The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-06-20
4 New York Battery at the Battle OF
Fair Oaks.
AN ARTILLERYMAN'S ACCOUNT.

The pickets soon began to fire RAPIDLY and
came running in; while the infantry posted
behind fence to support them was blazing
away in the woods. The artillery on our
right opened fire and mingled their thunder
with the sharp roll CT the musketry. Soon
our Napoleon guns (three of which were
posted in an unfinished redoubt and three
on the left near rifle pitt opened with case
shot which went whizzing through the air,
over the heads of our own men, right into
the midst of the enemy, and there exploding.
scattered death through their ranks. On the
left, the rebels were seen coming through the
woods to flank us, and wheeling three of our
guns SO as to bear upon them, We poured
case shot among them with unexampled ra-
pidity and terrible effect.
The destruction was terrible. Our spheri-
cal case shot are awful missiles, each of them
consisting Of clotted mass of seventv-sx
musket balls, with charge of powder in the
center, that is fired by fuse the same as a
she'll. The missile first acts as a solid shot,
ploughing its way through masses of men,
and then exploding hurls forward shower
of musket balls, that NOW down the foe in
heaps. Our battery threw twenty-four Of
these a minute, and as We had the exact
range Of every part of the field, every shot
told with frightful effect. But the enemy
were not at all daunted.
They marched steadily on, and hailed q
perfect tempest Of balls upon US. Why we
as well as our horses, were not every one o1
US shot down, will forever remain mystery
to me. We did not mind the leaden hail
however, bat kept pouring our case shot into
the dense masses of the foe, who came on il
prodigious and overwhelming force. Ant
they fought splendidly, too. Our shot tori
their ranks wide open, and scattered then
asunder in manner that was frightful t.
witness but they closed up again at once
and came on as steadily as English vete
, rams.
When they got within four hundred yards
we closed our case shot and opened on ther
with canister, and such destruction l neve
: elsewhere witnessed. At each discharg
u great gaps were made in their ranks-indee
whole companies went down before that mu
) derous fire. but they closed up with an O.
. der and discipline that was awe inspiring.-
They seemed to be animated with the cou
o age of despair blended with the hope Of
u speedy victory if they could by an owe
q whelming rush drive US from our position.
IS 1t was awful to see their ranks torn ar
s. shattered by every discharge of cannist
N that We poured right into their faces, ar
* while their dead and dying lay in piles, clo
n up, and still kept advancing right in the ia
ii OF that fire. At one time three lines, one b
- hind another, were steadily advancing, al
IN three of their flags were brought in range
II one of our guns which was shotted with ca
lie mister.
at Sire " shouted the gunner, and dov
In went the three flags, and gap was open
st. through those three lines as if a thunderb
lie had torn through them, and the dead lay
er suaths! But they at once closed up a
ed came steadily on, never hal,ins or wavi'
elf right through the woods, over the fen
S. through the field, right up to our guns, a
tly sweeping everything before them captul
vas every piece.
ith When We delivered our last fire they W
md within fifteen or twenty PAGES of US, and
I'm all our horses had been killed or wound
We could not carry off gun.