The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-05-17

DuG II IneY
do then there is no fight, or at least it is
all one sided. If they hurl back shells for
shells and canister for canister, then they
may look out for bayonet charge TO spoil
their game. Never was sublimer heroism
displayed by men suddenly called to stand
in the breach than when the Fifth Maine
battery responded to the call at the Chan
cellor House, May 8, 1863. Everything
was confusion in the Union lines Hooker
had been disabled, and General Couch, ig
norant of the plan or positions, assumed
control. StOnewalls Veterans were shout
dering their way toward the Union center.
Hastily sending to the several corps COM
manders for cannon to hold the ground,
Couch received word that the batteries
were damned In the universal blockade on
all possible routes. In some way the Fifth
Maine got through and was posted in a
road at the entrance to the thicket. Cap
tain Leppein's order: Action, front! Linn
Der to the rear!'' had scarcely been given
when some 80 Confederate cannon opened
upon it.
In a few minutes the first, second and
third pieces were silenced, Captain Leppein
MORALLY wounded the three lieutenants
wounded and all the gunners and cannon
GERS of those guns swept away. The fourth
gun continued firing until a she'll exploded
near it, blowing up the caiSSon with its
the piece. This gun was soon disabled by
IA shot striking it in the muZzle. Couch
sent Lieutenant Il. Kirby of the First Unit
ed States artillery to take charge in place of
the fallen officers. He fought the fifth and
sixth pieces valiantly for some time and
was at last mortally wounded. The guns
continued firing until the ammunition
gave out, then were spiked and abandoned
IN that short action six gunners were
killed and % wounded. The fight took
place in open field, within 700 yards of the
enemy's line. The same battery, with its
recaptured pieces, fought in the defense of
East Cemetery Hill, Gettysburg, on July2.
Captain Stevens, one of the Chancellors-
Vile victims, was again wounded, also
First Lieutenant Hunt, leaving the COM
pany with but one officer. Among the
gunners three were killed and 13 wounded.
At Cedar Greek the guns were defended in
hot fight lasting two hours. After 90
gunners had fallen two of the pieces were
captured, but the remaining four retired
fighting and when the tide turned the lost
gums were recovered.
a battery of artillery in the Union army
consisted Of six cannon, usually fought in
Inand of a lieutenant. On an average
there were so men whose duty it was TO
serve the guns, and as many more drivers,
artificers and Supernumeraries. When Il
battery lost go men, killed and wounded,
in single battle il represented about %
per cent of the fighting men. There were
50 occasions in the war when Union bat
terry lost 90 or more in single engage
ment. In the list 64 batteries are repre-
sented, the Fifth Maine having three times
passed through the crucial test and eight
other batteries twice Among the 81 are
Is United States regular batteries and SO
volunteers.
Among the regulars Battery Is, Fourth
U s., lost 40 at Charlottesville and %
at Gettysburg; b of the same regiment
lost 40 at Antietam and SO at Gettysburg
and I, First L. s., lost % at Bull Run and
25 at Gettysburg. The batteries We're the
pride of the old army, of the generals and
the war department.. For long time the
government refused to accept volunteer
batteries. OF these the Fifth Maine stands
at the head, then comes A, First Rhode Is
land which lost 80 at Gettysburg and 90
at Antictam. In the same regiment Bat
terry 6 lost - at Cedar Creek and % at
vies with the Rhode Islanders. In that
regiment Battery q lost 81 at Manassas
(second Bull RUM and % at Gettysburg;
B. of the same, lost 90 at Manassas, and the
same number in the Seven Days battles.
These losses, as well as all those in the list
mentioned were incurred in hard fighting,
not IN disasters or slaughter pens, where |
there was 10 chance TO hit back. The |
heaviest loss of all, So at Iuka, in the Elev- |