The National tribune., 1904-05-26
ON the COAST OF NORM CAROLINA.
The Capture Of the 27th Mass. on Southwest
Creek and other Matters.

cent issue I read Picket Shot from Com
rade Rumery, Go. A, 18th Mass. He was
right in correcting Comrede Wilson, of the
18th Mich, when he says that it was not
the 18th Mass, bit the 9th that was
nearly all captured at Southwest Creek.
the Jersey Muskrats, as the rebels were
pleased to call them after the battle of
Roanoke, for four long and trying years !;
and we were all there at Southwest Creek
OH that day. There must have been a mis-
take made by someone. else they would
there were no better fighting men in the
service than that regiment. Nevertheless,
the rebels scooped them for certain, leav-
ing scarcely a Corporals guard. Our reg
iment, the 9th n. j., lay on and to the
right of the railroad; the 9th Mass. was
on the left. Those were hot old times,
and there were plenty of them all along
the line. Some OF the old boys are left,
think, and they will all remember South
west Creek, Il. c. On the day the 9th
was captured the rebels must have been
mad about something, for they made sew
eral attacks on our lines, and our regi-
ment was hurried from the right to the
2Iths support; but the rebels had done
their work, in part, ut least, and had fall
len back within their works. On the fol-
lowing day they got their back up again
and made several more attempts to break
our lines, and we were again hurried over
on double-quick to help the boys out of
great deal of help, and we were not
seriously engaged. The lines were held by
Western boys, mostly from Indiana and
Illinois, and they were fully capable Of
taking care of themselves with half a
chance. In fact, no better fighters ever
grew than they were, and always ready for
business. What they did to those rebs in
ri. Az fbn ohnlc
those Western boys just seemed to open
up their lines and let them in, then, swing
ing around them, gobbled them up as
they were used to corralling cattle at home
and ran them to the rear by scores and by
hundreds. And sorry looking lot Of fell
lows they were! Nearly all of them
seemed to be satisfied to be within our
suit of the fighting that afternoon must
have discouraged the rebels, for they va
Gated their works the same night without
saying good-by, or asking permission to
do SO. They were very strongly in
trenched, and it would have cost many
lives to have driven them out; and we
could not understand why they gave up
without a struggle.
In the same issue Of the paper in which
| read the Picket Shot from the comrade
of the 18th Mass, / read another, which
carried me back to Roanoke Island, Feb
8, '62. 1t is from Comrade W. r. Eddy
Co. c, S9th n. Y, who says that he was
connected with the Burnside Expedition |
do not seem to think that he knows very
much about that little trip to the famous
Southern Watering place, Roanoke Island,
Tor, according to his own account, he was
sldetracked, or cast away, on Cape Hat
teras, which, by the way. is anything but
desirable place to live. Having passed there
on several occasions, we know something
a hy,f had L..
lie writes about getting fat on shad and
fresh eggs on Roanoke. ?" L would say for
his benefit that had he been there on the
Sth OF February instead of at IIattera,
he would have found something not so
easily eaten or digested. Those rebels GER
tainly meant business, and gave us hard
tussle before they gave Up the stronghold
they occupied: where Comrade Eddy re-
suscitated and became fat later on. Let me
also say, for his benefit. that had he fol-
lowed the fortunes Of the Burnside Fxpedi-
ton, or, rather l may say, the Eighteenth
Corps, he would surely have lost some of
the fat he accumulated on Roanoke But
have no doubt that the S9th did her duty
wherever she went. In conclusion let me
say that Picket Shots to me are very in
teresting, although many comrades differ
IN their statements about the same occur
renccs and events, which is very natural ::
every one could not see from the same
standpoint and what one might see from
the left of a regiment, for instance, one
on the right would not see at all; and So
of course, one might contradict the other
During an engagement, or any other kind
of trouble, about all one person could do
was to look out for number one. | hone
that The National Tribune will be pub
lshed as long rs there remains an old vet
to read, and l thank YOU for all you have
done in the interest of the boys who wore
the blue.-.JAMEs WOOD, Co. l., 9th y. j.,
Trenton, n ].