The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-07-21
4 RICH wRlExpERlENcH..
Carpenter, Soldier, 8 Railroad Fireman and
EMi10er.

carpenter. soidies: s Railroad Fireman ana
Comrade ]. A. Yeaser, Of Seven Miles,
Co.. Pa. :. I learned Die carpenters trade
and worked at that for some time, then
ran stationary engine and fred on the
railroad a short time.
"Oct. /, 1861, I3enlisted in Co. X, 43d
Ind. On the 18th Of the same month
went in camp at Camp Vigo, Terre Haute,
and drilled, for further orders. The regi-
ment was ordered in the service Nov.
10, 81, and served during the Winter
campaign Of 81 and 80 up Green River,
Ky. and in fact was ordered to Fort Don
elsOn and we marched from Calhoun, KY,
to Greensboro There We took a steamer
down the Ohio River, and when we got to
Smithand, the mouth of the Cumberland
River, Fort Donelson had surrendered.
Then we received orders to report at
Cairo, and were transferred into Pope's
army. We ran up the river to Commerce,
and made the famous march from Com
MERGE to New Madrid, and in each of the
various manuvers which preceded the cap
ture Of the latter place the regiment bore
conspicuous part, occupying the rifle
pits upon the morning OF the capture of
New Madrid. Immediately after the tax
ing Of New Madrid the Add, with three
other Indiana regiments, established
battery on the Mississippi River below
Island No. 10, having an engagement and
repulsing seven rebel gunboats lmmedi-
ately after planting it. The blockade Of
| the river thus effected was the immediate
cause of the capture of that island with
it's garrison Of 5000 troops.
after the fall Of Island No. 10 our
regiment in connection with the 10th Ind,
cooperated with the gunboat fleet Of Com
modore FOote during the whole siege of
Fort Pillow, and upon it's evacuation was
hn ErS.t 70 n,fa hinh sfy
successfully held until relieved by other
forces.
After the taking of Memphis our regi-
ment proceeded in July, 49,, upon an ex-
petition up White River, Ark, to remove
the Instructions from that river. We had
been doing hard duty in that State, being
| along with every expedition up that river.
We were in the perilous raid into the in
terror OF Mississippi by Gen. Hovey, in
December, 'G2, one Of the most dangerous
expeditions of the war. Our regiment also
bore a conspicuous and gallant part. We
stayed in Helena until all our division was
ordered to Vicksburg and by some cause
| that Gen. Prentiss wanted one of the old
| regiments to stay with him. We were
brigaded with the 18th, 9th and 34th
| Ind, and as our Colonel was the Junior
| Colonel, we had to stay. Some OF the boys
wanted to go with. our brigade. Then
"Hcu lHty EoL 1dZoO cAptuiIiOA UP
We went with that and were down there AZ
days. The river began to fall and then
| we came back to Helena. They had us
| making breastworks and cutting down all
| the timber on the hills, and on the morn
| ing Of the 4th Of July the Johnnies called
to see us just at daylight, some 10000 or
| $4,000 strong. We had some $500 men,
and l tell you they kept the flies off us.
We were supporting siege guns and the
Captain in charge of our guns wanted to
| spike the guns and roll them down the
hill. Our Major was in command, and he
said We are here to support this battery,
and we are going to do it.
He ordered us to fix bay0nets, and
then charge. They ran up the white flag
and we captured more men than we had
| in our regiment. We marched them down
| to the wharf and put them on board a
steamer and sent them up to st. Louis
under guard. That was hot day both in
the weather and in the fight. We stayed
at Helena until Aug. IL: then we were
ordered to Little Rock, Ark. We took that
place Sept. 10, and held it. In the Spring
we were ordered to form a junction with
Banks at Shreveport. We had severe
battle at Elkin's Ford and Prairie de An,
Marks Mills and Jenkins's Ferry. There
| We're some plumbers made in the Banks
expedition that caused us heavy loss Of
our troops and the capture Of the most of
| our regiment. The balance of our army
retreated back to Little Rock, and what
was left of QUE regiment was doing pro-
vost duty. was detailed on the railroad,
and fired for some time, then got an en-
/ CINE to run regularly. We saw some
| squally times. The Johnnies would shoot
into us and tear the track up and cause US
all sorts of troubles. The Government had
some men making hay on the Big Prairie
| and the 34th Ill. was guarding them. The
guerflllas came in one morning and cap
tured the whole regiment, after we fought
them behind breastworks made out Of hay
bales until they set it on fire with their
artillery. / was running the train down
that morning, and as ran out of the tim
Der on to the prairie / saw the smoke and
/ stopped. The conductor asked What is
the matterY / told him that there was
something wrong, and he said there was
nothing, to go on. | ran a short distance
and stopped again. He called me a cow
ard, but we were not long finding out that
they were coming after us with four pieces
of artillery. / backed out and / was a lit
tie bit anxious and opened the throttle
a little too wide, and she began to slip on
the track. l would shut off, then start UP
again.
"They got up alongside of our train, and
the conductor ordered me to hurry out OF
there or they would get us. / replied to
him, It's you that's the coward now but
we got out OF reach of them. Our guard
fired on them from the train, and two OF
them fell off their horses, but we got away
safe. The oath iii; was sent away up to-
ward st. Louis and paroled. | stayed on
the engine until Oct. 6, 1864. had some
close calls. One day 1 was not feeling
well, and | asked young man that was
having his engine repaired if he would
care to take my place, as was not well
Ee consented, and he went out that after-
noon, and next morning on their return
trip the guerrillas had torn up the track.
which threw the engine off the track and
killed the man that took my place. felt
very sorry for him. had other hairbreadth
escapes But ! must stop. l will say that
/ had two brothers in the service, one in
the same company with me, and one in the
18th Ind: two OF us served over three
years, and the other over four years. and
none of us were ever taken prisoner or
wounded, and all are living to-day