Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-03-05
THE STORY OF Jour TOM. "
How a Famous Field Piece of the War
Was Recapturcd From the Enemy.

How a Famous Field Piece of the War
Was Recapturcd From the Enemy.
Our brigade battery had one field
piece which the boys came to know as
Our Tom. " If you ask me why they
gave it that title | shall ask you in re
turn how it was that almost every thing
connected with the troops at the front
on either side had a title of some sort.
For instance our Brigadier-General was
known as "Old Lemons;" our Colonel
was referred to as Hurry Up, and our
Captain was known as Little Jim,
We had company dog who was called
Longitude. certain mule known as
"Nesuvius, and our company baggage
wagon was referred to as THE Ark"
our Tom" was no handsomer than
any Of the other guns, but he had scar
received in battle and this distinguish
ed and exalted him above the other five.
We were raw troops when Our Tom"
came to us and we looked upon his
scar just as we would have looked upon
one carried by a veteran soldier We
came to know where he got it, how well
he fought that day, and whose life
blood it was which spurted over the
spokes of his right wheel and dyed
them so red that they had to be washed
in the waters of the creek.
The battery boys We're rather proud
that we of the cavalry should adopt"
one of their guns, and when we would
cheer Our Tom as he passed us on
the highway the artilleryists would re-
turn the compliment Our first battle
after he joined us was Brandy station
and be was put in the battery and got
to work a quarter of an hour before we
did. A thousand men had their eyes on
Our Tom as he began pitching shells
across broad plain into the woods on
the far side. Every other gun was do
ing just as good work but we had
praise for only one. We cheered him as
we saw a she'll blow fragments of men
and horses into the cir, and when the
Colonel rode along he line and indig-
nantly ordered silence in the ranks
more than hundred voices growled in
reply:
Wen cheer Our Tom and be hanged
30 you"
v.
at certain stage of the game the gal
liant enemy moved heavy squadron
down upon the battery, which had beeI
left almost unsupported for the moment
Our regiment was half a mile away
having it hot and heavy. but whel
some one raised the cry that the Joy,
in gray were after Our Tom" Their,
was rush 10 save Him. / don't know
whether il was ordered or made withou
orders, but | do know that five com
panies broke off with left wheel
leaped their horscs over wide ditch
and fell upon the gray squadron like
thunderbolt We were all among tn
guns, and right at Our Toms" whee
| saw brave Confederate trooper 2
down with his head split wide open fron
a saber stroke. We fought over hir
and around him, and we saved the bat
terry and when we came to eXamin
Our Tom" and found two fresh scar
on him we swung our hats and cheered
At Shepardstown, while we wer
fastening forward towards Gettysburg
two pieces of our battery were cut OF
and captured Ii was i coup on tn
part of a dashing squadron, and the
had gone with the guns before we kney
it. Our Tom was one of the pain
and when the news spread there wa
cursing and lamentation. 4 thousan
men solemnly vowed TO have that gui
back if they had to leave 4 Leg Or II
arm on the field Of battle We had n
show for il until the two armies con
fronted each other at Gettysburg. Then
as our brigade was diminishing to fee
Lees wagon trains. battery opened o
us. At the first report If the first IN
hundred men stood mp IN their sth
rups and shouted
"Hurrah boy that's Our Tom cal
ing to rs.
Half an hour later We were masse