Battle of Ft. Blakely

But Col. Kinney assured them there was no danger; that I had just gone safely back and was a much larger mark than they were. So “Darkie Ned” started out, and “Bob Knight” said “No domd naggur can go where I darsen’t go,” and Ira Boat said, “The Dutch are just as bold as the Irish and niggers,” so we got a warm dinner and enjoyed the picnic, though Boat had the bottom shot off one of his camp kettles going back.

The next day our brigade was moved to the extreme left of our line to take up a new position and more closely invest the fort.

Late in the afternoon of the 7th of April, my company and Co. C., Capt. Curry, Capt. Chupp’s company of the 89th Ind., and I believe another company of the 89th, two of the 122d Ill., and two from the 21st Mo. all under command of Major Winter, of the 89th Ind., were sent by Gen. Gerrard to take up a new position on the extreme left of our line. We drove back the rebel pickets and occupied their grounds. Finding the cross fire from our own lines on the right very annoying I suggested to Major Winter that we notify our neighbors on the right of our position and invite them to come up alongside, where they could shoot at the rebels. He agreed, and sent me to negotiate with them. I found a squad of the 11th Wis. under Lieut. Angus McDougall, and they agreed to move up and co-ooperate with us.

When I got back my command was gone. I soon found my orderly sergeant,k who with seventeen of my command, were waiting for my return. They informed me that in my absence the whole detachment were moved up until they drew the fire of the fort and had then fallen back. By this time it was very dark. I took my little squad right back to the ground we had occupied when I first left them. The Johnnies were just coming back to their former position but they retired again without much argument, and I started back for reinforcements.

I found Major Winters and the rest of the command half a mile back, faced towards the southwest, at right angles to their first position, with the remainder of my company in arrest, because they refused to retreat further and insisted on going back to look for the rest of the company. I had a short argument with the major which ended in compromise, and we all marched back, established a reserve post, advanced and extended our skirmish line laid out a line of rifle pits and by daylight were ready for business at the new stand.

We were attacked by the rebels just as our relief came up, but stood them off, with a loss of only one man wounded.

That day the rest of the regiment were busy building bombproofs and camp fortifications. We declined to participate because we had been on duty all night. Lieut. Taylor said, “Co. A is hell to fight, but not worth a dam to work.”

On the night of the 8th of April my company went into the rifle pits again, advanced, took the rebel rifle pits and turned them around. While working we held our fire, but when we had finished our new pits we wanted to try them, so fired three shots from the left end and then a volley at the blaze of the guns fired in return. The rebels in their rifle pits and a working party planting torpedoes in front of the rebel breastworks retreated into the fort. Then the rebels in the fort opened fire with cannon and musketry. Our batterires (sic) replied, and for half an hour or more the firing was very heavy. At the height of the engagement Capt. McConnell, with Co. H of the 119th Ill., rushed up from the reserve shouting, “Hold ’em, boys, we’re coming.” When he understood the situation he gave us his benediction and ordered his men back to the reserve again.