The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1918-05-30

NuALu UE ONEI AAAE A4Ll AlAsSuUEA
got shot al the enemy. All agreed I.
they would like TO see at least one good
battle. Some time in January We were
started South, i well equipped. and
we'll drilled regiment We landed al
Ky, at the mouth Of the
river, and encamped in q
When Gen. Grant made
the attack upon on Fort Henry on the
Tennessee our regiment, with regi- /
ment of cavalry, was sent IN the direc- Z
tion of Fort Donaldson, making it ap- /
pear an attack was intended upon both F.
points. We marched in drizzling rain
all day, 80 miles. carrying our KNAPP
sacks and blankets and ratiOns Next /
dav We marched back, took steam |
boat and went up the Tennessee to Fort
Henry, which had been taken by our
troops and the gunboats. February Y
the army marched to and invested Fort !
Donaldson. The day was bright and
quite warm. The march was fatiguing
and many of the boys threw away
blankets and all superfluous baggage |
Our knapsacks were left behind. Ar
rived near the fort, the battle had be.
gun by the advance of our army. The
roar of musketry and booming of can
non told that at last We were to see
battle. A wounded soldier in bloody
blanket improvised for stretcher was
icing carried to the rear by his com.
rades. We were marching in line of
battle, expecting at any moment to be
in the midst of bloody work. Here one
of our sergeants sank to the ground,
telling the captain he couldn't go an
other step. | glanced up and down the
line of our company and every face was
pale as death, but every man had a de-
termined look. We could hear the
rebel yell, which was not altogether
reassurlng. The first shell that went
screeching over our heads caused every
man in the regiment to duck.
Before our regiment could get into
action there was lull in the firing in
front and we were marched to the
rear, out of the reach of bullets, and
told to get something to eat and pre-
pare for the night. 1t commenced to
rain. We were IN an open field. Built
fires of fence rails. In the morning we
marched to our place at the front. The
rain kept up. We lay all day in line of
battle, but inactive. We were soaked
to the skin. At night fall our colonel,
without leave, took us again to the
rear, told us to build fires of fence
rails and soon we were enjoying roar
ing fires. Then came an orderly with
dispatch to the colonel. He was
placed under arrest for taking his reg
iment away from the line without or
ders. We were ordered to fall in line
and march back to the line of battle.
We laid down and tried to sleep with
what covering We had and without
fires.
The rain turned to snow. At day
light we were covered with about six
inches of snow. No fires were allowed.
Our commissary man, by mistake, rode
into the Confederate lines and was
made prisoner. We had nothing to eat.
Our regiment was deployed as sharp
shooters on this day. February IA. On
the 18th we were supporting battery
which must have been about the center
of the line when Gen. Grant and staff
came along and ordered the regiment
to get to the left of our line as rapidly
as possible. We started off on double
quick. We had been selected to charge
the enemy's breastworks along with
the rest of our brigade. but the 2nd
Iowa had Just arrived on the ground
from the north and was ordered to take
our place in the charge before we
reached the ground. The 2nd Iowa
lost a great many men in the charge,
which was driven back. The weather
by this time had become bitterly cold
BY agreement, | presume, both sides
were allowed to build fires. The morn
ing of the 10th, Sunday, opened bright
and clear. but cold. We were lying
close up to the Confederate breast
works. We expected to charge that
day. Along about O'Clock we could
hear cheering off on our right. 1t kept
coming nearer and nearer along the
line till it reached us and announced
that the Confederate garrison of
$1,000 men had SURRENDERED. Of course,
we We're delighted to join our voices
with the shouts of victory.
Soon we were marched inside the
breastworks. Confederate soldiers
stood in ranks behind their stacked
guns. We were given quarters IN the
cabins that had been occupied by the
Confederates. Soon we were out
among the prisoners having a good
time conversing with them and ex-
changing our good money for their con-
federate scrip. We strolled over the
battlefield and saw the dead of both
armies. We looked for a Confederate
in red shirt who, while we were en-
gagged as sharp shooters. would Jump
up on the breastworks, make insulting
motions and get down, before our sol
diers could draw bead on him. We
found him stretched on the snow with
bullet hole in the centre of his fore
head. He had dared US once too often.
In a few days detail of men from our
brigade was sent up the Cumberland to
take possession of a lot of -four and
bacon at plantation owned by John
Bell. John Bell was the candidate of
the Union party for president in 1860.
He carried the states of Virginia, Ken
tucky and Tennessee. The captain in
command of the party exceeded his or
ders by burning the iron works on the
place and bringing away all the ne.
groes. The negroes were all sent back
and the officer was placed under arrest
and sent to st. Louis, where he was
held for six months. Our regiment
was then sent up the river to Clarks-
vile, Tenn
(To be continued.)