became simply frantic in their demonstrations of joy. There wasn't a weary or footsore man in that army then. The old veterans embraced each other, laughed, cried, shouted and sang. They threw hats, canteens, haversacks, blouses and even their muskets in the air, and as the column moved forward in continuation of the march, every voice joined in that grand refrain. "Hail Columbia." The old veterans were happy. They knew that Lee's surrender meant that the war was over; that their years of toil and danger, privation and suffering, were at an end, and that they would soon embrace the loved ones at home. They went into bivouac that night after a long hard march, with a feeling of buoyancy they had not experienced in many months. But their joy was turned to inexpressible grief and their hearts cruelly crushed when the army, having reached Montgomery, learned a day or two later of the assassination of President Lincoln. The revulsion of feeling caused by the intelligence of that event was simply terrible. Thoughts of muster out and return home were banished. The one and almost only desire that now animated the soul of the old soldier was to remain in the service and aid in avenging that awful crime. During the following summer the Sixteenth Corps constituted the "army of occupation" of southwestern Alabama and southeastern Mississippi, its line reaching from Montgomery, Alabama, to Meridian, Mississippi. The Fifth Regiment was stationed at Demopolis, the Sixth at Montgomery, the Seventh at Selma, the Ninth at Marion, and the Tenth at Meridian. The war was over, and the soldiers' duty, aside from the routine of camp life, was to preserve order in the country, which was under martial law. We were in a country that had largely escaped the devastation of war, but whose people were intensely hostile. As they became better acquainted with the characteristics of the Yankee soldier, their attitude changed, and final relations were established of a most friendly character. Altogether the regiments spent a very pleasant summer, though the delay in relieving them from military service became irksome, and a feeling of impatience thereat was becoming manifest when the welcome order came that relieved the warscarred veterans from duty as soldiers of the republic and rehabilitated them as citizens of the country they had helped to save. OFFICIAL REPORT OF COLONEL LUCIUS F. HUBBARD, FIFTH MINNESOTA INFANTRY, COMMANDING SECOND BRIGADE, OF OPERATIONS MARCH 20 TO APRIL 9. HDORS. SECOND BRIG., FIRST DIV., SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, CAPTAIN-The following report of the part taken by the Second Brigade, First Division, Sixteenth Army Corps, in the operaations that have recently culminated in the capture of Spanish Fort and its dependencies, is respectfully submitted. On the 20th day of March the command broke camp on Dauphin island and moved by transports up Fish river; disembarked at Dannelly's Mills on the 21st, and encamped in the immediate vicinity. On the following day a new position was taken and intrenchments constructed, covering the front of the brigade, which were occupied as a line of defense until the 25th. On the 23rd and 24th our pickets were attacked by the enemy, but each time the latter was repulsed, with the occurrence of but a single casualty in this command. At 8. A. M., on the 25th of March, the brigade, holding the advance of the corps, moved out on the Deer Park road. A small force of the enemy was soon encountered, with which skirmishing at once commenced. With four companies of the Ninth Minnesota Infantry deployed as skirmishers and the balance of the regiment as support, the enemy was steadily pressed back and the road made clear for the column to pass. Until ordered to halt and encamp for the night the skirmishers made no pause in their advance. During the following day's march the brigade, being in the rear, encountered no enemy. On the 27th during the progress of the investment of Spanish Fort, the Second Brigade held a position in the center of and advanced in line of battle with the First Division. A line of skir mishers deployed along my front, met those of the enemy within perhaps a mile of the rebel defenses, and engaged them actively; the latter slowly giving way, but contesting the ground quite stubbornly. The line of battle advanced by degrees until a position was secured within about 800 yards of the fort, the enemy the while delivering from his works a spirited fire of musketry and artillery. During the following night a line of investment was established and the command employed intrenching the position. The Second Brigade held a front of four regiments running from right to left in the following order, viz., Eighth Wisconsin, Forty-seventh Illinois, Fifth Minnesota and Ninth Minnesota, the Eleventh Missouri being held in reserve. My skirmishers were advanced during the night and posted as pickets within 300 yards of the enemy's works. The 28th and 29th were spent in strengthening our defensive works and constructing bomb-proofs for the protection of the men. the night of the 29th I commenced to run a sap in the direction of the fort, and on the 31st had reached a position and constructed a parallel within 300 yards of the main works of the enemy. This parallel was at once manned with sharpshooters, a detail of 250 picked men, the best shots in the brigade, being made for that purpose and placed under the command of Captain A. P. French, Fifth Minnesota Infantry, which detail was retained permanently on duty during the continuance of the siege. These sharpshooters rendered very effective service throughout the siege, greatly annoying the enemy's artillerists, in some instances compelling him to abandon the use of his guns and fill his embrasures with earth. Captain French is entitled to much credit for the efficient management of his command. The work upon the approaches to the fort was actively prosecuted until the night of the 8th of April. At that date my sharpshooters had been advanced to a second parallel about 100 yards farther to the front, and my sappers had reached a point and partially constructed a parallel within sixty yards of the enemy's works. My first parallel had been converted into an emplacement, in which I had located a regiment, the Forty-seventh Illinois Infantry, as a support to the sharpshooters. At about 2 A. M. of the 9th instant developments upon the right of our lines created a suspicion that the enemy was evacuating his works. Captain McGrew, of my staff, who at that time was superintending the operations of the sappers, directed Captain French to move forward his command of skirmishers and ascertain what enemy, if any, was in his front. The order was promptly obeyed, the enemy's pickets posted outside the fort captured without opposition, and the works found to be abandoned. Captain McGrew immediately moved the Forty-seventh Illinois, Major Bonham commanding, into the fort, and, crossing the ravine to the left, occupied Fort Alexis, placing guards upon the guns, magazines, and other property left by the enemy. In this work were ten pieces of artillery, one mortar, and much ammunition. In the meantime Captain French moved his skirmishers through Spanish Fort to the bank of the river at the point where the enemy was crossing, capturing several prisoners and one piece of artillery abandoned near the bridge. About half an hour after the occupation of Fort Alexis by the Forty-seventh Illinois, the troops of General Benton's Division, Thirteenth Army Corps, moved in, and Captain McGrew formally surrendered possession to Major Boydston, of General Benton's staff. At 9 A. M. on the 9th instant, the command moved out on the Blakely road, and encamped at night near its present location. During the siege of Spanish Fort the brigade excavated 7,000 cubic yards of earth and expended 169,000 rounds of musket ammunition. The labors of the siege were very arduous. The men were worked at large details, night and day, upon fortifications and approaches, yet they bore their trials patiently, and cheerfully responded to every call of whatever character. Colonels Marsh, Gere and Britton, and Majors Green and Bonham, commanding their respective regiments, were untiring in their efforts to facilitate the operations of the siege. Captain J. G. McGrew, aide-de-camp, rendered very valuable service while performing the dangerous duty of superintending the construction of the approaches to the enemy's works. Captains Cleland and Kendall and Lieutenant Kelly are also entitled to much credit for their activity and energy during the recent operations. |