Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-04-27


pulled the lanyard with his weight, so
tightly did he clutch the cord in his
dying grip. Tho battery lost that day
sS killed and wounded. About the timo
Cushing fell CowaH's First New York
battery unlimbcrcd just in roar Of II
and opened on Picketts 8 charging masses
with canister Mt ten PAGES I" A volume
of description could not do justice to the
work of tho light artillery alone in tho
battle with Pickett on that bloody ridge.
Tho artillery brigade Of Haneock's
corps contained five batteries: Wood
ruff's, l, First U. s.; Cushings. A.
Fourth U. s.; Arnold's, A, First Rhode
Island; Browns, of the same, and
Rorty's, b, First New York. These i've
lost lao mon OH that field during the two
days. Rorty's and Brown's had Lost 90
heavily on July thes they had been
consolidated into four gtns each. In tAe
fight with Pickett, Rorty, Gushing and
Woodruff were killed.
A battery lest aud recapturcd on tho
same field leads to terrific fighting, for
then tho passion Of revenge is added to
tho fire Of patriotic ardor. In the fierce
charge against the Union works at
Corinth, the men Of Van Dorm and Price
captured tho Sixth Wisconsin at the
point of the bayonet. Many of the can
nonecrs fell, but enough remained to
man four pieces when the battery was
rGcaptured n few minutes later. Loav-
ing the two guns idle Captain Dillon
ran the others forward and took terrible
vengeance for tho temporary disgrace.
When tho gunncrs fell, officers handled
swab and rammcr and brought up the
canister. Out of 93 men, including
drivers and others, % were struck down.
Wisconsin appears in tho list also with
the Twelfth battery. At Allatoona pass
that company ran gun out over the
top of the pnrapot of Corses famous fort
and maintained bloody duel with six
Confederate pieces for two hours. 1t lost
six killed and / 3 wounded, but fred the
last shot.
Perryville saw some desperate work
OH the Union side among artillcrists. 1t
was not one sided either. The Confed-
crate infantry surprised the Union left,
under McCook, and before Union sup
ports could got up came very near hay
ing things entirely their way. They
would have succeeded but for the ncrvy
cannoneers. Captain G. e. Parsons
fought his eight gun battery Of Napo-
Icons, using canister on the charging
Confederates until they stood among
the guns. General Jackson, who was
beside him urging on the defense, was
killed and Parsons dragged away by
main physical force.
Stones Kentucky and Bush Indiana
battery held the line behind Parsons.
They used grape at ten PAGES, but stones
guns were overrun by the men who cap
tured Parsons Napoleon, the First Ten
nessee. The Twenty first Wisconsin,
supporting the guns, rallied and drove
them out Finally Hescock's Missouri
battery Of Sheridan's division played on
the exulting Confederates, breaking
their charge three times. The gunners
counted 430 victims in front of their
pieces. Loomis' Michigan battery, IA
nous before the war as the "Coldwater
Light artillery" won its first laurels
at Pcrryville. Tho sharpest artillery
duel of the field was between Loomis
and the noted Slocumb's company of
Washington artillery. These two batter
les always held unique place in the
armies of the west. If command was
sent to charge battery and failed to
take the guns, it was ample excuse to
say, "That was Loomis' battery" or,
"Those are Slocumb's guns" AT Perry
vile Loomis was ordered to hold his
position SO long as possible, then spike
and abandon tho guns Ho held Oh and
brought Off his pieces, with the loss OF
l8 mon and 33 horses. At Stones river
tho battery repealed numerous charges
and totally destroyed Confederate bat.
terry, with q loss in the company OF 20.
OF tho last days of this band Of can
noneers there is sad bnt heroic tale tc
tell. 1t was lost at Chickanauga, but
went down in glory. Loomis had been
promoted to q colonelcy. gut his name
still clung to tho guns, which the men
vcnerated with feeling almost idola
trous. When Liddells Confederates,
with odds Of to !, burst through
Baird's line. they fell upon the First
Michigan, then commanded by LieL;en
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