The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-10-08
rendered effective il unobtrusive SER
vice to his party.
A FAMOUS BATTERY.

Ricketts, Battery is best known, per-
haps, to soldiers aud students of the
history Of the War OF the Rebellion,
by reason of the signal service iJ per-
formed at Gettysburg, where, as already
stated, the battery lost forty horses
and twenty seven men. Its location
during the fiercest of the second days
conflict at Gettysburg was at the most
conspicuous point in many of the pic
lures of the battle that have since been
painted and engraved, including those
with which Bates special volume,
"History of Gettysburg and Head
ley's "Great Rebellion" are illustrated
A thrilling description of that part of
the fight, taken from an "Historical
Account of the Battle of Gettysburg"
published by John NJ. Butler, is as fol-
lows:
"Just as the sun was disappearing
in the red west, and the soft grey shall
ows Of twilight were gathering like
ghostly army, the defenders of Gene
terry Hill saw emerging from behind
an eminence near the town long line
of infantry formed for assault On
ward the column moved with the pre-
csion of a parade and all the steadiness
of holiday spectacle The line was
formed of the bricades of Hays and
Hoke, led by the famous L u'siana
Tigers The moment they came in
sight they faced the test of death.
Stevens opened on them with every
gun. Wiedrick and Ricketts, joined
in the chorus. The slaughter was i'm
mediatelv terrible men fell dead be-
fore the iron storm at the rate of a
dozen a minute. The guns of Rick.
etts were charged with canister, and
they fired every fifteen seconds. Stew
ems battery, enflading the Confederate
line, wrecked furious destruction upon
the storming column, which, through
it all, in the face of the very hell of
war, kept on their onward wav.
As the Tigers came within musket
range of the crest of Cemetery Hill,
Howard's infantry, hidden behind the
stone wall, poured volley aftei volley
into the faces of the wild hearted and
maddened men. But the eyes of two
armies were on the Tigers they carried
the guerdon of fame that they had
never failed in a charge. They could
not halt now, the hour of their hardest
trial Over the stone wall they went
at bound. Stevens was obliged to
cease firing, for fear of killing friends
Witdrick is unable to withstand the
shock his supports and his me are
swept back together before the force
of that human tornado. Ricketts, quails
not; the full strength of the storm,
falling on his devoted men, falls in
vain. His left piece is taken; the
Tigers are within the cage. The
remaining guns are still served
with admirable discipline and
courag', drivers aud officers TAX
ing the places of the dead
cannoneers. A struggle takes place
for the guidon it is IN the hands of 6
Tiger Lieutenant Brockway seizes ;
stone, hurts it full at the head of the
soldier, which fels him to the ground
and in moment the Tiger is shot with
| MS OWL iIlushel.
The widest confusion-a bedlam Of
terror-now ensues. The rapidly
gathering darkness makes friends anC
foes undistinguIshable. The men a
the batteries are being overpowered by
their desperate and maddened assal
ants, but still they cling to their guns
with hand-spikes, rammers and stone
they defend their position, shouting t
one another Death on our owl
State soil rather than give the enem,
the guns ! The moment is almos
critical the fate of the issue is near a
hand. At this instant Carroll's brigal
rushes in to the rescue with vii,
shouts they burst upon the almost ex
hausted foe. They waver, they turn
they retreat in confusion. Rickett,
men fly to their guns, ,double-shot then
and fire deadly parting salutes at tn
defeated Tigers. Their charge is over
they have been beaten. Nearly lively
, hundred of their seventeen hundre
are left dead and dying. 1t has il
deed been bloody half hours WORK
They pass down the hill, out into tn
darkness, and are seen no more"
AT BRIsToE STATION.
The Colonel himself holds that tn
Batterys efforts at Bristoe Station col
stitu,ed its most brilliant piece {
work. Its action was rapid, til
achievement of its assigned purpos
complete. The enemy had attempte
and partially succeeded in interceptin
, part of the Union line in its marc
towards Centreville. Ricketts, batter
was at the head, or very nearly Il
t head, of the column intended 10 |
intercepted. An eyewitness writes:
"As we debouched from the woot
: on the south side of the railroad O
the plain at Bristoe, the enemy's arti
. lery opened on us from hill on II
north side of the railroad, and line
;, battle was seen advancing from tn,
D side towards the railroad. Genera
A Warren and Morgan and Major Ha
;, zard were there. General Ware
said to Rockets: 60 into battery rigl
e here, but Morgan and Hazard pr
o tested and he was ordered to gallop
: the hill near the station. The pla
t was crossed at full gallop, in full fa,
r of the enemy's fire, his bullets plowir
d up the earth in front of them all alor
e the route, As Ricketts, guns came l
r they were put in position with wo
y derful rapidity aud opened with
], fierce fire of canister on the enemy
Il infantry. The Union infantry hi
started for the railroad cut at the san
# time that the battery had gallop,
e across the plain, and were now in p
II sition and firing. The enemys i
:, fautry stood up and closed up sple
t. didly under the combined fire of o
v infantry and artillery for sometiul
o and tried to advance, but the fire W
g too CALLING, and when under its dead
r influence they finally broke, they d
Al appeared so quickly that they SEEM
to have literally sunk into the cart
o All this time the enemy's artillery hj
r been pounding away at the batter
8, but their practice was so poor that b
|. little loss accrued. AS soon as the @