Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-12-05
Lieut.. Wickfeld is hereby ordered to
return with an escort of cavalry and
eat that pie also. u. S. GRANT,"
Artillerv Contest.

Cuique Artillery Contest.
II witnessed the only artillery duel
that took place during the war" said
veteran wearing a badge of the Sixth
Wisconsin Artillery 1t was fought
at Port Gibson, Miss, and was arrang-
ed with as much Formally, if without
seconds, as marks one of those person
al affairs of honor in France"
The Wisconsin man did not give his
name, but said he had fought through
the war with the old Sixth, and little
red badge fastened to his vest by
safety pin and inscribed with the
names of dozen battlefields bore tes-
tirlony to the trrlthfulness of his claim.
1t was lark cf honor bestowed on
him by Congress and went bond for the
story.
There were a good many artillery
fights during the war;" he continued.
AT Malvern Hill Gen Lees guns ex-
changed tons Of solid shot, shells and
canister with McClellan's artillery, and
at Gettysburg 100 Confederate guns,
stationed on Seminary Ridge, thunder
ed at eighty of our pieces on Cemetery
Ridge, commanded by Gen. Fl. ]. Hunt,
Gen. Meades chief of artillery. But
these were parts of great battles, not
duels, although see they are cilled
duels by these fellows who write his
tory. The artillery fight at Port Gibson
was duel-nothing more and nothing
less-and was witnessed by the greater
part of two armies, who did nothing but
watch the gunners and shout when the
fur few"
In the spring of 1868 Gen. Grant was
maneuvering about Vicksburg in an
effort to get near enough to the forti-
fed city t. strike an effective blow.
Troops below Vicksburg crossed to the
east bank of the Mississippi at Bruins
miles east of Bruinsburg, and at that
point the Confederates were in force.
At dawn ON May 1, 1868, the two armies
were face to face.
when we reached Port Gibson he
continued, both armies halted to take
breath Way off toward the Confed-
crate line was a solitary house, and
near this was the rebel artillery. While
we stood there battery of Confederate
artillery left the line, trotted out as il
on parade, swung around into line, and
numbered. 1t was all done with the
precision and nicely of a parade at
West Point. Every man was in his
place, we could see, although the dis
lance was three-quarters of a mile.
There the men stood, like so many
statues in gray. Everybody asked what
1t meant, but no one could say.
"'By Jove, it's a challenger some one
finally calculated And sure enough it
was.
There was no move in our line for
a minute or two; then the bugle of the
First Wisconsin sounded, and out went
the six guns, swung into line, and I'M
limbered. In thirty seconds the Johnny
rebs saw that the challenge was accept
ed, and both batteries opened fire.
while the singular duel was in prog
ress from twelve to twenty shots We're
fired from each gun. The First Wisconsin
was commanded by Capt. Jake Foster,
an old Ozaukee County boy, who went
out to Minnesota and enlisted at La
Crosse. He was a good soldier himself,
and his gunners were crackerjacks, and
those percussion shells made the john
MES jump. 1t wasn't five minutes be-
fore the Confederates had enough and
started to withdraw the battery.
'"Our boys disabled three guns, blew
up caisson or two, and, if ] remem-
Der right, killed a rebel captain, and
wounded three or four gunners. Every
shot that told was greeted by loud
cheer from our boys. Our loss was not
very large The rebs We're soon demon
allied after they learned our style of
sending them our visiting cards"