The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-28

They offered good protection against small fragments of shells, but We are confident that shell from mortar would have penetrated without any diff fculty.
 The second days battle was essentially repetition of the first, with no abate- ment. of spirit on either side. The firing ceased at dark, except that Captain Posey again kept up his mortar battery duel all night. The enemy did not resume the attack next morning. and thus ended the great bombardment-the greatest, per haps. during the Civil War. when both number and calibre of guns are taken into account, By order of General Bragg. November 9 and g, 1884," was inscribed on the banner of the 1st Alabama regi- ment.
 Our Good Treatment in Prison Ex-
 plained. ,
 Owing to our kind treatment while in prison at Camp Butler, near Springfield, Ill, in the summer of 1862, 1t was be- lieved at the time by the Confederate prisoners that the head of the Federal Commissary was Southern sympathiser. but of course we kept very quiet on that subject while there. After the publication of my sketch In The Advertiser. October 2S- November 30. 1902 I received the fol- lowing letter which explains itself:
 ''313 Catoma Street.
 Montgomery. Ala, March 1s. 1902. "rMr. E. Y. Worries, Plan-e < :!1e. f!a.:
 Dear Sir-I have been very much in- terested in your sketch of the 1st Ala bama Regiment in The Advertiser. espe- cially in that part relating to the pris- oners at Camp Butler Ill. I was only child at the time. but have distinct recollection of many events of the period. My father, John s. bradford, although a Southern sympathizer, was head of the Commissary Department for period at Camp Butler, at what time and for how long I do not know. My mother was born in Kentucky, and was even much more of rebel. as she was at the time called, than my father. She was very active in helping the prisoners especially those in hospitals 1 remember her say ing that what the sick seemed to crave more than anything else was milk. This she always tried to eupply. We kept sev- eral cows on our place, then just outside of Springfield. and she had large can made to order and w:nt almost daily to the hospital with milk, fruits. delicacies. etc. She is still living on the old place, which is now inside the city limits. hav- ing been a resident of Springfield over sixty-five years. She IS now S7, and in good health, and has :sver been recon structed.'
 "The cemetery at Camp Butler is kept by the Government. It is enclosed by brick wall. The graves of the Federals are marked by marble headstones. and while the Confederate graves are not so marked, the section containing them is we'll kept. Yours truly.
 John Bradford"
 There can be no doubt of the truth of every statement in t.-e foregoing letter,
 1oL of Aa noble people far beyond our ability to pay. They were friends in need. We suggest that Mrs. Bradford be especially invited to attend our State reunion of Confeder- ate Veterans next fall, or that the U. D. c. in some way show our appreciation of her kindness to the Confederate sol dier and loyalty to the South. It must be remembered that 1t has cost her much greater sacrifice, and demands much high CT courage to maintain her Southern sent iments than any native Southern woman residing in the South.
 Farragut's Attack on Port Hudson.
 On the night of March 14 1863, taps" had sounded and we had retired for the night when about il p. m. the discharge of several guns from below reused us from our hunks. Farragut's fleet was coming up. The long roll and the shril
 
 dinned our ears as we hurriedly donned our clothes and took our places in line. The firing of our batteries below by this time was tremendous, the fleet making no reply. The flagship Hartford. with it's consort Kineo. and with Commodore Far ragut and son dashed to the mast were leading the way Following these in suc- cession were the Richmond. Mononga- hela, Genessee and Mississippi. each ex- cept the last. with an ironclad consort. These were followed by the Essex and Sachem. The large heaps of lightwood knots on the opposite bank of the river prepared for exactly this kind of an emergency. were not lighted as ordered. Only starlight dimly revealed an outline of the advancing squadron. Battery af- ter battery opened fire as the fleet came within range. The batteries of the First Alabama regiment being uppermost were the last to become engaged and the Fed eral gunboats opened fire about the same time. The scene now became one of in- describable grandeur. The river and our line of Notifications looked like a solid sheet of electric glare and flame. The deafening roar drowned the command of officers, gunners and squads no longer awaited command, but loaded and fired a 8 rapidly as possible. The mortar boats below having previously gained the range Of our positions. poured upon us a show CT of bursting shells. Within half an hour the Hartford and consort had passed up without material damage; the Rich mond, quitting the channel opposite bat tery steamed directly towards the land ing which was between batteries and 3 under the guns of the First Alabama reg iment. Our first impression was that she Intended to disembark troops for a land attack. apd all began to think of our muskets. She came within few rods of the landing in full and close range of all four of the regiments batteries and was several times struck Her intention was to get close under the blun of the river where as she supposed, our guns could not bear upon her. But in this she was mistaken. for while her proximity did throw her out of range of most of our guns, the few that could bear upon het were all the more effective from being in such close quarters and in better view. Her sailors, thinking themselves safe. jeered the men of the First Alabama as the ship pulled up tc the landing At this tuncture a large pile of lightwood knots at the landing was ignited by Con- federates, but being between us and our enemy and therefore binding to us were quickly extinguished. This position soon proved too hot for the Richmond. Within five minutes her machinery had been dis abled as indicated by the shrill, distress ing hiss of steam. She hobbled out from the bank bearing up the river and then back towards the channel in curved line, and then drifted in a disabled and almost helpless condition down the river
 The Monongahela end Genessee follow ing also diverged from the channel of the river towards our position but were so quickly and seriously disabled that thav refreated down the river as rapidly