Connecticut western news., 1911-06-15
WAR "REMINISCENCES
COMRADE ROBERTS TELLS
 OF COL. KELL0GG'S ARREST
Had 0-d Certain Officers for Slight to Himself, and Went to Guard House How Rodemeyer Disarmed the Fencing Captain.


 Comrades: In my last article gave you something of a description of Fort Worth and some of the methods of punishing refractory boys, which was not an unusual occurrence.
 This Fort is about twelve rods square and was one of six forts immediately de- lending Alexandria. viz, Forts Ward, Worth, Ellsworth, Lyon and Red nubts A, B, O and D. These were connected by rife pits following the highest grounds in the vicinity and were all we'll armed with guns of various caliber, some riAed Rodmans, Parrots, (the latter 100 pound ers) breech loading Whitworths, which it was claimed had range of eight miles heavy 13-inoh, and s-inch iron mortars brass cohorn mortars, and it was your duty to know the nomenclature of every piece, to know how to handle in every possible way, to maneuver, to dismouut and remount, load aud fire to disable, etc.
 You were as thoroughly drilled in Artillery as you were in Infantry. And in these respects you were second tb no regiment ill the army. You had to do with she building of these forts. You twill remember the timbers that were sawed out by hand by means of the tim bers being placed over pit; two Com- rades drew the saw up, and two were in the pit to draw it down. You saw tim bers 15 inches square and 30 to 40 it. long put into bombproofs and magazines, that constituted the roofs of these. which were then covered by five or six feet of earth, which was considered ample protection from the enemy's shot and shell. You will remember the days that large details were sent up to Fort Ward to hurry its completion as first class defence.
 This was all fitting you as being worthy to wear red. You will remember that officers from Washington inspected your Regiment and went back to Washington and gave such glowing account of the old 18th that it was rumored that we were to be raised to maximum Artillery regiment. The pot was kept boiling by Lieutenant Colonel Kellogg, who was practically the commander of the Regi- ment.
 An incident arose in the spring of 1868 that appeared as though it would end Lieutenant Colonel Kellogg's military curreer. An election was soon to be held il Connecticut for the choice of gover- nor, and fearful that the election might go wrong a committee from Connecticut came to your regiment to see about n de- tail of comrades to go to Connecticut to vote. This committee ignored Lieuten- ant Colonel Kellogg, and went to Colonel Wessells and Major Smith. which so in- censed Kellogg that he d-d some officers and left for Connections. You will TO- member that he was almost constantly in command of the Regiment and he felt that he should have been consulted as to the detailing of about 100 men to be sent home to vote.
 You can imagine that the air was blue just before Colonel Kellogg assaulted Major Smith and took French leave for ] Connecticut. and of his subsequent ar- rest and return to the regiment. And you saw him as he rode into camp frotn Fort Ward that afternoon in the latter part of April. How the boys swarmed around him, grasping him by the hauds, arms and legs-and such yelling und cheering him And he sat on his horse with the tears streaming down his cheeks and couldn't speak mord. No man was ever more idolized than Lieu tenant Colonel Kellogg. He was kept under arrest in his quarters for about one month, during which time mammoth petition. signed by nearly the whole rank and file of :. the regiment went np to Washington asking that Colonel Kellogg be released aud put in command of the regiment, which was done early in May, and he kept his command till he was laid low at Gold Harber.
 You will remember that Lieuten mt James N. Coe was placed under arr'st because he allowed a squad of men un- der his command to salute Colonel K l- logg, while he (Kellogg) was under arrest. Such was military etiquette.
 Soon after Colonel Kellogg assumed command the regiment was separated into, garrisons, and Companies A N ent to redoubt A; Cos. B, F, and G went tJ Fsrt Ellsworth. The other companies garrisoned Redoubts B co and D. These redoubts were three or four gun Batter ies below Fort Lyon which guarded the lower side of Alexandria and its np- breaches up the Potomac River, as , ell as by land.