The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-06

their presence, was at any rate taken
prisoner.
This battery was a part of the First
battery of Minnesota light artillery. I'M
der command of Lieut.. William Pfaen-
der, of New Ulm, and Ferd E. PEBBLES
who had succeeded to the command when
Capt Munich was disabled by a bullet
IN his thigh. In the narrative of the
battery's service, written for the history
OF Minnesota troops, Lieut. ,Hurter ex-
plains why the Minnesota battery got SO
little credit for its brave. stand at this
critical juncture in the war; as history
has decided it: yoo .,
Gen. Wallace, the man who had sup
ported our guns with his regiments, who
had stood almost among them, watch
ing the execution of their shots, laid
down his life upon the altar of his coun-
try a few minutes after he had given
Lieut.. Pfaender orders to try and get
his guns out, seeing that it would be
useless to hold on longer. Pfentiss, who
had scarcely any knowledge of the eX-
istence of such an organization as the
First Minnesota battery, and who, after
almost Superhuman efforts, had to sur
render to the enemy, had no time to OBJ
serve much of the doings of few guns,
and hence it is that no reports of the
battle have ever mentioned the battery
One thing is sure, that had the forces
under the two above mentioned leaders
not stood up SO heroically and valiantly
to their task, nothing would have pre-
vented ReanreEard from the execution of
his threat to drive us into the Tennes-
See" E ..,,.
Lieut.. Pfaender, who. afterwards be-
came lieutenant colonel, has thus de-
scribed the Hornets Nest:
Trying (after falling back from the
first position) to find some superior Off
Ger to whom to report the battery ready
for action, I noticed Gen. Prentiss rally
ing some remnants of his division and
was by him,-in person, ordered to adj
vance to position which was then be-
ing formed by Gems. Prentiss and w. H.
i. Wallace, and which proved to be the
celebrated Hornets Nest, against which
the enemy, time and time again, hurled
their most determined attacks without
being able to break it. 1t must have
been about II o'clock when the battery
took this new position on an elevated
piece of ground from which an open field
on the other side of a ravine in front
could be commanded, and whenever a
charge was attempted across that field
the artillery fire ral1ed the enemy down
fearfully. Twice rebel batteries were
placed in the timber at the further edge
of the field to dislodge us, but before
they were able to get the range of our
position our guns ndQ Sllenceu them. For
hours they Vainly tried to break our line
and the left section of the battery, I'M
der Lieut.. PEBBLES, having been ordered
further to the left, had to repeI several
determined charges and was badly cut
up but inflicted terrible losses on the
enemy by moving them down with cam
lister at close range"
In a lecture at White Bear in 1885, Gen
Prentiss took occasion to refer to the
stand of the Minnesota battery in the
Hornets Nest
It's losses that day We're:
carbohydrates Sdnson, Taxdahl and
Tilson.
Died of Wounds-CorporaIs Davis and
hammers.
Severely Wounded-Capt. Munich. Lieut..
PEBBLES, Sergeants Clayton and Conner.
Several others We're slightly wounded.
Capt. Munich and Lieut.. Pfaender both
had horses killed under them and six
teen horses of the battery We're killed.
The second day the Minnesota battery
was on the reserve line. 1t had earned
its spurs.
Brackets battalion. another Minnesota
organization, did good service at Pitts
burg Landing in repairing bridges and
roads so as to make possible the arrival
of Gen. Buell. and his command in time
to save the battle of the second day.