The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

24 THE MAINE BUGLE.
of day. While marching through the streets of Baltimore in
the night, we could hear the rebels yell " down with the Yanks,"
" shoot them," but no hand was raised for the)' had not forgotten
the Massachusetts troops. VV'e laid in the streets of Wash-
ington all day until nearly dark, and then marched to East
Capitol street where we pitched our tents. Up to this time we
had received no arms, but in a day or two were supplied.
Then began our manual drill. We remained only one week,
then to Annapolis, Md., where we did provost duty for two
weeks, when we were shipped on the steamship Aerial and sent
to Fortress Monroe. We lay in Hampton Roads a week, saw
a large fleet of steamships and gunboats steam in and anchor,
all loaded with troops. The war ship Wabash was the most
active. Officers rowed back and forth all of the time. It
dawned on our minds that our destination was south. After a
week's delay, one morning in October the signal flew from the
Wabash and we all started out of the harbor. It was a splen-
did sight—nearly thirty sail and steamsnips moving at the same
time. The fleet went forward grandly until off Hatteras, when
we encountered a heavy storm. For two days and nights,
November second and third, our fate hung trembling in the
shock of the seas. The fleet was scattered, the waves rolled
mountains high, but the Aerial breasted well the storm. Men
and officers were seasick ; one
captain said to his lieutenant
during the storm, " I should like to know where we are going,"
to which the lieutenant replied, " It looks like down to Hades."
We knew not who had command of the land forces or the
naval fleet, nor where bound, but one night, November fifth,
just at dark we ran into Port Royal Harbor, S. C , and were
saluted with a few shots from some small crafts. The Aerial
was the first of the fleet. The next morning all of the fleet
arrived, and after resting two or three days for the men of the
gunboats to get everything ready, on the morning of November
eighth, the Wabash led off" and five other war ships followed, in
a wide circle in Port Royal river pouring a broadside of fire as
their guns bore on the East Fort and another volley of fire as
the West Fort came into range. The engagement lasted from