men showed up in the front rank, and
caught the General's eye. He rode up to Lumsden and asked: "Captain,
what does that mean, those men in ranks, in that condition?" "They have
no clothing, Sir, but what they have on, and I have exhausted all means
to obtain it, by requisition after requisition." "Can't you think of
some way, Captain?" "If you will allow me to detail a man to go to
Tuscaloosa, I do not doubt we can get all the clothes needed, in some
way." "All right, Captain, make the detail, I will endorse it,
approved." "Thank you, Sir, we will attend to it at once."

On return to camp, Capt. Lumsden had orders written for the writer to
proceed to Tuscaloosa on this business and started the papers up to
headquarters in regular channel.

But about March 20th, we were sent over to Spanish Fort, on the Eastern
shore of Mobile river or rather Spanish river as the eastern channel is
called, by steamer. We were placed in charge of an angle, at about the
center of the fortified semi-circle that constituted the Fort, armed
with 4 six pounder field guns. They seemed like pop guns in comparison
with the 12 pounder Napoleons, that we had handled so long.

We planted our front pretty thoroughly with mines, consisting of large
shells buried with caps that would explode at the touch of a foot on a
trigger, and we awaited the approach of the Federal force that had been
landed below.

On March 26th, he arrived before us entrenched and we had several
lively artillery duels while he was so doing.

By April 4th, he had in position 38 siege guns, including six 20 lb.
rifles, 16 mortars and 37 field guns, when he opened fire at 5:00 a.m.,
and continued until 7:00 a.m., and so continued on April 5th, 6th and
7th. On April 8th, he had 53 siege guns in position, and 37 field guns.
Closer and closer, came the parallels, each morning finding the Federal
trenches closer than the day before, until any exposure of any part of
the body, of either Yank or Confederate, would draw several bullets,
men standing with rifles at shoulder beneath the head logs and finger
on trigger, ready to fire at the least motion shown on opposite
entrenchment.

We were furnished, each man with a rifle, as well as our artillery, and
our shoulders got sore with the continued kick of the firing. We were
moved once along the line nearer the river on the northern line of the
Fort.

Here, Lieut. A. C. Hargrove, received the bullet that remained
somewhere in his