Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-10-31
4 Wac RElLINIscENCE
Ned Buntllne Tells OF a Famous Dash for a
Il, eke5 Battery.


Il. eke5 Battery.
In the winter of 1868 an infantry
brigade. with HOward's Battery L.
Third Artillery, and two baltaliOns of
cavalry, Eleventh Penns1 lVania and
First New York Mounted Rifles, all
under Gen. Vessels. made a reconnOis-
sanee out from Suffolk, Va, on the
Franklin road.
The mud was hu5-deep TO the gnn
carriages, and they had to double
teams to get the guns along at ali.
The infantry spreading through the
fields of the roads gO5 along 1t little
better-but it was hard marching and
GROWERS were in the majority. About
ten or twelve miles out the cavalry
drove in a rebel picket ahead of Us.
AID soon after we were checked by a
heavy battle line of the men in gray.
The brigade was at once deplUyed
and skirm shers were thrown out TO
feel the enemy while we waited for
the guns to come up. They were far
in the rear and there was no telling
when they could be got to the front.
Suddenly from little knoll in front
of the rebel position a rocket battery,
q recent importation on an English
blOckade-runner, opened sharp upon
US 4 44O AllE%C AOC-AIL5 LStIA III tAAANl
Missing through the trees and Under
brush scared the cavalry horses fear
fully and the men were scared about
as badly. Not one in hundred of
them had ever seen a rocket, except
such as are used in fireworks. and the
hOrrib missiles appeared worse than
they really were.
The writer had seen CongreVe rock
cts used to repel a Seminole attack on
Fort Dallas, near Key BiscaynO, in
1889. aud probably he was about the
only one in command who knew what
such a battery could do. Gen. Vessels
was furious. We could only reply to
the rockets with musketry. A deep
stream and q muddy fiat ahead of us
made cavalry charge next to impOs-
sibie ana the Internal rockets were
literally demOralz NC the men.
Suddenly an Old sergeant. who sat
in his saddle at the mead of tEenGY
mounted scouts, road up TO Gen. IVES
sells, saluted, and said
General, il you let me try it L
think 1 can get IN on the flank of that
rocket battery under cover of these
woods and take it, if you'll keep up
a fire trout till 1 charge, and then sup
port me by a forward movement
TRY it, Sergeant, try it," said the
General earnestly.
In a minute the mounted scouts filed
off to The rear, lead by the Sergeant.
and were soon out of sight. The whole
line now opened Il heavy fire, and the
men in the rocket tttery had a show
er Of lead sent in among them at long
range. TO which thew answered a. fast
as they could work their rockets.
Twenty m nutes passed by, and then,
through his glass, Gen. Vessels
saw the scouts in the edge of the woods,
not 800 vards from the rear of the
battery, ready to charge, every man
with his rifle at a present.
The next instant, swift rs a flight of
arrows, they were seen plunging for
ward over dry ground upon the rocket
men. and at the same instant, Ceasing
to fire. Vessels ordered his whole
line forward with the bayOnet.
The surprise was 50 sudden and
complete that the battery and the men
who worked it were in the hands of
the scouts in less than a minute, and
with a cheer our whole line crossed
the creek and held dry ground on the
other side with the captured battery
in their midst. The CUnfederates were
driven back nearly half mile before
they rallied ana made it so hot for us
that VIC had to slow up and skirmish
while our guns were coming forward.
We had the rocket battery now, but
none of our men or officers knew how
to work it to advantage, so we could
not use it on the enemy. So we had
to keep peppering away with rifles and
muskets till near night and then our
guns were up. The COnfederates then
fell back to their fortified lines near
Franklin auo we drew of and returned
to Suffolk, pretty well worn out with
Virginia mud.
And that is the brief history of the
only rocket battery L ever fell in with
from 81 to '65. I6 was rough but not
half so dangerous as ib seemed, for
it could not be handled like shot and
she'll and sent where it could do the
most harm. NED BUNTLNE.