The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1906-08-03
THES BATTLE
olp SOLDIERS TALK OVER
Army EXPERIENCES

Array ExPgRiENCsS
rae nsne and the Gray Reyisw Iaaa.
aeass ef che Late War. and In .
orarAle asd Iaterestsax Manner
TELL % camnz March and Battle.
About March /. 1874 the Fourth
Wisconsin. Sixth Michigan ana Twen-
r-first Indiana and a battery were all
crowded onto and into the Pacific Mall
Steamship Constitution. then claimed
10 be the next largest ship to the Great
| Eastern We boarded her at Newport
News two days before the great naval
battle between the Merrlmac and Nom
itor. The men were so crowded that
Il took me half day to so from the
cabin TO the hold, where part of my
company had been slowed. and get
hack 10 the cabin. We were to be
landed on ship Island. about 100 miles
cast of New Orleans. and about four
teen miles south of the Mississippi
coast. As the steamer came to New
port News. she had to pass within one
and q half miles OF the rebel rified
battery on Sewell's Point. on the south
side Of the James River. This battery
took several shots ae the steamer on
her way to the landing and got her
range.
As we started for sea we all knew
4 anna xw-e - ~ .E -
strong probability that some. of US
would be hit. But our pilot played 1t
on the Johnnies TINA; He took up a
moderate, steady speed, 90 the John
ades would make their calculations for
their aim on our speed. But steam was
up ~ strong as the boilers would bear,
and the instant the smoke was seen to
leave the gun all the steam was let
into the engines, which In a minute
nearly doubled our speed. This threw
their calculations out of joint. and all
the second and third loading and firing
fell behind the ship; but the tlrst shot
passed over Col. Payne's (Fourth Wis
consin) bead, who was standing on the
bridge between the warehouses. The
second shot struck about 400 yards
before reaching the ship. and the rico
Chef sent the ball over the deck. Gen.
Phelps 1.-THE old Connecticut Abolition
Int said II the muzzie OF the first gun
had bsen depressed the eighth OF an
inch the ball would have struck ship
At the water line. The second gun was
depressed trife too much. So we got
out OF the James with only scare.
But / here remark that II took more
nerve to look ont of my state-room
window through good fieIdglass. By
means Of which I could secs the season
cracks In the Flagstaff and the rope,
and into the dark hole In the muzzle
Of the cannon. and see 1t helch out the
great cloud OF white smoke, thereby
knowing the ball was coming for us.
than It did later to stand in line OF the
ensmy's fire at much SHORTER range.
Our next trouble was seasickness.
The men In the hold were as helpless
40 babies, and were Desperately seasick
for day and half. We passed
through gale on Cape Hatteras,
where the ship was Loaf after the war.
When we got near Florida the hea.
became Oppressive. and the men below
would climb to the deck and up Into
the rigging. AZ the boilers consumed
dfty tons Of coal each day, our ballast
grew % light that the ship would mock
I'LL the mast seemed to lean half way
70 the water at times. After we
paesed Key West the chip rocked over
. WAVE and tilted 80 far that most of
W on deck were thrown on our knees.
] Vas standing within ten feet Of the
captain. and l never heard man
sQuail ~ he did. He was generally
mlld-mannered man. but be then
looked like hungry lion let out OF his
caee. He ordered the men down out
cf the rigging and below, with voice
that made them all skin DOM like 20
many scared cats Then he gsnt man
to the cabin to tell Gen. williams to
come on deck at once. The General
Was stiff West Pointer. and resented
the impertinence, as he thought It. Be-
Ing In the cabin. he had not realized the
danger. He replied: TELL Capt. ---
u he wants to see me to come to the
cabin" The Captain sent word back
sTell Gen. williams to report to me on
deck at once or TIL put him In irons"
Williams came on deck looking like q
thundercioud. and demanded OF the
Captain: ''what do you mean, sir7
an In command or this expedition
sYes. sir said the Captain. .You are
N command Of this expedition. You
can order me to any port In the world
ANA will 50, but you can't tell me how
70 trim my ship while / am going. In
chat outrank you. SIR. Now. put your
man below ct once
One Of the stan. who bad been on
dock and knew the danger. stepped up
and told the General the danger. and
b. somewhat reluctantly allowed the
Captain % outrank him. The men went
below. Then the Captain called all the