Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-05-04

After the battle of Mechanicsvine.
May 2S 1862, Cowan's First New York
Independent Battery, with the Sixth
Army Corps, crossed the Chickahominy
river over the Grape Vine Bridge.
which derived its name from the fact
of its being so crooked AS l recollect
1t now, rail fence was straight as
striug when compared with IT, Our en-
gineer built it in a hurry and the usual
laws followed in such work when time
was abundant were neglected in this
case and the bridge put together as
soon as possible. Instead of cutting
ost- a straight passage through the
trees, they went around them here and
there "tUs save time and labor. The
Chickahominy river at this time had
overlooked its banks and had. 10 some
extent, risen to the dignity OF a river,
on account of the spring rains. but usu-
ally it was a very sluggish, dirty. mar
row and shallow stream, and in Mlchi-
gan it would never acquire a title above
a brook. But We crossed it, and | re-
member lis swaying back and forth
making me quite nervous aud of my
calculating how deep il was and my
chances of swimming to shore in case
the bridge collapsed. On the other side
we went into camp near Seven Pines or
Fair Oaks, our right resting on the
Chtckahominy and our left extending
toward Seven Pines. The infantry
threw up rifle pits and constructed
redoubt for our six guns into which
we were placed after we got rested
felt quite at home, and for n week or
two we had an easy time, On Sunday
morning we heard the church bells In
Richmond, and this made me homeSick,
as my, mind went back TO Gods country
and the times | had answered TO the
call Of the church bells in my own be
loved city Of Auburn. | was young,
tender, and my experience was brief
so far ii had not been much more than
pleasant summer outing; we had
been through a little brush at York
town and a little more at Williams
burg, but we had not stripped to the
waist yet and begun to deal our sledge-
hammer blows upon the Confederacy as
we did later on. never got home
sick after that, but | have seen men
who died from the effects OF home
sickness, pure and simple, while never
was affected, and since then ! have
wondered why | was not | used to
reason TO myself that IL was no use
| could not get away; | was in for
three years unless shot i was mt the
front and had q duty to perform, and
never tried to evade it. l felt per
fectly resigned; | had raised my right
hand and sworn to protect the govern
ment to the extent of my ability. With
me there was a principle, young as /
was. | had inherited the spirit from
my ancestors that it was the duty Of
every American citizen to fight for his
government The fight was on and
following my convictions, / was in ii,
and never, from the time OF my enlist
Sent until my discharge. which was
three years TO "A day, did ever seri-
ously contemplate leaving the army by
French furlough or otherwise. | am
satisfied now that was imbued with
spirit that possessed very large
number Of my comrades and ii was
such men who were mainly responsible
for the field yalor. ! am not posing
az AN example; | merely maintain It
as a fact | thought nothing Of it at
the time and supposed everyone else
thought just as | did, or else they
would not have been there | might
say that our battery was at the front
from the first to the last day, and par
ticipated in thrty-one engagements.
Some may think | say 1t for a brag,
but that would not make 1t So because
ii Is Il fact and there Is no brag IN
the simple trith. Others did as good
and many id better; we simply did
our DIZZY to the best of our ability aud
feel broud Of our record. C. II. Gates