The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-03-17

rely largely upon memory, my war journal
having been lost on the second Manassas
battlefield.
The regiment was mustered into the SER
vice at Detroit, Sept. %, 1861, and then
ordered TO Washington, where we re
manned three weeks in camp on Meridian
Hill. From there we We're sent to An
napolis, where, with the 18th n. Y. we
were put aboard the steamer Vanderbilt.
our destination being Port Royal. S. G.
After few days on the ocean wave. we
anchored just out of range of the guns on
Hilton Head and Bay Point.
REDUCING THE FORTS.
On the morning of Nov. the war yes
sells cleared their decks for action, and
then moved toward the bay, the two forts
being on either side of the entrance. two
and a half miles apart. The Wabash,
the leading vessel, was directly between
the forts when they opened fire upon her.
The warship first fired a broadsde at the
fort on Hilton Head, and then paid a
similar compliment to the one on Bay
Point. The other vessels, following one
behind the other, did the same as the
Wabash. When the rear vessel had en-
tered the bay and fired her broads:des.
the Wabash turned, and, passing the forts.
fired as before, the other vessels follow
ing, the course being elliptical. In this
poured into the forts. The day was fine
and viewed from the decks Of the trans
ports, outside the bay, the battle was a
magnificent spectacular scene. The Con-
federate batteries were well served, but
the combat was unequal, the superiority
OF the procession of war vessels, constant
~ moving, and continuously firing broad
sides, soon becoming apparent. On her
second round, the Bienvlle ran in close
to Hilton Head and fired her great guns.
almost silencing those Of the enemy. The
Wabash. on the third round. moved up
-,kh, l. ~
Fort and delivered brOadside that was
terrific. Some of the smaller vessels, gun
boats, took positions whence they kept up
an annoying fire to which the Confed-
crates could not effectively reply. The
terrible bombardment was more than the
were, could endure. However, they stood
by their guns for nearly FIVE hours,
in the midst Of fearful carnage and de-
struction. Then, fully realizing that their
firing upon the feet was ineffective, they
suddenly abandoned the forts and fed,
Gen. Drayton making as good time as
the best racer among them.
GOING ASHORE.
The marines then went ashore, and sooa
thereafter Old Glory was seen floating
above both the captured forts. 1t now
being time for the troops to debark, the
transports moved into the bay. and by
the next morning all the soldiers were
on terra frma.
The Wandering Regiment" was sent
out as skirmishers. but found no enemy
that day-nothing but ebony central bands.
who, in large numbers, came within cur
lines. By putting them to work on the
Notifications we made them useful.
NERVOUS PIcKETs.
On that first night ashore my company
was assigned to picket duty-our first
experience. We were very alert, constant
~ suspeeting that we were in the imme
date presence of a lurking and danger
GUS foe. The slightest noise made us
nervous. About midnight, when l Was
m0mentarily expecting a body of fierce
rebels to rush upon me from a sweet
potato patch in my front, a dark object
creeping toward me attracted my atten-
fion, causing each particular hair of ms
head to stand on end and cold drops of
perspiration to ooze from my brow. That
the object was a crawling man | had
no doubt Aiming my Springfield as best
could under the trying circumstances
cried: Halt! Who comes there?" The
stealthy enemy @ paused but made no
ready to shoot me. Anticipating him,
fired. l saw fash in the darkness, heard
deafening roar, and Immediately falling
to the ground lay prone on my back.
My paralyzed right shoulder indicated
the locality Of horrible wound After
repeated efforts managed to attain a Sit
ting posture, and had the satisfaction Of
seeing my enemy (D lying dead i'm the
potato patch. The Officer of the Guard.
excited and important, hurried to my post
and demanded TO know why l had fired
my gun. Pointing to the PROSTATE form,
said: Lieutenant, have killed a rebel
who was stealthily trying to Kill me. That
Is his dead body lying out there i'm the
potato patch. We fired simultaneously,
the result being he is dead and l am
severely wounded in my right shoulder -
The Lieutenant went out and examined
the defunct body. gave it kick and re-
turned to me, saying: you're - fool,
You've shot nothing but q hog" That
off1cer was fluent Of tongue, and for a time
there was an unceasing flow of emphatic
and uncomplimentary language that would
not appear well in print The boys, of
course, had great fun at my expense.
However, when l served fresh pork for
breakfast they were more considerable of
my Inundated feelings. The wound (?)
in my shoulder, made by kicking Spring
field. was painful for a while, but not
serious.
BEAUFORT.
After short stay at Hilton Head, the
9Th Mich, 18th n. Y, and Tooth Pa. were
ordered to Beaufort, a beautiful little
city, 10 miles further up the bay.
Sometime in February. 1867, detail of
20 men, under Capt. Ely, was sent over
on the mainland in quest OF beef cattle
! was SO fortunate, or unfortunate, as To-
be one Of the detail. AT that early stage
Of the war it was no difficult matter TO
find cattle, as within few hours we cap
tured q about so bovine animals Driver,
by ID of the men. they were started to
ward Beaufort, five Of US remaining tn
look for more.
IN PREDIcAMEyT.
We had gone about half mile further.
through woodland, when we came to a
large plantation, and some distance be.
yond We saw a fine herd of cattle. To
reach them it was necessary to cross open
fields, and when We had gone about half
the distance. Capt. Ely, ever alert, halted
us. Pointing toward the timber, a mie
distant, he called our attention to some
moving objects which he said were rebe'
cavalry coming in our direction. The
proximity Of q mounted enemy made as
feel uncomfortable. IL the horsemen
should discover our presence, We could
scarcely hope to escape. Certainly we
could not outrun them. We were fully a
mile from where we had emerged from
the woods, and that was probably tn.