The Red Cloud chief., 1913-03-20
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ACROSS THE CATAWBA RIVER
Sixty.Nlnth ohio Regiment Had
Rough Time Negotiating Stream
Hot SkIrmIsh win Enemy.

Comrade Samuel Bright few weeks
ago wrote about the night we cross
ed the Catawba." and said that who
ever was there would remember 1t. ]
remember; was there. The Second
brigade. First division, Fourteenth
corps, were there. nearly a week be.
fore we were able to cross. Owing
TO the heavy rains. our brigade had
charge Of the pontoons belonging to
the left wing Of the army Our regi.
ment, the Sixty.ninth Ohio, did not
do much OF the work on the bridge:
that was done by the Fifty-eighth
Indiana. and Twenty.third and Nine
teenth Michigan. writes o. p. Pauld.
Ing of Santa Maria. Cal. in the Ma.
Aional Tribune.
We had no cable that would hold
the pontoons. so we put down trees
and trimmed of the tops and left the
limbs sticking out about foot or
imore. To these logs we tied stones
and ropes. and took them out in the
lstream above the place where the
bridge was to be placed, and dropped
ls~AeAh AhSo Sho okicouI, shSs
rerved az anchors-at least some Of
them did. Some failed to stick on the
bottom. and the least pull would move
them. We were much hampered from
the want Of rope; we used all the stay
chains on the wagons. We finally got
enough to stick and hold the pontoons
20 the army could cross.
The bridge broke several times, but
finally all had crossed except our reg.
tment. Just before the bridge was
taken up we were sent out on the
Bkirmish line. There were only about
30 Of us on the Johnny side Of the
river. We were strung along In squads
of from two to ten over . front OF q
third Of a mile, and onehalf mile
back from the river. The adjutant
general Of the division. Capt. Smith.
Iof whom 1t can be we'll said there
never was better man, inspected
the line and gave each man q word
of cheer. Did we need II? Well. yes
While the captain was talking to the
two of US, who were behind an old
fireplace. we could see Buffers brig
,ade Of cavalry. with part Of Wheel
er's and Hampton's troops. form In
line not over three-Quarters Of mile
from US. They sent out line Of not
less than 300 men as skirmishers.
There we're two small ravines be
tween US and the enemy. and soon We
saw the enemy disappear in the farth
,est ravine. but only for q minute;
then they ran to the second ravine
After waiting awhile on they came
We fred on them. and they went bacl
TO the ravine, but soon they came
again. They got the second fire. bu
kept on coming. A part Of our lint
fell back to where It was not 30 open
we held our new position. and ex
changed shots with them for quite
awhile. A part of the rebs got int,
two small log houses and used theu
las works. but Battery C. First Illinois
from across the river. soon scattered
the logs and rebs. Firing ceased abou
mine o'clock, and we spent the rest o
tho time badgering our foe, till at mid
night the bugle blew the assembly
Never did It sound quite so sweet
After waiting some ten minutes ever.
man for himself stole away quietly L
the river. where we found the pou
ton boats. Some of them move,
along the bank in charge of one maj
each. without oars or poles. We 90
into the boats, stripped OF our shoe
and coats and pulled out into tn
streams. using our gun stocks as pad
dies. It was perilous ride. wa
In the boat farthest upstream. an
we landed $50 yards below where tn
lantern was placed to guard us. Sc,
,eral Of the boats came near goin
over the falls. and had they done 9
,all would have been lost. Our onl
casualty was Sergeant Tom Adam
of Compay A, shot through the righ
arm. The crossing was made at Rock
Mt p. o.