The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-17
MIKE BRoaAN WOUNDED.
An Incident of Port Hudson. 1se:

An Incident of Port Hudson, 1868,
 Before light on the morning of May 27
 1883. Lieutenant Colonel M. B. Locke
 commanding the 1st Alabama Regiment
 ordered mo to take a file of men, go down
 our lines to an eminence about 500 yards
 distant to the left of our regiment, this ! position affording a commanding view of
 a clearing in Big Sandy Swamp across
 which the enemy were expected to pass
 in their contemplated attack on Port
 Hudson that day, and as soon as they
 passed, to report to him. About sunrise
 the enemy began to advance, and were
 met by Confederates down in the Swamr
 half mile in front of our breast works
 where the fighting soon became vigorous
 and general all along our entire front
 We had only heavy sl1irn1ish line en-
 gagged with a heavy force of the enemy
 and about a. m. this began to reatreat
 to our breast works closely followed by
 tho enemy in force. There were, in our
 front, many small elevations or knolls.
 and these the Federals quickly covered
 with batteries of Parrot guns. opening al once a bombardment of our position. The Federal infantry. during this time, had halted about 300 yards in our front down l under cover of the woods, and were re- forming their lines preparatory to an at- l tempt to storm our breast works. By | a. m. 1t was plain to mo that the enemy had reached a position between the clear ing and our lines without having crossed | the clearing I had been sent to watch | and that could no longer be of service here, so stated to my file of men. Mike Brogan and Joe P. J.) Blue, and told them we must go to our regiment. In leaving this position I was theoreti- cally disobeying my orders. but felt sure Colonel Locke would approve my course. and he did afterwards not only approve 1t, but complimented me for this l course. The enemy by this time were sweeping the old field in rear of our lines, and to reach our regiment was danger ous undertaking. Blue and Brogan pro- | tested vehemently against it. To them 1t seemed both rash and contrary to my or ders. There were not, in my opinion, braver men or better soldiers in the Con- federate army than Blue and Brogan. Either was much braver than I, but I could not endorse the thought of remain ing there idle during a great battle in which the best services of every man would be needed, and I was firm In my decision to go to my regiment Pointing to a ravine about 200 yards distant I said: We can make our way to that and thence, with very slight exposure, descend the ravine to within 100 yards of our regi- ment." We all dashed out together into the shower of lead and reached the head of the ravine in safety. Then we went down the ravine whose walls were very abrupt and 26 or 30 feet high to a spring about 100 yards in rear of our regiment. We were tired and hot, and after taking a good drink of water sat down to cool and rest in this delightful recess of dense shade. The men of our regiment had worn a path on the western wall of the ravine, going back and forth for water. While sitting here coolin and resting for the final dash of 100 yards to our regi- ment the enemy had put in position strong battery fin front of Captain Mead ows battery on the extreme right of our regiment and opened up a furious fire of grape and shrapnall- l--mostly the latter and it soshappened that the path up the blufr was, on a direct line with the posi- tions of Meadows battery and that of the enemy, so that the shot directed against Meadows battery swept the path.
 The enemy's battery was firing so rap- idly that a voIley of shrapnel crossed our path about every ten seconds, and as it was difficult of Cgress from the spring any other way it looked like we were bottled up, and that even without any intention or knowledge of the Yankees. ms NOucy SWtpL a bpaCO VI HOONS AAN
 teen or twenty feet across the path, and so dense with bullets that hardly tWIg of grass was spared. The question now before us was, could we three, ascend ing that steep bluff fin single file, pass across the destructive space during the intermission of volleys. I thought It doubtful. my comrades declared 1t would be certain death. From our position we could see our lines, but from the rattle of musketry knew that hard fight
 was on: and, live or die, was deter
 mined to reach my regiment. I told the boys that, if we would be ready, and make & rush at the bluff just after one volley passed, we could get beyond the range before the next volley. As had directed. we made a dash up the hill, l ahead, Joe Blue next, and Brogan bring ing up the rear, each of course running as fast as he could. and slow at that on
 account of the steepness of the hlun.
 Just as reached the top, heard the vol. ley sweep across the path behind me. instinctively turned and looked back. At the same moment Brogan uttered a cry or agony. had looked back just in time to see him falling. He was twenty feet behind me, and Blue about midway be- tween us.- No time was to be lost. Bro gan was lying wounded on the edge of 
 would be exposed again. How seriously Brogan was wounded we did not know, but feared he was mOrtally wounded.
 With all speed Blue and I rushed to his relief. picked him up and hastily as we could hurried back down the blun. just clearing the range as the next volIev swept the path. We took Brogan to the spring. bathed him in cool water. giving him plenty to drink He was suffering intensely and bleeding pro- fusely. We felt some measure of relief to find that his wound was not mortal. But his agonizing groans and shrieks were dis dressing. He was in a state of delirium' and raved like a mad-man, so that we could hardly do anything with him. Dur ing these paroxysms he frequently roared out: ''Ed. you are the whole cause Of this; you caused me to be shot down like & beef-murdered." When I pointed out that it was our duty to get to our regi- ment, he would quiet down and say: "Oh. no! no. no no! You are not to blame; you were doing your duty. l do not blame the ground. made a swing by fastening limb of a sapling. placed his wounded foot in the swing about two feet above the ground. This elevation of his feet gave him great relief, and he became quiet. I was detained by this ocurrence about half an hour more. I left Brogan in care of Blue with directions to get him to the hospital as soon as he could; and then running the gauntlet of shaTpshoOt- CTS a second time without harm, and also the space of about 100 yards between tine TaVina and my regiment I reached my