Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-25

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.>N CHA they he Of tho armies
f95 " love to retell the
stories of the days
~ tho sixties or marches and counter
marches against TIC capitals Of the d.
vided country. They tell II charges that
made the world stand agape. of nights
spent III the beating rain and snow ana
OF the fall Of sesed cities.
TIE veterans Of the two opposing armies
have the most profound respect Tor one
another and for their skill and gaiianty.
rs Decoration day draws near and the re-
united nation pa~Ises to pay its fun meas
ure Of respect to the heroes Of the con-
flct wher still in the land of the living.
ard to vreathe the graves Of the dead,
the pages Of time turn backward, and the
grizzled veterans recount the experiences
they underwent while younger genera
ton listens with deepening respect.
1t is a noticeable fact that in the last
few years the ranks of the veterans o.
the civil war in public life have been rap
idly thinning. In both the upper and low
or houses Of Congress they now number
about single score. whereas in days not
far distant they had almost majority
But the veterans are becoming weary, and
many retired from politics in both par
ties last election.
OF the survivors of the civil war now
in Congress It is noticeable that the ma
1ority of them saw service only in the
later battles of the conflict. This is 50
because they were too young to enlist
at the outbreak of hostilities and had to
wait the necessary year or two in order
10 be able to shoulder musket.
BY coincidence two men now
in the United States Senate took part
in the charges at the siege of Port Hud-
son. La. in 1863. They are Senators
Knute Nelson OF Minnesota and Francis
e. Warren of Wyoming In his pleasant
offices in the Senate office building. Sem
ator Nelson loves to recount his part in
the various battes.a and in his calm.
dispassionate manner he describes the
charge OF his regiment across the cane
field at Port Hudson and up to the
earthworks of the enemy until. wounded
within the enemy's lines, he was finally
taken prisoner.
my regiment. the 4th Wisconsin IN
fantry, had been altered to mounted in
fantry, although our arms had not been
C1angeQ. SAID SeHdIOr NciSOn, III COui.
plying with the request that he relate his
part in the charge. From Bayou Sara
We went southwark to join the forces
under Gen. Banks. who was closing in
upon Port Hudson. May q our regi-
ment was in Payne's division, and took
part in the attack. forcing our way
through the thick growths of timber. and
at a heavy loss holding our position well
toward the Confederate Gen. Gardeners
headquarters.
at was on the 14th of June, 1853, that
the charge in which I was wounded was
made Our regiment had been gradually
moved southwark. until It's position was
practically upon the Jackson road and
almost directly before Gen. Gardners
headquarters, about a mile distant.
across a canefield. Gen. Banks had been
crowded to make the attack. on account
OF the Confederate pressure from the OPP
posite banks of the Mississippi. which
under Gen. Taylor threatened our COM
munications from that direction, and be-
cause of the inroads being made upon
our men by disease and the bad water
Accordingly. early In the morning
Of the 18th a general movement was
ordered. preceded by a strong can
nonading. Payne's division. in which
my regiment was placed, had par
ticularly dangerous position, on ac-
count of being in an open plain, and
commanded by direct fire from the
strongest batteries of the Confeder-
ates. The advance was made in Skin
mish order, as the cannonade could DO
less damage to our men in that way.
My regiment. with the sth New
Hampshire, was sent ahead as the
skirmish line-there were about a
thousand men in the two regfments-
ii being the plan to follow up our
-,.h q ~ Dpyy a.
division. Through difficulties I have
never had explained Gen. Payne was
delayed for about fortyfve min
utes in starting the charge, SO that
and received no support in time to be
OF assistance TO US. The butchery was
terrific. practically none of our men
escaped being killed or wounded.
Through some fortune / escaped be-
Ing struck until ten yards from the
angle OF the outer Confederate rifle
pits. when singing pain told me
that / had been shot through the
thigh and so disabled that ] could not
arise from the ground. Lying there.
under the fire from both armies. with
the powder from the Confederate guns
almost reaching me. / could hear Gen.
PAYNE cheering his men on the delayed
attack Later. he was severely
wounded and his entire command
swept from before that fire.
"All day long In the sickening heat.
with the vapors from the damp ground
rising about me. | lay there. There
were four other fellows with me; two
were dead mortally wounded
and one unhurt. hut lying mighty still
10 avoid drawing the fire from the Con-
faderate rifemen. The water in my can
teen became exhausted, for some of IL
had 10 be taken To dampen my wound.
which Was very painful, the leg swelling
Ia twice its normal size. Although al
most dclirous. I felt that ! must not at
tempt to crawl toward our lines until
night should finally come, when ! might
be able To reach them in some way. l
was so near the Confederates that | could
easily hear them talking behind their
works. and discussing the repulse they
had given us.
when night finally came l attempted
10 crawl toward the Federals, but ran
right into a picket that had been sta
toned outside their works Almost be-
fore | knew IT, I was prisoner of war,
and had been hustled to the enemys hos
rital. an old building under the shadow
of a bluf in the village of Port Hudson.
There l was given the best surgical at
fention they could offer. fully as good as
their own men received and kept until
the fall OF the town. when l was re-
taken
"a.