The National tribune., 1899-10-12
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What the Veterans Have TO Say
About Their Campaigns.
A FEW REcOLLECTIONS.
The Fate of a Blackberry Sauce and the
Capture Of Star Fort.

| EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: l want
to give short account of how, while was
in the 18th Wis, l lost my blackberry pre-
serves.
We marched all one day and camped at
night without finding the enemy. We were
called at the break OF day to build tempor-
ary breastworks of rails or anything handy,
for We did not know how near the enemy
completing this work, and while waiting for
further orders some of our boys OF COBB
, went out and found q blackberry patch and
picked quite lot of berries.
When they came in with their three-quart
pail, proposed to stew the berries, find the
sugar, and divide them between us. mad
just finished boiling them and putting the
lsugar in, when the command came to fall
in. | did not want to throw them away,
although boiling hot, so hitched the pail
to my belt, as there was a cover tolt. Ihen
we were ordered out as skirmishers in front
of the regiment, and deployed in the woods.
AS long as we weren't obliged to double
Iquick my blackberry sauce was all rlgnt.
We came up to a rail fence and mounted IT.,
and here is where misfortune came to my
berries. The rebel picket line opened fire
on us, and as jumped over the lid fell OH
for it. We We're ordered on the double
quick, and lost all my blackberry sauce.
We were going down the hill, and when
about halfway down we We're ordered to
halt and lie down. Right on the other side
of the ravine the rebel pickets opened fire.
They were behind trees, stumpS and rocks,
so we could not see them, and we were a fine
target. In that position 1 thought of my
blackberry sauce. found there was about
a teacupful left in the pail. l ate it. 10
the right of me was soldier named Jack
Kivel. He saw nice bush of blackberries,
and so we went to eating them. The rebel
sharpshooters hit him, and he was carried
to the rear Lnever saw him after that, but
l understood he recovered.
BY that time the main army came up and
we were ordered to make a charge on the
rebel works. But when we got up to the
works the rebels We're gone, and had lefl
their breakfast smoking.
We formed in line in the woods, and as
skrmishers Co. B and Co. A deployed III
front of the army. We advanced as skir,
misherS until we came in sight OF the rebel
works again. They opened fire upon us
from rifie-pits. Then the command came
to charge, and down the hill We went, the
whole army in line of battle, until we came
to the Nickajack, and there we were obliged
to stop, while the rebels made it pretty hoi
for us. We couldn't go any farther, as the
stream! was wide and deep BY haltIng
there it saved many a precious life. We
Istayed till dark, and then were ordered back
upon the bluff and obliged to work like
badgers all night building breaStwork tC
protect us. BY daylight we had our can,
non all in position, also our troops, so that
we could handle them in case of attack.
The rebels opened fire from their batteries
on us, so our batteries opened fire upon Their
forts, and we had, quite an artillery duel
That night we threw out a heavy picket
line down the creek. The next day We got
some of our guns in position so as to emf,
lade the rebel rifie-pits and when shell
burst it killed the most of them in pit
Along towards night. the rebels got rein.
forced in their battery, and the next morn.
ing we had another artillery duel. We put
out pickets again as usual down by the
lcreek, and one of them heard a call from the
rebel side which said; "Yanks, where are
into our lines. Our picket answered and
told him where to come to get across the
creek. The rebels had ceased firing on the
picket line. He came and reported that the
frebels had evacuated their Notifications
and were retreatipg, again So early in the
morning Sergeant and a squad of men
was detailed to go oyer and see: They
went to one of the rifie-pits and found one
old rebel soldier asleep; it seems the John
MES went off in a hurry and left him be-
hind. Our men woke him and told him to
surrender, which he was glad to do.
I When it was reported that the rebels had
! evacuated the works and gone, we prepared
| to pursue them.
| want now to give short narration of
our expedition to Harrisonburg, La, To
capture what was called the Star Fort.
We started from Harrisonburg the last of
the side of high bluff, near Harrisonburg,
| We did not meet any opposition until We got
within three miles of the place; then We cap
tured a cavalryman carrying dispatch to
the front informing them that reinforce
ments were coming to their aid. The COM
mander of the army ordered us to get into
line of battle to intercept them when they
should come. Our company was ordered
out to 90 in front as SkirmiSherS and lie
down in a nearby cornfield.
We waited a long time for them to come,
but they had received word that We We're
between them and the fort, so they counter
marched and went back faster than they
came. We camped there about three miles
from the fort that night. When the COM
mander of the fort found out he could not
be reinforced, he evacuated the fort that
night without fighting. The rebs set fire
to their own magazine and the shells We're
bursting all night long.
| In the morning We took up the line of
march and didn't find rebel in the fort and
they did not fire shot. had the pleasure
Of burning down the flagstaff that was in
the fort. Three large siege-guns the rebels
had dismounted by setting fire to the wood
work which held them in position. They
| left several brass cannon mounted on
wheels and loaded with the best English
powder. They left everything in con-
| lllS1OD, ScdlteIeu jill TIE lOIt, Ru1lS,
powder, ETC., showing that they retreated
in haste.
1t was the best fort ever saw. If we had
been obliged to charge in the taking of the
fort, many of the Union forces would have
lost their lives. Their inside works We're
fixed in such way that if we gained the
outer works they could still shoot at us, and
it would be impossible to see them.
| After destroying all we wished, so they
could not use it again, we went down into
the village and burnt the Jail and several
other buildings, and some of our boys cap
tured a darky who drove span of mules
attached to a nice carriage. We found out
that our General had retired in that place.
When the boys captured the mules and fine
carriage, of course, they wanted a ride, so
several rode around the village in it. It
happened that this carriage and mules be-
longed to the Generals relations, and as the
boys had commenced to burn the village,
the General ordeEed us out three or four
miles to camp for the night. The next
morning we marched back again toward
Natchez, without meeting with any serious
mishaps. We found plenty of sweet pota-
| toes and poultry to eat, and we turned back
to Natchez without the loss of single man.
having accomplished our purpose.-F. j.
GROAT. g.