Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-11

l COMPANY n was assigned 10 orr Sl0Can0.
| May Y we were removed to Fort Thayer
| and June 8 to Slocum again. June Is we
| went to Fort Bunker Hill. July we were
| sent to Fort Stevens. where we remained
| until the 31st, after which we were assigned
| to Fort Saratoga until our return to Ohio.
August IL
"A common soldier is expected to know
| little more than he sees so our first init
| nations that we were likely to have a
chance to fight came from the passing Of
cavalry scouts northward July 0. Singulary
enough some of these cavalrymen were led
by Gen A. B. Nettleton, afterward an
| assistant secretary of the treasury, who
had once been orderly sergeant of Com
pany X.
AS these are intended to be personal
"reminiscences details of the general move
| ments of July II and 10 will not be at
tempted Sunday. the 10TH about noon. the
Black Horse Cavalry escort Of the Presi-
| gent dashed up to our postern. Lincoln
! hastily left his barouche. entered the fort
and passing from gun to gun. looked out
upon the field it covered. In his long yell
| iowish linen coat and unbrushed high hat
Ne looked like a care-worn farmer in time
of peril from drouth and famine
| Company X was put in line to salute
MIN as he passed out. His hat was drawn
down upon his ear in recognition. but he
was too anxious to smile at the men.
In the evening of that hot Sunday we
| took 1t kindly to be moved from our DO ard
bottomed hunks in the barracks to bed on
the grass in the fort.
Battle Opens.
when the morning of Monday the 18th,
dawned bright and hot we in the fort
seemed to be waiting round until 10
O'Clock, then came the excitement of battle
The commandant of the fort. standing on
the lookout, called loudly Charge the
guns Pointing up the turnpike he added,
See that cloud of dust. The enemy will
De down upon us in half an hour
mere was scurrying to the magazines
with a confusion of calls. L want sh ell;'
'4-pound:' S0pound;' want solid shot
etc.
This was the hour when the Confederate
general. Jubal Early. disclosed a force on
the 18th street road the Lay or Car
berry house. quite within the range of our
guns. This was. as we learned. Rodes'
division of infantry flanked by cavalry.
Early, it Is said. rode in the front. saw the
fort, and ordered ROdes to advance and
take It, When the guns were charged we
had time to pckets in the distance
firing and falling back. For some of us
this was the first powder we had seen
burned in battle.
Wagons loaded with house furniture
chicken coops and excited women, were
coming within the lines. Some of our boys
with torches stood beside houses near the
fort to burn them in case of the enemy's
near approach. Some of picket men
came into the defenses and were assigned
places at guns. but they were not all there.
ut was asked. Where is Bedient and
Hudson. Leach? All. Leach was wounded
We got him up behind a calvaryman who
carried him to Fort Slocum Leach died
the 18th. There had been talk among us
about a ehance to so to the front, but now
the front had come to us.
Defense Inadequate.
1--WE were conscious that our deefnse
was Inadequate We knew little Of the re-
Inducements that were center!ng In upon
We did not know that Wright and
Emory were at hand with their tried
veterans. Like Elisha's frightened servant.
our surprised eyes were soon opened to see
men filing the breastworks that united
the forts and forming for advances upon
the rebels.
Word came from tt, skrmish line that
ammunition was needed. An old buggy
was loaded Four men were to push it
down the pike past the old tollgate house.
This was exposure to which few men in
that action were called With sad appre-
hension l read off the detail, Morgan, Todd
van Antwerp, and another who cannot be
recalled. George X. Nash. late governor
of Ohio for two terms, told me not long
since that he drew a big breath of re-
lief when l stopped reading, for the next
name his. The boys came back I'M
scathed. but that buggy ridd.el, bed
AID spokes.
During the battle was in command
of a gun at the angle between the old
and new parts of the fort.
In connection with the separating wall
of the parts was a lookout. joined to the
wall on its west side and to the parapet
on the north or front. 4 small group Of
persons stood upon this lookout, which
was about ten feet from gun and per-
haps eight feet above it. The central figure
President Lincoln. Near the President
uniformed man whom we aftcrward
learned was an army surgeon. The party
were looking out upon the BATTLEFIELD /. Min
lie balls were singing about us.
Surgeon Wounded
''Be dent, hot with excitement, had just
come in from the picket lire with bullet
hole in his hat. Scarce knowing what he
said he called out: President Lincoln, you
had better come down; the rebels will
shoot you few minutes later l saw
the surgeon fall Thy picked him up.
and drew up his trousers. could see the
blood flowing from the calf of his leg.
Those upon the lookout hurried down and
disappeared.
This casualty seems to have occurred
in the early afternoon of the 11th. Some
of our boys who brought in prisoners sa d
the captured men told them Line DIN was
seen from the cupola of a house, was
recognized and fired at He may have
been seen through field glass ana recog
nizad account of his stature and peculiar
fo.m.
About O'Clock in the afternoon of
the 12th we were told to fire five rounds
from the fort mostly at two houses. the
Carberry, or Lay. the west and the
Reeves on the east OF the turnpike. about
three fourths of mile from the fort. For
some time before the firing move
ment of troops in the grove to the north
cast-Officers dismounted and men hidden
mostly by the shrubbery. 1t was at the
time When Bidwells detachment OF the
9th Corps was ordered to move toward the
rebel lines.
soon our lines of men drew out to the
open and crept along the slope north
westward and lay upon the ground. Fhe
time had come for volleys. shak-
ing roar went up from Fort Stevens. and
also from Slocum on the east and DaRussy
on the west Shell and shot flew over the
heads of the PROSTATE men of our battle
line.
Enemy In Disorder.
The Lay house was soon in flames. The
forces of the enemy masSed benlnd 1t
were seen scattering in disorder into the
open field beyond The 9th Corps men
sprang to their feet, and in orderly ranks
loaded and fired they charged upon the
rebel line. The musketry continued until
after nightfall.
In the darkness l went to the barracks
in the rear of the fort. Ambulances were
coming in A man limping out of one
of them. I gave him my shoulder to help
him down. AS came into better light
I noted that his uniform was sray. He