Part 4

Our interesting guide announced that before us was the Plaza, where the landing of Menendez was celebrated September 7, 1565, amid the thunder of artillery and the blasts of trumpets, with the banner of Castile and Aragon unfurled. He immediately ordered the celebration of mass, while his soldiers chanted the Te Deum. He named the place St. Augustine, for he had sighted land on the feast day of that saint. The celebration of mass in this old city has been kept up uninterruptedly for 333 years. The old Cathedral with its four chimes (one of which has the date 1682) hanging from bars in niches of the steeple, give a truly Spanish flavor to the surroundings. The present old building was built in 1793; the original one having been destroyed by fire the previous year. A monument in the center of the Plaza marks the commemoration of the adoption of the Spanish constitution of 1812; also a monument of the Florida soldiers of the civil war stands here. Across the street on the right is Trinity Episcopal Church, consecrated in 1833 by Bishop Bowen of South Carolina.

Our restaurant now appearing, our interest in the "most ancient city" suddenly lapsed over the prospect of a good dinner. We had a chance to wash and then partook of a fine repast, the like of which we had not seen since leaving home. Fine bread, green corn, roast lamb and golden butter, and to crown all, a heaping saucer of ice cream, and all for 25 cents.

In the Plaza before mentioned stands a shed, covering a platform upon which for over 200 years slaves were bought and sold, and many a heart-rending scene took place there. The powder magazines of the Spanish were pointed out to us; now a barracks for a battery of artillery; also the oldest house in the United States, and now so improved (?) that hardly any of the quaint architecture is apparent. It is at present owned by a Dr. Carver.

Two monuments on St. Francis street commemorate the Dade massacre in December, 1835; Major Dade, Captain Frazer and one hundred men, after a desperate resistance, were mercilessly slaughtered by the Seminoles under Micanopy, an Indian who, tradition says, "could eat a calf at one sitting, and then coil up like a snake" to digest the repast. Osceola, chief of the Seminoles, slew General Thompson, the Indian Agent, and then waged a ruthless war which ended only after the Okeechobee battle had been fought and the celebrated chief captured. We were now going through streets lined with fine residences and gardens. Some of the banana trees were in blossom while others had small green bunches hanging from the topmost boughs. Oranges were abundant. Date palms waved their feathery crests at us, but above all were the beauty and fragrance of the oleanders.

Now we came in sight of what everybody comes here to see, the old Fort. Almost before we were aware of it we were at the celebrated gates, which are built of stone and formed part of the line of defence projected at the time the Fort was built. There are niches or sentry boxes in each gate, where undoubtedly the sentries found shelter from the weather. We tramped up the hill to the Fort and were struck at once by the peculiar substance with which it is built. On Anastasia Island across the bay are quarries from which this substance "Coquina" or shell rock is dug. Double walls were built of stone and broken stone and Coquina were rammed down between them. This wall being of such peculiar composition would impact the shot, and would prevent it from splintering or cracking. We entered over the drawbridge and were confronted by the arms of Castile and Aragon over the portcullis. Here was legitimate Spanish prey. Why not capture it? But the eye of the Ordnance Sergeant is upon us. The pulley and beams which raised and held the drawbridge across the moat are still in the walls. We are now in the court or assembly place. On the right are two guard rooms and a dungeon. In this dungeon Osceola was confined and niches cut in the wall by him for the purpose of looking out on the court are shown. The next door contains an old Spanish lock of considerable size. The iron framework of the door is still intact, but has been filled in with new wood. The next room is the chapel and a niche for the patron saint Augustine. Here mass was said and marriages performed. A part of the timbers supporting the choir loft is still there. In the next room holes in the wall indicate where crosses, thumb-screws and other instruments of fiendish torture of the inquisition were placed. Rings to which chains were attached are still in the walls. A torch was now lighted and we entered from the last room into one of utter darkness, save a window for ventilation eighteen feet from the ground. It was from this room that the two Seminole chiefs, Wildcat and Hadjo escaped through that very window, the bars of which were scarce twelve inches apart, and made a leap of thirty feet to the ground on the outside. The guide called to us to follow, and led us through an aperture six feet high and two and a half feet wide. This room is five feet by twenty and fifteen feet high. We take this size from our guide, for we can see nothing. Then he bade us stoop low and follow closely. We were beginning to have a creepy feeling about the roots of our hair, and this increased after emerging from an entrance four and a half by three feet wide. The air is oppressive and the sepulchral tones of the guide announces that this room was not known to exist until it had been in possession of the United States for fourteen years. It is twenty feet long, thirteen feet wide and seven feet high. With the entrance closed, death would occur in about fifteen minutes. In the outer room through which we stumbled, tradition says two skeletons, male and female, were found hanging in cages nailed to the wall. The incredulous are shown the nail holes. These dungeons were used probably to a considerable extent during the inquisition. At each of the four corners of the fort is a watch tower, named respectively St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Charles and St. Augustine, into each of which curiosity led us.

The broad terreplein furnishes one of the finest promenades imaginable, the ocean being plainly visible over Anastasia Island, while the freshest of sea breezes neutralize the intense heat of the sun. One hundred and ninety-one years is the record of labor on this fortification. For sixty years the Appalachian Indians were compelled to work upon it and to their efforts are probably due the immense labor of construction.

We had now "done" the Ancient City pretty thoroughly, so we again took our carriage, obtained another square meal and boarded the train, arriving in camp as taps were sounding. The Spaniards were fond of bombast and high-sounding phrases. Here is a proclamation issued by the Governor upon landing in St. Augustine:

"I, Panfilo de Narvaez, cause to be known to you how God created the world and charged St. Peter to be the Sovereign of all men in whatever country they might be born. God gave him the whole world for his inheritance. One of his successors made it a gift to the King and Queen of Spain so that the Indians are their subjects. You will be compelled to accept Christianity. If you refuse and delay agreeing to what I have proposed to you, I will march against you. I will subject you to obedience to the Church and his Majesty. I will obtain possession of your wives and children. I will reduce you to slavery, and the blood be upon your own head. Amen."

When Menendez landed, he took possession of the whole Western Hemisphere in the name of the King of Spain, and this present year has seen the grand finale of the act begun with great pomp in 1565.

One Sunday afternoon in the Y.M.C.A. tent General O.O. Howard made an address to the boys which was brimming with patriotism and recited a pathetic anecdote of a young lieutenant of artillery who at Gettysburg was wounded and bled to death. I was very proud to grasp the left hand of the old hero whose eyes had flashed fire in a dozen fierce and bloody battles of the civil war.

In due course of events the mess-house became a reality. It was 48 by 18, roofed over, the sides being open. It contained two long tables and seated about one hundred. Here the boys would congregate. The incoming mail was distributed here, and the assorting of the laundry also.

Brigade drills in battle formation took place now quite frequently. This formation consists of sending out scouts, flankers, firing line, supports and reserves. At 7.30 a.m. the companies were formed into battalions, the battalions into regiments, and the regiments into brigade while they marched towards the field. Our brigade (the First) consisted of the First North Carolina, Second New Jersey and Second Illinois. As we passed out of our camp we met the First North Carolina, which preceded us, and the Second Illinois followed as we passed their camp. Route step had been ordered, for it was hot and the order from General Burt was to make it as little burdensome as possible. It was a very picturesque march. The men rolled up their sleeves, loosened their gunslings, and thrust their arms between them and the barrels with the butts up, barrel pointing down across the thigh. Others carried their rifles reversed to the above, then again laid them across the top of both shoulders.

Imagine the picture those three thousand men made winding in columns over bridges, through defiles, over fields, and through pine groves. Here we see the head of the column going up that hill with General Burt and staff leading. The General is a small man, has a light grey moustache and keen eyes. He does not get excited,--always has a calm expression. His staff are around him, all men of superior build but inferior rank. Every once in a while one of these will receive an order and instantly scurry away. Now come the men of the First North Carolina in uniforms of dark navy; but suddenly our view is shut out, for we are passing through an unused railroad cut and we see only a short distance ahead of us.

But see! There goes the first battalion of our own Second across that high railroad bank, and then they disappear down its side. We look sharp now, for we are going over a corduroy road over a stream. This is made of tree trunks with their branches thrown between to fill up the angles. Then we go up a hill, and spread out before us in the fine groves, are the North Carolinians in battle array along a wire fence. The first and third battalions of our regiment move in behind them and form on their left, being a continuation of the firing line. Our battalion is the support of our regiment. Looking back, we see the Illinois boys trudging over the ground we have just left. We are getting thoroughly interested in the movements. The Second Illinois marches past, taking up a position to the left of our firing line. We now have two lines, firing line and supports. Then the positions are changed. The Illinois boys are sent chasing towards the St. Johns river, and their cheers can be heard. We advance our columns, and soon come up with the men from the Windy City. The General has seen enough and orders a rest. The bugle kindly sounds the retreat and we pass over again the same ground that made our advance so picturesque.

In the course of the first of these drills we had to get across a small stream by jumping on a board laid in the middle, and making another leap for safety. This process delayed our line so that the order was again given for double time to close up the gap. Double time under the best of conditions is bad enough, but at 9 a.m. on that morning the heat was fierce. We ran about one thousand yards and then felt as if a downy bed at home would just about fill the bill. However, we got over it all right and it has now become part of our stock of anecdotes.

A rifle range had been established about two miles from camp under the able supervision of Lieutenant-Colonel Currie, assisted by Capt. Geo. E. Wells and the men of G Company. The range was used by the regiments composing the Seventh Army Corps, each one going to the range once in every twenty-five days. It was in many respects similar to our State range at Sea Girt; but instead of a background of sea and sky which did not afford any relief to the eyes upon the long ranges, we had here dense pine trees and a high hill behind the targets, which brought them out very distinctly. These targets were in the shape of a man kneeling and the same size as those used at Sea Girt. They revolved instead of sliding up and down when struck. Corporal Rusk, Artificer Doerflinger, and Private Val. Greuter of our company were employed for two weeks in their construction.

Thursday, July 26th, we were hustled out early, and each man received five blank cartridges. We all knew what that meant, and our blood tingled through our veins in great shape. We marched in company with one battalion of the Second Illinois to the grounds in the near vicinity of our range and immediately formed in battle array. We were opposed by the First North Carolina and two battalions of the Second Illinois. Scouts and flankers were sent out from our company, the latter in charge of Sergeant Van Roden. Skirmishers under Sergeant Dabinett then advanced. The balance of the company were ordered to deploy and lie down. Soon shots were fired in front, then came shots from the right, as the scouts met the enemy and were driven in. Heavy volleys followed, and nearer and nearer they came. The trees and undergrowth were so thick we could not see very far ahead. Finally a volley was fired on our right center, then we saw Sergeant Dabinett and his skirmishers running in, perspiration streaming down their faces. Immediately the supports returned the fire and we were soon enveloped in smoke. Lieutenant Brunner's command rang out, and we deployed, extending the firing line,--all were now in action. Our boys were remarkably steady in their volley firing. Additional flankers were thrown out on our left and it was quite amusing to see the enemy's heads duck when a dozen shots were fired at them from an unexpected quarter. This finally brought forth a volley from the enemy, who had been under cover, whereupon we fell back to the main body, while the enemy advanced; but the recall was sounded and the "battle" was over.

July 31st Private Guy L. Fake was appointed Colonel Hine's orderly. This was a position highly prized by the men, as the best appearing private was selected to fill it from the guard detail of over fifty.

A party of our boys went crabbing in the St. Johns river and brought back 201 crabs. These were distributed and we had quite a feast. Company F's men caught 225. The residents told us they were unfit to eat, but we proved to them that they were.

We found in our travels very few fruits and vegetables where we had expected to find an abundance. In the market in Jacksonville we could see plenty of vegetables; but when we intimated to the dealers that the potatoes, cabbages, onions and carrots looked about like they did farther north, they laughed and said: "Well, I shouldn't wonder, for they came from New Jersey and Pennsylvania." A great many of the small fruits, such as blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, came from Georgia. Peaches alone were plentiful. Persimmons were occasionally seen. Tropical fruits, of course, were very abundant. The orange trees in this section were killed by the great frost of 1895, but were beginning to bear again. The tree was as common a sight as our pear and apple trees. Watermelons were so plentiful that the market was glutted with them, and 5 cents would buy as large a one as could be lifted. The storekeepers cautioned us not to buy the small ripe ones. They having been of slower growth, contained more of the impurities of the soil and were consequently more liable to cause fevers. After August 1st the sale of melons was prohibited.

The sweet potatoes were considerably darker than those grown farther north and much sweeter. The colored people made very good pies out of them, which they peddled in the camp. These pies were quite similar to our pumpkin pies in appearance. With this scarcity of fruits and vegetables it was no wonder that we jumped for joy when a box was received from home which contained, among other things, a can of preserved blackberries and three solid cucumbers, the seed of which latter had been planted by the writer when home on furlough the day before the regiment started south.

PART FIFTH

AUGUST 1898

ITS BRIGHT AND GLOOMY DAYS

On Tuesday evening, August 2d, the officers of the regiment gave a lawn party in camp. A platform was built in front of Colonel Hine's tent, and trees and shrubbery surrounded it in such a natural way that one would have thought it had been placed in a grove. The affair was quite successful and was graced by the presence of General Lee and staff, with the Generals and Colonels of the different brigades and regiments encamped here, besides notables from Jacksonville.

Thursday, August 4th, we had another sham battle, and this time we were the attacking force, composed of our regiment and one battalion of the First North Carolina. Opposed to us on the defensive were two battalions of the First North Carolina and the Second Illinois regiment. About one mile from camp our advance guard came upon the enemy concealed in a ravine, along which they had deployed, and a rapid exchange of shots took place. Company after company of our regiment were deployed on the run to their skirmish lines. As each company arrived it immediately engaged the enemy. Our company being last in order of march, we had longer to run, and we were placed far on the enemy's right. In fact, we succeeded completely in turning their right flank back, so that their whole line was like a bent bow. Our company pushed through and over fences and came upon the enemy lying behind a fence at the rear of a house. Here the fire was the hottest, and at one time our lines were within fifty feet of each other, but just able to see through the bushes that lined the yard.

The boys nicknamed this "the back-yard skirmish." Reinforcements arriving, we gradually extended our lines, so that the foe were having a hot fire upon three sides at once. Expecting a general advance along the lines at this time, we held our fire, as only ten blank cartridges had been given us and we had used up nearly all of them. We lay on the ground in the hot sun, perspiring from every pore, expecting every minute to receive the word. Rapid firing was going on on our extreme left and center and away off to the right the volleys were thundering.

This was a sore temptation to the boys, who every once in a while popped away wherever they saw a head emerge from the tall grass, and it delighted them greatly to see the individual drop as he heard the report, seemingly ashamed to find that the other fellow had the "drop" on him. Sudden cheering from the center was the signal for our advance. This time we only ran about ten yards and then dropped like a flash, for the enemy was about to pour a volley into us. Just at this moment the bugle sounded the "cease firing" and then the "assembly." When the firing ceased we had our opponents nearly surrounded. One man was hurt slightly with a bayonet. It was a great victory for the Second New Jersey. Lieutenant Brunner, the only one of Company L's officers present, had a hard time trying to keep his command under control, and succeeded extremely well, deserving the highest praise, the non-commissioned officers and men conforming to his commands promptly and with energy.

Friday morning at company drill Lieutenant Brunner sent the first platoon out through the woods and five minutes later the second to find the first. The second, under Sergeant Van Roden, took a short cut to intercept the first, which was under Sergeant Charles Dabinett, and this was what happened: We (the second) took post behind a shed in a deserted yard. I was stationed with four men along a fence from which some of the boards were missing. Sergeant Collins, with Private Craig and two others, went out and as the first platoon appeared these four set up a great shouting, luring them on past our ambuscade. The long legged men of the first were so intent upon coming up with the second, represented by Sergeant Collins and three men, whose heads only could be seen above the tall grass and bushes, that one section under Corporal Cohen went fairly and squarely into the trap set for them. But, unlike the rough riders, they could not get out again, for my detail, getting in their rear and being reinforced by the rest of the platoon, they were soon disarmed. The first section with Sergeant Dabinett coming to their relief were also taken into camp.

Lessons of this sort were likely to be of great benefit to the boys, especially as parts of our company were usually thrown out as flankers for the regiment, and taught them to be on their guard continually.

Towards the middle of August the climate began to tell on the boys. During June the ground was very dry and the atmosphere was clear and full of the odor of pines. In July the rains commenced, and hardly did the torrent cease before the sun set everything steaming. Vapor at night rose from the ground in greater quantities and it was not long before the hospitals were taxed to their utmost. In a great many cases home sickness would lead the way, while in others it was excesses. The number became so great that details from each company were sent to the hospital as assistants.

The sickness was also felt among the officers. During Captain Ely's leave of absence Lieutenant Blake was taken down with malarial fever and procured leave to go up the St. Johns to weather the malady. In the midst of this season of sickness (although not the worst by far) occurred the passing away of Private Jacob Kotzenberg of typhoid, the first patriot of our command and the second in the regiment, just upon the eve of dawning peace. He was buried with honors near his home after befitting services, both at Jacksonville and Rutherford. This death stirred our people greatly and set them all to thinking. The peace preliminaries had been signed and our victorious armies and navy enjoined from making further hostile advances. The return of the soldiers was eagerly discussed, for it was felt that others in our southern army might pass away at any time.

One week had hardly passed when two more of our comrades gave up their lives. Dread typhoid hovered over the camp and only the most hardy withstood its withering touch. These devoted lives were Private Henry Newman of Paterson and Corporal Bennett Cohen of Rutherford. The latter was my tent-mate and warm friend and I knew him best. At no other time during our service had such a desolate feeling spread over our camp. It rained frequently, the nights were gloomy and damp, and some of our most popular boys had gone to the hospital.

Our folks at home were clamoring for our return. Horrible stories were afloat there of our treatment. The unhealthfulness of the camp was such and lately such terrific downpours of rain had flooded everything, that camps on lower ground had become untenantable, so one morning when we found that our neighbor, the Second Virginia, had packed up and moved farther west, we felt that something must be done to break the monotonous gloomy aspect. Our boys were sickening rapidly, and only a few days before one of our most popular corporals had been taken from the street a hopeless case. We knew it as we saw him depart and pitied the poor fellow.