The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1862-03-28

little opportunity for sleep. In this par
ticular, we were but on par with 10000.
others. who were waiting the daylight of
the morrow.
It was now found that quite large bo-
dy oil the enemy were near the right of
our intrenchments. Upon this, our men
opened out most brilliantly with their
small arms. and the compliment was brave
y returned for a few moments. At the
same time the sport of the day was opened
by the big guns | have described, and by
those upon the gunboats and forts of the
enemy, who had at least two to our one.
The battle, was. really, fought with heavy
artillery, the light artillery and infantry
upon our side being only a target for the
enemy, while they were held in readiness
upon the field for the emergency of the reb
els coming out from under cover to attack
us. AT the time have mentioned. some
three regiments Of the enemy had come
within 50 or 100 yards of our intrench-
ments. for the purpose, it is said, Of taking
our guns by storm they supposing, at
the time, that we had mounted only six
Founders. You can imagine their sur
prise wien was let fly charge of canis-
ter from the sixtyfour pound howizer
and the thirty-six, right in their faces,
killing, it is said, 40 or SO at the first dis
charge, and before they could recover
their shelter, some three hundred. But
must moi. forget the rided section of the
llth Ohio battery or lose it in general-
ties. The fire was opened while we were
at our first position, and kept up, hot and
heavy, while we were passing to our Sec
ond. Light artillery had no chance to
participate, on account of the breatworks
Intervening. While on the march to our
second position, we had our first smell of
gunpowder, and l assure you it was not a
breaking in by degrees, for the twelve
large guns in the fort, and five of the
enemy's gunboats opened out in earnest,
and the shot flew and tore up the ground,
and the shells burst around us at rate
not to be sneezed at by the uninitiated.
AS the section was passing from position
number 2 to number 8, a thirty-six pound
shot struck the ground about three yards
to the right of the column, near the rear,
and ricocheted along the whole line
During our stay at this position, and
while was dismounted and strapping my
overcoat to my saddle, twenty four
pound shot struck a log two and a-half
feet in diameter, directly opposite to me,
glanced, and flew upward some fifty feet.
and falling, buried itself in the. ground
about 10 feet on the other side.
Here we were Joined by the second
Regular battery, wsro remained with us
some twenty minutes. Their officers
swore furiously at being required to oc-
cUpy SO dangerous position, when there
was no chance of doing anything
While here, the enemy got fair range
upon us, aud threw their heavy missiles
and rotten she'll uncomfor,ably close
General Stanley coming along and seeing
our exposed position, ordered the bate
ries to separate, and assigned us to a new
position. We had not been in as hot
quarters before as while passing to, and
occupying this new position. This is
evidenced by the fact, that while passing
to this place, and when about half way
there lanes w. Rihhy-one Of the Wy
andot county men, was shot through the
most vital part by twenty-four pound
solid shot. and killed instantly. He was
the rider of the lead team of the first
/ piece, and was killed while faithfully
discharging his duty. He was an excel
lent and faithful soldier 4
The same ball that killed him, g1azed
the foot ef his Sergeant, N. F. Jellison,
and passed under my horse, striking the
ground just on the outside filing my face
and eyes, ard covering myself and saddle
with mud and sand. Before striking
Blbby. the ball came within few inches
of the head of III. D. Butler, rider of the
middle team to the Same piece. AS soon
as got my eyes cleaned out, I rode for
ward and lead the team until / found a
rider. After hurrying on about one hun
dred yards further, to the position assigned
US, l sent back for the corpse, and here we
buried poor Bibby, in the best style that
circumstances would admit. To those OF
us who had never seen a funeral on the
battle field, the proceeding seemed not
only summary, but a little barberous.
Here, finding that the enemy had got
our range again, acting upon previous or
ders to keep out of range. we retired some
four hundred yards to the south and rear,
where we had comparative peace for an
hour or two, the shot falling either to the
right or left of us. We were also fortu-
nate here, in finding a Michigan Cavalry
officer. who, upon learning our condition,
rode back to his camp, and brought us
most timely lunch, of pilot bread and a
raw ham. | think we never relished a
meal more, for it was now P. NJ. and
we had eaten nothing since the night be-
fore. After lunch, the firing having con-
siderably abated. took the section off to
the southeast, along side of the Second
Regular battery. Presently the firing was
renewed, and we were again directly in
range, but the folly ofour remaining, having
become apparent, we were now, at 5 P
j M, ordered into camp.
| The Second Regular battery was in the
Springfield fight, and the men tell me they
were not then in hotter quarters than they
were to-day, Ny section. SO far as cal
5 learn, was the only light artillery that me
with any loss, and, SO far as l can learn
it was, during the day, more exposed
than any other of the six or eight bate
ries in the field. Though it seemed rath
s er hard to stand up as target for those
: big guns, without the ability to return
the compliment the men behaved tbep,