The National tribune., 1889-10-31
STORY OF A CANN0NEER.
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Continued from 1st page)
retreat there must have been at least 200 of
the enemy's infantry shooting at him at dis
tauces ranging from four to ten rods. As it
was, he got hit in four or five places though
not crippled. Some time afterward he ex-
plained to one of the men who asked him
about it, that he simply wanted to divert
their fire from the drivers and horses of the
gun, and the only way to do it was to draw
their whole volley on himself
The fearless fellow made this explanation in
the most commonplace manner, as if no did not
| SEQ anything remarkable in it, more than an
ordinary incident of battle. But to me it
seemed like the tale of Arnold Winkelreid Mt
Mortgarten In spite of all this one of the
drivers on this last gun was shot in the back as
they started of, and though no stuck to his
saddle until the gun came up with us in the
streets of the town. he fell of there, and after
ward, think, died of his wound. do not
know why the battery was left so long in this
exposed position, after all tho other troops on
both sides of us had begun to retire. unless It
was because We, being on higher ground, were
moro plainly visible than any Of the rest, and
Gen. Doubleday wanted to maintain
SOME SHOW OF HOLDING THE POSITION TO
THE LAST MOMENTS
/ remember that that was tho theory Of the
such things. However, we got off Mt last. even
if it was by the skin Of our teeth, and before
sundown we were in position again on the
north brow nj Cemetery Hill. Tho excitement
of the fighting had now passed away Temporal
rily, and after hunger had been dispelled by
slice of cold boiled pork and three or four hard
tack, washed down with water-f0r there was
no opportunity to make cofIee-I began to
take account of stock" OF course, in the tre-
mendous excitement and fierce activity of the
final struggle, when every man was straining
every nerve, and every gun being firod at will
as fast as it could be loaded, had no opportu-
nifty TO notice who was hit. 1t was in these
few minutes, and while we were retreating into
the town, that the bulk of our losses occurred.
Aud when we had arrived at our now position
on Cemetery Hin, out of range, aud got
chance TO draw q long breath, was appalled,
at the number who had disappeared from the
ranks. The Second Lieutenant was gone hav-
ing received three severe wounds at tho very
last of the struggle. Some Of the men said he
had fallen into the hands Of the enemy, but
that turned out to be mistake. Three men
had been killed outright that we knew Of and
33 wounded, of whom three fell into the hands
OF the enemy, aud were never afterwards heard
of, while of the rest that got or four or five
subsequently died Of their wounds, about 10
were permanently disabled, and 12 or 13, who
were less severely hurt, tied up their own
could get, and remained with the guns. The
bullet that tore through the breast Of my jacket
did not break the skin, but it made my breast
sore for several days; but ! was not reported
among tho wounded. The guns and caissons,
with the teams. had been handled quite as
roughly as tho men. We had got away with
all tho guns. but two Of them were so disabled
by their carriages being hit or pointing rings
being broken. etc, that we could not use them
any more in the rest Of the battle. One caisson
had been hit with she'll and blew up, and just
before we got into the town three others had
their wheels or axle-trecs smashed by shot,
so that the drivers abandoned them and came
of with the limber.chcsts alone. OF the horses,
about IL had been killed outright, and several
more were 80 badly hurt that
THEY HAD TO BR SHOT To "PUr THEM OUT
OF THEIR MISERY"
The near horse Of tho swing team on our
gun, which | rode In the retreat the driver be-
ing wounded, was ono Of these. He had been
hit in the side with piece of shell--which
could not have missed my leg more than two
inches-fgst "a wo awung into the Cashtowu
road. l felt him finch under mo as the iron
struck him. but he did not fall, aud between
my own urging and tho help of the lead horse
We pulled him through Until the halt, whom he
was cut out Of the team. AB his entrails were
proirudug from the wound tho Corporal shot
him at once with his revolver to put him out
of his misery; and that left only four horses on
our gun.
As this loss of 30 nfn was out of total OF
so odd present for duRv IN tho morning. with
both Of the commissigned officers hit, and one
Of them permanently disabled. while nearly
half our horses were hit aud e-thrd of our
guns aud half our caissons destroyed or dis
Since this account prepared havo noticed
that Gen. Doubleday in his History of tysbuTg,
thcc Doubleday Gettysburg page 1857 says: 1t
said that during Lhe retreat OF the artillery
one piece of SlrRft's battery did not Timber up AS
tho others. A rebel officer rushed forward
placed his hand upon u. aud presenting revolver
al the back OF the driver directed him not to drive
of with thr piece The latter did 30, however, re-
ceivcd bullet la his body. caught UP with tho
battery. and them fell dead" But Gen Doubleday
also says that lao had no opportunity TO verify
tliiA,'
Gen. Doubieday's relation seems at variance with
mine as above gwen, | was not la Stewards half
battery, aud so depend Tor my version on the state
ments of tho other boys, which give from memory.
Bat ] think NY version IN the correct one. The
wheel driver" on that gun was certainly shot Ia
the back Hs they moved or IL was. As ruooiect,
Uri Palmer, and he was unable to sit Ia his saddle
when the gun got into the town. But my Fecollcc.
tion that he did not fall dead" as Gen.
doubleday hays, but was mortally wounded, and
lived several days. At least lac still alive when
Tetook the town la the evening OF July t. Hut
do not think that any "rebel officer put his hand
OH the gun" So far "a remember, rebel hand
ever laid on any gun OF Stewards battery la any
battle of tho war. from Boil Run To- Appomaitox.
lhs - inhltrr n no HISTORICAL Importance III the
general sense, but in the particular history Of tho
battery IL is altimportant; because it was always
our proudest boast that
SHE WAS VIRGIN BATTERYi
Because. though Ia battle many times and In the
wideopen jaws Of death more than once not ono
og her bright guns had ever been deiiied by the
touch Of "A rebel hnndi
do not like 10 dispute abatement of Gen.
Doubleday, but qualifying my statement by the
remark that do not pretend to have personally
witnessed the mberng up OF the right half battery
the north side of the cut. and depending for my
facts the statements of tho other boys as re-
member them assert that no rebel officer or man
laid his hand any gun Of Stewards battery at
Gettysburg. lie could not have done without
stepping over tho "OId Mans" corpse-and the
Old Man " was good ways from being n corpae
and, though "siighly dstigured" by three four
wounds, was "stl la tho ring" by large
| jority.-AUTHoH.