Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1892-10-12
srIKING THE CANNON.

Der of Is lying as they had fallen in defense
OF their guns, Bayonets had done the
work. Out Of 81 cannoneers, including
officers, who handled the guns, 40 were
disabled. The slaughter of the horses
was equally great, GO out OF ~ being
killed or disabled. Five drivers were
wounded. Where was there better fight
ing, or even equal fighting by any body OF
men during the WARP 1t took a dozen
hand to hand encounters for our crack bat
teres to score list of victims equal to
that of the Eleventh Ohio in the action
fought just while the sun was going down,
at luka The battery expended LOG rounds
of canister, and the Confederates that
made the first two charges were fright
fully punished for their temerity. With "a
few more rounds perhaps the brave can
noneers would have come off victors all
through. The enemy recaptured the pieces
in fourth charge, but did not take them
from the battlefield.
Everything lost but honor" was tho
reflection Of tue surviving cannoneers.
They might have quit with that, and no
one could blame them. But they were not
Of that kind. There was one officer left,
and with the drivers, the slightly wounded
cannoneers and few helpers lent from
the infantry the battery was mustered a
couple OF weeks later in the intrenchments
of Corinth. There were two days of bat
tie. On the first day, Oct 4, the Confed-
erates-the same men who had been beaten
off at luka-drOve our advanced lines back
to the breastworks around the town, ex-
pecting clean sweep on the morrow. On
the 9TH they assaulted the works fearless
ly, and in front of the Eleventh Ohio
reached within fifty yards of the guns No
doubt the Ohio boys gave it to them little
hotter in memory of Tuka. At any rate
they deluged them with canister, and when
they got them on the run limbered up and
chased them for miles, hating now and
then to dose the fugitive ranks with lit
tie more of the same sort.
After CoYinth the battery remained with
the army on the Mississippi. There was
more marching than fighting for many
months, but when Vicksburg was closely
invested the boys got a chance to show
their metal in another line of work On
the 10Th of May, 1868, the battery was as
signed to a hill in front of three active
Confederate forts, Of which Fort Hill was
one. In order to reach the position the
guns were moved down steep incline un-
der concentrated fire from the enemy's
forts Then the cannon, with twelve horses
to each and men Juggling at the wheels,
were rolled up the height to the shelter Of
the crest.
At a signal to advance the whole arma-
ment crossed thu ridge into full view, and
the enemy's forts again directed their hot
test fire upon the little band. In the teeth
Of that fusill0de the men stood their ground
until they had hurled back over 500 rounds
of shot, every discharge being aimed with
GOODNESS and precision. The battery
fought through the campaign and after
ward served in Arkansas, but never again
met an enemy so reckless as that in front
of the luka Pass.
The Eleventh Ohio was organized in Gin
cinnati in 1861 from recruits gathered in
Athens, Butler, Hamilton, Vinton and
Wyandotte counties. The men were
specially equipped and made fine APP
pearance in camp parades. Mrs. Gen.
Fremont presented the company with a
silk guidon when it reported for duty at
army headquarters in St. Louis
Such incidents were common in those
days, and certainly no one suspected that
that little banner would some time float
over the blOOdiest single field battery con
test on record. GEORGE l.. kILMER.