. One man who stood near me, I know, was more
frightened than I, for he was so frightened he smelt badly. But I didn't
blame any of those poor men; it was not the pleasantest thing in the world
to be placed before the enemy as we were. However, we all landed.

[Illustration: _Battle between Monitor and Merrimack off Fortress
Monroe._]

The firing above us on the bank became more intense. An officer who was on
the boat with us, returning from a leave of absence, assumed command. He
ordered us to fall into line, and marched us into a little ravine, halted,
and told us the position and necessity of the occasion. He said the fort
was a very important position, and must be held at all hazards; that there
were only two hundred colored troops there, and they could not hold it.
Now, he proposed, as we had no arms, to go in with a rush and a yell, and
make those rebels think that re-enforcements had arrived. All this time
the musketry firing was increasing. The whizz of bullets through the air
and about our heads were becoming too frequent. I was in the front rank,
center of the line, and I tell you I think I had a little of that
frightened smell about me at this time. Whether it was that or my looks or
what, the officer probably took pity on me and told me to skirmish in the
rear. I hardly knew where the rear was, but I thought it would be safer
under the bank of the river, and there I hastened, and none too soon, for
the rebels had made a break through the lines and poured several volleys
into our poor, unarmed re-enforcements. The rebs became more cautious, and
that was what was wanted, as the only hope we had was to hold them at bay
until re-enforcements could arrive.

Well, I skirmished in the rear, and I found it hotter than the front, for
the rebs would crawl to the bank at either end of the breastworks and
kept a cross-fire up and down the river. Under and against the banking,
there was a sort of old barn; this was filled with hay. The bullets were
flying around so thickly that I squeezed myself behind this barn, and
after I was well in, the bullets just rained against that old building;
but I felt pretty secure till I looked up overhead--I saw that while I was
in safety from bullets, a worse danger threatened me. The overhanging bank
was liable to cave in and bury me alive.

The uncertainty of my position became more and more apparent. Each moment
the increased storm of bullets on the barn prevented me from even l