Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-10-24
CAMP FIRE
N&k2zS55s
HIS FIRST TIME UNDER FIRE
Rather Hot Initiation of a New York
Boy at Batchelder's Creek-Car-
rIed Supplies to Front.

On February l, 1864, l did my first
duty as a soldier, the detail being a
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 duties
of the cavalry at that point-Batchel.
der's Creek, about nine niles 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night we were withdrawn to the east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 abou 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-splitting yell brought every man
to his post-3O men to 10000, and
only a narrow strip of water be-
tween!
True, the creek was deep, the
banks steep and the night dark.
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 u captain ar
rived. INC for a time we were kept
waiting for orders about half a mile
in the ear of the fighting, but the
hot work they were engaged in soon
exhausted their ammunition, and as
the enemy were telling trees to effect
a passage it was not deemed wise To
drive an ammunition wagon nearer
the scene of action, SO about half a
dozen Of us were detailed to carry
supplies to the front. AS each BIO,
contained about 1000 cartridges, ant
the sand was ankle-deep, 1t was nc
light task, and my comrades fell be
hind. some dropping their loads ant
sitting on them as If the occasion was
not urgent.
pushed ahead and soon came tc
a bend in the road about SO yards
from the bridge. AS l turned into the
bend-my Dad was getting heavy
could see men on my right clingine
YER close to the ground and facing
west, and on my left the branches
dropped from a grove of saplings
Strange sounds-"zip," "zip'-strucl
my ear, for it was my first time under
fire.
AS / approached the b~reastworks
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 500 in possession
of the gallant in~fantrymen, and, hav
ing no further orders, I joined the
string of men who were trying to dis
cover the "other fellows" on the op
posite side of the creek.
But we we're not allowed to stay
there long. Fifteen minutes after
wards a rebel yell told US that they
had succeeded III telling trees to form
a bridge a little north Of us, in spite
of the fierce resistance, and that /
was time for us to be moving. The
obstinate defense of the gallant New
York boys gave the authorities time
to get reinforcements from Moreheat
little mounds in a small space oppo
site the temporary bridge bore mute
testimony at what cost it was done.