The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-02-17
A Cannon's Story.
ps:rs.s Free rrsssl

Detroit Free rrsssl
Ny ZANE: Veil, rrs had several. when ~ss
taken hcn the navy yard long years ago. and
naou..si In battery en- ;hs Po:oral., tasy called
,Ane Apet." VA tia snsllest gun in the battery,
sz-s .1..- she wsy hss Of kaisxsns tho enemy
asou: the gunners cams to love ms. Than inside
the sixth gun In > tsld battery, and VA vita Nc
cIei!.a en- his Penusa,, campaign. Iwss la:ky
from IL, start. Would You believe th:s I ner-s
sver loss vheel until nj ta.!e,a.a aEi: was a.
most ended. SONS canaons ara alssJs a trouble
Tas-. we.e two pieces in my bs.:sry wa!eh Nigh:
better h:ye b.sn LEI. At home. TA-y looked hand
sons "a .sr.s-, bat IL :c..as .ac? hal huna.ta
s-c-sls FOR not standing uo 10 their work. Ias
ammunition Wal poJs, the she.ls too lAISe-ihs
ground uufsvosshIs-ths range impertect-sone-
.hiug was the matter sTery trae they we.s called 70
tn. front.
Al 10. u uS. to Sec 5 cannon s.aal RS ut up to
It's So;k. Ask suy oas Who knows me and the!
vii TED you thAs was . fighter. II bad kept
= h.s Of the number OF army wagons and ansu-
fences l have knocked 30 pieee4 And tbs nuuoer OF
men And horses have killed, You would open your
ewes in surprise. have seen ths time was the
onl. gun LEI. in tbs battery ut for service, aad ~hsa
tho eaure company r.llisd about ms l felt bit
proud. lie. nese4r h..e beea astsc-ed 10 not
les. thsn six different sngsdes Of Infantry, thseo
diRessu. bssatss Of cavalry, ssd have been posted
in to, to.tA aud earthwork. Ask any artillery
1rxa th., Isn't good record. have been struck
o,ts 100 times by bulis., srapsshos aud pieces OF
shell but you Sc iha: am good for another cam-
paisn was personally srluAintsd with Mellow
ell, Richardson, KeArney. Burns ias, Mcclellan,
Hooiar, Custer, Fitzpatrick, Sheridan, Grant and
several others, aud / behsve that l have 70
cs.ved words Of praise from al OF them.
And yet have stain Oh my record. sometimes
am cory about ii, aad again An glad. don't
think any Of the Laid 1t up against me, but yst
I, N, : break In my rrcord. They hsd sent me ov-
ar into tie sheuandoh valley 10 dgst with Sheridan
and ,o.nsd him only i've days before the baltic Of
csd.r Creek when tho man came 10 count my
scar, And look me over they agreed among them
selves that va trusty piece, aud they rejoiced
that h.I come among them. Such talk - this
naturally made mo anxious to prove tras all they
h.d predicteL, and 1t wss with feeling Of deep
ss,isf.ctiou that sAw the battle OF Ceier Greek
commence, In ten minutes after the Asst alarm I
uas .hro wing shell among tho enemy. aud the men
around me were shouting:
..1,,e IT to en- ,auty; yoa'rs shooting - tue
- . rtde.
dopt care to tell you the part toah in that A.
fair but you can judge that was hit BY bullets no
less than twelve times, and every spoke in my
wheels had stain Of blood. Z 8 the hsht grew hot
I forgot myself in my desire MAIN aud XII. Iu my
esgsrncss to slay almost jumped clear OF the earth
and felt thrill OF delight when the sheits. wsre
changed for srs ape and canister. saw the enemy
forming for charge, but did not move. heard
them saying how much depended on ms, md was
too proud TO eivo back foot
s,st ~ Isonr OF me, As tnss Irst,nels CAMS Snss
I'M, On, we're TIRES bine-eyed, bsardioss boys. !
hnsx they rnust bs brothers. know that good
mother had kissed them goodbye At some farm
houss gait, and that gray-haired fateer had fei1
his Old heart ache rs they marched away. was
made to MAIN aud Kill. had been called trusty
cannon. Aye! take delight in wars horrtd mar
ders But - tbs f.i,haired boys esme STIR Oily on,
and saw that all would be wiped out ~ ones,
fslteIcd xnd grew weak for the rst tins in my LIFE
felt the tears Of the mothsr-l heard her sobs OF
anguish above tho roar of bsst,e. could not take
them ell. held my sraps assiast tae pull or the
lanyard. Thee pullsi assn and again. but the pow
der refused TO bum. As tho lines came near the
brother bore away to the right, snd when theJ
were GU. Of range sent my terrible mlsssls crash
ing into other faces and tore SCORE OF men into
bloody Fragments. Thus, though look grim and
rahriceous, 1 h1ra my weakness. Warriors would
NOT look for sentiment In blAck-mouthsd cAnaor,
but n you come closer you will see that tho bird
Nave nssued In my throat and rsArot shoir yound
among the powder stains.