The Capture Of Mobile

The following is an excellent synopsis of the address delivered Iy Maj. Harrison Soule, on the above event at an open meeting of Welch poet G. A. R., held om the evening of March 11, as reported by Adjutant, Jas. B. Saunders : The speaker, after a few humorous remarte eoncerning his abllitles as an artist as portrayed by the ohart wbtcb he had di-awn to Ulustrate the positions of the forts, etc, in the vicinity of Mobile, and which he used ,or illustrating hls remarks as he proeeeded, went on to relate some oí the experiences of the Army of the Gulf, in the last, or one of the last battles of the war. His campaignlng being in the Gulf Department, it was his fortune to be stationed during the last year of the war at Fort Morgan, and in order to show how transporte or men-oE-war could1 reach Mobile, he gave the position of Fort Gains and the sand bars, ertating that the vessels comine up 'the channel, of neeeesity, were torced to pass between the sand bars and Port Morgan, as well as Fort Galns. He then pointed out the positions of the different batteries whlcfa were used in the defense of Mobile ; showing the couree of the Alabama river and locatlng the forts fhereon. It was afoout the middle of March, 1865, that reinforcements began to asseinble in tlat locality, coming ty way of the channel and Gulf, and encamp in and around Fort Morgan, and on üie 25th of March 1e movement began against Mobile in earnest. The first work assigned to them was to drive tihe enemy's pickets in and throw up breast works as they advanced. This was noTv' made the base for eupplies, and from that time until the lst of April, constant firing was kept up. On the latter üate, or about the first of April, the artillery being all in position, the bombardnient commeneed, fout proved to be not only a fruitless, ibut a disastrous undertaking- some fifteen hundred (out of some 5,000) of erar troops being killed during the siege, iwhlch meant, as all old soldiere know, a terrible slaughter. All wounded and disabled men were every day sent to the rear - on transports - none but 6trong, able-bodied men were allowed to remain at the front. On the 6th of April two tull compamies of the 47th Illinois, carne to Fort Morgan, and as they presented such a inaxked difference in the number of men they contoined, to the companies already there, they attracted tlhe atteotion of the "old boys" who thought they were two new regimentB, instea4 of companies, wTiich had come to tbeir as6istance. These compaiiies dieembarked in the afternoon, ■w-ere aesigned quarters in tlhe Fort, aaid then they proceeded to go around and makO tihemselves acquamted -with every1x)dy and everythtog in that locality, they being direct from tïieir happy homes and had 6een nor "heard nothing of actual war. In the evening, as was the usual cttstom, bombaxdment commeneed at the fort and the large guns could be heard a fistance oí fif teen miles. This f ir ing lasted all nlght, except at intervals, wiien the lnfantry was called upon to charge, which generally reBUlted in dieaster, without anything belng gained, after wliich the cannonadiiig would go on again. In the morning, after bidding all good-bye, mailing letters, etc, and leavlng tliem in the hands of the cannoneere, to be forwarded home, they started for Spanten Fort by way of transporte. At noon they ate their dimner on board ; Companies I and K of the 47th Illinois, reaching th-e landing just in time to be aseigned to a command and go into the assault on tlie Fort. The assaulting party was repulsed witn heavy loss. He referred to the fact of how strange it appeared to raany peopie that so few ol the "old boys" in proportion to tlheir number, jnet with disaster, when compared tO' the new recruit, but the old boys had learoed to t&ke advantage of everything that would conceal them as they advanced, even burrowing in the grotmid, or if time was allowed, of picktng up the stoues and piling them up för shelter. But the new troops Bcorned to take any advantage of euch devices and made a reckless and furious assault upon the works, meeting with tremendouB elaughter, and when the recall was sounded very few of the new TecruitB returned from the charge. Only a dozen or so out of each company anSTrered at roll cali. The last words tiat many of tliem eaid was when bidding the cannonaders good-byO at the fort. It was Bt-ated afterwards that the officers in commaiid -were much blamed for taking the new recruits into the assault for they had had no experience in the modes of warfare there prevalent, and being too impetuous, the casualties were much greater than they otherwtee would have been. It was then discovered that it was useless to attempt to take the fort by storm, and from that tlmO they proceeded to make arrangexnents to take it by eiege, sending to Fort Morgan and other places for tools, etc, to enable them to proceed inthe-svork of intrenchment. Breast-works were thrown up as tíie line was torced forward by the infantry, under cover of the batterles. Eeinroroemente were again announced as coming from the north. An advance wae made all along the line, until the batteries of our regiment had reached within forty rods of Spanisli Fort. Forty rods 6teems quite a distance, but it was thought to be close enough by many whien they thought of and heard the reports from the oannon inside of t!he fort ; but it was none too near when those who were handling the ri les took into consideration tbe execution demanded from tfheir arms. On the 8th of April one shot frora each of the guns of a battery of eight pieces was fired every fifteen minutes, during the entire day and all night, w"hieh kept up a pretty constant noise and filled the air with jlluminatkm, teautiful to befaold. On the morning of the S)th the troops 'beijng quartered in small tents aTyout tli'e height of a table, known as "dog tents," two men being obliged to find room e-nough in each tent to lie down in, when the early dawn of morning was taking the place of night they heárd a constant tramping of some one passing ty. Finally some of the men called out, asking who tflaey were and where they were gotag, they replied that they were troops from the north and were going into Spanish Fort. They proved to be General Steele's command, and t'bey said they had come to show what fighting was, and said "eome along boys, if you want to see some elegant fighting and have same fun." Our fellows up and joined the crowd which soon passed froni a marcli to a doublé quiek, and then to a dead run ; tue storm of búllete liad no effect ; tlíe crowd swept on and all t ogether the trobps froni the north 'with the army oí the Gulf falling Ín and following them, passed over the parapet and into the works. They not only captured Spaniish Fort, Ibut also Fort Tracy and Fort Hughes, nnd before noon had captured these three fortifications. The only accident to our particular command being In the attempt to work a captured gun, which had been loaded and left by the enemy -witli the fuso inserted upside down, which, of course, exploded the gun, killing eighteen men. Only twenty-four of tiiis command were injured during t4ie capture of the iortü This waa the last day of the war, being the day on which Lee surrendered. The only fortifications left the enemy --re two batteries of tour-inch pieces down on t3ie river below Mobile. Fort Blakeley, 20 miles distant, having been captured by Gen. Steele's oommand a Bhorttime after the capture of Bpanish Fort. Four days after the capture of these forts the stars and etripes -vvere raised over the city of Mobile. They had tried to get news from the armies of Ove north but had failed, but after tihe surrender of Mobile they heard the megroes talking about the surreoder of liee, but placed little coufidence In it, aa they had been deceived by so many false reports before. The Major was ordered to search for any Btowed away artillery or ammunition, and with two companies plcketed the toiwn and, after considerable eearching, found several guns stowed away In an old ootton sbed. After which, his command was armed witih llght field guns, as it was proposed ts send them up the Alabama river, to Selma and other pointis, and they were placed on waiting orders pending xjie arrival of river boats suitable ior transportation. Telegraphic reporte were then received that Richmond liad fallen and Lee eurrendered. Posters were printed comfirming the news. Placards -were then poeted by different individuals, at four different times, whlch whem takea all together, fead as follows : Richmond has fallen- April 9, 1865. Glory to God for her fall ! Bully for vbI Bully for you I Bully for everybody ! God blees us, bless us all 1 Hall Coluinbia, Yankee Doodle ! God blees the whole caboodle. They walted some three weeks for the confirmation of the news that the war was over, during which time the Major and some eighty oí his command put up at the best hotel, the proprletor treating them as guests as well as he could considering the difficulty of procuiiug provisión. They -were good boarders, always being promptly on hand for their meals, ttiat beimg the f irst regular hotel board they had enjoyed for four years, and, in fact were on hand all the time, occupying the parlor iloor and all the cboice rooms. The Major being in command, one day the proprietor carne to him and said he must have some money, everytíiing in the provisión line being iilgh. The Major was very eorry he had mentioned tlio subject, as he had no money. The proprietor seemed very much surprised and asked him if he eould not get the money of the others ; but the Major was sorry again and told him that he had already borroved and used all the others had, as none had Deen paid for six months, ttoey were all buste d. The proprietor then informed him that they would have to move out, as he could not keep thetn -without he received hia pay. But in return the llajor replied that they could not think of doing that at present. The proprietor then jnquired how long they tntended to stay, and was informed that that was impossible to eay, it miglit be longer, it mignt be ehiorter. Finally the proprietor inlormed hiro that they muet move Into wme other rooms as toe must have íhe ones they were occuying for bet Ier paying guests. The Ma}or told him he coulO not see how they could do so. they belng well satis.ied where they were, and caUlng a lieu tenant, he told him tlKit he liad better brlng a suard up and post him In front oï the door. and he did so. The guard passed up and down tdie halls ; and shortly after thíe proprietor begged the Major, to remove t(he guard, saying no one would come tfluere to stay as long as the Yankee soldlers were marching up and down tnere. At last transportation and orders carne. The Major finally informed the proprietor that they had orders to go, and eecuring a blank irom tbe quartermaster, with the familiar spread eagle at the head of It, he drew up am order on the quartermaster, at 30 oente -a day apiece, the amount then allowed íor a soldiei's ratione, and handed it to the proprietor. He looked at it with surprise, became amgry, and finally tore it up and threw it away. And thus ended the Major's experience and observa tions during the last battle of tlie war, the capture of Mobile.