Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-08-04
THE BATTLE-FIELDS.
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
The Blue and the Gray Review Incl
dents of the Late War, and In
Graphic and Interesting Manner

Tell of Camp, March and Battle.
About March l. 1852, the Fourth
Wisconsin, Sixth Michigan and Twen-
ty-first Indiana and a battery We're all
crowded onto and into the Pacific Mail
Steamship Constitution, then claimed
to be the next largest ship to the Great
Eastern. We boarded her at Newport
News two days before the great naval
battle between the Merrimac and Mon
itor. The men We're so crowded that
It took NE half a day to go from the
cabin to the hold, where part of my
company had been slowed, and get
back to the cabin. We were to he
landed on Ship Island, about 100 miles
east 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 half miles of the rebel rltled
battery on Sewell'S Peint 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
We would he shot at again. with a
strong probability that some of us
would te hit But our pilot played it
on the Johnnies thus: He took up
moderate, steady speed, so the John
iues would make their calculations for
their aim on our speed. But steam was
up as 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 ali
the second ana third loading and firing
fcli behind the ship; but the first shot
passed over Col. Payne's (Fourth Wis
consln) head, Who was standing on the
bridge between the warehouses. The
second shot struck about 300 yards
before reaching the ship, and the rico
Chef sent the ball over the deck Gen.
Phelps (the old Connecticut Abolition
lstl said If the muzZie of the first gun
had been depressed the eighth Of an
inch the ball would have struck shin
at the water line. The second gun was
depressed a trifie too much SO we got
cut of the James with only a scare.
But | here remark that it took more
nerve to look out of my state-room
window through a good feldgass. by
means of which / could see the season
cracks in the flagstaff and the rome
and into the dark hole in the muZzle
OF the cannon, and see 1t belch ont the
great cloud Of white smoke. thereby
hi2oWAng the ball was coming for us.
than 1t did later to stand in line of the
enenly's fire at much shorter range
Our next trouble was seagickness
The men in the hold were as HELPLESS
as babies, and were desperately seaSicl
for a day and half We passed
| through a gale off Cape Hatteras
where the ship was lost after the var
When we got near Florida the heat
became oppressive, and the men below
would climb to the deck and nm into
the rigging. AS the boilers consumed
fifty tons Of coal each day our ballast
grew so light that the ship would rock
I'LL the mast seemed to lean half way
TO the water at times. After We
passed Key West the ship rocked over
wave and tilted So far that most of
| us ON deck We're thrown on our knees.
! was standing within ten feet Of the
captain, and I never heard man
squall as he did. He was generally
mtld-manHered man. but he then
looked like a hungry lion let out Of bis
cage. He ordered the men down out
of the rigging ana below, with a yoice
that made them all skin down like 50
many scared cats. Then he sent a man
| TO the cabin to tell Gen Williams to
! come on deck at once. The General
| was stiff West Pointer. ana resented
the impertinence, as he thought if. Be
| ing IN the cabin, he had not realized the
| danger. He replied: Tell capt. --
/ II he wants 10 see me to come ~ the
cabin The Captain sent word back
Tell Gen. Williams to report to mo On
deck at once or III put him in irons.
| Williams came on deck looking IKE a
| thundercloud. ana demanded Of the
/ Captain what do YOU mean. SIR I
| nm In command Of this expedition"
Yes, sir" said the Captain. You are
in command Of this expedition. You
can order me to any port IN the world
and / will 60, but YOU can't tell me how
! to trim my ship while ! am going. In