Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-08-04

20 Oie rear ms was done. and there
was a solid stream of men thus passing
till We landed on the island next fore
noon.
When we landed we found the T,yen-
ty-sixth Massachusetts, who had been
on the island several weeks, and had
been on half ratious for the last seven
days; but they were so glad to see us
they divided ratlons with us. Before
our rations could be got to shore there
came up 4 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 shin
/ didn't feed us after they got in sight
Of the landing. Hunger was no name
for us. The storm was In the night,
and | thought the waves would svceD
us from the island which is a turtle
/ back OF sand. | stood out in the rain
and braced agar ( my tent TO hold II
against the wind Tents were down
everywhere, and We could see the men
by the lightning's flashes working 10
save and to mend the situation. Our
Lieutenant Colonel came along and
asked me in an excited voice. "Cap.
tain, what do YOU think Of this Storm"
Il think it is a darned big one" said
/, holding onto my tent post. Captain.
this Is serious matter, and | don't
want an impertinent answer. I want
to know what to do with my men.
| "Damti-no, said !, StiU huckng
/ 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 rcCaptured 50 many
times that the deck was Spintered by
shots. 1t was the only craft they could
climb into without help from the deck
Being top-heayy. 1t rocked like an over
crowded baby cradle All the ships
/ about a doZen--dragged their anchors
ana 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 cid not
run from him or beg his mercy but he
| could not stand In line and take the
enemy's itr" He was n physical cow
| ard, in short. He only Of the three
could row the boat, aud 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 a mer,
formality. big Sam" returned foI
them. 1t was fun to hear of this Attain
as related by the sailors after the dan
ger was over The Colonels swearing
and the Chaplains praying were heart
above the noise aud roar Of the wind
waves and thunder. When asked abou
It weeks afterward the Chaplain got ~
and walked off without answering
The Fourteenth Maine had som,
dozen men confined in the guard tent
Lightning struck the center pole. ant
killed seven Of them and Injured tn,
others. The guard was pacing back ant
! forth before the tent, holding his gun
at a shoulder arms The lightning
stroke bent his gun barrel into an OK.
bow or capital L aud threw II twenty
feet away. but did no damage to the
guard except to numb his right arm for
a few hours.
II was hard to drive tent pins In this
sand. as 1t would compact under the
blow Ike stone. yet the huttcr Of the
tent fly would loosen them, pun them
out and Zip them clear over the tent.
We had To- take down and reset our
tents day and night when It was windy.
have found 1t blown through the key
| hole into my truul. tin Il was piled
from the bottom an to the koyholo,
often containing over a quart Of sand
| In cooking and eating SO much sand
/ would get into our grub that we got
enough into orr craW- to take New or
/ leans. Graves That yesterday were ten
! feet deep Today would show the top
/ Of the collin box. II was tircsome drill.
/ ing iu such sand and We were kept at
/ IT, Gen. Butler was called 1.-THE Old
Plnayuue" by the troops, because some
rebel papers captured from tho coast
/ steamers can . him "Picayuue Butler"
after the negro song When We later