The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-11-26
srlett Mliseellang.
From the New York Mercury.l
THE ROBINETT BATTERY.
INCIDENT AT THE BATTLE OF CORNTH.
BY GEORGE ARNOLD.

Bl GEORGE ARNOLDs
Travelling. the other day, | fell in with II
smart, bright. black-eyed fellow, with one
arm. lie had just filled his pipe--a we'll
smoked brier-wood--and was just light
ing mine, so he asked for some fire. 1t was
on steamhoat-one of those whercon we
poor smokers are compelled to shiver in
winter and roast in summer, anywhere eX-
cept abatt the shaft; and we had re-
course TO the casing of the boiler, which
kept us warm when we leaned our backs
against it..
Being thus brought into propinquity, we
mutually mathematical the wretched mean
ness of ltarly all steamboat companies, as
exhibited M the total want of accommoda.
ton for a vp large and respectable class
the users of tobacco. With one exception,
| never saw decent place allotted to gen.
temen who smoke, on any boat That ex-
ception was the old John Potter"
All this en- posSdut. 1t served to open a
conversation and before we got to the
port where our paths diverged, had
learned something from my chance ac-
quaintancc.
He was, discovered, sergeant of artil-
lery, wounded at Corinth. His arm, shat
tered by ball, was amputated hastily in a
field-hospital, and he was then on his way
to New York to have another amputation
performed. Happy to serve him, gave
him note to my old friend, Charley How
land-one of the best fellows, greatest
story -tellers, and most skillful surgeons in
America.
Of course, my artilery-man was grateful
enough especially as, with my recommen-
dation, his treatment would cost him moth
ing :; and he begged me to tell him what he
could do to prove how he valued my favor.
"Tell me about the fight at Curinth," |
said. "Give me some good sharp incidents
that can write up. 1t is my profession,
and nothing but war stories will do nOw-a-
days" -.r ssa.-
THAT l can do, easy enough" said he.
"I'll tell you about the battery was in--the
Robinett Battery-and how the rebels did
not take it; although can honestly say,
they fought blessed sight better than some
of our troops fight now and them
"That is just the sort of thing | want,
sergeant. Tell me simple facts, now, and
never mind the pathos and rhetoric. I'll
put them in"
Thus warned, he took few vigorous
whiffs, Strengthened his back up against the
warm boler-casing, and began the follow
ing narration:
"Wcll, you see the battery | was at work
on was one of q line of earth-works that
we had built around the town. Our troops
were outside of these batteries-between
them and the rebels-and on Friday morn
ing, the first day of hard fighting, the enc
my made very plucky attack along our
line.
Il don't believe our fellows could have
stood it alone. They hadn't enough artil-
lery, except in the redoubts and we
couldn't open on the rebels, of course, with
out hurting our own men more than them /;
so our line gradually fell back, fighting like
good fellows, but not quite able to stand
before the heavy guns of the rebels. 1t
was in this fight that General lIackleman
was killed and General Oglesby was
wounded.
Finally. Oliver, who was in command Of
our left sent for reinfOrcements. They
ought TO have been sent to the right in
stead, for that was the weakest, end directly
the rebels found it out. They aanked us
there about noon, and for a while We cane
about as near being whipped as ever want
to be. | have heard, too, that q couple of
our regiments made mistake about that
time, and fired into a charging column OF
their own slue. Some say tney dld, ana
some say they didn't; but if it was true,
it's wonder we held out at all.
"The enemy had the advantage, anyhow
that day, and our boys were pretty glad to
see them haul off, toward dusk, and prepare
to bivouac in the woods in front of our line.
1--WE didn't do much sleeping that night,
can tell you sir. We received reinforce
ments and disposed of them on our weak
est points, picked up pur w0npded, ana
buried oar dead till near daybreak
By muuiug. we had got our forces il
close enough Tor the batteries 10 play ovei
,he,r heads and then cano the turn of us
drtllierymen. ..s.,
My battery was good strong redoubt,
mounting Pauotgms--thirty-tv Founders
and some eight-nch howitzers. We eopened
the ball by giving them volley from the
Parrots, about four o'clock They answered,
but did no damage, and advanced their lines
little too far, for Williams and Phillips
batteries We're aOle TO give them an enflad-
ing fire, beside ours in front. never SAN
! such scattering. Thsir guns were siIenced
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