The National tribune., 1884-12-11
Fifth Wisconsin Battery at Resaca.

To THE EDITOR: In reading your valuable
paper see and read many articles relative to
the battle of Resaca, Ga, but in none of them
do see mention of the part played by the 5th
Wis battery. 1t is so important that l am sur
prised the famous battery of six NapolcOns is
not mentioned, and being member of the
Gen. James Morgan Brigade, which supported
it, feel constrained to make known through
your columns, that to that battery belongs no
little credit for hammering Gen. Joe John
ston's veterans. To make long story short,
our forces had pressed the Confederates back to
their line of intrenchments, and our jeff. G.
Davis Division had assaulted and been re-
pulsed. The Confederate works were at the
foot of a ridge which had gradual descent;
then there was sort of level piece of ground
which ended abruptly with almost inaccessible
bluffs. On these bluffs the Union lines rested
The bluffs were abrupt in descent in rear of
Union lines, and the artillery was parked in
rear of infantry line and bluff nearly a mile
After the repulse l was near Gen. Davis's
headquarters (being on detail duty near HIM
On the bluff. The lines were very near to each
other. While Gen. Davis and several others
were discussing the situation, a very young
artillery oflicer-Capt. Gardner-stepped up to
Gen. Davis and suggested that his battery be
allowed to be brought up and open on the en-
emy, who were in full view. The General re-
piled that it seemed impossible to bring artil-
that if he would detail few infantry to assist,
the battery would soon be playing on the en-
emy. Orders were issued and in very short
time the battery had climbed the rugged bluffs
and was placed in position overlooking the enc
my's works, but a few hundred yards distant.
The position was such that the battery had
only few yards interval between guns but
the boys soon had the enemy busy lodging
shells and case shot.
One interesting feature of the affair was the
conspicuous position of a Confederate battery
of gray horses which stood at salient angle
of the works and was playing hard into the
infantry lines of the Twenty third Corps ON
our left. To this battery the 5th Wis. first di-
rected their unerring missiles, and it was not
long before the said gray horses were pretty
we'll piled up and the guns deserted. The 5th
battery then turned its attention to the rifle
pits on which it had an enfilading fire. To
see the effect of the fire was to know it was
destructive. A Confederate battery, oblquely
to the right on high ridge, fired into the 5th
battery. but could not see that it disturbed
the Badger boys, except to occasionally elicit a
few shots. l know that Gen. Davis was more
than pleased with the practice, also other gen.
cral officers who witnessed it, A short time
after the Wisconsin boys commenced to dis
turb the enemy, and before they had fairly got
to work, 4 division Of our troops on our left
which we were afterwards informed was Ho-
vey's Division of Indiana troops (it may have
been somebody elsc), charged the works of the
enemy and were repulsed. heard many Off
GERS say the advance was premature, and that
had the division been little later the 5Jh
Wis. battery would have so demoralized the
enemy that it would have been an easy task to
have occupied the works. When the enemy
abandoned that line saw a dispatch which
was taken from dead Orderly in the field,
indited to Gen. Johnston by Gen. Stevenson,
saying: "You must send US intrenching tools
and strong corps of pioneers tonight, as the
enemy's artillery has enfilading fire on us,
and our mortality is very great Unless pro-
tected, cannot hold my men in line"
So you (the 5th Wis. battery) did good work,
and solicited the opportunity to do it.-J. B.,
10Th ILL.,, st. Paul, Mimi.