The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-01-08
Who Took Sherman's Battery?

EDITOR REGISTER: Who does not re-
member the tremendous excitement over
the news of the victory at the first battle
of Manassas The "reminiscences of this
celebrated battle are somewhat sad but
pleasant, and I recur to them with pleas
ure. One little incident 1 wish to call
up and thereby do justice to fallen
hero. The Hampton Legion bore con-
spicuous part in this battle, and, it was
alleged, captured Sherman's celebrated
battery; but subsequent information de-
veloped the fact that there was no such
battery on the field. But one Captain
Ricketts, commanded a battery, which
was originally part of the Sherman bat
terry, so conspicuous on the battle fields
of Mexico. At the session of the Legis-
lature which followed, Col. Yeadon, a
member from Charleston, made q glow
ing speech, complimenting the legion as
the captors of the celebrated battery,
alleging that the guns were captured in
a hand-to.hand contest, the gunners bay
oneted and hewn down, fighting over
them to the last man. These statements
were never contradicted, as we know of,
and, like the cotton bales at the battle of
New Orleans, has passed into history and
will be believed by many to the end of
time. Being anxious to have and hear
an interesting account of the capture, I
met, not long after, Lieutenant B., of the
company said to have made the capture,
and asked him to give me an account of
the fight; but I was terribly let down at
his response, for he said, as well as l can
remember, quoting his own words: 1--WE
had no fight over the guns. We were
going across the field, came up to some
guns that had been abandoned some
time, and we stopped and rested there
some minutes, some of our men getting
up and sitting straddle the guns but
there were no Yankee soldiers near US
then" This statement rather surprised
me, and I was 10th to believe it, but Of
course it was a candid, unbiased state
ment, and afterwards confirmed by an
other officer of the same company, giving
identically the same statement. So, [
had 10 console myself with the fact that
if the legion did not take the battery
they had borne themselves gallantly in
the great battle. But who did capture
Sherman's, or more properly Ricketts,,
battery? I answer, Col. Fisher, of the
Sixth North Carolina Regiment, and I
say so for the following reasons: In a
conversation with Ex-Governor More
head, of North Carolina, not long after
the battle, as near as can remember, he
said: "While in Richmond, last week, I
called to see Captain Ricketts,. 1 found
him comfortably cared for and nursed by
his wife, who had been permitted to pass
through the lines. He said: Il see the
capture of Sherman's battery is claimed
by the Hampton Legion, of South Caro-
lima. There was no such battery on the
field; but my battery, suppose, is meant,
as commanded part of the old Sher-
man battery, and it was captured by my
old classmate, Fisher, of North Carolina.
I was firing away as fast as 1 could, when
I suddenly saw body of infantry, at
double quick, appFeachihg::~fhey had
been sheltered by some bushes, and got
on me so quick had not time to turn
my guns. Fisher I recognized at once
in the advance, gallantly leading his men
and fourishing his sword high in the air,
and shouting his men on the charge, who
fell dead in twenty feet of the guns. 1
fell myself in q moment or two. The
tide of battle swept on over US, and 1
was left prisoner with this broken leg,
and here am in Richmond, much to my
modification and surprise; and now,
whoever may claim to have captured
Sherman's or Ricketts, battery, you can
answer, Fisher, of North Carolina
And now it has been nearly twenty
years ago, but not too late to do justice
to the brave hero who fell in our cause.
I say, then, "Honor to whom honor Is
dueW W Truth.