The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-04-19
Battle of PittSburg.

|
has returned to his home in this city, after
bearing an honorable part in the two days
bloody fight at Pittsburg. He gives US
the following statement of what came
under his own observation:
Gen. r. j. OgIesby haveing been as
signed to another command. two days
previous to the battle, was not present at
the battle, and the command of his Brig
ade was given to Col. Hare, of the 1lth
Iowa Infantry, who behaved nobly, and
during the battle won the good esteem
of the men composing the first brigade.
Our brigade engaged the enemy in posi-
ton about seven o clock on Sunday morn
ing, April 6th, and fought an hour and a
half before Dressors Battery was ordered
into position, holding their ground and
fighting desperately. The Regiments COM
posing the LIST Brigade of Gen. McCler
nands Division were the Sth, and 18th,
Illinois, and llth and 18th Iowa. The
Sth and 18th Illinois were thrown to our
left, and supported another battery
The 18th Iowa had been engaged for two
hours on the right of DresseI's Battery,
and the 45th Illinois being engaged on
the ground, and were ordered to the left
of Dressers Battery. Orders came to
the enemy at about half past eight clock,
keeping up continued fire for over 80
minutes, when it was discovered, to the
! horror and CONSERVATION of certain ar
tXry Mayor, that Dresser's Battery had
been throwing their 'rotten missiles" at
our own troops. We were ordered to
cease firing and for nearly fifteen minutes
| stood by our guns receiveing heavy shots
| from the enemy's musketry Two Of the
officers of the battery discovered, through
their field glasses, that the Union forces
had no tricolored flags of the exact shape
OF the ones we had been firing on, and we
were ordered to open fire again, after DO
ing-certain we were firing upon the rebal
army. The excuse given by the Major
was that the rebel troops being clothed in
blue uniforms, deceived him, but not the
men of the battery. The Ilth Iowa sup
ported the battery on the right, and was
in all, three hours in swamp over knee
deep in water, under cover Of our right
half battery, consisting of Nos / . and
! s guns, while the 18th Illinois Infantry
were on our front and left, doing excellent
service Col Hare, of the 18th Iowa, act
ing Brigadier General, was in rear Of the
battery, closely watching the action of
the troops Of his command, frequently
cheering his men and giving orders from
time to time \ great deal Of credit is
due to Col. Hare, and the officers of the
llth Iowa, as also TO the officers OF the
4jth Illinois, for their bravery, in support
ing the battery and sustaining our ground
so long, as the enemy were evidently try
ing TO out flank US on our right Capt.
Jas. T. Ilmony, formerly lst Lieut.. in
Dressers Battery, commanded the Bat
terry, and deserves a great deal OF credit
for his daring and bravery on the morn
ing of the 9Th. He was evidently singled
ont as the commander Of the Battery, and
, fired at by the enemys sharp-shooters, as
the numerous bali holes in his uniform
will amply testify, none of which took eff
feet About 50 minutes before We left the
field, however, a spherical case shot from
one of the enemy's smooth bore pieces,
burst in front Of Capt. Timony, badly
burning him in the breast Through his
clothes and shocked him in such a man
ner that his life was for minute dis
paired of He was taken off the field in
sensible, but recovered 20 much a. 10 be
able 10 talk in the evening ] am glad TO
state that he appeared on the ground on
Monday, the "a day of the battle The
officers of the Battery showed themselves
brave, and when 50 many of the men
TO Timber up the guns. 1t J. y. ". Whit
all and two men undertook TO run one OF
the guns off the field by prolong, and not
until nearly every man ia the Battery had
left the ground, did 1t WEitaIl leave his
section, having taken only one gun off
the field The horror OF the scene was
undesirable. No pen can picture it
After engaging the enemy for nearly one
hour and {. half, the Battery was forced TO
retire under cover of the llth Iowa, Ieay-
ing OF our guns on the field No blame
can be attached to the officers command
ing the brigade or the company, as so
many Of the postiliions were wounded and
horses killed, as to render it impossible to
move off the guns. Although the lIth
Iowa and 10Th Illinois stood to the last
minute, they did not give us the support
we ought to have had, in consequence of
the extreme exhaustion Of their mer,
who had been in the action FOR over three
hours,-an hour and a half before Dress.
ers Battery came into the field, and sup
ported Us for nearly an hour and a half.
On Monday morning we rallied one sec
ton of the battery, and went into the
field, when we (our treopsl recaptured our
four pieces lost on Sunday morning, tax
ing thirteen rebel pieces, which the rebels
Kindly loaned US, while retreating at a
double-quick.
visited the principal grounds on Tues
day, looking up our wounded and dead,
and found four killed. The names of
killed in Dressers Battery are Daniel
McDermott, enlisted at Ottawa, former
residence, Ho,mesburgh, Pa; Michael
Link, Scott County, Mo; Sargent T. D.
Tazer, residence unknown, wounded at
the battle of Fl Donilson, was killed on
Sunday morning. The names of the
wounded in Dresser's Battery, were not
all taken by ..me, only the portion from
this section Of the State. Charles B. For
rest breast wound, not dancerous-is re-
covering very fast Archibald Dunn, right
hand shattered by piece of a shell-not
bad, and ball wound drought the left
shoulder-not at all serious. Edward
Galenbv, shot through the left leg by En-
field rifle ball-below the thigh-bones
broken, and may become necessary to
amputate.
The men whose names do not appear
in this list, from this county, are not
wounded, and to the many friends of our
boys, l will say, they are we'll and hearty
Any information respecting the mem
bers ofthe company their friends may de-
sire, will be happy to give if they will
call on me while l remain in Ottawa,
which will not be over week.
w. P. GREGG, D. B.