The National tribune., 1900-05-24

TWO regiments ana one gun oi lne pdtVeiy
and pushed ahead at midnight, our regl-
ment to follow in the morning as fast as
possible. j took command of foragIng
party last night and started out just after
dark to gather up provisions for the regi-
ment. Itwas one Of those typical Southern
dark nights when the blackness seems rs
to close around one like an lmpenetrable
wall We succeeded in loading up with
meat. -four meal and such truck, and
about midnight started to find the regiment:
Got lost several times and finally ordered
q halt to wait for daylight, which was
close at hand.
Soon we heard the boom Of a cannon.
This gave us the direction and l ordered
the party forward at trot We were so
heavily loaded that not much speed could
be made, and my horse gave out so that
could scarcely make him walk. We came
into West Point from the south, and found
the regiment in a timbered valley, big
hill between it and the fort, preparing
for action. The order was to fight on foot,
and the companies We're in line and counting
fours as we rode in. The boys had to go
with scant breakfast, on account of our get
Col. Harnden my horse fell under me and
gave up his brave horse ghost.
Without horse, and having no Sleepfor
AS hours, was practically 'hors du COM
bat" The order being for number q,
to hold 1.-The fled horses and numbers I 1,
4 d
Colonel placed me in command of the
fours and horses. Shells from the fort were
crashing through the timber overhead
when and my detail reached the regiment
and the formation was beng made. lhe
dismounted men, with their seven-shootlng
Spencers. rounded the point OF the hill In
good order and were soon having business
Of their own The Screeching shells and
falling limbs of trees made the horses very
FESTIVE. and had them moved farther up
the valley, in a more sheltered place:
When my command had quleted down
In their new position L went to the top OF
the bare hill spoken of as being between us
and the fort, took position behind big
stump, and had splendid chance to see a
battle without being strictly III 1t.
TAKING FORT TYLER.
With nv field-glass 1 took a survey Of
the situation. Right in front of me was
Fort Tyler, bristling with heavy guns
and garrisoned by 200 men. 1t was a
splendid fortification covering the entire
crown of bare hill several hundred feet
higher than the surrounding country.
Some of the gunners must have seen me
take position behind the stump, for shells
began to come my way at lively rate,
but held my position.
Between myself and the fort were our
boys steadily advancing up the smooth
hill in two lines, with not as much as
was for one line to advance while the other
covered them with sharp carblne fire,
then when in position the supporting line
advanced and were covered by the former.
Thus they steadily advanced, under fire,
up this exposed hillside. With my glass
] could almost see the color OF the eyes OF
those in the fort.
The only approach to the fort was on my
left, where ridge gradually sloped away
from it. Col. LAGRANGE had made dis
position of the brigade, or rather what was
left Of 1t, so as to surround Fort Tyler.
The I'd Ind. had only about one battalion
Of effective men, and the 1st Wis. was
greatly weakened by the absence of Mai
Shipman and his battalion doing provost
duty at Montgomery, Capt. Nit Martin
and large detail escorting the train, and
the 18th Ind. battery, except the two-gun
section with us, commanded by Capt. NJ. NJ.
Beck. The assignment Of the brigade
invested all sides of the fort except the
ridge to my left.
OF to my right and nearer the river
was the section Of the battery, keeping up
such q tattoo on the guns of the fort that
their gunners had great difficulty in serv-
ing them, and they were finally knocked
out and dismounted. Our gunners had a
perfect range and trained their guns with
extraordinary accuracy. After the battle
I counted 13 distinct indentations where
they had hit the muZZle end Of a brass Ga
FOUNDER mounted on the works.
The scene is intensely interesting to me
as our boys steadily advance. There goes
the battery to take a position on the ridge
In the rear of the fort. The heavy siege
guns on the fort are about silenced, the
battery having been shelling them for
about two hours. Our boys are rapidly
approaching the works. There they &c
into the ditch; now up on the embankment.
There they lie within 10 feet of the enemy,
waiting for the rest OF the brigade to get
as close as they are. While in the ditch
lighted fuse shells are thrown over among
our boys, but they prove boomerangs in
every instance, for our boys pitch them
back into the fort, where they explode. The
fuses cannot be cut short enough for the
purpose of the rebels. Then they threw
over great rocks, and soma Of our boys are
badly bruised by them.
There goes Lieut.. Shell Vosburg, falling
backward, shot through the headl The
Bugler is sounding the charge. Up they
spring to the top of the embankment like
q swarm Of bees. Up goes the white flag
they have surrendered How the boys
cheer! Down goes the flag, pole and all
and the Indian, Steve Nichols, has the
flag. II is beautiful one and presented
by the ladies Of West Point to Gen. Tyler
commanding, and which heswore he would
never haul down. He didn't, for he was
killed early in the fight.
The defense was gallant and desperate
one, the command descending from 6
Major-General to Captain, wounded t.
the death, who ordered up the white flag
OF surrender with almost his last breath
No slaughter house could be bloodier thar
was the inside Of Fort Tyler, where the dead
and dying were piled knee-deep. Dowr
the hill go and soon get the horses il
Hne and march them up TO the fort for oul
victorious troopers. Shouts of victory
first rent the air, for it was glorious one
but they We're soon tempered down to re
grets for the killed and wounded com
rades lying around them. Our loss wa,
seven killed and ID wounded, among tn,
latter Lieut.-Col. Harnden, slightly, in tn,
thigh. Capt Hill, commanding the 2,
Ind, was again wounded in the same let
that was wounded at Scottsville, and hat
70 suffer an amputation.
SPou4S OF WAR.
West Point was supposed to be i'm
pregnable, and here were gathered larp
stores for the rebel army. Besides thes
the entire rolling stock OF the railroa
was tied up in the yards ere. Our cours
from Selma had been ing its line, an
everything movable was loaded in tn
cars by the frightened citizens along tn
line and kept moving. Our advance ha,
been SO rapid they had not had time to un
load them at West Point. They coult
run no further because theirs was a differ
ent gage from the road the other sid
Of the river. There were 20 locomotive
and 300 cars in the yard, loaded witt
provisions, arms and machinery for maxim,