Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-06-07

face. Realizing better than | did that we
were in a bad box and wishing, no DOUBT.
that we were well out of it.
| noticed Arch. Snider, on No. 5, was
painting for breath as he, in his hurry, ran
up 10 the gun with the canister ana sack;
said, arch, give me that haversack ana
let me carry for while" Arch Wllllngly
surrendered the haversack. AS | ran up
toward the gun with eleven pounds OF am
munition in that old leather pouch IL
seemed as if my feet were glued to the
ground. Ibid not care copper II l werc
killed. | guess il was the load | was car
rvinp: at any rate to do my best | could not
90 any faster than in a little dog trot. 1t
seemed a mile from the caisson TO the gun,
No. !. George Durbin, TO whom | should
have delivered the ammunition, was busy
moving the trail while the gunner was
sighting the piece. So ran on past him
M TO No. ,. | have forgotten whom |
heard CRY all along the line, Fire at
the colorsl Fire at the colors." | could see
a blurred mass before my eyes. They were
too close to inspect with unwaverlng sight,
aud | guess | saw about 10000 more than
there was there Just as soon as turned
TO 90 back TO the~caisson il seemed hat |
was so light, delivering the ammunition, l
suppose, that felt | could fly. twenty
foot leaps were nothing.
We had no support on our right except
two companies Of the Twelfth West Nlr-
ginia. who were ordered there. As they
marched up through cur batteries they
grew smaller and beautifully less until by
the time they reached our flank, there was
not more than Il corporaps guard. No one
could blame the bOyS-a Drawer regiment
never shouldered muskets-and in sending
. a CT Vi n n
pinnace TO fight line of battleships.
The fact was, Thoburn's brigade was
taken at disadvantage not being in line
when they were charged. And the charge
was such determined one on the part OF
the enemy that | doubt if the best brigade
in the army could have done better than
Thoburn's brigade did on that eventful
day.
Shortly after this squad had reached our
right, Gen. Siegel and staff rode up
through the batteries. He sat on his horse
and watched the work on our right for
awhile. then he turned his horses head to-
ward the left and rode slowly down the
line toward the pike He had hardly got
ten clear of the batteries until staff officer
dashed back and ordered US TO timber TO
the rear. He should have ordered us to re
tire by battery Shows battery limbered
up and got out of that place in hurry.
Just then the enemy's first line began TO
fall back on the second, and these two back
on the third, which stood weaving back
and forth, as if they hardly knew whether
to run or stay. Chalfant seeing this, and
not realizing that our troops were III iull
retreat. He said, Boys, they are running,
and there is no use OF both SIDES running.
Give them a few more rounds of canister
Al IL 70 a A. ~ a or
came out of the woods in their rear, and
them little. A color bearer
with his battle flag moved up nearly TO the
old line. stuck the staff in the mud and
waved his hat. The line cheered, and as
one man they moved down to the old line,
though they did not stop but came on down
upon US. Then we tried to leave. AS our
horses began to swing round, their line
poured deadly fire into our battery. Our
gunner, just as he raised up after putting
the key into the pintle hook holding the
trail of the gun, a musket ball aimed for
his body passed through the timber chest
missing the powder, passed
through both sides of the chest and
a roll of blankets strapped on top
of knapsack fastened on the footboard.
1t passed through the many folds of these
blankets and inflicted slight flesh wound
on the off wheel horse. You can Judge by
the force of that ball how close they were.
Dick French and Van Mannus fell within
a few feet of each other, both shot through
the right temple. Dan Morrison was killed,
Geo. Bottles was thought to be mortally
wounded. Lieut.. Harris was struck on the
sword hilt plate by spent ball, Levi Cas-
sell wounded in the foot and left on the
field, Corporals johnson and Fennimore
wounded and Andy Fleming slightly
wounded in the breast.
The drivers suffered more than anybody
else, and the only thing that saved them
was the fact that as soon a. one driver was
doubled up some one climbed up in his
stead Joe Mannus was in Dick French S
saddle. though Jocs brother Van must have
Ueen struck as they eaSed French TO the
ground. Fortunately the enemy perceived
this. because they changed their cry TO
Fire a the horses Fire at the horses ;"
We limbered up and got all our guns and
carriages out of the first position. II
seemed that they would oyertake Us
| heard Harris yell out as
he turned his head toward the centre
of the battery, Chalfants position, Don't
let US be captured running let them take rs
fighting" That was all old Chalfant want
ed. He yelled, Halt, in battery The
enemy stopped as quick as we dld ana the
line laid down so c.OSe under our guns that
we could not depress our pieces sufficiently
to hit them. Their line was overlapping
Us on the right and would soon flank us.
We got four guns out of this position, Nos.
3 and / being left in line, but of the twelve
horses drawing these two guns eleven were
killed.
Old West Virginia No. ;, started out of
I a ,t.aA off NFsh
horse. his hinder parts resting on the spin
ter bar. AS the gun ran into gulch
probably a quarter below that position
another ball struck the wounded horse in
tie neck and he keeled over There was
no time for fooling Not men enough to
run the gun by hand to the rear out OF
danger, Gen. Seigel dismounted and helped
like a common soldier, but they could not
move it, To the honor of No. gun de-
partment let it be said they did not aban-
don their gun till ordered to do so by Gen.
Seigel. When we prepared to leave !
mounted the caisson and away we wenO
Going out we gathered up several wounded
men, among them Henry Bin, First West
Virginia.
AS we reached the first line where they
we're endeavoring to rally the troops, a
cavalry officer, second lieutenant, said
..Haltl Halt Go in battery" Our wheel
driver, Alonzo ID. Erginbright, gravely sa-
luted and said: Mouse, major; our timber
chest is blown up and the gun captured. "
thought for huge, palpable, monumental
living that took the cap sheaf. The lieu
tenant said: as that so! Go to the rear
go to the rearn' and away we went. Be
fore we had reached the pike, we passed
one of the brass pieces Of the Thirty-fifth
Now York IL was nearly dismounted
They threw it into the river
Just rs our battery reached the bridge,
Capt. Snow, chief of artillery, ordered us
to go into battery on the bluff above the
bridge, on line with the regular bat
terry, the Fifteenth. So our six caissons
and guns went in battery. Capt. Snow
said "Why lieutenant, where is the rest
of YOUR gunsr Lection the battlefield
Il did not know that" said the captain
kindly. "or should have sent you to the
rear well" said the lieutenant, 1--WE
can do as much damage to the enemy as
any other battery that has only three guns
loft -