Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-10-29

road Gu The afternoon of October / htlf -
limited amount of rolling stock was al
Aand and several trips had 10 be made
~ ms account 4 p3ft OF our men went
81 one trip ard the rest on the next but
we all got together before dark and AZ
our men hurriedly pitched their tents ana
gathered fGel to boil their coffee with a
orient Of rain falling and mad near ankle,
deep. with i miserable night before them
ard the uncertainties hS To what tonor-
rqW battle would bring our men would
nave GLADLY exchanged their field cnnu
for their more comfortable hunks Il, III.
Eopher holes of Fort Hell even though
mere was Il possibility OF making a bed
fellow OF a bursting mortar Shell before
Inuraing. But the night WORE away ana
with a breakfast OF fried pork hard tack
and hot coffee. we We're ourselves again
ana ready for business Our regiment
was held in Reserve until il was discoy-
cred that the enemy had fallen back
when we were put into the front line with
skirmishers in advance and so moved up
until we neared their second line OF
works. Breaking out Of lhickei into a
narrow clearing the order double quick
was given and we dashed across into the
woods beyond. mid shower Of bullets
the most OF which. however, passed harm
eSsly over our heads This was a heavy
growth of timber with dense under
Srowth AS thick as the hair on a dog,
INTO which we picked our way for fifty
70 sixty yards and Were then ordered to
lie down. We remained in this position
come five or six hours until we were
withdrawn. Here the fire from the en-
my. both artillery and infantry came In
sharp and low and il was only by the
most persistent huggng of the ground
that we escaped the musketry fire on
our left WAS the 10th Pennsylvania In
fantry and the writer here saw three
men in their right company shot through
the head in as many minutes. men who
let their curiosity to know where the
bullets Were coming from get the better
Of their judgment Although we general
y escaped the mines we were not so
originate 5,r,,n in regard p! 70 the bursting
Grover was killed. in Co. d. Privates Ro-
dolphus A. Tufts was killed. John Potter
slightly wounded and Charles a. Jones
taken prisoner: besides another man
%hose face was cut by piece OF Tufts
skull bone thrown by the bursting she'll
ma n Co. F. Privates owen y. Bradford
vas killed: Charles H. Maddocks, NOR
taliy wounded. dying on the 9th of the
month; Amos +. Hardy lost his right arm
IND Corporal Fred \, Chamberlain, Was
,ess seriously wounded. making in all
wounded and one prisoner.
When the regiment marched back TO its
Did place in Fort He'll, we entered tn,
covered way at about three o'clock in
men who then sarrisoned the fort. we lay
down and slept ill daylight when we re-
leVed the troops who had occupied the
place during our absence In being as
Ont regiments occupied different positions
from those they had left and the First
elaine instead of occupying the Tanker on
the right of the Jerusalem Plank road
were assigned to position in the front
Of the fort just TO the left of the big
oomhproof built TO the left OF the road.
while the 99th Pennsylvania was placed
between our left and the extreme left CT
the fort. Along this part of the fort We're
"A large lot OF rough tent poles and spring
beds or rude hunks. made of small poles.
Il l,..f.x
the extreme left of the fort and the bomb
proof was Il little short for the two reg
iments and as the 99th Went IN first when
Jur regiment got into position. our Co f.
tapped by the right company of The 9th
or regiment. and as matter of course
both companies began 10 take possession
OF the poles and hunks. The men tired
with their night marcia had laid down
without shelter in the covered way for a
short nap and dwoke numb and Stiff with
the cold and naturally. under the cir
fact. they We're in just that state of mind
and body when it WAS Il mighty easy
thing to pick 4 quarrel with amy Of them.
Both companies claimed the ground and
tho poles. and both made vigorous pro-
rests against the others meddling with
what each claimed rs lneir own. Words
sfew warm. in short. the air was blue
with oaths, foul names. threats ana
challenges. Fighting words passed back
and forth until as if by common consent
the contest narrowed down to tall
Charles Eaton of Co. E. After a little
spicy talk between the two which would
not bear repeating on these pages the
sergeant aimed heavy blow at Eaton
which he neatly lodged and struck the
sergeant with his shoulder. well down
on his abdomen and running him back a
few nr st steps against bunk tipped him over
with his left hand and commenced to
put in fierce blows with the right See
ing this our Co. f. Irishman. John Fitz-
Il ha l,,11 IA l., H..
muzzle in front of him, exclaimed in
perfect ecstacies, xiii the dun son oil
a gun. but the. ever-present son of the
Emerald Isle. was with the Pennsylva-
aid. The remark seemed to roll his tenn
per for the next instant a heavy back
han across ,4e mouth came near ly
now up on both sides. Fitzgerald recov-
erd his balance. changed hands on the
muzzle OF ms gun. and aimed a swinging
than flash the Pennsylvania freshman
sprung. on MS foe, throwing his arms
about his neck and thus avoided the
he knocked the gun from Fitzgerald's
hands. caught it in the air and struck
an equally fierce blow, but it CHANGED to
filled cartridge box which rested on the |
right hip of our man. BY this time the |
-FOUR combatants were seized and held |
ny tfltlf COinTdueS Until tnelr temDerS |
cooled off, no harm resulting from the |
fierce fight except a black eye for the |
pennsylvania sergeant.
One little incident of this October Cd !
affair and | am done. We had a man in |
our company whom We will call Benton |
for the sake of concealing his identity. |
! presume every company had one of |
tEa same sort. who had a very decided
opinion that the rear was a much safer
pace than the front in time of action. !
On this particular mornngswhen we fell |
time, my captain placed me in the line of |
file closers and with a merry twinkle in |
his eye remarked. Il want you to STAY |
with Benton. today, wherever he stops" I
You may be sure ! kept a sharp eve on |
him. He tried his old game of dodge
while moving. through a dense woods.
but whenever he thought he had got out |
had him yai'ded. got him into his place