while doing so, was attacked by a force of 1,500 rebels. The companies of the Twenty-eighth deployed as skirmishers, and held the enemy in check until they were ordered to fall back to the main body, when the rebel charge was repulsed and the enemy driven from the field, losing one hundred killed and wounded.

The casualties we find in the records of the Adjutant General:

KILLED OR DIED OF WOUNDS.- Company G-Private Thomas Green. Company IPrivate Patrick O'Brien -2.

The expedition returned to Pine Bluff next day, bringing in 320 prisoners.

On the 28th of April, a detachment of 350 men, under Lieu tenant Colonel Gray, left Pine Bluff, in order to lay a pontoon train across the Saline River, for the crossing of the trains earrying supplies to General Steele at Camden. Notice of Steele's retreat being received, the expedition returned to Pine Bluff.

Captain Mandeville G. Townsend, of Company B, is reported as having been killed at Mark's Mills, on the 25th of April, 1864. They remained in camp at Pine Bluff, engaged in garrison and fatigue duty, until the 30th of November, 1864, when they were relieved and returned to Little Rock on the 2d of December. On the 22d of January, 1865, they accompanied an expedition under command of Brigadier General Carr, to Mount Elba, on the Saline River, marching seventy-five miles to that point. They started on their return to Little Rock on the 30th, reaching camp on the 4th of February.

Being ordered to report to General Canby at New Orleans, they left Little Rock on the 11th by rail for Duvall's Bluff, on White River, where they embarked on transports and descending the White and Mississippi rivers, reached Algiers, La., on the 16th, where they reëmbarked, and on the 25th, landed on Mobile Point, where the regiment was soon after assigned to the Third Brigade, Third Division, Thirteenth Army Corps.

Taking part in the movement against the defences of Mobile, on the 17th of March, the Twenty-eighth marched, with the brig ade, forty-five miles to Fish River. The roads being almost impassable, the progress was slow, and they arrived on the 23d. On the 25th, they marched and took position on the 27th, in the

SIEGE OF SPANISH FORT.

773

trenches before Spanish Fort, where they remained engaged in siege and picket duty until its evacuation on the night of April 8th, and next day proceeded five miles to Blakely, reaching there too late to take part in its capture.

The casualties in the Twenty-eighth, in the vicinity of Mobile, as reported, were:

KILLED OR DIED OF WOUNDS.- Company B-Private Samuel W. Hogg. Company HCorporal Philip Flood and Private Timothy O'Brien. Company I-Private Joseph Shabine-4.

WOUNEDD.- Company B-Private Ezra Detrick. Company C-Corporal J. D. Zimmerman, Privates Martin Iverson and Iver Iverson. Company E-Corporals Michael Vaughn and Lewis E. Bloodgood. Company G-Private Edward Thomas. Company H -Privates Augustus Young and Mathias Obeabellig. Company K-Private Robert Spencer-10.

The subsequent movements of the regiment, consisted in the occupation, for a short time, of McIntosh's Bluff, on the Tombigbee River, in Ala., where the surrender of the last rebel force under Taylor, rendered unnecessary further labor on the fortifications at that point. Leaving that post on the 9th of May, they proceeded to Mobile, where they encamped until the 31st of May, when they embarked on transports, with orders to join our troops in Texas, arriving at Brazos Santiago, Texas, on the 6th of June. They marched to Clarksville, at the mouth of the Rio Grande, on the 16th, and engaged in garrison and picket duty until the 3d of August, when they marched to Brownsville, and were mustered out of the United States service. They embarked on transports on the 23d of August, and reached Madison, Wisconsin, on the 15th of September, where, on the 23d, they were paid off and disbanded.

Lieutenant Colonel Gray was appointed Colonel on the 16th of March, 1864, and Major White, Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain J. A. Williams, Major, on the 29th of July, 1865, but were not mustered.

Regimental Statistics.— Original strength, 961. Gain - by recruits, in 1863, 2, in 1864, 125, in 1865, 17; substitutes, 32; total, 1,137. Loss-by death, 231; deserted, 31; transferred, 81; discharged, 221; mustered out, 573.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

REGIMENTAL HISTORY-TWENTY-NINTH INFANTRY.

REGIMENTAL ROSTER-MOVE TO CAIRO-TO HELENA-FRIAR'S POINT - COTTON SPECULATORS EXPEDITION TO WHITE RIVER - YAZOO PASS EXPEDITION-MARCH TO HARD TIMES LANDING-Battle of PORT GIBSON -CHAMPION HILLS-ASSAULT OF MAY 22D-SIEGE of VICKSBURG - Battle of JACKSON—TRAnsferred to Gulf DepartMENT-SECOND TECHE EXPEDITION-TEXAS-RED RIVER EXPEDITION-BATTLE OF SABINE CROSS ROADS-RETREAT TO ALEXANDRIA -ASSIST IN BUILDING BAILEY'S DAM-STATIONED AT MORGANZIA -JOIN GENERAL CANBY'S FORCES-SIEGE OF SPANISH FORT AND BLAKELY-MOVE TO SHREVEPORT-MUSTER OUT-RETURN HOMESTATISTICS.

THE Twenty-ninth Regiment was recruited principally in the Counties of Dodge, Jefferson, Dane and Columbia, and was called into Camp Randall, Madison, where its organization was perfected under the superintendence of Colonel C. R. Gill, and its muster into the United States service completed on the 27th of September, 1862. The regiment ieft the State on the 2d of November, with the following roster:

COLONEL-CHARLES R. GILL.

Lieutenant Colonel - GERRIT T. THORNE; Major-WILLIAM A. GREENE; Adjutant VALENTINE SWEENEY; Quartermaster-SAMUEL BAIRD; Surgeon-WILLIAM C. SPAULDING; First Assistant Surgeon-ROBERT ADDISON; Second Assistant Surgeon—J. F. MCCLURE; Chaplain-Rev. JOHN J. HERRICK.

The regiment proceeded to Cairo by rail, where they found orders to proceed to Helena, Ark. Remaining at Cairo but a short time, they reëmbarked, and proceeded down the Mississippi River, arriving at Helena on the 7th of November, and went into camp on the east side of the river, opposite the town.

On the 16th of November, General Hovey, commanding the Department of Eastern Arkansas, organized a force of about 7,000 men, for an expedition against Arkansas Post, of which 400 picked men, of the Twenty-ninth Wisconsin, under command of Colonel Gill, formed a part. The force was to move up White River to a point twelve miles distant from the Post, on the Arkansas, which distance it was proposed to march. The water in White River was so low as to prevent the passage of the transports over the bar at the mouth of that stream, and, after repeated efforts, the whole expedition was abandoned, and returned to Helena. Charles Drayer, of Company D, was wounded by a shot from a guerilla band on the shore, which fired a volley into the transport. Mathias Lucas, of Company I, fell overboard and was drowned.

The regiment returned to camp, and remained, engaged in fatigue duty, until the 23d of December, when they crossed the river, and camped on the bluffs, near Helena. On the 25th, they embarked, and proceeded down the river to Friar's Point, of which place they took possession, and Colonel Gill took command of the post. On the 28th, 400 men, under Colonel Gill, moved in pursuit of the rebel Forrest, overtook him, and put him to flight.

The cotton speculating proclivities of the officer at that time in command at Helena, had granted such privileges to the rebels in the vicinity of Friar's Point, that in a short time a large traffic was entered into in the article of cotton, the speculation being countenanced by the officers at headquarters at Helena. Colonel Gill deemed it his duty to stop this illegitimate use of the military arm of the country, in furthering the designs of speculators, and accordingly, issued order No. 4, which,-1st, Compelled every person coming within the lines, to give a written statement as to their business within the lines, with a declaration that they had never aided or abetted in the rebellion. 2d, Requiring such persons to show a pass, when leaving the lines, ordered by the

commander of the post. 3d, Persons within the lines not required to furnish evidence of loyalty, to pass out. 4th, Exempts slaves from the operation of the order. 5th, Prohibited the sending of property out of the lines, without a permit from the commander of the post.

From this order, the rebel inhabitants at Friar's Point and vicinity, appealed to General Gorman, at headquarters, Helena, who had already shown great favor to these subjects of Jeff. Davis, and on the occasion of his taking possession of Friar's Point, addressed its rebel population, in language like the following: "I have come to establish trade for all without, as well as within the lines, who have cotton to exchange." He also issued such instructions for the government of the lines, as to practically license a contraband trade. A bale of cotton passed the rankest rebel through the lines, and government steamers plied up and down the river, rendezvousing at Friar's Point, bartering immense stores of merchandize for cotton. Of all this, Gorman was informed, but gave the abuses complained of the countenance of a studied silence.

The effect of Colonel Gill's order was to check the cotton traffic for a time at this post, but still there occurred some refrac tory cases. One of his captains took his company outside the lines on a cotton raid, without authority. Another took the responsibility of taking part of his company, without authority, aboard the Evansville, government boat, on a cotton excursion, sixty miles down the river. These delinquents were placed under arrest by Colonel Gill. They appealed to Gorman, who not only ordered their release, but censured Colonel Gill for arresting officers for "slight offences."

With such a condition of affairs at headquarters, it might be expected that the appeal of the inhabitants of Friar's Point, against the order of Colonel Gill, would be favorably considered. The Friar's Point rebels sent in a memorial for the removal of Colonel Gill, which Gorman found no difficulty in complying with, and the Colonel was placed under arrest, and his order No. four, revoked, Lieutenant Colonel Thorne taking command of the post. The protection extended to the speculators and their secesh friends, soon reëstablished the cotton traffic, which continued to be carried through the lines till the 9th of January, 1863,