The National tribune., 1899-02-23
FIGHTING THEN0vER.
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
THOSE TWO CANNON.
Capture of tho Lady Breckinridge and the
Lady Buckner.


| EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: noticed ir
your columns new version of the capture
of the Lady Breckenridge and Lady Buck
ner from the rebels on Mission Ridge, Nov.
%, 1863
| Colnrade W. L. Kester claims that the
125th Ohio captured those pieces, and adds
whoever claims that those cannon were
captured on Mission Ridge proper did moi
have hand in their capture.
| For the sake of peace among the comrades
as to the capture of those cannon, /, for one,
did not intend to say anything more about
| it. But / must now add my statement from
my own recollection. The number of COM
rades who did the capturing did not exceed
| 10 in number; some of them are still
living One 1 distinctly remember by name
Jesse Skinner, residing in Cincinnati o.,
helped load one of the cannon and fire it at
| the rebels. 1t is so common for a regiment
or company to claim the credit OF what
three or four comrades of that particular
command did.
enc of Sheridan's men who was Boosting
! about the capture of the cannon in contro-
versy, when asked by me which way the
cannon were pointing, when they captured
them, got confused, and admitted that he
was not in the battle. Another of the same
command who claimed he was in the front
line, frankly confessed that when they got
tn re the muzzles of the cannon were facing
south Tor towards the enemy. That is the
difference between soldiers.
Inc men of Sheridan who first arrived at
the cannon may know the facts. Those in
the rear repeated what was said ut the front
No doubt the majority OF Sheridan's brave
soldiers candidly think they captured those
cannon; in part they are correct. They
did capture the pieces, and took them from
the field. The capture was made from a
squad of soldiers belonging to Willich's and
Hazen's Brigades, who, on reaching The
summit of the Ridge, had mingled and
fought on their own responsibility, some OF
Hazen's men going to the left toward Will
lich's 'front.' while sumo OF Willicii's men
went to the right in HaZen's front, where
together they had an enfiladn9 fire, and the
rebel line confronting Sheridan's troops to
the right across rOld.
The two cannon were planted on an eleva-
tion to the lc.t-o a house said to be Bragg 5
Headquarters. When the rebel artilerymen
saw we had gained the summit they turned
the cannon Gil Us and swept the ridge with
grare and canister-shot We had seen them
turn the artillery We took refuge behind
the earthworils OF their captured cannon al
ready in our possession, from whence we still
tired On their line opposing Sheridan troops
1t grew so hot for the JOhnnies that they
finally arose from their works, faced toward
us in column, and marched in good order to
the road on'the LETT OF which We were firing
from. When reaching the road, they filed to
their rear, going down hill on a double-qnick.
The artillerymen manning the Ladies Brock
inridge and Buckner also about the same
time left their pieces Tor the rear without
any orders. A squad of US who were near
est to that point simultaneously started for
the rebel artillery across the road to our right,
where we captured the two small cannon.
noticed that the names OF the two ladies
were cast on the cannon. At someone's sag-
gestion the pieces were turned on the retiring
enemy. The first shot exploded about lou
yards from us; the second shell exploded
within SO yards of US. The pieces came
nearer killing us than lnjuring the enemy, as
we were all iniantrymen.
1t was deemed best not to attempt another
shot. The next thing was to examine our
capture In investigating the contents OF
the calssons, one of the boys found pone
OF cornbread, which he divided with his
comrades.
dark oyercoat or macintosh demanded OF
us:
Whose men are you? Hazen's," was
the reply.
Then get away from here to the left,
where you belong. This is my front"
When leaving, Gen. Hazen approached
this Officer whom he addressed as General
They had some angry words. l loitered to
hear the conversation. AS they parted dis
tinctly heard Gen. Hazen say: We'll, my
brigade has honor enough. They captured
/ g pieces of artillery besides these"
Soon afterwards Sheridan's men captured
| this artillery. From reading the Life OF
| Gen. Sheridan since, / find that Gen. Wag-
ner commanded his left brigade, consequently
! he must have been the officer who drove us
away from the cannon.
| In summing the matter up, | claim that
| the cannon were captured from the rebels
by a squad of volunteers composed of men,
bers of different regiments belonging to
Willich's and Hazen's Brigades, and about
Is i'll number; that some time afterwards
Gen. Wagner captured the artillery from us
and turned it over to his men, who, no doubt
to this day think themselves the original
| captors. Sheridan's men had no means OF
knowing US from their own comrades, as they
gathered around Lady Breckenridge and
Lady Buckner, making inany amusing re-
marks.
AS it is known in history that Gen.
Thomas's command fought the battle of
Mission Ridge without orders from officers,
it is also just to those troops to place the
credit of their good deed where it belongs
The capture of the two cannon was also
accomplished without orders. 1t is only
part of the history of many brave acts of
the batsle of Mission Ridge. 1 have no
desire fur praises, but in order to stop this
controversy L suggest that every soldier
who participated individually at the capture
Of those two named cannon and helped fire
them at the enemy, send his name, COM
paDy, regiment and brigade, with an affidavit
to the statement, to the Editor OF THE Ma
TIoNAL TRIBUNE; then, after a reasonable
time, have him make report from what
he has gathered. That, l think, would settle
the question. To lead off in the matter /
solemly swear that l was there at the time
as stated, and as l recollect the circumstance.
Next "A. BRANDLEY, 23d KY, Hazen's
Brigade, Elkins, w. Va.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this
7th day OF February. N. G. KEIM,
Notary Public.