The National tribune., 1911-02-02
sTORMING THE FORT.
The 3Oth Ohio Led the Charge, and
Bully Jack Climbed Up and Placed
the HEADQUARTERS Flag.

Editor National Tribune: On the
evening of May 81. 1863, my regiment,
the Goth Ohio, was lying close to the
road leading from Jackson, Miss, to
Vicksburg. AS 1 happened to be be-
hind Gen. Ewing's headquarters, my at
tention was called in that direction by
seeing all the regimental officers going
to Hugh Ewing's tent. l slipped as
close to the tent as l could, and there
overheard the following conversation
and the order given by Gen. Grant that
a storming party was to be organized,
one man from each company out of the
whole division, and these to be volun-
teers, who should carry timbers and
boards to build bridge across the deep
and wide ditch in front of the fort.
This storming party was to go GER
tain distance in advance of the assault
ing column and that the order was to
go into Vicksburg, and If every man
in the first four regiments was cut
down the goth Ohio was to lead the
charge. Now you can clearly see what
feeling came over me at that moment.
| went back to my company and that
night told my messmate, Conrad Rehs,
what l had overheard. He made only
light of it and went to sleep, but the
next morning when the order came for
volunteers he began to feel somewhat
different Co. A, of which | was a
member, did not give us a chance to
volunteer but the Orderly Sergeant
came along and detailed me for that
purpose. When 1 asked him why Co.
A did not give the boys q chance to
volunteer, he simply told me that it was
the order of Capt, Thomas Hayes to
detail me and for me to take my gun,
haversack and canteen and report to
division headquarters. /
Seeing there was nothing else to do.
I started for the CAPTAINS quarters to
find out the cause why heJ made that
order. He told me that 1 was his
self and Capt Hayes not being on very
friendly terms. I took 1T for granted
that it was his Opportunity to get re-
venge on me. / told him SO, but he
reached out his hand and asked me to
be friends, for he might get killed and
might come out safe. My messmate
also shook hands with me and gave
me instructions what to do in case any
thing should happen.
l reported to division headquarters
as / was ordered, and there we were
organized into battalion, with Capt.
j. III. Grove and Lieut.. e. o. Neal, both
of the goth Ohio. in command. We re-
received the same instructions as l had
overheard them the evening before. We
were given our division headquarters
flag, which was carried by one known
as Bully Jack, of the 4th w. Va, which
regiment belonged to our brigade. We
were then marched to a pile of lum-
Der which had been hauled there dur
ing the night At the hour appointed,
which was Is minutes before 10 a. m.
we were ordered for two men to pick
up a scantling or a board and then
run as fast as we could to the fort
and build the bridge Of which I had
heard the evening before
At 10 a. m the charge was made,
with the Goth Ohio in the lead. The
storming party gained their destina-
ton. Bully Jack climbed up on the
side of the fort and there planted the
headquarters flag of the Second Divi-
sion, Fifteenth Corps, which flag re-
manned there during the whole day; and
no other flag was ever planted on that
fort and on that day. The charging
column could not stand that awful cross
fire from all sides, and fell back and
formed line behind a little ridge and
then opened fire on the fort to keep
the rebels from coming out and TAX
ing the storming party prisoners.
We, the storming party, lay In that
ditch from 10 a. m. until night came
on, when we could crawl out one or two
at time; and when the rebels would
hear any brush crack they would fire
volley in that direction. There Were
some of the storming party killed while
we were hanging against the fort by
our own men, SO we had to drop down
| into the ditch. In the afternoon the
rebels made it somewhat lively for US
| in the ditch. They would place CAP
shells on top of the fort and roll them
down among us. when some would ex-
plode. L never ascertained the number
of the storming party that got killed
and wounded. The 30th Ohio was In
the lead in that charge, and suffered
greater loss than any other regiment
and Co. A, being the advance company
lost more in killed and wounded than
any of the balance. My poor mess
mate, Conrad Rehs,. Capt. Thomas
Hayes and 10 others Of my company
were. killed on that fated day, May %
1863, and L doubt It ever any regiment
in the whole war was in q more dan.
gerous place than the goth Ohio. Let
the 18th Mich. 10th iowa, sth Wis. and
45th ILL., claim whatever they will. but
these are facts. Let them look uI
history and not shoot offs at random
and try to get glory when none is due
tI'~--'.-' r1r"'- "chaniuch, Go. A, 30tf
<nh.o h,bJon6 w, tB 81