The National tribune., 1884-09-25
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
GIN BATTERY"

published rs 1HE NATIONAL Tribune vi
course subscribed at once. Now, it does not
conc often enough. Ihaye never met bat twoof
my company comrades since we were mustered
out of tic service at the close of the war, and
but few comrades since ] came West who were
soldiers of the Array of the Potomac. If If had
not been fer a painful reminder IN the shape
OF rheumatic affections contracted during the
late unpieasGutness i should have probably
forgotten my army experience altogether IN
the course Of few years; not that there was
aDy lack of interest in the matter, bnt 20
years is a long time, and meeting no Que for II
OF those years 10 talk matters over with a fell
low, he wonld naturally berome rusty.
The NATIONAL TRIBUNE helps me Crt in
this respect. On different occasions / have
seen mention of my company in your columns,
and my memory was refreshed by late men,
tiOn IN Gen. Howards interesting reminls-
cenccs.
The General, in writing of Burnside's ad
vance TO Fredericksburg, says that Pettits
: battery took position on Falmouth Hights,"
etc. Does any Of the boys remember that lit
tie AFFAIR with the enemy's battery, and how
we got =" the drop" on them? As Gen Howard
says, we lost one of our gun wheels, but the
enemy, for al practical purposes, lost their en-
tire battery j very much doubt whether an
other battery was so completely silenced IN so
short time during The entire war If | re-
member rightly, Gen. MeagAer piioied us up
steep hillside out of view of the enemy, who
were posted 10 dispute the crossing of the
river. The eDemy's battery of four guns was
IN position on the open ground. about 200 yards
10 the west ana rear OF Eilzhugh Lees house
We succeeded ia getting our guns IN position
under the brow OF the hill, charged them with
shrapnel, and ran them TO the summit by hand.
Capt Petit had estimated the distance so
nicely that the rebels who were lying around
their guns on the grass were completely de-
moraliZed by our first round. The drivers lett
that unhealthy locality with their gun limbers
at once. They may have had orders TO go with
the limbcrs Surely ii they did they executed
the movement In a cemoralized manner do
not think that the enemy succeeded in firing
more than tvs rounds before we had driven
them entirely away from their guns and under
the shelter of the house mentioned above. We
had picnic with those fellows for the remain
der OF that evening. We were ordered TO hold
those guns, and. though the river was between
us, they got 10 use them no more that day. 1t
was always a mystery to Capt. Pettit's COM
maad why cur cavalry did not ford the river
and get those guns. Just before night one of
the rebs started on his hands and knees from
behind the house towards the abandoned guns.
Our Captain. who was watching matters
through his feld-glass, soon discovered him
and ordered our gunncrs 10 open ire. How
that reb ever lived through such a storm
OF bursting shell, is hard to understand. But he
certainly succeeded in attaching the pr0longs
70 thuse four guns Then the whole company
let the friendly shelter Of the house on the
run, each gun squad evidently making for
their gun. IL was very warm for them
though, and we could plainly sec the violent
demonstrations OF their officers as squad after
squad would drop their guns aud break for tie
house After three OF four trials they finally
succeeded IL dragging their guns cut Of sight
About the last round we fired, Capt. Petit,
who was at the left of our battery. took occa-
sion % look over CorpeE1t S-Epauis gan, when
he made the discovery fkzt Brow2 had his gun
elevated and sighed directly at The house.
The Corporal made il Eii right with the Cap
tain by cx planning gradge be had against the
Lee family IL general look through field
glass shoaed Is distinct holes in the frame OF
th2t house Brown insisted that be fred the
first two rounds directly at the battery. An
examination Of his gun timber showed that he
had fired l6 rounds, and whether he had hurt
any Conledergbes or not he had hit the old
house every time. That Was one Of the engage
meats. if my comrades Of Battery b remember,
that we enjoyed. IL was not 50 funny on the
seven days retreat from IN front OF Richmond.
The med icine was quite bad at Chancellors-
Vile about the time StDncyali Jackson was
killed. Neither was that very healthy loca-
tl0n at Gettysburg on the evening Of the I'd oi
July. Poor little Harry kosecrans left us fol
good that evening only feg hours IN advance
Of the ii or u other brave fellows who were
taken from as in that short and bloody work
OF The next day. Ihers vas great cheer, com
rades, IN the command Of Sen Webb, who had
been supporting Us with hiE brigade "Atten
tiOn forward and as he passed through
the battery he shouted. Get back, boys, yog
have done well. We viii attend TO them now
They were pretty wei attended 10 as i
was, for il looked 10 me as though good large
srny was lying dead or wounded in front O
those IA guns Still there was enough dangel
lnrking around ia that neighborh0od wher
Webb passed through the battery TO make Il
desirable for a fellow who was out Of job Il
hunt up a quieter locality. / think we had
enough horses left 90 haul of one caisson.
preferred going afoot, and as it was " go-as
you-pleaser affair think got under cove
about as quick any of the boys, unless
perhara Price and Goodrich did a little better
The former always would contend that he has
She lead in that race until near Meade's head
quarters, when Goodrich passed him like
streak OF lightning, loaded with fuse tra.
out Of one Of the gun limbcrs and rubbe
bucket. ] always Hlil contend that right tber
st Gettysburg, on the Sd day Of july, 1866
Battery Is and two other batteries, who's
designations csDnot now remember, did w0rl
which was never surpassed in any war by fe
artillery. Oh the murderous work of thos
60 pieces Of artillery which the enemy brongh
10 bear On us. Lie down by your guni
men" was the order 10 the three batteries q
sooE as they had opened on US
wonder what a political kicker against pen
aions Boui0 consider lust compensation to in
duce hiIa % make his bed i'm snch place and la
I'm H. too. orfuily three-q OF an hour wit
the ghastly sight Of bis comrades being blow
% pieces ali around him il requires nerve I
stand up and face battle in any case, but til
fellow who can lie down and feel comiortabl
under wel-directed artillery fire is a bricl
For my own part. the command which Gale
uE up 10 work our guns relieved me Of gres
load Of nervousness And then, too il was on
turn to make music for the Johnnes They we,
close enough by that time 10 allow us to pls
the entire tune with canister. and the have
IN our front gave ample evidence for our ha
hours work. j have tried hard 10 remembs
those other two batteries, but / cannot.
seems 10 me that one was a Massachusetts, an
the other Regular battery. Can some con
rade enlighten me on the subject2 IL tn
does not find the way into your waste basket
shall hope that it may call out some of my con
pany comrades, from ali of whom j should
GLAD TO hear, either personally or through u
solumns Of The TRIBUHE.-D. w. LINsDA'
Battery B, lst N. Y. l.. A, Ennis, Mont
stuarfs Raid.
tn T-zF VDfrOp. Vour carresnend emf n II