The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-11-23

/ lrinz vs. kept ~ some Of our men.
VIII aEHara were Saying, Don't shootl
They az= oa= mants
In the MEANTIME the unknown line were
pouring a hot fire into us. About this
time saw a man on mule riding up
along the beach meeting us, He said
something to the men nearest him and In
stantly several guns were aimed at him.
ana he was taken down off his mule.
he proved to be Major afterwards Bri-
sadler- GeneraD Yogdes. commander of
the battalion OF United States regulars
Tor SO 1t proved to be-who had been Oh
struetlng our march; and he had come to
demand our surrender. While we were
busy burning the camp, the commander
OF the fort had sent this battalion around
on the gulf beach to get in our rear and
capture US. His battalion now gave way
and lied, leaving the way open for the
continuance of our retreat
One of our boys mounted the mule.
while the major together with the other
prisoners, was carried along With us.
We now proceeded as rapidly as we could.
carrying such of our wounded as 1t was
possible to move. toward our boats, ex-
pecting to have the guns Of both the fort
and the ships outside open upon ma.
This, however, they did not do. either
from fear of killing their own men, or
because we were shielded from view by
the bushes on the island.
Upon arriving at the boats we found
that the tide had reeeded, and they had
been moved further out into the water. IN
consequence of which we had to wade
some distance to reach them No order
had been observed in the retreat from the
scene Of the battle, and each man waded
In and got aboard as soon as he arrived
The steamboat was headed from shore
with the two barges behind, ready to
start as soon as the order was given.
While we were thus embarking the ene-
my, who had followed at a safe distance.
approached the boats under protection of
the brush, and opened fire upon us with
their long range guns. We returned the
fire but to little or no effect, as they were,
besides being concealed from view,s out Of
range of our guns. fes s+ss.s 81
All having gotten aboard, the order was
given to the steamboat to move, when 1t
was discovered that the barges-, were
aground. caused by the reeeding tide and
the added weight of the troops. The sit
uation was becoming critical. We were
exposed in helpless mass to the .enemy's
fire from their long range guns while our
fire was perfectly harmless to them The
confusion and CONSERVATION Became
greater as the enemy's fire INCREASED.
Our commander, General Anderson, was
among the wounded. All that eotiid find
en- the barges with the hope Of floating
them. 1 was standing on tne middle barge
and firing in the direction of the ene-i
my's smoke as fast as I could load and
shoot. While thus engaged I saw a man
who had just waded out from the shore
throw his gun up on deck preparatory'fto
climbing up himself The fall of the piece
caused it to be discharged. the entire load
passing through the ankle suf a man
standing a few inches from its muzzle,
terribly mangling the foot and ankle. it
was sickening sight and the wounded
mans agony seemed excruciatfng. rlfU
The steamer continued to tug at the
barges with all her might, but stili,they
would not move. "A man ON the steamer
raised Ratchet to cut the rope by which
the barges were attached. Another man
standing on the barge, seeing the act.
raised his gun and said, ssITeyou dol Ill
Kill YOU" and he didn't, Finally, tho
barges were discovered to be moving.
Slowly, very slowly, 1t seemed to JUS. we
began to recede from the shore and be-
yond the range of those rifles.Y Another
fear, however, still beset us. A shell or
rife ball from one of the ships or from
Fort Pickens which now came Into full
view could send us all, to the, bottom OF
the bay. This, however, did not occur,
and about eleven o'clock we.reaehed the
wharf at Pensacola in safety, where We
were BreeIeu by. a great cfOWuf bbLA OL,
soldiers and citizens, .among whom were
many ladies with refreshments for the
hungry. and bahdages for the wounded.
I do not remember what our loss was,
though think, including killed, wounded
and missing. 1t would reach about eighty
or eighty-five. Among our killed WAS
young Lieutenant Lewis A. helms of the
McDuffie Rifles, said to have been one
of the brightest intellects the state Of
Georgia ever produced. Among the
wounded and captured was Ben Holt OF
our company, beloved and admired by all
who knew him. Il have just learned since
this was written that he was a brother
of Mrs. Wallace Screws of Montgomery
I found myself with no further injury
than a bullet hole through my coat and
one through my cap. .sss.ss
Thus ended my first battle.