Today in History:

227 Series I Volume XLIX-I Serial 103 - Mobile Bay Campaign Part I

Page 227 THE MOBILE CAMPAIGN.

broke up camp near Fort Morgan, Ala., and marched with the rest of the division to Fish Creek, Ala., where it arrived in the afternoon of the 23rd day of last month, after a most fatiguing march through quicksand, swamps, and over the bottomless roads of South Alabama, that afforded no foothold to horses or mules. With the few tools in the command my brigade was engaged in making corduroys over the worst part of the roads and dragging the artillery and trains over it by hand. On the 25th of same month the command left Fish Creek and arrived in the immediate neighborhood of Spanish Fort in the evening of the 26th, same month. On the 27th I was ordered to detail one regiment for train guard, to which duty the Seventy-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry was assigned. The whole division then marched out, right in front, in column by battalion, my brigade in the rear. When the enemy's works came in sight the brigade was deployed, and two regiments, the Thirty-third Iowa and Twenty-seventh Wisconsin, were ordered to support the Twenty-sixth New York Battery, holding the Twenty-eighth Wisconsin in reserve. After the battery had taken position opposite the enemy's works on the their left, the brigade took position in front of the artillery on the extreme right of the line of the division, connecting with the left of General A. J. Smith's line. By that time the enemy had opened his fire, and kept it up until dark without inflicting any loss on the brigade. On the 28th I was ordered to relieve part of the skirmishers of the Second Brigade in my front and to push the line as near as possible to the enemy's works. Four companies, under charge of Captain James Gunn, Twenty-seventh Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, brigade officer of the day, were ordered out for that purpose, who pushed the line within 200 yards of the middle fort, driving the rebel sharpshooters out of their rifle-pits. This was done in a most gallant manner in open daylight under a heavy musketry fire loss in so advancing the line consisted in 8 wounded in the Thirty-third Iowa, amongst whom were Captain William S. Parmeley and Captain George R. Ledyard; 6 wounded in the Twenty-eighth Wisconsin; 1 killed and 4 wounded in the Twenty-seventh Wisconsin, making a total of 1 killed and 18 wounded. In maintaining that line, which was by far nearer to the enemy's works than any other part of the line, and making the necessary connections I further lost 4 wounded in the Thirty-third Iowa, 1 killed and 6 wounded in the Twenty-eighth Wisconsin, up to the 4th day of April, instant, making a total loss from the 27th day of March to the last-mentioned day of 4 killed and 34 wounded.

On the 2nd of April my position was changed from the extreme right of the division to its extreme left, connecting with the right of Colonel Bertram's brigade, opposite Spanish Fort. It is well known to the commanding general hoes incessantly and how faithfully my men worked night and day in digging rifle-pits, parallels, and approaches in front of the rebel works. In the evening of the 8th instant at about 10 o'clock it became apparent that the enemy was evacuating the fort, and notice to that effect having been sent to me by Major C. B. Boydston, Thirty-third Iowa, in charge of the skirmish line, I sent orders to him to take possession of the fort, which he did, placing guards over the magazines and artillery. Having sent to headquarters of the division for instructions, I was ordered not to send any troops in but the skirmishers. Half an hour after I had possession of the fort and all its contents. Part of Colonel Bertram's command on my left entered the fort, and


Page 227 THE MOBILE CAMPAIGN.