The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-12-24

II
one OF those shots.
The battery was sont down the river below
! Chattanooga and crossed over on a pOnt0on
bridge, and was hauled upto the top OF Raccoon
1 Mountain, While Howard and Hooker came
down the valley Rt the foot of lookout Mount
ain. but we did not Gre q shot, though Tired at
! from Lookout Mountain.
After being relieved were ordered back 20
! our old camp or the river. and wbilo Ia camp
on Chickamaues Creek, the boys made dugouts
OF logs, which were used as boats 10 carry corn
/ from an island in the river. One sack at time
Is al thai the beats could possible carry. Two
men lost their lives bv the capsizing Of boats in
the swift current in tho river.
Nov. 25 1863, the battery crossed the river
on pontoOn bridges built by Gen. Sherman's
men, and took part in the battle Of Mission
Ridge. We had one gun carriage slightly dis
Rbled by shell from the enemy on the Ridge.
After Bragg fell back the battery went with
Sherman towards Knoxville, Tenn, aud were
engaged with BrRgg's rear guard near Rough
and Ready Station. Before Sherman's Corps
reached Knoxville, the battery was ordered
back with the brigade Go Chattanooga. On Jan.
! i, 1864, the BE- .1-enllsJed for three wears
more aud went home on 30-days' furlGugh.
with orders 10 rePnrt for duty at Joliet, Ill., at
expiration Of furlough.
Here the battery WAS recruited mp 30 Its full
number. The roster Of officers nc that time WAS
as follows &. M. Barnett. Captain; Henry ID.
Plant, Senior First Lieutenant; A. w. Coe,
Junior Fitst Lieutenant; Judson Rich, Senior
Second Lieutenant; Chas. Mcdonald, Junior
Second Lieutenant.
The battery was now where IL was FIRST organ
lied, alter over two years OF hard marching and
u Fighting, having lost over half Of its number
/ by being killed, wounded, or died from dis
ease.
March 4, 1864. the battery left for Chatta-
nooga, Tenn, md WAS assigned 10 the Second
4 Division. Fourteenth Corps, JEFF G. Davis COM
manding, and on May we started on the
Atlanta campaign and took part In the fights
at Tunnel Iiil, Buzzard Roost Resaca Rome,
Dallas, Big shanty, henesaw Mountain, Peach
Tree Creek, Atlanta, and Jonesb0ro. The bat
terry was under fire nearly every day from the
start 20 the finish having expended 6,766
rounds of ammunition, and having had two
men killed. eight wounded, and one horse
4 killed. At Jonesboro the battery fred Init a
few rounds, when the First and Second Diyis-
/ ion, Fourteenth Corps charged, driving the
enemy from their works and capturing eight
guns.
AT Atlanta Capt. Barnett resigned, and Lieut.
/ GOe took command Of the battery. While i'm
Atlanta the battery was reduced TO q iouT-gun
battery, with eight horses 10 each gun, and or
dered 20 fall in aud march with Sherman 10 the
4 Sea- During TINS march the battery was FREE
Of those skirnish-lincs Lieut.. C0e lost his life.
1 lie was struck by shot from rebel battery in
/ position near the road, about Is miles from Sa-
vanRRh. Lieut.. Rich took command. Tho
death OF Lieut.. Aionz0 w. C0e cast gloom
4 over the battery. He never knew what fear
was. he was kind aud generous 20 a fault and
the Nation lost a brave and loyal soldier. The
battery was now reduced to bnt one commits
stoned officer. LseuL Chas. Mcdonald, brave
AND dHshing officer, was taken prisoner before
the battery reached Atlanta. His loss. too. was
1 ftit very much, also was the loss OF Warren
4 Diebert, who WAS taken prisoner ut the same
I time.
will here relate one more incident which
II took place near MiliedgeVille, Ga. The writer
was detailed 10 take charge Of foraging party,
and becoming separated from the party bat
short distance WAS surrounded by squad Of
I gueFrillas ID in number. armed with carbines
4 lie did not fully realize the extent Of his
4 danger until the Captain Of the gang ordered
the nearest man 20 him 20 take his lsriat from
his saddle, pat il around the writer's nptk. aud
4 lead his horse under tree standing hesr by,
I and 60 throw the end over O limb aud draw IL
up and Take il fast aud give the horse q cut,
aud Jet the - fank swing" Now the
4 prisoner never had been classcd as an orthodox
Christian, but the time being scar az hand,
something must be done, Rnd the first thing
thought OF was some kind Of prayer. His pasi
4 life came up before him, aud the only prayer re-
membered was, And now ] lay me down
TO, ~ and that was a far as he got when he
discovered that there was 10 one behind him.
4 The thought struck him that he would rather
4 be shot than hung SO turned his horse and
struck his spurs into the frightened animals
sides, threw himsalf along the side OF the horse
l and yelled git and we got and were loo yards
I away before the rUhs rallied from their 81 r.
4 prise. But when they discovered that they
1 were foiled, they empued their carbines la an
incredible short time The bullets few over
and under. and 60 the right and 10 the LETT, but
neither the horse nor the rider were injured
They followed for a mile sud gave up the chase
and went back without their prisoner Life il
too short 20 Wriiu All the writer thought and
4 felt az that time aud for weeks RfteFward bis
hair almost stands on end 10 this day when
thinking about H.
on the night Of Dec I3 two guns OF the tat.
terry were moved forward into bastions buili
by the nth N. v. Zguaves, within 400 yards Of
the rebel works. Immediately in front Of Sa
vHunah, Ca. During the night the enemy kept
up a continual fire with grape from their large
sieFe-Euns which wounded several q the I7tl
y. Y. The next morning AZ daylight we dis
covered thst the rebels had left, and the writes
and man by the name Of Kelly craWlcd Ut
10 and looked into the rebel works, and saw
two darkies, one sitting upon a box aud th,
DAAtt hhiNNNs A4ifg A0lN We NNaL ANe GtAG4b Hlat
planted torpedDes on the railroad TO our left
Gen. Geary Of the Second Division, Twentieth
Corps. claims to have been the FIRST inside IL,
rebel works, but ] am Of the opinion that b,
was about 80 minutes too late 10 get there frst
From Savannah the battery marched iHtC
south Carolina crossing the river NJ Sister
Ferry with the Second Division, Fourteenth
Corps, Gen. J. ID. Morgan commanding the di
vision, and took part in several skirmisheS. Ant
an active part az the battle Of BentonEille. N
g., March ~ 10 ~, 'G5, this beiHg the last bat
tie fought by Sherman's grand army. Was a
. the surrender OF JohustOn's army and marche,
through Virginia 10 Richmond, thence TO Wash
inRtOn, taking part ia tie Grand Review. w
were then ordered 20 Springfield, Ill., Wher
, the battery was mustered out Of the seryice
after marching hundreds OF miles and beiut
: under IRE Of the enemy over 400 days. Tb
roster az the mustCF-0ut was as follows: Jud
son Rich, Captain; George r. Ward, First Lieu
tenant; Chas Mcdonald, Second Lieutenant
! l4eut. Mcdonald returned 10 the battery q
Washington, ID. C.. after serving IN rebel pris
. Ons for nearly year, he being almost tOta
wreck n mere shadow Of his former self
Such ID brief history Of one Of the best bat
9 terics that went out from lllinos; 1873 name
D have been on its muster rolls. and S. are know
! % be living NJ this date. We claim the distiI
guishod honor Of being one Of the three III
Q nois batteries that marched with Shernan froI
= Bossyille, Ga. 20 the sea-SANUEL J. MUI
J, rHET, Sergeant Battery 4. I'd ia. l.. A, GruI
Q Park, III.