Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-12-17
ARM GarrrsgollSnllltt.
For The GsllipoIis journal.
-FRoA THE lsra ONO BATTERY. |,
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)i "a MOCCksIN fOfET, IkEE..
'e-----iesss Z Nossmber 90 1855, ]
+ Ma. EDtroR:-Tbinking that the n,
merous friends of the old 18th will
pleased to hear from 1t, we presume /
address a short communication for III
columns Of your paper. Our Batter
has now been out over fifteen month.
and profess 10 have seen q speck or tw
OF war. Il started out 70 see the sle
phanf, and it certainly saw the monster
body, toe nails, tusks, trunk, and an
totes. qHOties, at Chicsmauga. We d,
not design giving an account Of thi
terrible conflict as enough has been al
ready written on the subject. and per
hsps too much. The part which oul
brigade took in the terrible conflict i,
now matter Of history.
Alter the battle the Battery crossed
the river at Chattanooga. and took quar-,
ters on range Of hills. called "Strin.
gers Ridge" The river makes an i'm.
nense horse shoe bend around thi:
ridge. south. and the bend is called
"Moccasin Bend" Where this ridge
is terminated by the river, it is called
"Moccasin's Point" which lies directly
opposite Lookout Mountain. The noun
tain towers far above the point, and is
held BY the enemy. Whilst Capt. Nay.
lor's Battery. and ours. in conjunction,
hold the above mentioned point.
The distance By air line between the
rebel batteries on the mountain, and
ours, is about one mile. The result is,
that nearly every day witnesses sharp
artillery duels. So far the enemy ha.
done as no material damage, though
some Of their shells came uucomiorta6ly
close. Upon the whole, the rebels
have done i'll shooting. their shots fall.
ing too short. or too high. 1t is anus.
ing to hear the boys upon such Occas.
ions. "Ho. hol "they will yell back to
Lookout" you're too short; give her
more elevation? or "too high. too high;
cut your fuse little shorterl Last
Monday il appeared that the enemy
was sending. what looked like q brig
ade Of men, from left to right, high up
on the mountain. They could barely
be seen by the naked eye. but the sun
shine flashed in sparkles from the pol
ished surfaces OF their muskets, and
bayonets. Our Battery Immediately
opened all its thunders, and there was
done some Of the prettiest artillery
shooting ever witnessed. The smmu-
milton was good, the fuses Just right,
and nearly every shell exploded eI.
actly where it was intended. The
effect on the ehiValry was electrical.
Smoke and dust, and horrible missiles,
whizzing fragments Of shell. were be-
fore them, behind them, over their
heads, and amongst their feet. They
made double quick in the most un-
soldierly positions across the point ex-
posed. Since, they have shown them
selves "feW and far between"
Our boys have grown perfectly in
different to the danger from rebel shells.
A shell comes bowling over camp. per.
haps bursting, and filing the air with
the sharp whizzing noise OF the Jagged
fragments, making the bushes and trees
crack, crash, and rattlety bang. and all
the notice taken Of the circumstance,
by them, viii be, perhaps. some such
expression as this, rs they look up at
the mountain; "you fool son Of gun
had better be not wasting your ammu-
milton thai way" One moonshining
night the enemy commenced throwing
shells around our camp about midnight
All we're soundly asleep, save the
guards. and therefore the drmonstra-
lion came like a clap of thunder
Boom. whiz" went the bursting ones,
and urash went those that did not
burst, into the leaves and soft earth
Up rose nearly every man in bis bed,
not knowing precisely what was up.
Suddenly light broke 10 on their minds;
"Oh the devil. its only the rebels was.
ting more OF their ammunition, says
one, and We heard another sleepily
drswl out, "Those darned fools on
Lookout tOiU cripple some Of us yet,"
and then al lay down to sleep soundly
until morning. The fact of Il is, no
blank cartridge can scare them like il
did certain Corporal that We read
about the other day. They are too
much accustomed to hear real lire
ones, intended TO hurt, not to scare,
sing around their ears. and not only
littts bullets. but great shells, big enough |
for tea kettles. Were any Of them "out
after roll CALL" and g sentinel was to
ire at them, and a real bullet was "to
sing within an inch Of their heads"
they would march on, perhaps barely
"what id fool wss that
who let his gun 60 off,
The boys have no tents. but they
have erected themselves comfortable
,hsuties Of pine logs, with mud and
'lick chimneys. They have conslruc-
ed hunks Of pine poles. over which
hey spread pine tops. Over this thu Y
sy their blanket, or blankets. for none
possess more than two blankets, and,
hough having no "bed ticks filed with
straw" they sleep none the less COM
iortsbly and sOuDdly thereby. Having