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DEATH OF CORPORAL WILKINS AND LIEUT. GREEN. 135

form. I have forgotten the exact rate of mortality, but remember that the percentage was uncommonly large. The first one to be stricken with the disease in the army was Corporal Lucius O. Wilkins of company B, who was at once removed to a vacant house outside of our lines, where he died, Nov. 5th. The next to follow was Lieut. Rollin M. Green of company H, who was taken sick on November 15th and died November 17th in our regimental hospital at Barrancas. As soon as it was discovered that he was unmistakably affected with yellow fever, prompt measures were taken to prevent the other occupants of the hospital from becoming infected with the disease. All the efforts of Dr. Blanchard and his devoted wife, who fearlessly attended and nursed the dying Lieutenant during the last twenty-four hours of his life, were unavailing. He died about nine o'clock in the evening, and as an additional precaution, was buried in the Marine Cemetery about midnight by a few of the officers of the regiment. Lieut. Green was a courageous and efficient officer. No man held the honor of the regiment in higher esteem, and no one displayed greater alacrity than he to vindicate it when assailed. He rose from the ranks and won his several promotions by meritorious and gallant conduct.

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Formed on the good old plan,

A true and brave and downright honest man."

In spite of the care taken to check the spread of the fever it reappeared within a few days, whereupon Dr. Blanchard established a pest hospital at the house outside our lines,

136

YELLOW FEVER-REFUGEES AND DESERTERS.

where Corporal Wilkins died, to which all patients attacked by the malady were instantly removed. We were fortunate in being able to ward off the disease as long as we did. Within a short time after Lieut. Green was taken sick we were visited by slight frosts which had a tendency to greatly mitigate the virulence of the fever, so that the cases in the army, except the two I have mentioned, were of a mild type. Although the quarantine hospital, where many cases were treated, was established on Santa Rosa Island, some three miles from Fort Pickens, no cases occurred at the latter post. The same system of non-intercourse that we adopted being there enforced by Major Allen. The yellow fever greatly interfered with our comfort and pleasures. During the prevalence of the epidemic we were practically shut off from all communication with the outside world. No vessels were allowed to enter the port, and we got no regular mails or supplies. We could not safely fraternize with our naval friends; and our Saturday night meetings, dedicated in conformity to an old custom in the navy-"to sweethearts and wives"—had to be abandoned, and altogether we had a most lugubrious experience.

About this time a great many refugees and deserters came in and sought our protection. The conscript laws of the Confederacy were then being stringently enforced, and all males who could shoulder a musket were impressed into the service. Most of the deserters had been conscripted and forced into the army against their will. The refugees, on the other hand, were, as a rule, composed of the "poor white

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trash," or "Florida Crackers," who ran away to escape conscription, and generally were an ignorant, lazy and worthless lot. As these fugitives accumulated they formed quite a large camp, and it became something of a problem to decide what to do with them.

On the 7th of November I was relieved by Brig.-Gen. A. Asboth, who assigned me to the command of the First Brigade, which then consisted of the undetached companies of my own regiment commanded by Lieut.-Col. Peck, and two colored regiments. It was supposed, however, that a considerable body of troops would soon rendezvous at Barrancas and Pensacola to co-operate with Admiral Farragut in the meditated attack upon Mobile, and we began to flatter ourselves that we were soon to see more active service. But our expectations of participating in an attack upon Mobile were not to be immediately realized. Soon after Gen. Asboth's arrival he set about utilizing the deserters and refugees, by attempting to form a regiment of cavalry from among their number. Adjutant Sheldon of the Seventh, who had seen service in the regular artillery, was also authorized to recruit and organize a light battery, and I believe secured men enough to man four guns. was not altogether safe, however, to rely too much upon troops made up from such an element. They were not entirely loyal, and hence were unreliable and untrustworthy.

It

Gen. Asboth was a Hungarian by birth and a compatriot of Kossuth's, and came to this country with him. He was a brave man, but rash and injudicious, and, like many other

138

GEN. ASBOTH'S CHARACTERISTICS.

officers of foreign extraction, was prone to expose his men, and sacrifice their lives unnecessarily. Still he never asked his troops to go where he was not willing to lead. He was very fond of dogs and horses, and had a half-dozen or more of each.

CHAPTER VII.

COMBAT AT JACKSON'S BRIDGE-CAPTURE OF LIEUT. ROSS

ARRIVAL OF RECRUITS-RE-ENLISTMENT OF REGIMENT— COMBAT NEAR NIX'S CLEARING ORDER FOR VET

ERAN FURLOUGH-ACTION AT GONZALES STA

TION-RETURN TO VERMONT AND RECEP

TION AT BRATTLEBORO-ACTION AT

MARIANA, DEATH OF CAPT.

YOUNG RETURN TO NEW
ORLEANS.

1864.

N the 25th of January, I crossed the bayou with three companies of my regiment and about twenty men of the Fourteenth N. Y. Cavalry for the purpose of securing a quantity of lumber which we needed. Leaving the infantry at the head of the bayou to get the lumber, I started with the cavalry accompanied by Capt. Young and Lieut. George Brown. of the Seventh, on a scouting and foraging expedition. After scouring the country for several hours we returned to Jackson's Bridge, which crosses a small run on the direct road to Pensacola, where we halted to water our horses and eat dinner. We had dismounted and had just begun our repast, when

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