The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-08-09
THE BATTLE-FIELDS.
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
The Blue and the Gray Review Incl
dents of the Late War, and in a
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell of Camp, March and Battle.


Tell of Camp, March and Battle.
About March ], 1862, the Fourth
Wisconsin, Sixth Michigan and Tween
ty-frst Indiana and 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
tor. The men were so crowded that
II took me 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 be
landed on Ship Island, about 100 miles
east of New Orleans, and about four
teer miles south of the Mississippi
coast. AS the steamer came to New
port News, she had to pass within one
and a half miles of the rebel rifed
battery on Sewelrs Point on the south
side Of the James River This battery
took several shots ae the steamer on
ler way to the landing and got her
range.
AS We started for sea we all knew
Ne would be shot at again, with
strong probability that some of us
would be hit. But our pilot played it
on the Johnnies thus: He took up a
moderate, steady speed, so the John
nes 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
tearly doubled our speed This threw
their calculations out of joint, and all
the second and third loading and firing
tel behind the ship; but the first shot
passed over Col. Payne's Fourth Wis
co-sin) head, who was standing on the
bridge between the warehouses. The
| second shot struck about 800 yards
before reaching the ship, and the rico
| chet 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 ship
at the water line. The second gun was
| depressed trifie too much. SO we got
cut of the James with only a scare.
But L here remark that it took more
nerve TO look out of my state-room
window through good fieldglass, by
means of which could see the season
cracks in the flagstaff and the rope.
ard into the dark hole in the muzzle
Of the cannon, and see it belch 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
enemy's fire at much shorter range.
Our next trouble was seasickness.
The men in the hold were as helpless
as babies. and were desperately seasiclS
for a day and a half We passed
through gale off Cape Hatteras
where the ship was lost after the war
When we got near Florida the hea,
became oppressive, and the men below
would climb to the deck and I'D 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
a 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 l never heard a man
squall as he did. He was generally 4
mild-mannered man. but he then
looked like hungry lion let out of hi,
cage. He ordered the men down out
of the rigging and below, with a voice
that made them all skin down like SC
many scared cats. Then he sent a mar
to the cabin to tell Gen. Williams Il
come on deck at once. The Genera
was stiff West Pointer, and resented
the impertinence, as he thought it. Be
ing In the cabin, he had not realized ths
danger. He replied "Tell Capt. -
II he wants to see me to come TO ths
"Tell Gen. Williams to report to me OF
deck at once or I'll put him in irons.
Williams came on deck looking like 3
thundercloud, and demanded of the
Captain: what do you mean. sir?
am in command of this expedition.
"Yes, sir" said the Captain. you ar,
In command of this expedition. Yor
can order me to any port In the worlt
and will so, but you can't tell me how
to trim my ship while l am going Ii
that l outrank you, SIR. Now, put your
men below at once"
One of the staff, who had been or
deck and knew the danger, stepped III
and told the General the danger, anf
he somewhat reluctantly allowed tb.
Captain to outrank him. The men wen
below. Then the Captain called all th,
company officers together and made thi.
little speech: Gentlemen, we are II
great danger of capsizing, and in {
rough sea we could not avoid it. NJ
coal is we'll consumed, which makes m,
short of ballast. Should this ship b,
disabled. no ten ships IN the world, Il
they should all appear at once, coult
relieve It. AS the blockade has driver
off the ships, 1t is not likely we would
see a ship in six months. In case Of dis
aster, l and my sailors will take to tn,
rowboats, while you all go down witt
the ship. Now, you must keep your
men below till We land"
Then some company captain spoke up
saying 1t would kill the men to confin,
them below, and that there must b,
some relief, or the ship might as wei
sink. The ships captain said: "Pasl
down this rear stairway; stay as Ion.
as you can; then go up the forward
stairway and pass over the deck bacl
to the rear" This was done, and Their,
was solid stream of men thus passin.
till we landed on the island next fore
noon.
When we landed we found the Tween
ty-sixth Massachusetts, who had beer
on the island several weeks, and hat
| heen on half rationS for the LAST sever