The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-23


erts. heroine Of the civil war, writes the
thrilling story especially for the Globe.
ST LOUIS, Jan. 21-In September.
81, and Immediately following the Fort
Donelson battle, which lasted three
days and nights, I secured from the
provost marshal at ST. Louis a gov
eminent pass to go aboard the govern
ment steamboat called the Des Moines,
which was ordered to Donelson to
bring back load of wounded soldiers
who had fought in the DoneIson battle.
They were to be cared for in our gov
eminent hospitals here. got the pass
so that 1 could bring to my fathers
house in st. Louis my brother Charles
II. Reader of Company 1, Second Iowa
infantry, mustered in at Clinton, 10.
He was lying at Fort Donelson wound
ed. 1 was then seventeen years of
age. My name was DeIina Reader.
When the Des Moines was about to
draw in her gangplank to leave for
Fort DonelsOn, a courier on horseback
rode furiously down to the dock and
handed a note to the captain of the
Q. In less than five minutes the
TWenty-siXth Indiana infantry was
coming double quick down the levee
to the boat, 1000 strong, a full, fresh
regiment that had been enlisted only
six days. A few minutes later the
plank was swung in and the boat was
starting for mid stream.
There was no possible way of es-
cape for me, as the plank was full Of
running soldiers from the minute the
courier came until it was swung in.
The cause Of this excitement was that
the Twenty fifth Indiana regiment had
been ordered to reinforce Col. James
A. Mulltgan, who was at Lexington,
Mo, surrounded by $4,000 of Gen. Sterl-
ing Prices men. Col. MulIigan and
soldiers had been several days without
water A fleet OF four boats loaded
with troops left st. Louis together to
go up the Missouri river to rescue Col.
Mulligan. There was not a woman on
the Des Moines but myself Govern
ment boats did not carry chamber
maids during the civil war The Dry
Nate soldiers lay around the floor of
the cabin and lower deck The officers
of the regiment occupied the state
rooms in the gentlemen's cabin, and
the officers of the boat occupied the
rooms of the Texas. The state room
In the ladies' cabin was not allowed
to be used by the government. [ was
told at the time by the surgeon of the
TWenty-sixth Indiana regiment that
three ladies who had carried to their
husbands, who were officers of the
boat, their laundry, were accidentally
taken along on the boats. During the
battle named they all tainted aWay.
and the surgeon told the surgeon Of
the Twenty-siXth that it took him all
his time to bring them to. as they
would hear cries and groans Of the
wounded and the firing and breaking
OF glass on the steamboats,, and would
go right off in another faint, causing
the wounded soldiers to be neglected
on their account.
We We're three weeks making the
trip from st. Louis up the Missouri
river to a point just above Glasgow,
MO, where our battle took place. Our
trip was slow, because at times We
We're, detained for several hours at a
time, anchored in the middle Of the
river, fearing to go ahead as camps
OF guerrillas were seen from the boat
by the aid of field glasses in the hands
of officers At other times bands of
>guerrillas would shell the boat, but all
III IhAf sizes Went IN the river Just
ahead of the boat, or just back of it,
At another time, Capt. George cav
tor, now deceased, was at the wheel.
He was an old lower Mississippi pilot
and Capt. Baldwin stood at one side
and the mate on the other, each with a
pistol leveled at his head. 1 was sitting
on the bunk in the pilot house when a
Shell Whizzed right in front of the pilot
house not two feet away. Capt. Cav
ton turned the bow Of the boat a little
towards the shore in the direction
the shell came from. Capt Baldwin
told Capt. Clayton to order the engineer
to put on full steam and run them out
of there, or he would blow his head off.
Capt: Clayton at once turned the bow
or the boat straight AHEAD and the
BOAT ran faster than I ever saw a boat
so before. There were many exciting
incidents before we reached Glasgow.
The weather was scorching hot and the
Missouri river water was so thick il
could be cut with a knife. Living
around the floor of the gentlemen's
cabin were about forty-siX soldiers.
Ihey We're very sick with a fever and
could not eat soldiers fare I used
70 buy three meals in the morning
three dinners and three suppers. I
paid the steward so cents for each meal.
L would divide the meals into three and
give portion to three of the sick bows.
Then the next meal [ would give to the
following three in line and SO on. Aft
er while the rations for the boats
officers ran short, and the captain of
the boat forbade the steward selling
me any more meals. then divided my
own meal into three and gave it to the
boys. [ had gone four days without
a bite to eat when one of the walters
reported it to the steward and he took
me in the pantry and made me eat
while he watched me for fear 1 would
carry the food out in the cabin to one
of the sick boys.