The National tribune., 1899-05-18


was required. Our passage over the bar
and up the St. Johns River Interested Us
,-erv much. The scenery was magnih.
,art the river itself a series OF lakes, ana
the day a perfect one. Our new carip
was a little way outside OF JackSonNllle,
beside a creek on the opposite side oi
which was the 40th Mass, also recehtiy
noun ted.
As some of our forces had been sent
f,,rtbeT mn the river, and needed rein
forcement four companies, \, ID, I'll ana
X were detached, under command OF
Cant. Maxwell, TO proceed overiahu to
Pslatka These started on the 3th; Cross
inc the river at Jacksonville and then Dy
easv marches to opposite Pilatka, reach-
80 that Mace on the third day. here
thev found a small force under Col. Bar
ton, of the 4Sth n. Y.
Palatka was evacuated in few days,
and the four companies again stafteu
overland on their return trip to Jackson
Vile. They were accompanied py Es,. Els'
BATTERY C of the Sd II. ]. Art, capt
lanes \ and reached Jacksonville and the
repimental camp on the third day. the
incidents OF the trip were numerous, Out
| a single one is here given O1 the re-
| turn the writer's squad, while stopping at
| a secesh lady's house for eggs and milk.
we're informed by the lady that nearly all
the white troops OF the department were
| to he ordered at once TO Virginia 10 rem
| force Grant for final struggle, ana that
Mcclellan was to run Tor President; etc.;
all OF which proved true. Before the ar
rival of the four companies, nearly the
entire force at Jacksonville had been
making preparations TO go TO Virginia, ana
the four companies horses were soon IN
the corr al in the city.
| During the absence OF the four com
nanies. many desertions occurred in the
3d n. H., wholly from the substitute re.
la LIT RI al
1863 These deserters in many instances
rode direct to the enemy from the picket
line so that the Confederacy received
lfully-cauipped horseman. trap was
finally set by covertly placing an add
tional outer line after dark, and when the
squad of would be deserters started for
the rebel line they suddenly found them
4 selves in the hands Of their friends. a
drum head court martial followed, ana
one-Privatc Henry Miller, OF Co was
found more guilty than the others, and
he was shot Immediately.
Preparations to go North were now IN
order, and on April % the regiment en-
barked at Jacksonville on the steamer
Boston for Hilton Head, where we re
mained about two days, then leaving lOr
Fortress Monroe on the 18th on the
steamer North Star, our companion regI-
ment being the 97th Pa. AZ Hilton hcad
we turned in our Enfield rifles and all that
belonged thereto, and had Springfield
rifle equipments issued US, the arms to
be delivered to us in Virginia. we were
glad to make the exchange, for our En-
fields had become unservlceaDle 10 a
great degree We landed at gloucester
Point, Va, opposite Yorktown, on the
28th. and found very large concentration
! of troops, all preparing for the Virginia
, campaign.
our veterans" were there awaiting us,
and the reunion was very pleasant, ard a
, ..FNrn 10
this time we had about 800 men for duty
And now we had reorganization, drills,
: paradcs, inspections and reviews galore.
! I'VE were of the Second Brigade, First
Division, Tenth Corps, under Gen; .. a
Gilmore, and our brigade commander was
Col. Jos. II. Hawley, now a Member ol
, Congress. The brigade was, 9th Conn,
!. 7th Conn, 81 n. H., 18th n. II. Our Spring
u fields were delivered TO US May /, and on
same day we had most terrific thunder
: and hail storm, nearly every tent being
u swept from its moorings. Economy II
y baggage compelled us TO send all oui
5 surplus to Norfolk, and much that was sc
sent never got back. In place Of our n
e tents we were supplied with a towel" tt
y each man, each with buttons and button
Z holes, so that two could be buttonet
e together, and when so buttoned were
IL technically called shelter tents"
, May 4 the embarhation began, about 10
}; vessels OF various kinds being required
a for this large force. The Sd n. ii. was Oh
the steamer ThoS. Jefferson.
n The next day all went up the Jane
N River, making very imposing appear
r ance. Rumor said we had 10000 men
al The Sd ~ III. landed on the morning OF tn
9th at Bermuda Hundred and marche,
re inland about six miles, Petersburgward
De The roads were bad, and we had our frs
ry taste Of Virginia mud. Our march OF TIM
rs day was a memorable one, the groun
re being strewp with blankets, clothing {
to ali kinds, and samples OF all articles car
e ried either for pleasure or convenience
These were discarded en- route, and II
or reasons need here be assigned. Ou
ng whole experience in Virginia cannot
in given herein.
CT The first severe experience was q
y Drewry's BluT-so called because it wa
Ia n t at the Bluff at all, but at Woodbridge