may reach the eye Of some
comIade who was present.. w. LACocK,
Sergeant, Co. C, 93d Ind, Warsaw, Ky.