Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-27


chance to get home and for two weeks
I remained at the armory. / came
home. but had been in bed only short
while when the old firebell in George
town began changing and the people
got very much excited. Into my uni
form l jumped and ran to where the
people were collecting. Rebels were
reported to be on Analostan Island,
and there at the shore end of little
wharf was what appeared to be a good
sized cannon.
Volunteered for Task.
Capt Robert Boyd asked for vol
unteer officer and some men to go over
there and take those rebels. / said ]
would go. With sixteen men ! got
into boat and We went across to the
little wharf which stood out from the
island just opposite @1st street. Just
as the boat got up to the wharf the
first sergeant jumped out and made
dash for the cannon. l thought the
man was crazy. but he captured the
cannon" which proved to be an imi-
tation affair constructed by the rebels.
Then we went all over the iIland aud
over the causeway between the island
and the Virginia mainland. We wanted
TO capture .those rebels, but We couldn't
find any.
July 10. 1861. at the expiration of
my three months enlistment, / was
discharged. Out but a short time, 1
received notice one day from Col;
Isaac A. Peck, commanding the I'd
District of Columbia Volunteers, to
come to his headquarters, then located
next to- the odd Fellows Hall. on 9TH
street northwest between d and +
streets He wanted me to take the
captaincy of one of his companies. l
did so. Later there came a message
from Newark, y. j.. that 100 men were
there waiting to be mustered. l was
sent, but when I arrived l found no
W. inc 10
quarters for awhile l mustered thirty
two men through my own efforts. Then
] went to New York. where arranged
for their transportation to Washing
ton. But when l got here two of them
had skipped.
Upon my return I was placed in
command of Company c, I'd District of
Columbia. Volunteer Infantry. When
/ got into the field 1 was make
major, and shortly after lieutenant col
oneI Of the regiment. All these promo
lions came unexpectedly
Ordered to Bull Run.
Our first orders to go to the front
were to proceed to Bull Run. By
stages we proceeded toward the OBJ
jective named in the orders. When We
reached Fairfax Court House it was
dusk and we camped for the night.
Toward morning we saw groups of five
or six soldiers coming from the direc-
ton of Bull Run in hurry; then the
groups increased to twenty-five and
then companies and battalions began
to come. / reported the fact to Col.
c. NJ. Alexander. then in command and
he ordered me to proceed and report
TO the commanding general, which /
did. He questioned me, asking where
we had been the night before, and l
told him Fairfax Court House. He then
asked where we had camped the
previous night. and l told him at Fort
Albany. located at Reaches spring and
Alexandria road. He then told me TO
get back to my command and get to
Fort Albany just as fast as the troops
could travel; and then / knew that the
Union forces were retreating.
Well we stayed under the guns of
Fort Albany until We got orders to
proceed to Antietam. We received our
marching orders detailing the route,
which was OUT through Rockville and
Frederick. When we got to South
Mountain they were peppering away
there. but we did not get much of that.
We reached Antietam and went into
camp tor the night. l took my saddle
off my horse and laid it up against the
tree for a pillow. / had been asleep
but few minutes when a bomb came
whizzing by, but ii did not do any
damage. We afterward found it.
1.-THE morning after our arrival / was
ordered to support Gen. Grifhths artil-
lery. He was then a major. Some of
US were standing on 4 hill where we
could get a sight of the battle and
the major saw US. Believing that we
were drawing the rebel fire, he ordered
US away, saying it was his fight
Diary Saved His Life.
II always carried diary in those
days. noting everything as it happened
had the book in a pocket in my uni
form. on my let side. During the
battle ball came whizzing through
the air. a spent ball II was, but it hit
me and knocked me over. When /
recovered my uniform was torn and
the cover of the book was pierced. 1
kept that diary for years. for | believe
il saved my life. / would not have
taken a thousand dollars for IL, but il
has disappeared now.
"Whil. al Antietan strange thing
happened. We were passing through
an open field and the rebels opened
fire on US. / suppose fully "A thousand
bullets dropped down between the men
IN the ranks, but not one was hurt
To this day ] have been unable to ac-
count for this. for the rebels certainly
intended to hit US.
We remained at Antietan but q
short time, when we were ordered to
return to Washington and took up
camp in the Virginia hills just ocross
the river. There we remained until
February Z, 1865. when the LIST and I'd
District OF Columbia regiments were
consolidated and placed under the COM
nland of a regular army officer. / then
returned home.
II was offered a position in the regu-
lar forces by the then Adjt Gen.
enough of fighting to last me u life
time.