The National tribune., 1907-06-06
EXPERIENCES OF A CORPORAL.
He Goes to Gen. Johnston's Tent and
Counts His Arsy.

~ ~. IN -ubii w is.
Second Division. Thirteenth Corps.
Early in the Spring of 1863 our di-
vision received orders from Gen. Scho-
field to report to Gen u. S. Grant,
near Vicks5urg, Miss. We had been
marching over Missouri and Arkansas
all Winter, chasing Marmaduke. Hind
man, Van Dorm and Price when they
were not chasing US. ana now to have
n chance to ride on fiat cars and on
the deck of a Mississippi steamer was
relief and a novel experience to many
| of our men. When we received the
marching order VIC were al Ozark. Mo.
IL miles south from Springfield. We
followed the GLADDEN. Valley road by
salem, Lake Springs, etc. / give the
road for the benefit of any old COM
rade who may be familiar with the
route.
| During the years of 1S62-'3-'4 there
was always something to do for the
man who cared to be busy, and as I
never liked disciplining any too well
| always managed 10 b. detailed for
scouting or any duty that would take
me away from Captains, Lieutenants
and danger generally, and especially if
there was any shooting going on. The
| day before we broke camp on this oc-
casion L went TO Col. Bertrams head
quarters and gained permission to be
our extreme advance guard for the
hole distance of 120 miles to Rolla,
and he gave me an order ''To whom
| it concerned to furnish the men for
| the guard. There was much to be
| done on short notice-the men to de-
| tail. rations to draw. ammunition to
collect and some cooking to be done.
Nearly half the night was spent in
| preparation for the march the follow
| ing mnrnin~ The n PnlIo
cupied eight days. Rolla at that time
was the western terminus of what is
now the southern Pacific Railroad.
| Here we loaded our camp equipage on
| Hat cars. and started for st. Louis.
where we were hustled aboard the
steamer War Eagle to sail for Vicks-
burg. We landed at Miliiken's Bend
and marched across Young's Point. re-
embarked on board the steamer Ruth,
crost the river to Warrenton, where
our regiment took its position in line
of battle to help drive Gen. Pember-
toms forces into the trenches at Vicks-
burg or get whipt, and that was a trick
| hard to play on the goth Wis. The
| diminishing lasted four days, when the
rebels gave way. falling back into the
| trenches in and about the seven hills
| of Vicksburg
Our brigade. composed OF the Goth
| Wis, 10Th Iowa, Gath ILL., and two six
gun batteries. took position on the ex-
| IRENE Left of the line, and our regi-
ment wa on the right OF the brigade.
On the night of June 5, 1868, our Or
derby Sergeant came to me with an
order from Col Bertram to pick out 10
good men and three Corporals and re-
port at brigade headquarters. When
we reported the Colonel said there was
a gap between the 18th Iowa and the
river that he wanted we'll guarded, and
hn n ,at ant 70 Iof h--ny rcl-
rat out or in. We went there with the
intention of obeying orders, but about
| 3 o'clock in the morning man came
out. When one of our men, Gibbons,
stopt him he attempted 10 swallow
something. which Gibbons made him
cough up and which proved to be
small silver ball that separated in the
middle, and in the ball was a dispatch
from Gen. Pemberton to Gen. john
ston which read something like this:
.'Vicksburg, Miss, June 4, 1863.
ITO Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, COM
manding G. S. Forces on the Big
Black. Mississippi.
General: Please send by bearer all
the percussion caps you can spare. We
are short on caps.
Gen. Pemberton, commanding c. 8.
Forces, Vicksburg, Miss
1 took the prisoner to brigade head
him and the dispatch to division head
quarters. Here 1 was ordered out on
the Jackson road to Gen. Grants quar-
tiers, nearly six miles distant, which I
did not reach until 1 o'clock. The
news of the capture and the dispatch
had been DISGUST at headquarters long
before 1 reached there with the pris-
oner. who. by the way, had given his
name as James Williams. of Co. 4, 18th
Ga After he had been questioned
sharply by Gen. Dana it was decided
to send me with the dispatch to john
ston's camp, and learn how many men
he had, etc.
When 1 had donned the rebel uni
form and received my orders to report
to Johnston l was sure that if "O;d
Vick' had never been founded I should
have been much easier in my mind. /
had an order from Pem5erton to pass
all Confederate guards and similar
one from Gen. Grant, but which, after
had past our lines. 1 was obliged to
destroy; while on my way back with
a rebel uniform on I had to get rid of
Pemberton's order, so that my home
coming was not SO easy. After passing
our lines L gave up the horse to one
of the 4th Wis. Cav. and started on
foot, with my heart in my mouth, to
call on Gen Johnston, eight miles
away, and this is where my troubles
iedlly beSdH 1t vas iiOtCSoT.iE " So
clear around to the rear CT Johnston's
forces and come in thru his entire COM
mand in order to count his men, and
to do this 1 had to make a detour OF
five or six miles to get clear of his
pickets and scouts or be picked, and
| wanted to be in position TO be taken
the whole length of the rebel command
After leaving the road the country was
one almost impossible jungle of cane
bralles-the kind from which fish-poleS
are made-and growing so close to-
gether that a bird could not fly thru
1t was dark when l reached the river
and L swan across to a road along the
other side. This road l vowed not to
leave if 1 met the whole rebel army.
1 followed the road down the river
until 1 came to another road leading
away from the river. where L found.
as l had feared, squad Of the enemy's
cavalry. l was commanded to halt ana
the officer in charge questioned me.
whereupon / told him 1 had news from
VickSburg and dispatch for Cen
Johnston. He ordered one of his men
to bring two horses, ard after l had
been searched for arms was sent on
my way to headquarters. When the
General read the dispatch he did some
cussing about Pemberton's stupidity.
and then asked me if l had had any
supper I told him 1 hal not. and he
said: You lie down here, then, and l
will have my hoy bring Won sonnet hing.