The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-25

OF DrdSS drClIery las L remember tneIn)
attacking the men serving these
guns from their rear" fThiS has ref
renee to Corporal McCormac's detach-
mept to the left of the gate) These
men were taken prisoners before the
second line of Ssaulting forces reach
ed the fort. The ~econd line a start
ed and by reason Of my capturing the
artillery with which the fort was de-
Tended, We entered the gate, but none
of the first brigade entered the fort by
the road and gate, and not until their
capture. With ammunition in their
hands was the road made a COMPARE
lively safer line Of approach than over
the rap
The constant fire of the fleet for ten
and nights derived the garrison
of the opportunity to rest and repair
food. In this connection [ may state
that on the morning of the 18th, des-
perate from hunger private Carr ven
.tured out of the ~bombprOOf to prepare
hlm some food. and had hardly COM
menced when his body was horribly
Elangled by a sho1 from the navy.
General Curtic then went on to state,
While they suffered little from tbs
naval fire until the advance of the as
lines brought them out of their
bomb roofs they then came under the
hottest fire men ever encountered. Col
'nnsl Lamb SkiI1ully managed the de-
fence. aided by the valuable services
of General WHITING. They protected
their men until the decisive moment and
then led them with CONSPICUOUS gal
lantry. The left of the parapet was in
charge of d junior officer when a mis-
take-that of a moment only-was in
failing 10 mount the parapet and con-
test our advance from the ditch. al
though in doing so he would have
faced the terrific fire of the navy. The
men serving the piece of artillery COW
ering the road were so intent in serv-
ing their gun that they were seized In
the act of loading it by men of the 1l7th
York. who ven down from the
.parapet after capturing the enemy re-
.sisting us between the first and second
traverse"
This is only a part Of the testimony
of a man who, of all others, is entitled
to whatever glory there was in the
capture of Fort Fisher. Major Reilly
is the junior officer referred to.
So much as to the last Fort Fisher
engagement. After all the supreme
tact of manhood came when the private
soldier had to face the dangers, trials
and sufferings of a prisoners life No
other intimate of circumstances
ever produced such an admittance of
tragedy and comedy. While the shells
from Battery Buchanan were still ex-
plOding over and around US in our
double quick to the "a the Yankee
was Familiarity addressing Johnnie"
proposing to swap hard tack Tor some
good Johnny tobacco.
Amid all this death and carnage. Tvith
the atmosphere lurid with exploding
shells for two DAYS and nights out of
the thickeSt of the fight Private Smith
emerged. somewhat disfigured from a
shot in the mouth. with a five pound
bucket of rich. fine yellow butter.
which he generously divided among his
comrades the next day after the cap
ture. How the shot in the mouth failed
to kill him. and how when comrades
were shot down on his right. left and
in his rear. that bucke escaped are
specimens of uneXplicable incidents of
war. The second day after the capture
the prisoners were marched back
over the scene of their trou-
bles-saw many of the dead
but still unburied bodies of brave eel
lows thai charged by the main road,
marched back through the gate and
into the fort. The scene reminded II
more of d water melon patch that
had recently been raided BY school
boys and then turEed over to hogs to
be rooted up.
They were then separated into two
divisions without reference to previous
Organization made to wade into the
surf about three feet deep. get into
small boats and from there made TO
hoist themselves into streams BY ropes.
About 500 men were stored away in
tine hole of the steamer North Point.
and as many more into the Mollna del
Rey-a large majority separated never
to be reunited. There was not a bench.
much less a stool or cot, and little more
than standing room in the dark hole.
They were soon out at sea climbing
the waves and in Il few hours sea
sickness enSued. As the shin was toss
ed from side to side at t mes seeming 10
stand almost perpendicularly the men
would fall from one side to another and
pandemOnium reigned. When Point
Lookout was reached the body OF
young Mcneil from Cumberland and
of others who had been smothered TO
death on the vac We're AXE
ashore and buried. Those who could
placed in tents temporarily erected in
a cold crizZling rain. n given a nall
loaf of bread and small piece OF raw
picked beef. They were then marched
into the main prison and distributed
among the other prisoners. A two
days experience at Fort Fisher with
very scaEt rations-another two days
| cAI iClIOb '4l Il SlpIl i SCd- a l4ON
| brought about an appetite that was the
source OF great ~7iStreSs to those who
had survived
1t is safe to say that no Confederate
soldier ever entered the prison gates OF
Point Lookout without expressing the
! pangs of hunger. The want @ o
monopoIfzed ms thoughts by day and
haunted him IN his dreams at night.
The bleakness of a northern climate.
| the inSolent orders OF negro guards,
! the vile nuisance that infected his body
were small ~annoyances. compared with
that one ~unending SufferlnS-hunger.
The tender solitude and sympathy that
made the more divide their
last mOrsel. the patient watch kept over
the sick. the words of good cheer that
lightened the heart of despairing com
rade. the genuine huInor and fun that
made men laugh and yet not grow fat.
the thousand circumstances that re-
vealed the hidden virtues of men and
exposed their vices. all contributed to
make stronger that three fold cord
which cannot be broken.
TIL ~,o-;1-o noura- rhar Sont tho Com