Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-07-11
ertial and helpfuL-Chicago Intes
A Splendid Act Of Herois m.

upon the stage OF war before he dared
The publicity OF the footlights, has just
told the story of a splendid but little
known. act of heroism which occurred
towards the end of the American civil
war The great actor himself fought
under the Federal flag, and shared the
dangers and the privations Of the
United States army
In the spring of 1864 the UnioniStS.
who had captured Nicksburg. deter
mined to push their advantage and t.
secure Shreveport, an important town
in the northwestern extremity OF
Louisiana. held by the Confelerates
One force, under the command of Gen
eral Steele, was to approach the spot
from Arkansas. while a second. led by
General Banks, was to advance up the
Red River.
Upon March 10th the expedition set
out from Nicksburg, and on the 18th
Admiral Porter reached the mouth of
the Red River, and shipping Frank
Inns soldiers from New Orleans. pro
ceeded towards Alexandria. At first
nothing but success crowned their pro
gresS. Alexandria was captured and
part Of the army, Franklin at their
head. marched in advance after the
apparently retreating Confederates
On April 9Th. however the luck turned
and black disaster met the invading
troops. The flying foe, now overtaken.
turned upon their pursuers. and in tive
decisive battles utterly defeated them.
and General Banks was forced TO fall
back
Emholdened by their Victories. the
Confederates followed up the unfor
tunate expedition, and harrassed Ad
miral Porters fleet with a heavy lire.
The danger of the position was in.
creased by the shrinkage of the river
owing TO the dry weather, and at one
point the vessels were brought to a
dead stop by shallowness of the water.
Finally, a Federal engineer contrived
dam, the water was raised to the
requisite height, and the expedition.
its ranks pitiably thinned by casualty
and the retention of prisoners, hoated
into safety.
Here is Sir Charles's terse descrip.
ton of the deed that won admiration:
1t Is written in the language of the
man of action who has no time to
waste upon supertluous words But
the brave badness of the narrative
proves the personal experience of the
chances of war, to which no reference
is made:
The bravest act l have ever wit
messed was that of an American officer
during the American Civil war. The
United States government had organ.
lied large army TO proceed from
Louisiana and invade Texas. For a
very long time the road and the river
tthe Red River ran side by side
Consequently our victories were easy
and many, because we had the gun
boats to protect us. have often
thought that these were arranged by
the enemy to give us n false security
and lure us further on. Anyway. the
result was that after some weeks Of
marching and fighting we found our
selves on huge plain in the midst
of the forest ana thirty miles from
the river The enemy here turned upon
MS, and after two battles captured our
guns and many prisoners, Dangerous
as was our position that of our fleet
of gunboats became. after this catas.
trophe, more dangerous still. They
were proceeding up the river toward
the point where road and river were
again 20 come together The enemy.
now free from attack. could build
forts in the rear Of the fleet. ana can
ture them too. 1t was necessary that
they should be ordered to retreat down
the river rs soon as the second battle
ended. The quickest way was TO 60
straight ahead, right through the
enemy's camp and ride for life to the
river bank. Neither gun nor cavalry
could touch him, though he was in
their midst and So after a hard ride
he reached the river. Here. alas. the
presence of n single United States
officer was so unexpected that our own
1 lfOilit ~llt3F III lIlllls anu itF zen pierced
by several bullets His pursuers. in
recognition of his gallantry. forhore
taking him prisoner. ana allowed him
10 lac carried on board his cOmpatriofs
guuboats. where he fingered for many
weeks In the greatest agony. Event.
ually be reached New Orleans. where
in few days more he died. myself
arrived in that city and attended his
funeral"
"Grant's Lnck."
! did not 20 out to see the surrender
Of General Lee. | remember wei the
event Of Gener1i Grants return after
the surrender ] think there were not
more than three persons present when
the general came in and took q seat
at a table 10 write. He looked up with
some expression of animation. ard re-.