The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1861-10-18
How Major Tanner Fell.

|
Union, containing q letter from
Missouri, dated September 21st, in
which the writer. an eye witness,
gives the following account Of the
renconter in which the gallan, Maj
Gordon Tanner received tho wounds
which resulted in his death:
On the 18th instant, under CON
msnd OF Lieut.. Colonel Hendricks
our regiment proceeded by steamer,
in company with the eighteenth
Indiana and twenty-sixth Indiana,
from Jefferson City, up tho river,
and on the 10th reached a poin,
about five miles below Glasgow,
where it was reported the secession
ists were collected in force.
1t was night when we reached tho
point referred to n bright moonlight
night-when two or three companies
from the eighteenth and three com
psDies including ours from the TWEEN
ty.second were ordered, under com.
'nand Of Major Tanner, to proceed
by land through corn field and the
woods" to the town TO take it by
surprise. Wo proceeded about a
quarter Of mile through corn
field, and had reached a point at the
foot Of u hill in tho woods, when
Major Tanner ordered Company b
Captain Steepleton, aud my Com
pNny, O, to proceed to the front o
the column, which we did. The
head OF our company rested upon ar
eminence, all to the rear down al
tho base of the hill, some ten or fif-
teen feet lower.
Major Tanner rode up on the left
Of the column, somc five or six steps
from where we were, and asked
where Company b was. He was
told. He then asked where was
Company g? answered, "IIere." D."
He was then on horseback, in the
moonlight, in full uniform. | had
scarcely answered, when volley Of
musketry, judging from the volume
of sound, amounting to, at least, a
platoon, opened upon us, being
directed at Major Tanner. who was
shot through the hips. and shortly
| fell from his horse. The body of the
volley passed little over our heads
Chose of us on the high ground)
being evidently aimed at Major
Tanner, who was between us and the
direction of the fire, but directly in
it's line. Tho suddenness and the
ncarness produced such shock that
the whole Of the head column was
carried back up the hill about ten
steps. The first volley was imme.
dia,ely followed by another, which
went right into onr company, NOR
tally wounding w A. Coffman al
my side and severely wounding in
the hip Hugh Bntler, cutting the
Jacket pocket OF William II. Tsggart
knocking hats off and splitting the
gun-stocks ofseveral others. Major
Tanners horse just then came
through our ranks knocking several
down, among others myeell, nes,
where w. A. Cufiinan fell. When
| next recovered, party OF onr boys
hsd commenced firing from the hill
side above ne, and the pickets from
the twenty.eixth Indiana, previously
thrown out above our boats withOu
our knowledge, were returning th'
fire. We were thus between twt
fires. Some eight or ten OF ns thu
situated struggled up the hillside t
get from between the two fires, whel
il ceased measurably. some on
commanding to cease fire" WheI
was knocked down w. II. TaggaT
, rallied some ten or fifteen OF ou
> men on the hillside and kept up
, fire till ordered to cease firing -
! Lieutenant Adams, ns was his place
, was immediately in the rear of thi
! squad. A number Of our boys wei
it on their own hook, firing all the
. rounds. AIN satisfied our boys wi
4 stand fire.