The National tribune., 1896-07-02

| corner Of our gun platform, throwing the
splinters all over the gun and crew and myself,
| but doing no material damage From this
time SO long as we were within range of the
battery we heard music. The shells crashed
through the open barricades and went
crashing through the cabin, ranging aft and
passing through the thin cabin partitions as
though they were egg-shells. The chandeliers
and glass in the skyighis jinged. The rear
of our three pieces of artillery and those on
the ram close behind, together with the
quickly-repeated yolleys of musketry, were
deaiening.
As soon as we were out of range of the
rebel guns / walked aft. A little way from
! where / bad been standing lay a gallant
Irishman belonging to one of the compa-
mics. While firing through loophole in the
barricade shell struck his left shoulder,
which was advanced, took off his lower Jaw
and tore through his right shoulder He
was dead. Just beyond him lay Corp'l
Joseph Field, one Of my own best men, He
had been firing with his left side against the
barricade, when shell struck him in the
abdomen, cutting away the outer covering
and letting his bowels and liver out upon
| the deck
When i came to him, be was supporting
his head on his hand, and his Mortified COM
rades were about hum. i stopped down and
took his head in my hands, and turning his
eyes upon my face, with look that has
never been forgotten, he said:
Captain, can anything be done for me ?n
replied: No, Field, you will be dead
IN few minutes. Have you any message
for your friends?"
Tell them j die willingly for my coun-
try" said be. We lifted him and laid him
upon mattress, and he was dead.
Passing through the nidship gangway of
the cabin to the larboard side, found
man from one of the other companies whose
right arm shell had taken off close to the
shoulder. He lay with his head toward me,
on the table, and as / approached he reached
back his left hand to me, saying:
Captain, was doing my duty when this
was done"
Upon the hurricane deck on the Iarboard
side we found James Mason. shell had
passed through his chest, tearing out his
| heart in its passage, and throwing it clear
across the hurricane deck of the boat we
were conveying past the battery. Mason had
especially endeared himself to his Captain
and his comrades by his unselfish and I'M
"earyiDg services in sickness. A quarter
Of a century has passed, but tears blind my
eyes as | write Of these brave men.
Such was the fight at Columbia Bend,
short but sharp. When we passed up 10
guns only were bearing on us. the battery
having been divided and part of the guns
being in the bend below. But when we re-
turned the whole battery of 20 guns played
upon us.
During the engagement my entire COM
mand was Conspicuous for gallantry.n
Brave Lieut. Guildemeister since dead. was
never cooler or more effective. Capt. Ha-
vehs-well, who ever expected anything of
him but bulldog bravery? And my Sail
ing master, Thomas Drillette stood through
it all upon the hurricane deck watching
and ready for any emergency, and Pilot
Ely proved himself a brck.n
Maj. Higgins, our chief sutler, informed
me that after the close of the war, in one of
his trips TO Vicksburg, he met the officer who
commanded the rebel battery at Columbia
Bend, and talked with him. He confessed
that our fire did terrible execution among
them. This rebel officer, Maj Higgins
said, sent his respects TO me, and spoke of
the double running of the battery as a piece
Of impudence unparalleled in his experience.
L ID. NEWELL, Captain, Co. A, NJ. NJ. b.