The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-06-02

was done there was not gun left in the fort
/ that could reach the boats, and the fleet then
moved up and poured broadside after broadsdc
into the river bank under the parapet, as the
latter was so high that their guns could not
give elevation enough TO do effective work on
| the fort itself
II was at this time that Gen. Sherman saw
the men run into the ditch. That our guns
silenced those rebel guns we know, because
we could and did sec nearly every shot fired
by US from the time it left the smoke of the
gun until it struck.
Gen. Osterhsus, who was near us watching
the effect Of our work, rode up TO me when he
saw the shot strike aud disable the 9-inch gun,
and, sezing my hand, congratulated us on the
excellence of our work. and said: You have
done more good than all the gunboats"
Confederate officer who was in the lower
casemate, and who did not at the time know
in what part of the field | was during the en-
gasement. said to me that that little battery
on the bank of the river did us more harm
than all the feet, as it would not let us work
our guns"
This was fact, as we could load and fire
three shots to their one. With us every con-
dItion requisite for accurate shooting was
favorable, and when the range was once OBJ
tanned we maintained IL to the last. With the
gunboats it was different: they were at least 30
feet lower than the embrasures, and fully 40
feet lower than the barbet gun; while they
We're constantly moving, which made it diff
cult for them to get or maintain the range.
Gen. /. A. Sheldon, late Governor Of New
Mexico, and who commanded the brigade in
which we were serving, wrote to me recently
as follows:
You will remember that my brigade occu-
pied the extreme left of our line, its left rest
ing upon the Arkansas River, and that for the
larger part, and particularly for the latter part.
of the commandment l stood near your guns,
and between them and the river. ] saw your
guns silence one casemate gun and dismount
the barbet gun, and also explode the caisson
a little to our right Of the fort"
Serg't Mckeeth, of the lst Wis. battery who
made it his especial duty to watch each shot,
thus reports:
From my position on the bank of the river
had our guns on NY right, the gunboats on
my left and the fort in front. Gunner Arm
strong would ask Of me the effect of each shot.
which was not difficult for me to give. as l
could see every shot from the time 1T left the
smoke OF the gun until il struck. The gun
ners, Gabe Armstrong and l think n. d. Led
yard 1T was Ira Battlefield soon got the
range, and they made quick work with the
caseRate guns. know our guns silenced the
casemate guns, and / know it was a shot from
Armstrong; gun that broke the piece from the
muzzle of the barbet gun. for / saw the shot
from the time il raised from the smoke until it
struck the gun. ] also know that the fleet
claimed all the honors and / know, too, that
we were not slow in telling them they were
little off in doing so.'
Gen. 0sterhaus says, in his report OF the en-
gagement:
I" The right section, under Lieut.. Webster,
took position about / 900 yards below the fort;
the remaining sections, under Capt. Foster. be-
ing placed Oh the other side of the river. Dur
ing the cannonading which followed, lasting
two hours, the right section reduced and de-
stroyed the enemy's casemates in their 'front.'
s;lencing three heavy guns and dismounting
several smaller ones. They also blew up one
Of the eremy's caissons, aud disabled large
barbet gun. The left section meanwhile en- |
fladed the enemy's riae-pits doing great exc |
cution. I heartily congratulate Lieut.. Web. |
'ter and his men upon their reduction of the |
ower casemates The silencing OF four formid- !
able guns is their exclusive merit"
! do not doubt that Gen. Sherman was honest |
IN his belief that the feet silenced those guns, |
after Porter told him so. But, |
from his own statement, published above, he |
could not have known from personal observa- |
ion, as he was, at the least calculation, half |
nile from the river, whose banks were so high |
hat only the smckestacks OF the gunboats |
could be seen 100 yards from the shore, while |
ais view was INSTRUCTED by brush and timber.
That the feet did much to demoralize the
,nemy with their furious firing, or that, from
he noise made by them, they and the rebels |
nay have shared in the delusion of Gen. sher-
nan, will not deny. but the fact still re-
mains that the sicncing Of those formidable
runs" was accomplished by section of the 1st
Wis. battery of light artillery. The fort could
,ot have been taken By the gunboats alone,
rat 1t could and would have been taken by the
and forces then on the ground, within as short
time SIS ID was By the gunboats.-DAN. WEE
TER Captain, 1st Wis. battery.