The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-11
CHARGING FORT STEADMAN
 IN FRONT OF PETERSBURG
By zeigIer Formerly of Company Regiment

orders Let's go forward but he dropped on his knees and commenced to pray I told him 1t was too late to pray after the devil has come
 ran as fast as I could from the Yankees picket line to the fort just before daylight. I sealed the works and was right among the Yankees. I told them to surrender. Some surrendered and some ran, but I did not get to shoot more than four or five times before the fort was clear of Yankees, except those that had surrendered. The fort was full of our men by this time and we ordered the Yankees out of their boom proofs that was their sleeping quarters. 1 went to their commissary to see what l could find to eat. I picked up some empty hav- ersacks, filled with picl<led pork, one with coffee, one with crackers and one with condensed milk.
 I found one haversack that belonged to a captain with his name on it. It was very pretty, made of morocco leather, and had two pockets. I emptied the con tents out and filled the pockets with onions I then had about as much Jas l could carry. Still I looked around to see what else I could find and saw fine pair of shoes I sat down, pulled on my old shoes and put the new ones on could not have had a nicer fit if l had been in a Boston shoe store.
 As I stepped out there was a detach- ment of a Louisiana battery to handle the cannon that we had captured. The captain did not have enough men to handle the gun. so he called for volunteers. He ask ed me If I would help him. I said I would, so he told me to take the swab- stick and swab the gun out every time it was fired. l laid my haversaeks In a pile, put my rifle across them. picked up the swab-stick and was ready for duty. It did me good to see how we moved them down. As soon as I would swab the gun I would step back and tell the gun ner to take good aim and give them hell"
 My work did not last long. for our line of battle had crossed over the Yankees works, and our guns had to cease to keep from killing our own men. 1 could see Nour men were hard pressed in the center, and fanked on the right and left I pick ed up my gun and gave the Yankees about dozen shots. They were about two hundred yards from me.
 I saw that our line of battle was giving way and men were running back to the fort Cannon ball shots from the enemy were falling in the fort killing our men right and left. Orders were given. to get back to our works. I ran to my pile of haversacks, slung them over my shoulder and made a break for our works made u BOOQ Iuis Willie cannon DdlS were bursting and minnie balls whizzing around me. I was scared nearly to death. said Lord have mercy on me-" and I know He did, for I got back to our line with one little scratch, and still had my five haversacks filled with something 10 eat. l got back to my old quarters, Anu had fine supper-the first good meal l had had in five months. We only had about ten or twelve men at that time In my company, so we all enjoyed the contents of the haversaeks.
 The Captain said: "'Well, Zeig, you can turn in and try to get a good nights rest. I will excuse you until o'clock in the morning" So I went to sleep, and was out by 8 in the morning
 The mortar guns on both sides were busy firing. I sat down on the parapet, took my gun to pieces, and gave 1t good cleaning A mortar shell burst away up in the air, and something seemed to tell me to move. I did move, and fell face foremost right out In the mud and water. A piece of shell struck where l had been sitting. The boys all laughed at me, and one of them said it was one of Zeig's deyiations. I told him he could call it what he wanted to, but I called 1t a mighty good dodge.
 I scratched the piece of shell out of the grand, and passed it around for the boys to look at. 1 had the trembles all that day, and though forty years have passed, still when I think of that piece of shell, 1 get nervous