St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-05-15
HI,.F! 2. -nEE LI-.EEs0 ~ -!lia ais;x Coz n
! sARTILLERY FIGHT1NG. .,
1Xs va,i bo,se by one Of tie Chicago LtgAt dr.
tillery in tAs Battle Of PitsSurg. - h?':

IA. 1art bo,ae ~ e.e, Of tAe ca;sago LtgAt Ar-
salsry in tie Battle Of Patstary. - ''I'1 :,
The following private letter addressed to
!. citizen Of Chicago, spd published ID the
Tribune, gives = vivid description of The
artillery fighting at Pittsburg: .ys.: n,I
The Sabbath da~ned upon Vi clear and
warm, !arll., al. the Watering ealf J" "'eofs !
team ofextra horses, Of which I have ehaft1
60, and after letting them drink in, .the
brook, led them into a meadow toilet them
feed on the new grass: While there I
heard what sounded like skirmish firing
and thought it best to hurry towards camp.
Before I arrived there however, there was
no mistaking the sound, audiths boom If
artillery was heard with the crack Of mus
Fketry. I found the postiIlions throwing
heharacss on: their horses, the capnapeers
filing the ammunition chests, packing the
knapsacks, and getting in order for move
After we had taken our positions, numbers
Of wounded passed our camp and the COW
ards, just: as they did at Donelson, were
hurryiug by reporting their regiments "au
cut to pieces" Our ;men .ridiculed them
andshamed some Of them into going back
TO- the 'front.', But soon. Parson Rumsey, a
Chicago boy on. ". H. l. Wallace's staff,
brought orders for US to move to the
'front.' With the Ninth aud Twelfth Illi-
uois, we went to our position on the left.
Donaldson had taught us what We wele to
expect, and we approached the scene Of ac-
ton.
A~;few shells burst around us as We
neared the line, causing US involuntary
to start a little, and then laugh ut each
other for it. We were now put: in posi-
Ition as reserve, in place where we had
received the severe shellipg:we had dur
the two days. The horses were killed pn-
der their riders, and Sergeant Jerry Pow
els whose name appears in former letter,
and a particular friend of mine, probably
the best gunner we had,: had his right
arm taken off by SHELL and his RIP, injur-
ed severely, SO that he died in: half an
hour after reaching the hospital: After
remaining here about half al hour We
were moved to the left again, in range of
the enemy shell, which burst around us
without effect, Rifle balls fellaround- here
and while We were inactive availed rourl
selves of protection behind the trees, but
We soon moved forward into battery, and
opened FIRE IF solid shot and shell: My
position on the gun is No.'4, the one who
fires the piece: After firing here some
| time we moved farther to. the front and
right, Tom Burton, our gunner, said he
would stop firing until he could see the
enemy" 1steppe1 upon the trail, and
watched until 1 saw the fame leaplfiom
the guns Of the rebel battery, showed Tom
the direction, and we soon had commenced
a rapid FIRE, that compelled them to with
draw, aud place their battery in another
position. A heavy engagement was going
on to the left, cross fire to ours, and as
the ranks Of the rebels pressed our meh
hard, we opened fire Of she'll and canis-
ter upon them, which was returned by a:
canister fite' against u.s. u.s. But their range
was to long too be effective, and i except
when they fred shell We cared little from
The bruise Of spent grspes.?@ At last our
lines gave way, the enemy pressing hard,
and following as our men fell back slowly,
We limbered up and We're moving to the
loft when our attention was called to the
cavalry Of the epemy,, who were Watching
for a: broken line, to dash on. We unliDI-
hered and commenced firing, and steadily;
the infantry crept little, to the left and
rear Of Us. shoulder to shoulder, and hold
ing their ground p. we'll as they, poured III
their volleys -sof musketry. The cavalry
retired aid the infantry and artillery open.
opened a fire upon us, but still wei held
orr own, pouring IN shot ana shell as rap.
|idly .s W. p could: VIZ afFea fey sbqts At
their eolon, l.trippipgione flag, bpt xe soon
(daeozesed that, they xereo stuck jp the,
ground, aud that the infantry, parted to-
tie light SSd lxlt- 1l1nn shs s=cobusz~=Right
ii Hort :dfbss guf zessrAlla lay viii
sit'tp i;te'1tl. wound intkgsI,,se, gIe, t6da} }he de.f
niog reports of the guns jared Tie aairJhe
liant or,vfino .round tho tree ~ vsE;;ich,As