Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-09-08
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TOUCHES OF BATTLE.
Men Who Laughed when Bullets HI
Them-Tke Work of Tor
pedO-A Fly Crawl.

Capt. Ruthven w. Houghton, 50:
West Fourteenth avenue has just re.
ceived a pension of $50 per month for
services valiantly performed. He is 3
striking old gentleman of about GO
of massive frame, and clear, youth.
full face, and to an admiring youth.
full friend who congratulated him OIL
his good fortune he drifted back i'm.
mediately into "reminiscences of the
war, which he told with an inimitable
grace and humor, says the Denver
Post.
Capt. Houghtop was brought up in
Haverhill, Mass, and enlisted with the
Third New Hampshire as first ser
geant of A company on July 81, 1861
and served with the Army of the South
under Sherman till October, 1864, when
sickness forced him to leave the serv.
ice. In the action at Seccessionville
5. c., on June 70, 1862, many of the
officers of the regiment were killed
and Mr.. Houghton was promoted tc
second lieutenant. He fought at PORT
Royal in 1861, and at Bermuda Hun.
dred, Drury's Bluff, and Deep Run il
Virginia in 1864, but the engagement
he loves to tell about was the serie,
of battles beginning at Norris islanc
on July 10, 1863, and ending with the
assault of Fort Wagner on Septem
Der of the same year.
1--WE were under fire every day for
these two months, you understand
he said. "But see here now" as his
modesty began to battle with his rec.
ollsctions, you don't want me to tell
you about this. There are plenty OF
other people. Did / see Col. Shaw, Of
the Fifty-tourth Massachusetts,, killed (
Yes, l did. There was a fine officer
now. And let me tell you, too, those
colored troops of his were about as
fine fellows as there were in the
army. L remember that charge as IL
1T were only yesterday.
"We lay there on the sand hills in
our intrenchments all day." he con.
tinued, as his face lit up with a smile
of humor and recollection. 1--WE had
been under fire from Forts Wagner
Moultrie, Sumpter and countless bat.
teries hidden In the sand. Out in the
harbor a whole line of federal mon.
itors and gunboats had been batter.
ing away at the secesh all day, but
they were In sand batteries, and the
shots didn't do much harm.
Just at sunset-it was the 18th OF
July, if I remember rightly-Gen
Strong rode up, and, passing between
the platoons said quietly: Boys, ]
want you to take that fort, and ]
don't want you TO fire shot. Use
your bayonets.' And we didn't. We
marched up to within 20 yards of the
fort, under perfect rain of shot. Al.
vim Libbey, our adjutant general, rode
directly up to the breastworks and
was shot in two by a grapeshot, and
pulled into the fort.
whole companies were cut to
pieces, especially among Shaw's col.
ored troops, who never flinched. But
we couldn't get any further. Strong
ordered Col. jackson to take his men
back TO the intrenchments. Just as
he gave the order a round shot took
away the breast of Col. Jackson's coat
and at the same time Gen. Strong put
his hand to his leg. Are you hit :?
asked Jackson. Not much, 1 guess. :
laughed Strong.
Il was standing close at the time
and you can't imagine the stranpeness
OF hearing two men laughing about
being hit with all that racket around
them. Most of the events of battle
one doesn't remember, but that is as
clear picture to me as the noun.