Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-03-20
ls WAR
RM[fNhN,ll!S1cEhAy(B5S
ACROSS THE CATAWBA RIVER
Sixty-Ninth Ohio Regiment Had
Rough Time Negotiating Stream
Hot Skirnish With 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 it l
remember; | was there. The Second
brigade, First division, Fourteenth
corps, were there nearly a week be-
tore 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 Fffty-eighth
Indiana, and Twenty-third and Nine
teenth Michigan, writes o. P. Pauld-
ing of Santa Maria, Cal, in the Ma
tional Tribune
We had no cable that would hold
the pontoons, SO we put down trees
and trimmed off the tops and left the
limbs sticking out about a foot or
more. To these logs We tied stones
and ropes, and took them out in the
stream above the place where the
bridge was to be placed, and dropped
them into the stream, where they
served as 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
SO 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
sk1rmtsh line. There were only about
80 of US on the Johnny side of the
river. We were strung along in squads
of from two to ten over a front of
third Of mile, and one-half mile
back from the river The adjutant
general of the division, Capt Smith,
Of whom it can be well said there
never was better man, inspected
the line and gave each man a word
OF cheer. Did we need 1t? 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
ers and Hampton's troops, form in
line not over three-quarters Of mile
from US. They sent out line of not
less than 800 men as skirmishers.
There were two small ravines be-
tween US and the enemy. and soon We
saw the enemy disappear in the farth-
est ravine, but only for a minute;
then they ran to the second ravine.
After waiting awhile on they came.
We fired on them, and they went back
to the ravine, but soon they came
again. They got the second fire, but
kept on coming. A part of our line
fell back to where it was not SO open
We held our new position, and ex-
changed shots with them for quite
awhile. A part of the rebs got into
two small log houses and used them
as works, but Battery C, First Illinois,
from across the river. soon scattered
the logs and rebs, Firing ceased about
nine o'clock, and we spent the rest of
the time badgering our foe, till at mid
night the bugle blew the assembly
Never did 1t sound quite so sweet
After waiting some ten minutes every
man for himself stole away quietly to
the river, where we found the pom
ton boats. Some of them moved
along the bank in charge of one man
each, without oars or poles. We got
into the boats, stripped OFF our shoes
and coats and pulled out into the
streams, using our gun stocks as pad
dies. 1t was perilous ride. l was
in the boat farthest upstream, and
we landed $50 yards below where the
lantern was placed to guard us. Sew
eral of the boats came near going
over the falls, and had they done so
all would have been lost. Our only
casualty was Sergeant Tom Adams
of Compay A, shot through the right
arm The crossing was made at Rocky
Mt. P o.