The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1896-08-15
The Effect of Impure Water Upon
the Army.

The Efect OF Impure Water Upon
the Army.
\ few days after the surrender Of
/ NiCksburg our regiment with others re-
| ceived orders to proceed to Port Hud-
/ son, then in a state of siege, under com
mand of Gen. Banks, but just as we got
started a despatch boat arrived with
! the information that that stronghold
also had fallen into our hands, which
! opened up the Mississippi from its source
! to the Gulf Our orders were then
changed to proceed up the Gazov river +
! to YazoO City, and thence to the Big .
I Black river, the object being to intercept I
! Confederate General JOhnstOn's re t
! treat from the rear of Nicksburg to |
jackson, Miss. OF late | have seen adj !
vertsements trying to induce northern |
people to emigrate to the Gazoo country, |
! but if they will take my advice they |
will meyer attempt it or think of it for a
moment The country on either side
of the stream is an immense swamp in
which grows large cypress trees with Il
hangs the southern moss used SO extern
sively by upnolsterers, so dense as to
almost exclude the sun. The name Va
zoo means poison, and poison | should
say, as the water is fairly black with de-
cayed vegetation. After roundlnga bend
in the stream the town Of GazOO City
came in view. Lying near by were two
steamers flying the Confederate flag
and which we found nailed to their
masts, and i'll the town a few COnfede-
rate troops could be seen. But these
were soon gathered inn without seri-
Gus loss, and putting ourselves in light
marching order we started on a forced
march toward the Big Black river The
country through which we passed was
rich in all kinds of vegetables and fruits
adapted to that cline. The weather
was exceedingly hot and though con-
tinually being warned against drinking
the water except when boiled or eating
vegetables to excess, yet the men
4. seemed almost willing to give their lives
for water and vegetables they having
been 50 long dieted upon saltmeats,
coffee and crackers. The temptation
was too strong and eat and drink they
did, but the results were fearful in Il
very a short time. We reached the Big
Black river in time to see a few Of john
ston's men taking their pontoOns from
the water, on which the army had Just
crossed. As it would be useless to fol-
low farther we about faced and returned
to our boats and thence to Nicksburg.
AS a trophy of our trip taking with us
about 800 prisoners, and having des-
troycd two steamers and large amount
of Confederate supplies. On reaching
NiCksburg we found orders awaiting Us
to proceed to Port Hudson, and after
taking on our camp equjpage and the
sick left behind our 1aZoo cXpedI-
ton started again. a large number Of
men were taken sick on the trip and by
the time we reached Port Hudson our
steamer was as a hospital with hardly
we'll man, and when landing We had
; to ask aid to bury our dead and care for
the Lying. 4 comrade and myself with
an armtul of hay and two blankets, had
occupied place in the coal bunk
ers of the steamer, and there
burnt with fever during the trip. On
our steamer landing a call was made for
> guards and my companion answered to
his name without excuse and without
a mouthful to eat, but it proved his
e last duty, for in few days he WAS rolled
s in blanket and laid away to await the
e judgment day. The condition of our
i regiment became serious. Gen. Grant
q sent several surgeons TO our aid and
4 the great-hearted Governor Gennis of
Iowa sent a commission of surgeons and
t sanitary supplies. But all seemed to
no purpose. Most of the men remained
s on the steamer rolled in their blankets
4 on the uncovered decks, and each morn
G ing the dead were taken from among
0 the living by detail and negroes dug
their graves. Our regiment about two
months previous arrived from Nicks-
: burg with S54 men, and on the sixth of
e August there were but seven men re-
a ported for duty, and the writer was one
+ of them. who was far from being well.
|
e by Gen. Grant near New Orleans. we
: mustered thirty-six men. Other regi-
l., ments suffered but probably none as
d severely as ours. The official reports of
our surgeons, on file at Washington at
e the close of the war, state that not a
= member OF our regiment returned home
: at the close of the war a well man. Dis
/ ease was often more deadly foe than
bullets, as is the case with the Spanish
: troops now in Cuba. Our loss was
g about j57 men
About the first Of September, 1868. we
were moved to Carrolton, La, and
many of our number placed in hospitals
and a pleasant camp established in
grove OF live oak trees for those partially
l able to help themselves, and here all that
medical skill could do was done for us.
One day Il large man rode up to head
quarters and asked for the commanding
officer. lie was dressed in a citizens
, suit and unattended and with nothing
! to indicate that he was an attache of the
army. On my informing him that there
was no commanding officer in camp he
SAID to me: :" understand that this
regiment IS suffering severely from di-
sease.' l told him it was So then he
asked me if | would show him about
the camp a. he wished to talk with the
men. l took him from tent to tentaud
took him TO the hospital near bv. At
each tent or cot he would set down and
ask the men how fhay- FoI+ o,,4 no =.