The National tribune., 1906-12-20
HAZEN'S MIDNIGHT EXCURSION.
Some Memories of the Siege of Chntta-
nOOga.

Editor National Tribune: HAVING
served in the Army of the Cumberland
from its organization in the Fall Of 1862
| until after the battle of Lookout Noun
tain and Mission Ridge. also having
participated in every battle fought by
the Fourteenth Corps Of that army.
wish to correct or, rather, add a littla
| to Comrade McEiroys history OF the
| Army of the Cumberland In The Ma
| tional Tribune of Nov. Is, as to HaZen' :
| midnight excursion. while you commend
that gallant old Colonel, r. Il. Stanlcv,
| very highly, you do not mention his
regiment. the 18th Ohio. This regiment.
or a portion of it, manned number of
| those boats. Each boat was manned b.
four privates in charge of a Corporal.
l had the distinguished honor of being
a Corporal and in command of the third
| Dontoon. My coxswain's name was Jas.
ID. Gardiner, who met with an accident
while we We're hugging the shore oppo-
| site the rebel batteries and pickets
which lined the southwest shore of the
river. He stood up in the boat in order
to see over his comrades and not lose
sight of the boat in his immediate front.
While in this position we passed under
a long sycamore limb which was jli Il
high enough above the water to miss
those of us who were sitting down. Il
caught Comrade Gardiner q little below
boat. He luckily caught the limb as he
fell. which kept his head above the
water. While in that position he dill
not forget our strict orders not to speak
above n whisper while running tho
blockade. He was rescued from his
rerilous situation by comrades in the
boat following. There was no further
accident on the trip until we landed ar
Browns Ferry, where the first and sec.
ond boats had two or three wounded.
About two weeks before this Lieut..
Charles Grant. of Co. d, 18th Ohio, with
a crew of Is members of Co. u, 18th
Ohio, on a dark night ran the small
stern-wheel steamer Paint Rock past
Lookout Mountain without any casualty
or accident except the cutting of a small
steam pipe. This boat was used on the
river between Bridgeport and Kelley's
Landing. / am sure this boat was used
on the river before the new boat of
which Comrade McElroy speaks was
constructed. The Paint Rock, a stern>
wheel steamer, and the Dunbar. n side
wheel. We're captured Ey Gen. WildeI' J
Brigade at the time Chattanooga was
captured, before the battle of Chcka-
mauga was fought. The Dunbar was
not used by the army until during the
battle of Lookout Mountain and Mission
Ridge, at which time It was used in
transporting Shermans troops across
the river above the town. My regiment
was camped during the siege near the
foot of Main street and on the east side
of the street and about 500 feet from
the steamboat landing We had charge
of the ferryboat, running it for three or
four weeks with oars. One day during
| that time had charge of the flatboat,
assisted by four comrades of Co. d, 18th
Ohio. while transporting what was CALI
ed fresh beef; it was little more than a
| stack of bones. We also had a few
| boxes of crackers. One of these was
sure to slip out of one of the comrades
| hands, and if it was not broken open IN
| the fall it was no fault of the comrade.
| This craft had false floor, and before
| leaving the boat after dark when we
| quit work we never failed to look and
see If anything had & ,cumulated under
| the false floor. 1t is hardly necessary
to say we were generally successful in
| finding something that was relished by
ourselves and starving comrades in Co.
d. About noon of this day. while we
| were on the opposite side of the river
| from the town, / was hailed from the
| city side by the leader of six or eight
men TO bring the boat to the south side
and convey them across the river. This
man was Gen. u. S. Grant, the silent
man. lost no time in obeying the or
der.-C. NJ. Heaton, Co. d, 18th Ohio,
Lincoln, Kan