The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-12-09
used for Fourth Of July salutes, etc
1t is said that the Mexicans used a
Quantity of.silyer in casting 1t. Bledsoe
was with come difiicuity persuadSi 10

used for Fourth OF July salutes' ETC.
It Is said that the Mexicans used
quantity of,silyer in casting II. Biedsoe |
was with some difiicuity persuauSr 10
take temporary charge of these gtns'
and thus came into being one OF The
most famous and effective batteries OF
the war. His men we're sworn In for
the war; some said for life. AT Day
Springs, Carthage, Drywood, Oak
Hill, Lexington, Sugar Creek and Elk
Horn that three-gun battery was an
object of special interest to the enemy
who made many attempts to capture OF
silence it. Except when supply was
captured, their ammunition was home
made. Cartridge bags were sewed'
canisters, cut and fixed ammunition
prepared by men and officers. Who
ever had the skill and could get the
tools did his share. In lieu OF grape
shot, canisters were filled with iron
slugs, trace cbains--anythlng country
blacksmith shop could supply. This
was called .'scrap shot" Some OF the
boys had heard Of shrapnel, and
thought it was the same. Most oil the
shells and solid shot we're spolls OF
battle, nearly every engagement FUR
ushed supply for the next. have
seen them prime with a powderhorn
and fire with a heated nail, rod or a
live coal. aud they shot to kill.
Mustered into the confederate service
at Memphis in March, 1862, Bledsoe
received four new guns with caissons
and equipment He served under
Beauregard at Corinth, and was men
toned in general orders for distin'
, guished services in covering the retreat
Under Bragg it was made Six-gur
battery, but again reduced to four al
were all others. At luka, Corinth
Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and al
through that long series OF blood!
B engagements, night viglls, heart
4 breaking work in the trenches
r and toilsome "marching through
Georgia." Bledsoe was ever a
e the post of danger. Prompt, energetic
y full of resource, every general whom b
|, served placed implicit reliance on hi
d skill, forlitude aud judgment to execui
Y any plan or to hold any post, 1t With
the limits Of human power. On hoou
Y disastrous campaign the batter
+. suffered severely at Altoona, Nashyill
d and Franklin, but was able to do goo
}. service with Forests Cavalry In cover
# ing the retreat. To follow their caree
b IN detail would make this article TO
q long. A history Of Bledsoe's batter
}. would be history of the war, at lea'
d as far as the armies of Tennessee an
Ie Mississippi are concerned to say no'l
lie ing Of earlier work IN Missouri an
,e Arkansas.
20 Some late writer's and takers seeI
proud of representing Bledsoe as .
to ignorant rough-and-tumble fighter /
ee was not that. A born soldier he wa
Q. out, trained under skilled officers
in read history and studied war as
in science. In theoretical instructl'
er commissioned aud noncommi]slon
%. officers of the army of Tennessee b
:" to be proficient. We studied the sar
a tactics the iederals did, and have Sc
.se Bledsoe and his leuienants coming
no their books the lessons in which da
we practice on drill ground or battleh'
I'd, made them all but perfect, An ignor'
,sn man could not have drilled battery
zen he did nor made the men so prohsl'
RS, as to fire six effective shots mini