The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-10-15

important duty from the day the men
were enlisted to the day they were
mustered out. This was the Twenty
fourth Ohio battery, organized in Au-
gust, 1864, and sent Immediately to
JohnsOn's island in anticipation of an
attempt to release the rebel prisoners
at that point. The attempt was not
made, and on the 9th Of August the
battery was ordered to Camp Dougles,
Chicago, where it remained until June
10. 1866. 1t was one of the best drilled
and best disciplined batteries in the
service and yet it never fired a shot
in battle"
'.The Twenty-fifth Ohio battery"
said the Captain, had no such luck
The Second Ohio cavalry was on the
| frontier in September, 1862. when Gen.
Blunt decided he wanted a battery.
He detailed thirteen men from each
company Of the Second cavalry and
formed what was afterward known as
the Twenty fifth Independent Ohio bat
terry. The men. receiving guns and
| equipment, went to active service at
once, and the adventures Of the caval-
rymen transformed into artillerymen
came thick and fast.
For example, Private James A.
Russell, armed only with revolver,
dropped out one day to look for water
In going through corn field he was
halted by two rebel scouts, who, with
rifles at a ready, demanded his sur.
render. Russell raised his revolver
and all fired at once. The rebels miss
ed their mark, while Russell blazed
away until he had disabled both his
antagonists and received their surren-
der. Then he procured conveyance
and took his two prisoners into camp.
"In one of its long marches in the
Southwest the battery crossed the
Ozark mountains in midwinter and
was water bound at the crossing of
White river. The river was seventy
five feet wide. fifteen feet deep, and
the current was very rapid. There was
no boat large enough to carry even one
gun across and it was decided to make
a raft or boat. The wagon boxes were
lashed together. covered with tarpau-
lins, and rails We're used for decking.
When the raft was completed and load
ed, the problem was how to get a line
across.
Several plans were suggested and
tried. First a man started across in
dug-out. The boat was swamped and
the man was rescued with difficulty. A
man tried to ride a horse across and
failed. Then line was tied to Il
mules tail and an attempt was made
to drive the mule. riderless, across to
the other side. The mule landed ON
our side of the river and. being driven
back, went off down stream, line and
all. At last Lieut.. ]. L. Hadley attach
ed line to an empty case shot and
fired it from one of the guns.
The shot finding lodgment on the
by the line. made it secure and the
whole battery was ferried across with
out the loss of a single article Of equip
ment. Officers and men were so elated
over the achievement that when all
were safely across they fired salute.
The battery had many ups and downs,
but was finally recognized as one of
the regular Ohio organizations, al
though there was row over our not
returning to the Second cavalry"
''The Tenth Ohio battery" said the
Major, had very different expert
ence. Organized and drilled for tie
artillery service, it was on one occa-
sion detailed TO act as cavalry. This
was in May, 1868, when the battery
was stationed at Grand Gulf Gen
Dwight Of Gen. Banks army came to
Grand Gulf on his way to Gen. Grant
On Black river and Capt. H. B. White
and thirty men Of the battery were de-
Jailed to ride as escort. They left
Grand Gulf at 8 p. NJ, May Is, rode
all that night and the next day, and
as bhe battle of Champion Hills was
IN progress remained in the saddle un-
til . a. M. on the 18th.
'When they finally reached Nc
PhersOn's headquarters they were COM
pletely exhausted and their horses
were unfit for further service After a
few hours rest, however, Capt. White
ana his men were given fresh horses
and were started back to Grand Gulf
with important messages. A short dis
ance out they rode up squarely against
full brigade of Pemberton's men,
which had become separated from the
main rebel army. The meeting was
entirely unexpected on both sides and
Capt. White, pretending to maneuver a
large force Of cavalry. prepared to at
tack.
.'He actually did attack the rebel
column and captured thirty-fou pris-
oners. Then retiring quickly. he took
up the march to Grand Gulf, riding
through without rest. When he ar
rived in camp more than half his men
were sound asleep in their saddles and
had ridden that way for hours At
Corinth that battery poured twenty
rounds of canister per minute from
each gun into the rebels. and although
surrounded by the enemy at one time
came off the field with all its guns
and equipments. A sponge bucket was
left. but George s. Wright ran back to
within twenty-five feet of the advan
cling enemy and picked it up
Speaking of running back in the
face of the enemy" said Major f. $.
Weeden, reminds me of an incident
at Perryville. 1 was on outpost picket
with few men, among whom was a
nervous Irishman. We knew the ell
envy was close to us, and as we could
hear voices in front urged the neces-
sity on the men of being wide awake
and quiet. There was heavy fog
and we could see nothing in front, but
we could hear the voices. At last the
fog lifted. and not forty feet away
was a rebel regiment in line ready to
advance. | turned and with others
ran into the brush in our rear and