The National tribune., 1885-07-16

guns dis,nounted. Nor was it long before the
infantry was seen leaving the trenches and
taking shelter behind the hills
Now, whose division or what troops charged
across our front? think the troops belonged to
Judah's Division instead of Hovey's. do not
know for certain; do remember, however,
that it was generally understood that they
were Indiana troops. In any event the charge
was premature; there is not any question
about it. No such charge should have been
made until artillery had first been tried on the
enemy. In this instance everybody who wit
messed the effect of our FIRE was satisfied that
had the assault been deferred one hour, or even
one-half hour,
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL
We continued to fire into the Confederates
until there did not seem to be much left of
them, and not until we had knocked all resist
ance out of what was in our immediate front did
we hear any other guns on the hills on our
SIDE Therefore, Gen. Davis should have said
1.-The 5th Wis. battery" instead of My bat
teries," when he said, "Their conduct was very
conspicuous on this occasion. The effect of
their projectiles was unusually severe upon the
enemy's lines, driving him several times from
his rifie-pits." Commanders of regiments and
staff officers seemed to never tire of referring
to our work at Resaca. On account of the guns
being SO close together, we were deprived OF
hearing for almost a week. Blood ran from
| the ears of several of the cannoneers, and COM
mands were given almost entirely by signs
When we ceased firing the cannoneers looked
like a lot of coal -heaverS and a tired lot they
We're. That night we were moved to the right
and during the 18th rested on the brow OF
hill, behind breastworks built of logs. During
the whole of the day were under a severe and
| incessant fire from sharpshooters. Occasion
ally we would fire a few rounds, but no gen.
eral engagement occurred.
On this day we had horses killed and were
placed IN a ravine In rear OF the lne IL was
mystery where the bullets came from. The
drivers insisted the men who fired the guns
| must have been in trees. 1t was hot place,
even if we did have breastworks, as the bullets
| fairly swarmed about US and penetrated be-
| tween the logs and just poured through the
embrasures. Sergt Stout said he knew the
whole Confederate army was detailed as sharp
| shooters and ne swore like trooper when a
bullet penetrated his Lieutenants canteen and
| evaporated the last bit of whiskey in the COM
pany. The enemy appeared to have located
our right gun, although o. ID. Snow, Charley
Robertson, and Dave Galusho had trimmed a
dozen huge trees and placed the foliage in front
of their gun. Charley swore that he had taken
at least ten pounds of lead out of the gun,
which had been shot into it during the day. l
do not now remember who was gunner on that
gun, but know he had his hair brushed six
During the night of the 18th the enemy made
strong feint on our works, which turned cut
to be preparatory only to a retreat. However,
we did some very heavy night firing, which,
imagine, did not accomplish much more than
to
AWAKEN LIEUT. LAFFERTY,
who was sleeping under gun. As he did not
sleep any during daytime he was a sound
sleeper at night. The boys scattered heaps of
r L FL lx.1 -. L. H.,
of battle advancing to our front, some execu
ton must have been DONE An examination
of the ground next day did not show many
dead Confederates, therefore / reached the con-
clusion that only very thin skirmish-line
drew our fire, but at the time both infantry
and artillery thought an attempt was being
made to gain possession of our position and bat
terry.
On the 10th inst. we had an opportunity to
examine the result of our work on the 14th
and 18th, and we felt thoroughly satisfied that
We had not wasted ammunition at RoSsville in
daily target practice. The troops on both
sides had ceased to be scared by big noises from
cannon, but both had great respect for we'll di-
rected artillery. Prisoners taken on the 10th
told US never in their experience up to that
time had their division been subject to such
searching and fatal artillery as on the 14th and
18th days of May came from that line
of hills. In company with several of
my company and some of our infantry
i visited the spot occupied by the Confederate
battery referred to, and the line of rifle pits
from which the same infantry was driven, and
gratified our curiosity in the way of studying
the topography of the battlefield and the re-
suit Of the work. We found great many of
the battery horses lying there dead. One had
Eve round holes through his body made by artil-
lcry projectiles, and several had from one to
three. All the horses appeared to have been
killed by artillery. And in every direction
at that point could be seen the effect of our en-
ilading fire. The fragments of shell and case
shot were round Founders, which indicated
our guns, as Battery was all 10-pound PARROTS,
and the battery on the left were mostly Rod
mans and PARROTS. We noticed where two
round shot had plowed for some distance
along the back side of the trench, and where
one had plowed along for long distance
along the bottom of the trench Now just inn
agine the effect of such shots on the men who
filled the long rife-pits / do not wish to de-
tract one bit from what is due any other bat
terry, nor cast reflections on any person or or
ganization, but feel it but justice to the Off
GERS and men Of the 5th Battery that they shall
have credit for what they did do and no more.
We had no headquarter correspondent to paint
and embellish our record, nor whitewash our
failures. All we ever got in the way of praise
came from officers and men who shared with
us the hardships of war and the dangers of the
battlefield Gen. Davis has left the only record
Except our own memories and those of the
troops with which we served SO long, to which
we can refer. He always seemed to fully ap-
preciate our services, and when the opportu-
nifty offered always tried to do us full Justice
GEO. O. GARDNER, one of the Captains of the
9th Wis. Battery, DEBORAH, Iowa.