The National tribune., 1900-04-05
WIpING OUT" A BATTERY.
Some Fighting Done by the 9th Ill. and 7th
Mo. at Champions Hill.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / was
interested in Comrades Williams and
Hazelbaker's act of capturing n battery
Mt Champions Hill, told of Feb. %, but
think the 9TH No. deserves some little credit
for The part they played in that little drama
1t is true, as both comrades say, that The
9TH Mo. WAS train guard that day, bu'
after Hovey's temporary repulSe they were
doublc-quickodt TO the front, and took position
on bare ridge with a deep hollow inter
vening between their position and Il similar
ridge in their immediate front. On this
Il rebel battery came into position about
the same time that the 9TH formed line, and
opened vigorous cannonade on then
| position.
While the battery was paying its
compliments to us, the Sth Ill. made Il
detour to our right flank and came into the
| intervening hollow some 200 or 300 yards
to the left of the battery. After gaining
the hollow the Sth marched by the left
flank until they got Immediately between
our position and tho battery, when they
| turned and went for those guns.
| The JOhnnicS seemed to be obliviouS to
the movement of the Sth, until they rose
from their STOPPING posture, not more than
80 yards from the muZzles of the guns,
and poured a voley into the rebels that
l
| A Lieutenant Of the battery displayed
heroism worthy of n better cause. He
stood by his guns until every member OF the
! battery was down or had fled to the rear,
and refused to surrender, and died bidding
defiance TO his assailantS-
These guns were steel Napo!eonS, and
belonged to the Washington Artillery, the
New Orleans organization, They were the
last rebel guns in action that day, and by
their plucky fight saved many of their
comrades from capture; they checked the
| advance of our right sufficient length Of
time to allow Pemberton's broken and
defeated columns to gain their line of re-
treat to Big Black River.
Comrade Williams. sd Ohio. is mistaken
as to the Seventeenth Corps being all the
troops engaged in this battle. Hovey's
Division stood the brunt OF the battle.
Memoirs: I'VE had in this battle about
$1,000 mon absolutely engaged. This
excludes all that did not get up, all of Me
CleTnand's command except Hovey. Our
loss was 4l0 killed, 1,S44 wounded, and
1S7 missing: Hovey alone lost 1.2O0
killed wounded and missing; more than
one-third of his division"
The same authority says that Logan's
Division captured II guns and 300 prison.
crs. Gen. John ID. Stevenson, formerly
Colonel of the 9TH Mo, commanded the
Third Brigade, Third Division. Seven
teenth Corps, composed of the Sth, 18th,
S1st ILL.,, 18th No, and, Comrade Hazel
baker says, the 32d Ohio. The 32d Ohio
was captured in Miles's surrender at Har-
per's Ferry, and was transferred to the
Western army. after their exchange, join
ing LOgan's Division mt Memphis, just
before Grants army embarked from there
on his EicksDurg campaign. But | can
not rceollect them as being in the Third
Brigade. BE that as it may, they were a
fine body Of men, and won distinction on
glory enough in that campaign for all,
Il campaign that Sherman said, when
stauding on the very point on Walnut
Hill occupied by the enemy the December
before, when he was repulscd, was one of the
greatest in history.-H. O'NEIL, Smith
field, Pa.