The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-10-31
HIS FIRST TIME UNDER FIRE
Rather Hot Initiation Of New York
Boy at Batohelder's creek-car
rled Supplies 70 Front.

On February /, 1864, did my first
duty as a soldier, the detail being q
corporal and three men Of the 18th
N. Y. Cavalry in a swampy pine for
est bordering the Trent and Neuse
rivers in North Carolina The luties
OF the cavalry at that point-Batchel-
der's Creek, about nine miles from
Newbern-were OF the easiest kind,
writes Frank Salter OF Oak Hill.
Kan. in the National Tribune, At
night we were withdrawn to the east
side OF the creek leaving a corporal
and three infantrymen on the west
side OF the bridge-the planks OF
which were all removed save one
to give the alarm should the enemy
make his appearance,
The squad consisted Of about 30
men Of the 132nd N. Y. and the de-
tail Of cavalry already mentioned.
About 8 o'clock in the morning the
rebels came in in a hurry, and their
ear.splltting yell brought every man
to his post-30 men to 10000, and
only a narrow strip OF water be-
tween!
True, the creek was deep, the
banks steep and the night dark. I
have always felt surprised that the
rebels did not know OF some point
along the creek that would afford
easy passage. However, these few
men, strengthened by two or three
companies. held these thousands at
bay till the sun was many hours high.
Soon after daylight our captain ar
rived. and for a time we we're kept
waiting for orders about half a mile
in the rear OF the fighting, but the
hot work they were engaged in soon
exhausted their ammunition, and as
the enemy we're telling trees to effect
a passage 1t was not deemed wise to
drive an ammunition wagon nearer
the scene Of action, so about half
dozen OF US were detailed to carry
supplies to the front. AS each BOX
contained about 1000 cartridges, and
the sand was ankle-deep, It was no
light task, and my comrades fell be-
hind, some dropping their loads and
sitting on them as If the occasion was
not urgent.
l pushed ahead and soon came to
a bend in the road about so yards
from the bridge. AS turned into the
bend-my load was getting heavy-I
could see men on my right clinging
very close to the ground and facing
west, and on my left the branches
dropped from a grove OF saplings.
Strange sounds-"Zip," "zip"-struck
my ear, for it was my first time under
fire.
As I approached the breastworks
Lieutenant Zenetti of the 132nd walk.
ed from behind them and came to-
ward me, and when about three yards
separated us he was struck in the
head, not moving a muscle after he
fell. My load was soon in possession
of the gallant infantrymen, and, hav-
ing no further orders, joined tho
string Of men who we're trying to dis
cover the "other fellows" on the op-
posite side of the creek.
But we were not allowed to stay
there long. Fifteen minutes after
wards a rebel yell told US that they
had succeeded in Telling trees to form
a bridge little north Of US, in spite
of the fierce resistance, and that 1t
was time for us to be moving The
obstinate defense OF the gallant New
York boys gave the authorities time
to get reinforcements from Morehead
City and Beaufort, but the numerous
little mounds IN a small space oppo-
site the temporary bridge bore mute
testimony at what cost it was done.