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

Wisconsin, Sixth Michigan and Twen-
ty-irst Indiana and a battery were 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 were so crowded that
1t took me half 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 rified
battery on Sewell's Point, on the south
side of the James River. This battery
took several shots ar the steamer on
her way to the landing and got her
range.
AS we started for sea we all knew
we would be shot at again, with
strong probability that some Of us
would be hit. But our pilot played it
OH the Johnnies thua: He took up a
moderate, steady speed, so the John
lues 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 all
the second and third loading and firing
fell behind the ship; but the first shot
passed over Col. Payne's (Fourth Wis
COnSin) head, who was standing on the
bridge between the warehouses. The
second shot struck about 300 yards
before reaching the ship, and the rico
chet sent the ball over the deck. Gen.
Phelps (the old Connecticut Abolition
iSt) said If the muZZle 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 a trifle too much. So we got
out of the James with only scare
But | here remark that it took more
nerve to look out Of my state-room
window through a good fieldglass, by
means of which I could see the season
cracks in the Flagstaff and the rope,
and into the dark hole in the muzzle
OF the cannon, and see it belch out the
great cloud Of white smoke, thereby
1.r0XxiJr hn hn11 9
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 seasick
for a day and half We passed
through a gale off Cape Hatteras,
where the ship was lost after the war.
When we got near Florida the hear,
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
till 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
lis on deck were thrown on our knees.
l was standing within ten feet of the
captain, and l never heard man
SQuall as he did. He was generally Il
mild-manTered man, but he then
looked like hungry lion let out of his
cage. He ordered the men down out
of the rigging and below, with a voice
that made them all skin down like so
many scared cats. Then he sent 4 man
to the cabin to tell Gen. Williams to
come on deck at once. The General
was a 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. -
II he wants to see me to come to the
cabin" The Captain sent word back
Tell Gen. Williams to report to me on
deck at once or I'll put him in irons"
Williams came on deck looking like a
thunderclOud. and demanded of the
Captain: what do you mean, sir? l
am 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 l will go, but you can't tell me how
to trim my ship while / am going In
that outrank you, SIR. Now, put your
men below at once"
One of the staff, who had been on
deck and knew the danger, stepped I'D
and told the General the danger, and
he somewhat reluctantly allowed the
Captain to outrank him. The men went
below. Then the Captain called all the
company officers together and made this
little speech: Gentlemen, we are in
great danger of capsizing, and in
rough sea we could not avoid it. My
coal is well consumed, which makes me
short of ballast. Should this ship be
disabled, no ten ships IN the world If
they should all appear at once, could
relieve it. AS the blockade has driven
off tha ShiDS II is not likely we would