Memoirs of General William T. Sherman | Page 7

posts, with a porch in front, facing the water. The men's
quarters were also of logs forming the two sides of a rectangle, open
toward the water; the intervals and flanks were closed with log
stockades. I was assigned to one of these rooms, and at once began
service with my company, A, then commanded by Lieutenant Taylor.
The season was hardly yet come for active operations against the
Indians, so that the officers were naturally attracted to Ashlock, who
was the best fisherman I ever saw. He soon initiated us into the
mysteries of shark-spearing, trolling for red-fish, and taking the
sheep's-head and mullet. These abounded so that we could at any time
catch an unlimited quantity at pleasure. The companies also owned nets
for catching green turtles. These nets had meshes about a foot square,
were set across channels in the lagoon, the ends secured to stakes
driven into the mad, the lower line sunk with lead or stone weights and
the upper line floated with cork. We usually visited these nets twice a
day, and found from one to six green turtles entangled in the meshes.
Disengaging them, they were carried to pens, made with stakes stuck in
the mud, where they were fed with mangrove-leaves, and our cooks had
at all times an ample supply of the best of green turtles. They were so
cheap and common that the soldiers regarded it as an imposition when
compelled to eat green turtle steaks, instead of poor Florida beef, or the
usual barrelled mess-pork. I do not recall in my whole experience a
spot on earth where fish, oysters, and green turtles so abound as at Fort
Pierce, Florida.
In November, Major Childs arrived with Lieutenant Van Vliet and a
detachment of recruits to fill our two companies, and preparations were
at once begun for active operations in the field. At that time the Indians
in the Peninsula of Florida were scattered, and the war consisted in
hunting up and securing the small fragments, to be sent to join the
others of their tribe of Seminoles already established in the Indian
Territory west of Arkansas. Our expeditions were mostly made in boats
in the lagoons extending from the "Haul-over," near two hundred miles
above the fort, down to Jupiter Inlet, about fifty miles below, and in the
many streams which emptied therein. Many such expeditions were
made during that winter, with more or less success, in which we

succeeded in picking up small parties of men, women, and children. On
one occasion, near the "Haul-over," when I was not present, the
expedition was more successful. It struck a party of nearly fifty Indians,
killed several warriors, and captured others. In this expedition my
classmate, lieutenant Van Vliet, who was an excellent shot, killed a
warrior who was running at full speed among trees, and one of the
sergeants of our company (Broderick) was said to have dispatched
three warriors, and it was reported that he took the scalp of one and
brought it in to the fort as a trophy. Broderick was so elated that, on
reaching the post, he had to celebrate his victory by a big drunk.
There was at the time a poor, weakly soldier of our company whose
wife cooked for our mess. She was somewhat of a flirt, and rather fond
of admiration. Sergeant Broderick was attracted to her, and hung
around the mess-house more than the husband fancied; so he reported
the matter to Lieutenant Taylor, who reproved Broderick for his
behavior. A few days afterward the husband again appealed to his
commanding officer (Taylor), who exclaimed: "Haven't you got a
musket? Can't you defend your own family?" Very soon after a shot
was heard down by the mess-house, and it transpired that the husband
had actually shot Broderick, inflicting a wound which proved mortal.
The law and army regulations required that the man should be sent to
the nearest civil court, which was at St. Augustine; accordingly, the
prisoner and necessary witnesses were sent up by the next monthly
steamer. Among the latter were lieutenant Taylor and the pilot Ashlock.
After they had been gone about a month, the sentinel on the roof- top of
our quarters reported the smoke of a steamer approaching the bar, and,
as I was acting quartermaster, I took a boat and pulled down to get the
mail. I reached the log-but in which the pilots lived, and saw them start
with their boat across the bar, board the steamer, and then return.
Aahlock was at his old post at the steering-oar, with two ladies, who
soon came to the landing, having passed through a very heavy surf, and
I was presented to one as Mrs. Ashlock, and the other as her sister, a
very pretty little