The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-11-28
TWO ORDERS
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Many We're the assaults made by the
Union troops upon the fort at the
mouth of the harbor, and they were all
repulsed. After dark their general set
up his headquarters o.: the beach,
where he received reports Of his COM
manders. AS each new list of killed
and wounded came in larger even than
he had expected his brow darkened
deeper. Then came his aid-de-camp,
whom he had missed early in the day
and had not seen since.
Where have you been, captaing"
asked the general in no genial tone.
Captured. | was left unguarded an
hour ago-they were too busy to keep
sharp lookout, having other use for
their men-and l walked away"
That's likely story" said the gen.
eral, with a snarl. Captain, you've
been skulking."
"General!''
Major" continued the commander to
another member of the staff, tissue an
order dismissing Captain Bell from
my staff and returning him to his regi-
ment"
The major hesitated, whereupon the
general threatened to dismiss him as
well. Then he wrote the order.
General" said the young captain
who was to be degraded in this sum-
mary manner, trembling with excite
ment, 1--WE fight tomorrow. l suppose.
Well, give me a chance to prove what
have said or to do some signal serv-
ice. Hold the order till tomorrow at
this hour. II by that time have done
neither, let it go forth"
The general repressed burst Of pas
sion, for he saw the justice of the de.
mand. and gruffiy assented.
Captain Bells story was true. Car
rying an order from one corps to an
other, while on the way the enemy had
passed behind him, and he was taken
into the fort with other Union soldiers.
Later, during a desperate assault Of
the Unionists. the prisoners were in
the way, and they were taken outside.
1t was during this assault that Bell
escaped.
Major" he said to the officer who
had been ordered to write his dismissal
from the staff, II would rather die
than have that order issued, and I'm
going to die. Give me the counter
sign"
What win you do with it7"
"Im going to take some spikes and
by hook or by crook work my way into
that fort to spike some OF their guns.
There are nine chances In ten that /
will be either shot or hanged. The
one chance Is that will succeed. Lis
ten just before morning for a gun. II
you hear 1t, tell the general that l
have succeeded and 1t 10 q signal for
him to move on the fort"
In vain the major secuted the pro-
posal. His friend was resolved. About
midnight Bell passed out of the Union
lines and CROPPED about on the battle
dead Confederate officer, whose uni
form he put on. Then, moving close
to the fort, he hailed sentinel. telling
him that he had been out to find
wounded comrade. Entering the fort
with the air of having duties there, he
was stopped by an officer reorganizing
the thinned forces, who asked his
corps. Bell gave the name of the
corps which he had seen on the hats
of those who had guarded him during
the day and passed on as If pressed for
time. The night was hot, and the ex-
hausted gunners instead of keeping to
the classmates were sleeping mostly
outside of them. Bell found an oppor-
tunity to crawl beneath one of them,
where he remained till the fort was
comparatively quiet. Then he took
from his pocket the implements with
which he had provided himself. Plac-
ing a spike in the vent of the gun from
under which he crawled, he hammered
it down, placing some sole leather be-
tween it and his hammer to deaden the
sound. This done, he crawled from
one gun to another, repeating the proc
ess till he had spiked seven of twelve
guns defending the north face. Once
one of the gunners awoke and, seeing
an officer at the gun, looked at him
quzzically. Bell seeing that he was
observed, pretended to inspect the
gun, then passed on.
1t was about o'clock in the morning
that the fort was startled by the boom
of one of its own guns. Nobody knew
who fired it or by whose order.
At the first streak of dawn the out
posts reported heavy dark masses NOV
inc against tho fort from every dirpc-
ton. -Four columns made the assault,
three of them being driven back with
slaughter. On the north face the men
| sprang to the guns to find them spiked
| Bell took position at gun that he had
failed to spike and served it, with 9th
ers, rubbing his powder stained hands
on his face till he was unrecognizable