CHAPTER V.

REVIEWS AND INSPECTIONS ON SHIP ISLAND — OFFICERS OF THE NINTH WITNESS TARGET PRACTICE BY ARTILLERY - GENERAL BUTLER AND FAMILY ARRIVE ON THE ISLAND — THE NINTH PARTICIPATES IN AN EXPEDITION TO BILOXI, MISS.— THE ENGAGEMENT OFF MISSISSIPPI CITY — REBEL GUNBOATS COME DOWN UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS AND OPEN HOSTILITIES.

CAPT. TERENCE SHERIDAN. LIEUT. MCH'L MULUNS. LIEUT. FRANCIS MCKKUN.

DECEMBER 24, 1861, opened with pleasant weather, and the Ninth early received notice that a review and inspection of the troops was to take place that day. This was to be in honor of Commodore McKean, commanding the fleet outside, who was to visit the island. At the appointed time, he put off from the Niagara, in his cutter, and landed on the wharf at 1 p. m. Here he was duly received, and an artillery salute was fired by the Fourth Massachusetts battery. As the hour for the re¬view neared, line was formed, at 2 p. m., on the parade ground, by Col. Jones. The Twenty-sixth Massachusetts was on the right, the Ninth Connecticut on the left, and the Massachusetts battery in the centre. Gen. Phelps and his staff, with Commodore McKean and other visit¬ors, took up position on a sandy knoll in front of the line and about 300 feet from the centre thereof. The column was set in motion at 2.30 by Col. Jones, and marched in review. The soft, yielding sand made the march very fatiguing. Half an hour later, the troops halted in their original position and got ready for inspection. "This duty," says an eye-witness, "was rigidly per¬formed by the General himself, the smallest article carried by the men not escaping his keen eye; while the naval officers who accompanied him appeared to be much in¬terested in the manner of the army doing this business."

Inspection was over at 4 p. m., and the men were dis¬missed to their camps. An hour later, Commodore McKean returned to the Niagara.

Writing from Ship Island, Christmas evening, 1861, Col. John G. Healy, of New Haven, then a lieutenant, informs his relatives at home that "We had Mass here to-day at 6, 7 and 10.30 o'clock. I had the honor of serving. Oh! how differently was our chapel trimmed from that of St. John's [in New Haven]. In a large tent, with a rough-looking altar before him, Father Mullen offered up the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, with nothing under his feet but the bare ground. * * * After Mass, he preached a sermon and when he repeated the words: 'Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy!' I could, as it were, hear the choir of St. John's singing that beautiful psalm. * * * Ours was the only tent on the island that was trimmed. We got a few bushes and tied them up on the outside and inside of the tent. Some of the boys in the company got up a dinner which was, indeed, excellent. They bought some potatoes, cabbage, and some preserved turkey—an article which is put up in cans. After they had the table 'set,' they invited us up to their tent and we certainly had a good dinner; but how different from the Christmas dinners at home!"

On Dec. 31, the troops were again reviewed by Gen. Phelps. The line was once more formed under the supervision of Col. Jones, and was made up as on the pre¬vious occasion, viz: The Twenty-sixth Massachusetts on the right, the Ninth Connecticut on the left and the battery in the centre. The column was in heavy march¬ing order and moved forward in review at 9.30 a. m. The march was about a mile and a half in length, through the soft sand. Inspection followed, and was concluded about 11.30 a. m., when the Ninth, and the other commands, were dismissed to their quarters. The officers of the Ninth Connecticut and Twenty-sixth Massachusetts, and many of the men, went to a point near Gen. Phelps' head-

quarters, on the afternoon of Jan. 14, 1862, to witness tar¬get practice by the Massachusetts Light Battery. The target was the wreck of the English ship Elizabeth Bibby, already mentioned, located about a mile and a half away. Gen. Phelps was an interested spectator of the shooting. The battery fired seventeen rounds of spherical case shot. Seven of these struck the wreck, the remainder going very close. The result was quite satisfactory, as this was the battery's first attempt in that line.

Day by day, events of interest were transpiring. Ships were arriving from the North with horses, supplies or munitions, captured vessels were being brought in and other incidents were taking place. During the week of Jan. 22, 1862, a bakery was established on the island, and the men were treated to fresh bread. Some excitement was caused among the Ninth, and other troops, in the forenoon of Jan. 23, by the appearance, about four miles off shore, of the Confederate gunboat Crescent. She was under a flag of truce and had come from New Orleans. She was met by the Union gunboat Water Witch and escorted to the U. S. flagship Niagara. The beach was lined with men of the Ninth, and their comrades of the other commands, who watched every movement of the rebel craft. About 2 p. m., the latter departed. It was stated that her object in coming was to demand the re¬turn of a captured vessel brought in a couple of days be¬fore. The demand was, of course, refused. On Feb. 1, 1862, the George Green sailed from Ship Island for Boston, Mass. She had on board some members of the Ninth who had been discharged on account of disability, and also some men of the Massachusetts organizations, discharged for like reason.

Corporal Peabody of the Massachusetts battery, writes, under date of Feb. 2, 1862: "Sunday. Pleasant weather to-day. * * * At 10 o'clock, 51 of our men mounted and, under command of Lieut. Henry Davidson, left camp on a ride to the timber. Unfortunately, none of

us being horsemen, we had a hard time managing our horses, especially when passing the Ninth Connecticut, which being drawn up in line on the parade in front of their camp, were being drilled in firing by regiment, blank cartridges being used. This firing greatly fright¬ened our horses. A general stampede ensued, the ani¬mals flying in all directions. Many of our men were thrown into the sand and left there to return to camp on foot. I managed to hang on to my horse and got into camp at noon without having to walk."

The Ninth had now been on the island two months, and various reports began to circulate among the troops. One was to the effect that the projected expedition against New Orleans had been abandoned, and that the troops would be sent to Fortress Monroe. Another re¬port had it that there were but twenty days' rations left on the island, and so the stories went on, being asserted, doubted and contradicted. On Saturday forenoon, Feb. 8, the English steamer Labuan, which had been captured near the mouth of the Rio Grande river, by the U. S. S. Plymouth, was brought in by a prize crew. The U. S. transport Constitution, which had long been expected on her return trip from Boston, appeared off the island on the forenoon of Feb. 12, and created the wildest enthu¬siasm. The men from Connecticut vied with those from Massachusetts as to whom would be the first to reach the beach to welcome her. When within a couple of miles of the island, she hove to and fired a gun "which found an echo in the throat of every man on the beach."

The Constitution had on board the Twelfth Maine In¬fantry; the Eastern Bay State regiment, and three com¬panies of Massachusetts unattached cavalry, the whole force—2,400—men being under the command of Col. Shepley. In the afternoon, the troops landed and went into camp. Washington's birthday anniversary, Feb. 22, 1862, was observed on the island by an artillery salute of

34 guns. The Ninth paraded in front of its camp, the band playing "The Star Spangled Banner" and other pa¬triotic airs. Similar exercises were held by the other or¬ganizations present.

An incident of considerable interest occurred while the Ninth was aboard the Constitution, in Dec, 1861, en route to Ship Island. When the regiment arrived at Lowell, from New Haven, it was found that a large number of boys had followed the regiment from home. They were all sent back, at least it was then so thought. But some time after leaving Fortress Monroe, it was reported to Gen. Phelps that there were stowaways aboard. They were all located, and when questioned gravely declared they belonged to the Ninth. The oldest of the boys was but fourteen years of age. The report was brought into the cabin, and Gen. Phelps, turning to Col. Cahill, said:

"Colonel, these boys say they belong to the Ninth Con¬necticut !"

Col. Cahill proposed that the General and himself go out on deck and interrogate the youths themselves. They did so. The boys were called up, one at a time. The first boy said that he was fourteen years old, and that he was born in Randolph, Vt. When he told Gen. Phelps his name the General said, with a smile:

"Colonel, that is enough!"

The boy was a son of Gen. Phelps' next door neighbor in Randolph. The boys were mustered into the service and some of them were added to the boys of the Ninth's drum corps. Others were assigned to other organiza¬tions aboard. The drummer boys of the Ninth were a brave set, and never faltered wherever called. They were greatly admired by the little bootblacks and newsboys of New Orleans.

The regular monthly review and inspection was held on Ship Island, Feb. 28, the line being formed at 9 a. m., and in the following order:

Twenty-sixth Massachusetts Infantry, Col. Edward F. Jones.

Fourth Massachusetts Light Battery, Capt. Chas. H. Manning.

First Co., Massachusetts Unattached Cavalry, Capt. S. Tyler Reed.

Second Co., Massachusetts Unattached Cavalry, Capt. James Magee.

Third Co., Massachusetts Unattached Cavalry, Capt. H. A. Durivage.

Eastern Bay State Regiment, Acting Col. Jonas H. French.

Twelfth Maine Infantry, Col. George F. Shepley.

Ninth Connecticut Infantry, Col. Thomas W. Cahill.

The line wheeled into column by companies, at 9.30, and passed in review before Gen. Phelps and staff, who occupied the familiar sand knoll. The march through the sand was, as usual, very tedious, but the men ac¬quitted themselves handsomely. The inspection by Gen. Phelps was very thorough, and the line was dismissed at noon.

Regimental Order No. 13, dated Feb. 24, 1862, refer¬ring to Co. K of the Ninth says: " * * * Lieut. John Carroll of Co. F of this regiment, is hereby assigned to the command of said Co. K until further orders, and Lieut. Charles S. Palmer of Co. I, heretofore in command of said Co. K, having been promoted by order of General Phelps, commanding U. S. forces on Ship Island, by Brigade Order No. 27, to the post of Acting Asst.-Quar-termaster of this Post—will, therefore, on receipt of this order turn over to Lieut. John Carroll such property as may be in his possession, belonging to said Co. K."

The Twelfth Connecticut regiment, Col. Henry C. Deming, arrived on Ship Island, March 8 per steamer Fulton, together with six companies of the Thirteenth Maine, Lieut.-Col. Henry Rust. The force aggregated

1,600 men and was commanded by Col. Deming. Also arrived this day, the ship North America, with the Four¬teenth Maine, Col. Frank S. Nickerson. In the after¬noon of March 8, an expedition of 100 men from the Twenty-sixth Massachusetts, under Col. Jones, em¬barked on the steamer Calhoun for Mississippi City, located on the mainland about ten miles away. The object of the expedition was to learn the strength of the enemy and to ascertain if a lodgment could be made so that a new camp could be established there. On reaching Missis¬sippi City, Col. Jones marched inland a few miles, had an engagement and was forced to retreat, having one man wounded. The expedition arrived back at Ship Island at 11 p. m. The ship Idaho arrived from Boston March 9, 1862, having on board four light batteries, viz: the First Vermont, Second Vermont, First Maine and Sixth Massachusetts—about 550 men in all.

The camp of the Ninth was not without a little humor, now and then. A member of the regiment tells about an incident of this character. He says: "There was big Dennis and his educated pig. The latter was of a stray, wild breed, with stripes, and had been captured on the island. Dennis named the pig 'Jeff Davis," taught him to stand on his hind legs, hold a pipe and perform various other evolutions. The pig became quite a pet in camp-Gen. Phelps on going his rounds one day, noticed Den¬nis and the pig, and was invited to witness a 'review.' The General laughingly consented, and Dennis pro¬ceeded to put 'Jeff Davis' through a regular 'drill' with pipe and stick. Gen. Phelps was heartily amused by the performance. The pig went with Dennis to New Or¬leans and from thence was sent to New Haven by ex¬press."

In Regimental Order No. 14, issued to the Ninth, March 16, 1862, it is stated that "Adjutant Alfred G. Hall of this regiment has been appointed aide-de-camp and acting assistant adjutant-general on the Brigade

staff, by Brigade Order No. 35. In consequence of the above appointment, Patrick T. Claffee is hereby ap¬pointed acting-adjutant, subject to the confirmation of His Excellency, the Governor of the State of Connecti¬cut, and will be obeyed and respected accordingly."

St. Patrick's Day, 1862, was appropriately celebrated by the Ninth. The regiment was excused by Gen. But¬ler from routine duty that day, and made the occasion one of festivity in camp.

Troops continued to come. Brig.-Gen. Thomas Wil¬liams and staff arrived off the island on the afternoon of March 12, on the Constitution, together with three regi¬ments—the Sixth Michigan Infantry, Twenty-first In¬diana and Fourth Wisconsin. They landed next day. March 20, the Mississippi arrived, having on board Major-Gen. Benjamin F. Butler and family, who had been taken on board at Fortress Monroe. The Missis¬sippi also brought the Thirty-first Massachusetts and four companies of the Thirteenth Maine. Gen. Butler landed on the island, March 23, and was given an artillery salute of thirteen guns from the fort. On March 29, he issued General Order No. 8, covering the embarkation of troops for a movement against New Orleans. The troops selected included the Ninth Connecticut, and numbered about 6,000 men—comprising the brigades of Gen. Phelps and Gen. Williams. All preparations were made and many of the troops were embarked, when orders were received countermanding the embarkation, and or¬dering the troops already on board ship to return to the island. The reason for this, it was stated, was that "Farragut had as yet been unable to get his large ships over the bar at South West Pass."

Gen. Butler's staff at Ship Island comprised the fol¬lowing: Major George C. Strong, assistant adjutant-general, ordnance officer, and chief of staff; Capt. Jonas H. French, aide-de-camp, and inspector general; Capt. Peter Haggerty, aide-de-camp; Capt. George A. Kensel,

Chaplain Dan’l Mullen Chaplain Leo Rizzo

Capt. John Duffy Lieut. John C. Curtis

chief of artillery; First Lieut. W. H. Weigle, aide-de¬camp ; First Lieut. James W. Cushing (Thirty-first Mass. Vols.), acting chief quartermaster; First Lieut. James E. Easterbrook (Thirty-first Mass. Vols.), acting chief com¬missary; First Lieut. Godfrey Weitzel, chief engineer; First Lieut. John C. Palfrey, assistant engineer; First Lieut. Charles N. Turnbull, chief topographical engineer; Surgeon Thomas H. Bache, medical director; Major Joseph M. Bell, volunteer A. D. C; Capt. Richard S. Davis, volunteer A. D. C.; First Lieut. J. B. Kinsman, volunteer A. D. C.; Second Lieut. H. E. Clark, volun¬teer A. D. C.

And now an event of unusual importance took place. On the forenoon of April 1, 1862, the gunboat New Lon¬don brought to Ship Island a small schooner, captured near Biloxi, Miss. In addition to the crew, there had been on the schooner, previous to capture, a married couple with their child, the latter being about five years of age, traveling from Mobile to New Orleans. Upon the appearance of the Yankee gunboat the parents be¬came frightened, abandoned the child and escaped in a small boat. Capt. Reed of the New London brought the child to Ship Island and gave her in charge of Gen. But¬ler. The next morning, Major Strong, Captains French and R. S. Davis, and Lieutenants Turnbull and Kinsman of Gen. Butler's staff, Capt. Conant of Co. G, Thirty-first Massachusetts, and others, with the little girl, em¬barked in a sloop and, under a flag of truce, left for Biloxi, to place the child in the hands of the authorities there, intending to have them return her to her parents. The sloop reached Biloxi, the child was placed in safe hands and the Union party had returned to the sloop and started for Ship Island. On the way out of Biloxi, the sloop grounded on a sand bar, whereupon the enemy, disregarding the flag of truce, fired upon her.

This conduct of the rebels so angered Gen. Butler, that the Ninth Connecticut regiment, and the Sixth

Massachusetts battery, were at once ordered to Biloxi to punish the foe. The men embarked on the Henry Lewis and started at 3.45 p. m., April 2, accompanied by the New London and the /. P. Jackson. Among those going with the expedition were Major Strong, of Gen. Butler's staff, and a number of other officers volunteering for the expedition. Col. Cahill had command of the Ninth, and the orders were to burn the town if an apology were not promptly forthcoming. The Third Mississippi regiment, (Confederate), had been occupying Biloxi, but had fallen back some miles into the country. The Federal landing was, therefore, unopposed save by a single bloodthirsty individual. The inhabitants of the place lined the beach, as the Yankees approached, "and one wild son of Missis¬sippi stood on the wharf, rifle in hand, defying the troops to come on shore." He soon consented to retreat, how¬ever, and was later captured. Col. Cahill took posses¬sion of the town. The mayor had disappeared, but in a short time he was captured and brought in. He proved that he was not responsible for the firing on the Yankee sloop, and that the authors of the outrage were stragglers over whom he had no control. So the town was spared. Soon after our troops landed at Biloxi, writes Lieut, (afterwards Capt. and Lieut.-Col.) Healy of the Ninth, a guard was "sent to the residence of the mayor for the purpose of bringing him to headquarters to apologize for the firing on the flag of truce. The officer in charge of the guard, Capt. Wright of Co. G (of the Ninth), was instructed that if he could not find the mayor, he was to bring a member of the latter's family, as hostage, and to leave word for him to come after, inside of one hour, or we would bring the captured member of the family to Ship Island. Capt. Wright and the guard started out, but could not find the mayor. So they brought in the latter's wife. In less than a hour, the mayor made his appearance and was taken to headquarters."

The inhabitants were a poverty-stricken, wretched lot of people and drew exclamations of pity, even from the soldiers. The troops established themselves in the cen¬ter of the town, pickets were thrown out, an attack pre¬pared for, but none came.

It was soon rumored that a force of the enemy, 1,800 strong, was at Pass Christian, twenty miles to the west¬ward. A conference between Col. Cahill and Major Strong was held, to consider the situation, and it was de¬cided to sail down and attack the place. They had no orders from Gen. Butler to do this, but relied upon the success they were confident they would achieve, to justify them in the course. Accordingly on the evening of April 3, the Ninth and the rest of the troops re-em¬barked on the Henry Lewis, which was armed with two three-inch Sawyer guns in her bow. That night, she anchored off Mississippi City. About 4 a. m., April 4, while the Lewis was still at anchor, the three rebel gun¬boats Pamlico, Oregon and Carondelet, having stolen down in the darkness, made a furious attack upon her. At the time the attack opened, Col. Cahill of the Ninth was aboard one of the Federal gunboats arranging a plan for the contemplated movement against Pass Christian. He was advised to hurry to the Henry Lewis and "run her into shoal water so that when she sunk, the men could get ashore. He started at once, and returned in an open boat through the midst of the fire. A rebel gunboat was plying savagely, with shot and shell, the crowded transport. Several shots took effect. One passed through the wheelhouse; one crashed through the cabin, turning Father Mullen, the chaplain, suddenly out of his berth. * * * " Such is a description of the engage¬ment, given by the Croffut-Morris volume, which thus continues: As soon as Col. Cahill "was within hailing distance, he shouted to his men to fire; and the saucy little pieces instantly replied to the enemy's guns. The

rebel was now near and broadside to. The officers of the Ninth superintended the firing." One shot shattered a rebel pilot-house; "another cut the tiller rope. The Lewis had all steam on and was backing towards shore. Soon the overmatched rebel gunboats made off, rapidly pursued by our own."

Another account of the fight states that the rebel gun¬boats had "stolen down Lake Borgne in the darkness, to within cannon-shot of our little fleet. The Henry Lewis received the first fire of the enemy, the Carondelet sending a ten-inch shot, (120-pounder), through the cabin, which smashed things generally, and another shot carried away her wheelhouse. The rough treatment the Lewis was receiving, for a few moments threw the Ninth Connecti¬cut regiment and Everett's battery into much confusion, but soon the battery got their little guns at work and returned shot for shot. At the time the Carondelet pitched into the Lewis, the Pamlico and Oregon attacked the New London and Jackson [gunboats]. At 4.30 (a. m.), our gunboats having succeeded in getting under way, opened fire and moved toward the enemy. * * * Capt. Reed of the New London, with the same reckless daring he always exhibits in action, pushed his little ves¬sel into the thickest of the fight in an attempt to bring the Carondelet to close quarters; but his attempts in this direction were all defeated, the enemy continuing to re¬treat up the lake, fighting at long range until 6 a. m., when they withdrew from the conflict and steamed away toward New Orleans." During the fight, besides the damage to the Henry Lewis, the New London was struck in the cutwater, and Capt. Conant, of the Thirty-first Massachusetts, who was aboard the Lewis, was slightly wounded. Corporal Peabody of the Fourth Massachu¬setts Light Battery thus describes the interest displayed at Ship Island while the foregoing engagement was in progress:

"April 4, Friday. With the first streak of day, our company was aroused by the sound of heavy firing. Turning out, the boys rushed to the outside of the fort, and then we learned the cause of the disturbance. Away in the direction of Biloxi, we saw a succession of bright flashes, to be soon followed by the report of heavy guns, which revealed to us the fact that our gunboats were en¬gaging those of the enemy. For a time, the fight seemed to be stationary, but, finally, a change in the direction of the flashes, indicated that the vessels were under way and appeared to be falling back. At this juncture, 4.30 a. m., Commander Homer C. Blake, of the gunboat Hatteras, slipping the anchor, dashed away under a full head of steam, to aid in the fight. For over an hour more the fight went on, the heavy guns on both sides belching out every minute. * * * It was a big audience that witnessed this little fight, nearly every sol¬dier on the island being collected around the fort and along the beach."

One of the Ninth's officers states that after leaving Biloxi for Pass Christian "everything went on well until about 4 o'clock the next morning, when three rebel gunboats were seen coming toward us. The Captain and myself occupied one of the staterooms. I was awakened by hearing someone say that there were three rebel boats coming after us. I got out, went into the cabin, returned to my stateroom, and just as I was putting on my coat a shell from the enemy struck our boat. It went through the cabin and knocked a hole in the room we were in. But, thanks be to God, we were not injured! Then the excitement commenced. The New London and Jackson fired away at the rebel boats and they fired at us." A shot from the New London "knocked the wheelhouse off one of the rebel boats, tak¬ing the two legs from the pilot." An examination was then made to ascertain how many were injured on the

Henry Lewis. It was found that only a few were hurt and they slightly. "One of the officers present (Capt. Conant), received a slight wound in the leg. Two of the Ninth's band were slightly wounded. Michael McDon-ough of our company (C of the Ninth), received a slight wound on the cheek, occasioned by part of a shell that had burst. The piece hit him hard enough to draw blood. I never saw men like those of the gallant Ninth! It was as much as the officers could do to keep them in a safe place. I saw some of them coolly lighting their pipes and smoking while the enemy was firing. They were as cool as cucumbers."