The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-11-06
TIL. 18th Ohio Battery ct Iuka.

To THE EDITOR: / had the honor to COM
mand the 18th Ohio battery at the battle oil
luka, Sept. 10, 1862. Accordingly, have been
| reading with much interest what your cores
| poDdents have been saying about it. l have
copies of the original orders and considerable
other literature concerning the fight, and for
years have been thinking of giving sketch OF
10Y recOllectiOns and information in regard to
it. am not ready to do this yet, and would
have continued silent for the present, had not
seen fit to entirely eliminate this battery from
the fight by the assertion that "the Ohio bat
terry was not ordered to fire until it was too
late, and then fired but one, or, at the outside,
two rounds before the rebs were OH U.S." Now,
one would suppose, from the deliberate
precision of this count and other statements,
that "W. II. H." was q disinteressed party,
coolly standing upon stump in the midst of
this little skirmish," counting the rounds
fired by the different batteries and regi-
ments engaged, and examining what manner
of shot they used. How likely this is or how
likely his information is to be correct leave
any one who was engaged in that exciting I'M
pleasantness, or others like it, to judge.
The official report from the battery showed
an expenditure of 116 rounds, mostly canister,
and double canister at that and pains were
taken to make this report accurate. Had the
battery fired but one, Or at most, two rounds"
no matter what cause may have prevented its
doing more, hardly think that the Generals
in command would have felt called upon to pay
the battery the high compliments they gave it
in numerous orders and documents
In General Order, No. 100, Headquarters
Army of the Mississippi, Corinth, Miss, Sept
"a, 1862 now in my possession, Gen. Rosecrans
had this to say of the part taken by this bat
terry in the battle Of Iuka: "Sandss 18th Ohio
battery, under Lieut.. Seers, was served with
unequaled bravery under circumstances of
danger and exposure such as rarely, perhaps
never, has fallen to the lot of single battery
during the war"
Would any such notice be likely to have been
inspired in the breast of that stern old warrior
by the firing of only one or, at the most, two
rounds in such fghtP In war success is the
measure of ability and the cOnjurer of praise
Execution in fight is, understand, the only
thing that can justify commentator.
This battery went into the fight with about
los men, and had 16 killed on the field and 80
wounded. Forty-six of these (killcd and
wounded) were of the gunners, of whom there
were total of 81. Three out of four officers
shared the same fate. Forty-two horses were
killed upon the field and Il coincidence) AZ
were SO disabled from wounds that they had to
be turned over unfit for service. While this abb
sorbing work was going on, "W. II. NJ" would
counting the rounds and examining whether
the rebs were firing shell or canister; how the
regiments were placed, ETC.!
All l know upon the question of shell or
canister is that some of our horses were wounded
with shell, and they were not Union shell. I
am sure was there, and yet could not, from
my own personal knowledge tell the position
OF any regiment supporting us. Indeed, had
my hands and mind SO thoroughly occupied
with my own particular part of the business,
that 1T seemed to me we were going it alone on
weak hand, with strong prospect of being
euchred. But / remember distinctly that my
order was " Use canister, aim low and give
them hell" This order was not given too
late; it YVES obeyed in letter and In spirit, and
the battery was highly complimented from all
quarters-even by the rebs themselves.
LOSING, in his civil War in America" vol
ume II, page 513 and following, gives q de-
scriptiOn of this BATTLE with diagrams of posi-
ton, which l believe represents it fairly. Also,
Carleton" in your paper of July 3, gives q
hne and Il think fair report Of it. These
writer's do not exactly agree in details with
each other; neither with my recollection on all
points But as no two persons ever see or learn
anything Of this nature exactly alike, this dis
agreement Is not strange; as lawyers say, it
proves honesty of purpose, and excludes the
idea of collision. This 18th Ohio battery dur
Ing its service became SO perfect in drill, that
in less than three minutes from the sound
of the bugle, when the men were all in quar-
ters and the horses hitched to the picket-rope,
with nothing on but their halters, they were
completely harnessed, hitched the guns linz
bered up and battery moved, with every strap
buckled and in its loop and everything ready
for the Johnnies Has this record ever been
beaten ?-CYRUs SEAEs, Pitt, O.