The National tribune., 1900-08-30

we had one blanket to cover three Of us-a
cold biyouac, that.
WHY WERE THEY UNSUPPORTED?
We numbered 116. and some slightly
wounded. That morning we had opened
| fire with over 700 men. However, our
holding the ground so stubbornly checked
the enemy and saved others. Why we
were not supported, as a whole brigade
could easily have marched up in our rear
| is one of those things that did not happen
at the right time. During the battle sey,
eral regiments passed us going to the right
t. reinforce the First Brigade, but what
| became of them none of us knew.
Next morning at sunrise the white flag
was flying on the rebel works; they had
surrendered. l went back to the field to
find, if possible, my knapsack and blank
cts. l found a dead man rolled up in
them. However, took one and left him
| the other.
| The wounded had laid all night in the
snow, and were suffering severely, yet the
cold had in many instances checked the
flow of blood and thereby saved lives. We
relieved them as fast as possible. John
Coffee, an Irishman of our company, who
used to be always on extra duty, because
h. could obtain whisky whcn no other man
| could, would say, when the bullits do be
| flyin' where will your extra juty men be
thin" Now found John, wounded and
suffering considerable pain. We'll, John,
what can l do for you?" (his voice was
thick and his lips blue).
"Oh, me arrum and me side; could you
git me a wee drap of whisky"
/ procured a tin-cup full Of good, strong
commissary, and he drank it. There never
was drink of whisky that apparently did
man SO much real good as that, and he
never forgot it, either. We finally got
him off the field. Two months afterward
h.. L.,. to hi a
his arm hanging useless by his side.
We buried 1S men in one grave, where
they fell. We had been in what you
might call tight place, but we held the
position as long as possible, and some of
our boys hold the same ground yet.
We found rebel that had been wound
| ed and placed by his comrades near a fire;
during the night he had rolled into the
| fire and was blackened corpse. The
| trees and bushes were cut and splintered,
and good-sized saplings were cut down
by musket balls alone.
Late in the day l walked over the rebel
IntrenchmentS and found the boys near
Dover in camp. They had tents. Some four
or five of us occupied one. 1t was muddy
and wet as the weather got warmer. We
| were all cross and grabbed. The rustic of
a dry leaf would startle one as though it
was, bullet, whistling past. We were all
| worked up (neryous), and it took several
days to bring about our usual cheerful and
| boyIsh careiessneSs.
On TO CORINTH.
| Our sick and wounded were placed on
the boats and taken to Cairo. AS several
beats loaded with rebel prisoners left for
tairo the rebels bid us good-by, and re-
marked that they were going North to
speId the Summer"
| Feb. 16, 1862, was Sunday, the day OF
| the surrender of Fort Donelson, and lOOOC
to $4,000 prisoners, 13 heavy guns in the
water-batteries and 81 pieces of light ar
.illery in and around the breastworks
muskets, rifles and shotguns, piled I'D like
cordwood, of all styles and caliber, some
very fine silyer-mounted shotguns and
squirrel rifles. Many were selected by the
boys and sent north. They would pick VI
a piece, examine it, then throw it back il
sing off, and perhaps hit some one strag
Cling around. The rebels had left then
nearly all loaded, on purpose apparently
Our Government had no use for such ar
assorted supply Of arms. The cannon
came quite handy, especially the field-bat
teries.
On the 18th our dead were gathered and
buried in one long trench six feet wide
and about FIVE feet deep, long enough +,
accommodate them laid side by side first
covered with blankets, then earth. Boards
were set up at the head of each, with name
anu cohpdHy cut thereon. Inc wounded
were cared for and sent to Mound CITY
Hospital by boat. Details of rebels Ser.
formed the last sad rites for their dead
also. Lieut.. Dean, of our company, went
home with the Captains body.
Our drum corps and cornet band lost
nearly all their instruments in the fight
The rebels smashed the cornets over logs
50 our bands were broken up, there being
! only drum or two left to beat the calls
Our Drum Major, McGuillon, saved his.