St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-03-26


as to whether all the balls were Gained
at m" nor, as to whether an officer seat
ed on horseback, hit by a"speut ball" com.
ing with sufficient velocity to "ricochet,"
and strike said officer upon "the thigh"
would intlict 7'sligbt" or serious wound.
l leave this question to be- discussed by
those familiar with the laws governing
the fight Of projectiles. 4> =. ~
In speaking of the skirmish near Knob
Cap" the Captain remssks-"Almost in
the outsst of the engagement shot frp
my right gun disabled one. Of the snemy,le
pieces" Nov, as to whether the "right"
Or the left gun disabled said piece tie
Captain could not from the position occu-
pied by him know any such thing ; iu-
deed, there are doubts as to whether any
piece was disabled by our gtns in that ac-
tion. One gun was captured which was
aftcrward used by Us against the enemy,
and disabled piece was found the next
day some distance beyond "Knob Cap"
on the line of march.
Again: "Aftcr seeing my Battery fair
ly under way for place Of more security;
1 devoted myself to keeping the battery
together and conducting it safely through
the timber, in which l was successful, be-
ing materially aided by the GOODNESS Of
Lieut.. Dawlcy." Here is a strange mis-
statement of fact because, it was myself
who assisted in conducting the caissons
and one disabled gun to the rear, and not
Lieut.. Dawley, who was at that time un-
der fire and in charge Of the Battery tenn
porarily; the Captain being with the
caissons and not where he should have
been. The Captain fails on this, or any
other occasion to recognize my presence
and for reasons quite patent within the
purlieu of the I'd Minnesota Battery. 1t
is to be regretted that this "cool," and
thoroughly efficient officer, Lieut.. Dax.
ley, should be SO thoroughly "damned
with FAINT praise" by being made to ap.
pear where he was not at the time spoken
Of by the Captain, and BY being named in
the Report as "cool," in position Of no
earthly danger.
Again: "Jhe I'd inst, by order Of Gen
Rosecrans, Lieut.. Harder, who, though
slightly wounded had been placed in
charge Of one portion Of ny battery, with
a captured gun, battery wagon, forge
aud ammunition wagon, moved with the
train that had been started back to Nash
vile. At or near 'Lavergne' the train
was attacked and a panic seized upon a
part of the escort and many Of the drivers,
and one Of my guns, the battery wagon
and forgc, were in possession Of the enemy
for short time and until Lieut. Harder
could extricate his howitzers from among
the wagons, when he opened upon the
enemy with shell and with the aid of a
small body Of cavalry succeeded in repul-
sing him, and recaptured my gun and car
riages." The Captain might have added,
this same party who went into Nashville,
"by order Of Gen. Rosecrans," carried off
all the eatables belonging to the officers
mess, baggage and tents, ambulance and
our blankets and it was not known for
sometime, whether 'the other portion of
my battery" was captured, or where they
we're. To have said so much would have
provoked inquiry and would not do. The
Captain is wrong as to date; instead Of
the I'd of Jan. it. was the LIST Of Jan. that
that portion Of our battery, "changed its
base" and at time when the result of
the battle. was waveriug; the question
naturally suggests itself; Why did Gen.
Rosecrans order TO- Nashville, caissons
loaded with ammunition, wagon con-
timing ammunition, and guns not dis.
abled save in not having men enough to
man them (snd they would have been
quickly supplied by making known the
fact to Gen. r: or any one else in author.
ity0 ata time, too, when, as correspon-
dent Of \ Cincinnati; paper wrote "Artil
lery ammunition was alarmingly scarce p
Perhaps Gen. Rosecrans could tell another
story. Perhaps Capt. Hotohkias can ex.
plain. The truth is zone portion" Of on,
battery left without Capt. HIS knowledge,
They took Ill our spare ammunition and
bad our battery been engaged to any con
siderable extent after the S1st Of Dec
a re-supply could not have bsen~ had a,
thst time in consequence Of the "ebang>
J Of bass," Of f"o"e portion Of my battery