The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-12-09
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
4 TIMELY SPRINT.
How Two Yankees Legs Carried Their
Owners to q Safe Place.


How Two Yankees Legs Carried Thei,
Owners to q Safe Place.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE In your
issue of Nov. 20 l saw an article from
Comlade Thomas P. Allen on Gainess Mill.
He was formerly . member of Co. ID, l4th
u s. Well, when / saw one Of the old 14th
had written on that subject could feel my
memory jog Ia cogs second.
Our regiment, not a large one. as only our
1st battalion was then in existence lost
heavily 24S-on that 9th day of June,
1862, between q. m. and dark. Early that
morning we were ordered to fall in, and be
expeditions about it. We were at Camp
Lowell about nine miles from Richmond.
We all soon mounted, and moved out toward
Gaines's Mill, some two or three miles dis
tant. We were none too soon, for the JOhnnes
were not far behind.
We passed through neck of low, swampy
land near Gaines's Mill, and formed line in
rise of ground in a cleared, sandy field.
The swamp and timber land below us,
where we had just come through, was In a
semi-circular FORM and came up well to our
right and farther away to our left.
The old 5th N. Y Zouaves were formed on
our left. They were good ones too. AT this
time there were no troops on our right In
touch with us.
We had Just formed line and been ordered
to lie down, when we could see through the
road we had passed the swamp on, battery
of rebs coming on keen run to a rise OF
ground on the other side Of the swamp.
In a moment they had unlimbered, shot
came over our heads and the battle OF
Gaines's Mill had opened. Their range was
too high, and about the second shot found
log cabin about 10 rods in our rear where
lot of darkies and others had congregated to
be out of the way of the shooting. Well,
have to laugh yet, at the way those fellows
tumbled over themselves in trying to get out
and away to more congenial cline.
About this time "Old Paddy Col. ].
ID. O'Connell-called us to attention, and
said he wanted two men to volunteer for a
scout into the swamp in our front, and ind
out the enemy's position, and where first to
EXPECT an attack.
Serg't Patrick Kerens, Co. A, at once step
ped to the front 1t was a dangerous piece
Of business, and all knew it; no one else
made move.
and called ont: "COme out here, Morris
YER good shot. Come out here!"
OF course, when called out before the whole
TcIlIUtIO Ni.5 tio oD ~ Aoh s'if ''' "'~SJ
and took my place at Pats side. We then
got our instructions, and took the timber on
our right and worked our way down to the
front and came out near the swamp
We saw large oak out in the clearing,
about II rods from the timber, and on little
higher ground than we were We made our
wav to the tree, and could see the rebel
skirmish-line just coming out of the woods
on the left and in front of the 5th y. Y.
One fellow had on large white hat. Pat at
once drew his gun on him and then took 1t
down and said:
"Morris. you try him; you are better
shot than l." MRS
"All right, Pat; I'll fix him." I said, and,
resting my left hand against a tree, sighted
for the hat Just as | was going to pull the
trigger, ping! cape something into the tree
near me. / did not yet know the kind OF
music the mimic made. so | sighted again.
Just then l saw Pat jump and yell like a
bog trotter:
run for your life, Morris RUM"
| / took one look and yelled:
| "Go it, Pat; I'm after you !"
| The swamp near us was full of Johnnies,
who didn't intend / should impair the use
| fulness of that old white hat, and sent in a
lively remonstrance. Pat and / ran for the
| timber we had come out Of about II rods
away.
| never saw O. man run so well as Pat did.
! He was the finest-built soldier / think ever
saw, and bad served in the English army be-
| fore he came our way. As he ran his body
was as straight as if on parade.
The ground around US seemed alive with
| lead. As we neared the timber we saw log
and-pole fence. Pat yelled to me: " Don't
stop to climb Morris or YER dead man. y
| We got over the fence, but certainly never
had any idea how. We did not go under
| it and we did not climb it.
Just then Co. A came up to US on the
! skirmish line We told them not to step into
that clearing or they wouldn't live a minute.
Two men stepped out, and in a moment went
down But as | can almost hear the Editor
grit his teeth at the length Of this article, and
know that long manuscript and the waste
! basket are apt to be near OF kin, | fear shall
! have to choke off till another time. But land
salles alive! l had only just got started, and
would like to go on indefinitely.
/ think all the old 14th will remember me,
as was, think, the youngest and smallest
| Sergeant in the regiment from '6l-'65, and
| was ID years and six weeks old in August,
1861 when l enlisted at Oswego City, n. Y.
NJ REED, Sergeant, Co. A, LIST battalion
11fI IT SaUmour WIS