Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-05-31

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a CAxnpsRER's RzDx---fnpas;n
=. i. Owed. y 81 Cents dsrata. I wF,srs. /.
The most conspicubos set Of rses -
courage | ever - displavsd sr $50
battlefield during or great civil VA
occurred at the second baisla & Is -.
sAs, August 81 lo2 II Va o..
formed BY Fedefs. arsillsrssi = tba
presence OF both armis and wan wit.
messed By at. least . thousandl nab.
many OF whom are still living and
can readily recall the incident when
reminded Of the circunsh tanees Jnst
as Hoods men charged dowh o. I'm
near the Henry hoase unon Fhe EFsk
Federal line. and it became evident
that he would captnre tha battery
stationed thare. FederA artillsrv-
man determined to save one OF The
cannons, If possibIe, and 10 do 40 he
had TO take it up t1.s ditch in front
Of the Confederates for half a mile
The ditch was four feet wide and as
many deep, and could not be crossed
with the cannon.
How he got his horses hitched, or
whether they had really ever been
taken from the piece, | never have
known, but the first | saw of him he
was coming up our front in a sweep.
ing gallop from the cloud of smoke.
and Hoods men were firing at him.
As soon IS he escaped from that vol.
ley ne came in front of our brigade
and under the range of our mnskets
on the left, and as he swept by a file
tire was opened upon him. Our line
was approaching the ditch rapidly at
a double quick. and the line between
US and the ditch was getting narrow
er each second, but the artilleryman
seemed determined to save his gun
from capture, and he few along his
course at tremendous rate of speed.
He had four large gray or white
horses to the cannon, and they came
up the valley in splendid style. The
man sat erect and kept his team well
IN hand while his whip seemed 20
play upon the tanks of the leaders.
and all four horses appeared to lean
together in regular time. The ground
was very dry, and cloud OF dust
rolled out from under the horses feet
and from the wheels of the cannon as
they came laundering along.
Three regiments of our brigade had
already fired at him as he rushed
along their front, and as he ap-
preached the left of another ran
down the rear rank shouting to the
men:
Shoot at the horsesl Let the man
alone and shootat the horsest You
arc firing too hight"
AT this | saw . noted marks
man in Company F drop on one knee
and sight along the barrel Of his mus
ket and fire; but on came the man,
and the gallop Of his team was un-
broken. Ramming in another cart
ridge the marksman was ready again
IN a minute, and just as the cannon
eer swept across the front, within a
hundred yards, he kneeled down, and
taking deliberate aim at the foremost
horse fired again; but on went the
team unharmed as before. Thus he
passed along the whole front Of our
regiment and then along on our right,
and escaped around the head of the
ditch and across the field and up the
hill beyond. As far off as we could
see him his team was still going at a
gallop; but when out of range on the
hill beyond the ditch he turned in
his saddle and. taking of his hat,
waved it over his head several times,
and seine the Confederates cheered
him.
At least five hundred men fred at
that Yankee gunner, and have often
wondered if he escaped death in the
subsequent battles Of the war, and
lives to tell Of the fearful gauntlet he
run along the front of g whole bri-
gade Of Confederates firing at him.