The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1905-06-14
AN ANNIVERSARY
OF THE CIVIL WAR
ROWLAND J. GREEN, CARETAKER
OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS AND
HIS PART IN FLAG DAY.

Today, June IA. is a memorable an
niversary in the life history of Row
land j. Green, caretaker of the Capitol
grounds. As most people know, Green
is veteran of the Civil War but it is
not so well known that he was finally
put out of business at one of the fiercest
sieges in that bloody contest and it was
on June IA, 1868 that this occurred.
1T was just forty-two years ago this
morning" said Green when asked about
his experience today Il was a sergeant
in the 26th Connecticut Volunteers and
we formed a part of the 18th Army
Corps under command of Major Cen
eral Nathaniel r. Banks. We were
engaged in the siege of Port Hudson.
La. There We're about $4,000 of us ana
some 400 COnfederates but the Con-
federates were inside a strong breast
work which extended for two miles.
Our surrounding ines were nearly
seven miles long. The only way to take
the place was by assault but several
assaults had proved Intellectual. Final
ly on June II we were all prepared for
a general assault all along the line. Be
tween us and the enemy was a heavy
growth of timber which screened our
movements to a certain extent. We
charged through this but when we got
through we found that the Confederates
had prepared trap for us. There was
deep ravine running along the whole
way and this they had filled up with
perfect network of fallen timber and
brush. 1t would have puzzled a man
to get through it at any time but here
we were less than three hundred yards
from the Confederate lines of cotton
bales and they We're picking us off as
they pleased. In less than ten minutes
we lost over 400 men at that particular
point.
"Of course we sought what cover we
could get but we could do nothing
more. got partial protection behind
stump and l remember that l was
watching and admiring a Colonel of a
New York regiment who was near me
He was standing perfectly erect, scorn-
ing to take any cover though the bull
let's We're whizzing all about him. 1t
was then that l got it,
Il felt as If a mountain had hit me
and the next thing l knew l was lying
in the raVine unable to move. | had
been hit on the shoulder with freq
ment of a shell which drove the bones
in on my lungs. This was at about
8 in the morning but l knew no moro
until about l o'clock when l was
brought to my senses by being pulled
about by four men. They drapgr'' me
out of the ravine and put me on a
stretcher and took me to camp and It
appeared that the dry wood in the ra-
vine had been set on fire so that parties
had been sent out to rescue the wound
ed in the tangle. There were wartime
stories that the Confederates had pur-
posely set the brush on fire but l never
believed it. The place was so dry that
an exploding shell would have easily
started It,
Well l was eighteen days in the field
hospital before 1 could be moved and
then l was under treatment for over a
year. l offered for re-enlistment then
but the doctors would not pass me.
THAT is a long time ago." said the
old veteran but this is Flag Day and
l like to remember that did my share,
small though it was, to keep the old
flag dying"