Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-08-10
A. Surprise Party.

The Sixth Corps, encampeu Deio~
Falmouth, got orders to move April %,
1868. Downing our war paint ana
feathers we started for Frankhns
Crossing at the Rappahannock. Wnen
near there we halted for the nlght' OUT
were allowed no fires. During the even
ing an order was read to us detalhng
the Third Brigade, First DIVISION
Sixth Corps, consisting of the Elgn-
teenth, Thirty-frst and Thirty-secono
New York and Ninety-ifth Pennsyl-
vania. to lead the advance in the pom
toons to surprise the Johnnies.
We had been over the same GROUND
with Burnside the previous December,
and knew the rebs would have Things
well fixed for our reception. However,
the old Sixth never 51inched from the
work assigned it, We determined that
SO far as our brigade was concerned the
surprise party should be success.
At daylight, with bayonets unflxed,
muskets loaded, but not capped, every
thing fastened, to make no noise, we
moved quietly down the river bank in
to the pontoons as they lay in the river.
Fortunately heavy fog concealed our
movements from the rebs. After push
ing off we found the pontoons too close
together to use oars; some went ahead
while others held back until we had
room enough.
The river is rather deep at this point,
and while crossing we did some solid
thinking. We wondered if the john
mics had let the dogs loose and if the
latter were cross; whether they had
left wheelbarrows or stray baby car
riages lying around for us to fall over,
hurt our shins, and cause us to back
slide; whether the refreshments would
be cold. indigestible lead or cold buckle
berry pudding, or If it would be oysters
or saltpeter on the half-shell. Would
it be champagne, Virginia tanglefoot,
or aqua pura with free bath includ-
ed. We feared there might be some
yahoo of battery browsing around to
spoil the program by shipwrecking the
whole outfit-a proceeding not to be
desired, as knapsack and haverSack
are not suitable bathing costume.
Everything was so quiet we thought
the Johnnies were not at home; that
perhaps they had not paid rent and the
landlord had fired them out. AS our
pontoon touched the bank there was a
flash almost in our faces and a volley
went over our heads, the balls striking
some of the boys on the other side of
the river. Gaping our guns and fixing
bayonets we rushed up the bank to in
troduce ourselves and demand an ex-
PLANTATION.
Just then our boys on the other side
opened fire, and we had to tumble down
the bank to avoid being shot by them.
We yelled to stop firing; that this was
our picnic, but they paid no attention
until we sent man over.
Just then chap with an Overcoat on
that looked as if it had done duty as a
scarecrow or been on Burnside's mud
march, and waving a rusty old saber,
scrambled up the bank, saying: "Come
on, boysy' We joined the procession
and soon had possession Of rifiepits
and earthworks. All the Johnnies but
two or three had gone. The chap al
luded to above proved to be Brig. Gen.
D. A. Russell, whom we had never
seen before, as he had taken command
only the night previous. We needed
no further Introduction, but concluded
he was a brick. Our loss was slight,
and our surprise party success; only
some of the boys got good ducking
as they jumped, rolled or tumbled out
Of the pontoons into the water when
the Johnnies fired on us.-J. Shaw, in
National Tribune.