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Attack on USS New Ironsides in Charleston, 1863

CHARLESTON, S.C., October 6, 1863.
SIR: I have the honor to report that on Monday evening, 5th instant, Lieut. W. T. Glassell, Confederate Navy, in charge of the propeller David (a small submerged steamer), with the following crew, viz, James H. Toombs, acting first assistant engineer; Walker Cannon, pilot; James Sullivan, second fireman, started f 'ore the city and proceeded down the main ship-channel, passing through the entire fleet of the enemy's vessels and barges, until we arrived abreast of the U.S. frigate Ironsides, at 8.30 p.m. We then stood off and on for thirty minutes waiting for the flood tide to make.

Note: This is the battle report of James Toombs an engineer on one of the famous Confederate "David" torpedo boats. 9940 Reads

War of The Rebellion: 1863 - 1865

VOLUNTEERED 2ND NEW YORK CAVALRY -- September 5th, 1863, mustered into the United States Service September 9th, 1863 at Saratoga, New York -- left Saratoga by train for Washington, where we trained until the first of February, 1864.

Note: Diary of Edward B. Root 9198 Reads

Testimony from a Survivor

I, with about five hundred other prisoners of war, arrived at Elmira about the first of August, 1864, after a confinement of forty five days at Point Lookout. I spent the first day in a thorough examination of my new abode, and its advantages as a home until fortune would release me from its durance. It contained several acres of ground, enclosed by a plank fence about fourteen feet high; some three feet from the top on the outside ran a narrow footway, or parapet, of plank, supported by braces.

Note: by Sergeant G. W. D. Porter, 44th Tenn. Infantry Regiment, CSA 9026 Reads

HILL 882

The helicopter's jet engines strained, with the Huey B's blades slicing through the air, making the familiar sounding "chop, chop, chop," as the bird made a sharp turn. We were sitting on our helmets to protect against rounds coming through the floor of the aircraft.

Note: by Ted McCormick, B Co., 1/327th Inf, 101st ABN Division 10914 Reads

The View Along the Rhine

I grew up in the small town of Ellis, Kansas during the great depression of the 1930s complete with heat waves, drought and dust storms. We thought such conditions were the norm.I graduated from Ellis High School in May of 1943. I could have loafed around all summer waiting for my draft notice but I asked for immediate induction. My father was furious - thought I was out of my mind.

Note: by Kenneth F. Haas. 9553 Reads

1/5 Border Regiment

In writing this, my object is to try and give some idea of my experiences in France and Belgium. Well, I land at Boulogne on February 2nd 1917. It was then bitter cold and snowing, and went on to St Martin’s Camp for the night and then my first real experience of hardship commenced.

Note: by Charles H Rooke, 1/5 Border Regiment 16272 Reads

Defeat at the Marne, July 1918

"Tomorrow we shall march on Paris!" Thus we expressed ourselves to the commander of the Third Battalion of the French line Infantry Regiment No. 2, which, driven to the Marne by our briskly attacking grenadiers, was forced to surrender, 800 men strong, on the evening of May 30th.

Note: by Kurt Hesse, fighting grenadier regiment No. 5, 36th Infantry Division 10992 Reads

Gas Attack, 1916

We had a new man at the periscope, on this afternoon in question; I was sitting on the fire step, cleaning my rifle, when he called out to me: 'There's a sort of greenish, yellow cloud rolling along the ground out in front, it's coming ---

Note: By Arthur Empey, an American enlisted in the British Army.
First introduced by the Germans, gas warfare was soon embraced by all the combatants. By the end of the war, one in four of the artillery shells fired on the Western Front contained gas. 10121 Reads

From Manassas to Appomattox

I was stationed at Albuquerque, New Mexico, as paymaster in the United States army when the war-cloud appeared in the East. Officers of the Northern and Southern States were anxious to see the portending storm pass by or disperse, and on many occasions we, too, were assured, by those who claimed to look into the future, that the statesman would yet show himself equal to the occasion, and restore confidence among the people.

Note: by General James Longstreet 11883 Reads

An Afternoon Near Twin Tunnels

It was January 28, 1951. I had been with my platoon for five days. The platoon leader, Lieutenant Mitchell, called us into his hut and informed us that we would be going on a motorized patrol the next day. He emphasized that it would be dangerous since a patrol had gone into the same region on the 28th without finding the enemy.

Note: by Richard C Fockler, 23rd lnf., C Co. 12667 Reads

Royal Naval Patrol Service

With a friend of mine, a Post Office messenger like myself, I had gone to the Royal Navy Recruiting Office when I was 16 year old to volunteer for the Navy. They took our names then and apologized for the fact that they were not allowed to take us as Boy Seamen at 16 years and that we would have to wait until we were called up at 18 years. They did tell us however if we volunteered just before 18 years the Navy would take us then.

Note: by Eric Mason, Signalman, AS Trawlers HMS Buster and HMS Bay 14678 Reads

Recollections of the Battle for Okinawa

The Laffey was built in Bath, Maine and was commissioned in Boston, Massachusetts, at the Navy Yard on February 8th, 1944. After a brief shakedown period, the ship participated in the Normandy Invasion in June 1944, after which she took part in the Cherbourg bombardment on June 25th, 1944 and suffered an eight-inch hit which fortunately did not explode.

Note: by Commander Frederick Julian Becton, USN, Commanding Officer of the destroyer USS Laffey (DD-724). 9463 Reads

George Washington on Recruiting and Maintaining an Army

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS, Colonel Morris's, on the Heights of Harlem, September 24, 1776. Sir: From the hours allotted to Sleep, I will borrow a few Moments to convey my thoughts on sundry important matters to Congress. I shall offer them, with that sincerity which ought to characterize a man of candour; and with the freedom which may be used in giving useful information, without incurring the imputation of presumption.

11153 Reads

Andrew Jackson's letter to the British after their defeat at New Orleans

Head Quarters 7h. M. District
Lines below New Orleans
8h Jany 1815. 3 Oclock
Sir,
I have recd. your dispatch of this date. The Army which I have the honor to command have used every exertion to afford relief to the wounded of your Army, even at the constant risque of their lives, your men, never intermitting their fire during such exertions.

Note: by Andrew Jackson, Major General, Commander Seventh Military District 12987 Reads

Prison Break

On the 8th of November, 1864, at 2 o'clock A.M., Captain Turner, of the Sixteenth Iowa, Captain Strang, of the Thirtieth Illinois, Lieutenant Laird, of the Sixteenth Iowa, and myself, made our escape through the guard lines at "Camp Surghum," near Columbia, South Carolina, with a view of making our way to the gunboats near the mouth of the Edisto river.

Note: by Captain W. W. McCarty. 9225 Reads

Should disabled military retirees be allowed by law to collect full retirement and disability pay?