Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-08-10

stairway and pass over the deck back
to the rear" This was done, and there
was solid stream of men thus passing
till we landed on the island next fore
noon.
When we landed we found the Twen-
ty-sixth Massachusetts, who had been
on the island several weeks, and had
been on half rations for the last seven
days; but they We're so glad to see us
they divided rations with us. Before
our rations could be got to shore there
| came up a terrible storm, which kept
the sea so rough for two days that
nothing could be taken off. That made
three days fasting for me, for the ship
didn't feed us after they got in sight
Of the landing. Hunger was no name
for u.s. The storm was in the night
and l thought the waves would sweep
us from the island, which is turtle
back Of sand. / stood out in the rain
and braced against my tent to hold 1t
against the wind. Tents were down
everywhere, and we could see the men
by the lightning's flashes working to
save and to mend the situation. Our
Lieutenant Colonel came along and
asked me in an excited voice: Gap
TAIN what do you think of this storm"
II think it is darned big one" said
I, holding onto my tent post. Captain,
this is q serious matter, and l don't
want an impertinent answer / want
to know what to do with my men,"
| q rA;J G1,al- i,ry
against the wind. It seemed as if the
wind would never stop. That night the
Colonel, the Captain and big SAM"
all of the Twenty first Indiana, went on
board of one of the ships to get a good
supper. The storm caught them, and
in attempting to reach the shore they
were obliged to climb into an old river
steamer called The Lewis, which had
been captured and recaptured so many
times that the deck was splintered by
shots. 1t was the only craft they could
climb into without help from the deck.
Being top-heavy, it rocked like an over
crowded baby cradle. All the ships
about a dozen-dragged their anchors
and bumped against each other and
broke great holes in their sides.
big Sam was a bully, and whipped
all the men in the regiment who did not
run from him or beg his mercy but he
could not stand in line and take the
enemys fire. He was physical cow
ard, in short He only Of the three
could row the boat, and he jumped into
the yawl to get to shore. The Colonel
cooked his revolver, and with vehement
oaths ordered him to come back to the
steamer. The Chaplain, with hat in
hand raised toward the clouds, prayed
as never a preacher prayed as mere
formality. big Sam" returned for
them. 1t was fun to hear of this affair
as related by the sailors after the dan
ger was over. The Colonel's swearing
and the Chaplain's praying were heard
above the noise and roar of the wind,
waves and thunder. Wnen asked about
It weeks afterward the Chaplain got up
and walked off without answering.
The Fourteenth Maine had some
dozen men confined in the guard tent.
Lightning struck the center pole, and
others. The guard was pacing back and
forth before the tent, holding his gun
at a shoulder arms. The lightning
stroke bent his gun barrel into an OK
bow or capital y and threw 1t twenty
feet away, but did no damage to the
guard except to numb his right arm for
few hours
1t was hard to drive tent pins in this
sand, as it would compact under the
blow like stone, yet the f1utter Of the
tent fly would loosen them, pull them
out and flip them clear over the tent.
We had to take down and reset our
tents day and night when it was windy.
/ have found it blown through the key
hole into my trunk till it was piled
from the bottom up to the keyhole,
often containing over quart of sand.
In cooking and eating so much sand
would get into our grub that we got
enough into our craws to take New Or
leans. Graves that yesterday were ten
feet deep to-day would show the top
of the coffin box. 1t was tiresome drill
ING In such sand, and we were kept at
it. Gen. Butler was called 1.-THE Old
Picayune" by the troops because some
rebel papers captured from the coast
steamers called him "Picayune Butler"
after the negro song. When we later
occupied New Orleans the bands played
''Picayune Butler" at every dress parade
for a month.-Captain John T. Camp
bell, Soldiers Home, Lafayette, Ind, i'll
National Tribune.
Couldn't Wait for the Pictures.
General Grant records good story,
that used to amuse him greatly, of
certain rough carpenter who accompan-
led "Stonewall' Jackson in many of
his marches Once when the general
was making a rapid movement, he
came TO deep stream; the bridge had