[Click image to view]
|
Page 122:
May
April 1862
Near to 8
West Point, Va.
We reached here
night before last and commenced
debarkation at once. The enemy
was going on and immediately
our gun boats opened upon
them.
So soon as a few
companies had been landed
they were deployed as skirmishes [?]
Two prisoners were brought in
just after dark. Some firing
also was heard, and we lost
an officer killed. These prisoners
were carried to Genl. Franklin
for examination and afterward
confined on board of the
Spaulding. Some contrabands
were brought in reporting that
a large force of the enemy
was near by [sic]. So the troops were
Page 123:
hurried off as rapidly as possible.
Genl. Newton’s first, then Slocum’s and
then Col. Taylor’s. It was late in the
night when all got off. The batteries
were got off just at day break.
We were in no condition to
push forward at once. So parties
were sent out to block up the
approaches to our position. Toward
morning Report came that the
enemy were removing these ob-
structions. This looked like an
attack on us. So we began to
redouble our efforts to be ready
for them. Genl. Franklin hurried
ashore to consult with Slocum
and Newton. He expected the
attack would commence about
four o’clock in the morning but
that time passed and still
no disturbance excepting a few
random picket shots.
Page 124:
So soon as it was fully day
break I laid down to sleep,
and awoke at about half
after nine, I should judge.
A little while after I was
standing in my tent when I
heard a few discharges of musketry –
then a few more—and finally it
became a continuous dropping
fire, lasting for perhaps three minutes.
Then it ceased entirely. The General
was soon aroused. We thought
it to be a general attack on our pickets.
Pretty soon it commenced
again along our entire line, when
, the general, being in command,
ordered the disposition of our
troops for battle. This made lively
work for us on the staff.
About quarter past ten
the ball [?] opened. The regiments
Page 125:
in advance gradually moved up
to support the skirmishing line
and soon were in the woods. Our
batteries were posted with Platt’s
on the right, Porter’s in the center,
and Hexeimer’s [?] on the left. We
had a telegraph of sentinels running
from the main hospital to the
front, and over it came every
little while the expressions:-
“our pickets retreating”, “The enemy
advancing”, “heavy vollies at
close action,” +c. +c.
The fight continued
until about two when the
enemy had approached much
nearer. Porter’s battery was
ordered to throw shell into
the woods. The enemy replied
with their artillery, firing some
shot at the gunboats. They
responded at once sending
Page 126:
their 9 inch and 11 inch shell
shrieking through the air. The
firing of the musketry though
continued grew fainter and
fainter until it entirely ceased
to be heard. The enemy were
falling back.
It was now about three
o’clock p.m., and the wounded
were being rapidly brought in.
Hexeimer’s battery a short time
after were ordered to shell the
woods on our left and that
ended the day’s work. We cannot
estimate accurately of course as
to the number lost but some say
100, others 200, and some even more.
Jimmie behaved very well, but
says that he was in a hot
place several times. |
