The National tribune., 1903-07-16
THE ARTILLERY AT STONE RIVER.
Heroic and Effective Work Of Parsonss Baery-Repots
Officers on the Part Taken by the Command.
By AUGUSTUS B. CLEMENT, parsons's Battery.

Probably in no other battle of the civil
war did artillery do more important ser
vice than at Stone River. Detractins
nothing from the gallantry and effective
ness of other understanding from Liv-
ingston, Bradley, STANDARD, Stevens,
Stokes, Estep and others, whose batteries
won imperishable laurels in front of Muir
frecsboro, l desire especially to call at
tention to Batteries NJ and II, 4th U. S.
Art, which operated together the com
bination being known as Parsons bat
terry" commanded by Lieut.. Charles =.
Parsons, assisted by Lieuts. Ill. Z. Cusll-
ing and Henry A. Huntington. In the
NJ and H combination were eight guns.
Parsonss Battery belonged to Grose S
Brigade, Palmer's Division, Crittenden' S
Corps.
Advancing from Nashville, Crittenden's s
Corps marching by the direct route, the
Nashville and Murfreesboro pike, we ar
rived in front of Murfreesboro on the
night of Dec. -, iS62; having started
from Nashville on the Goth. En- route
our battery had several spirited engage
ments with the enemy, who, with lnconse-
quential detachments of infantry and ar
tillery, sought to harass our advance.
. Bragg was awaiting us at Murfreesboro,
. on chosen ground, prepared to give us a
warm reception.
On the morning of Dec. 80, Crittenden's
Corps. the left wing of Rosecranss army,
being in line OF battle, the enemys artll-
lery opened upon our left and front. While
a spirited cannonading was in progress n
she'll struck in our battery, killing one
man, wounding one, and killing horse.
About p. m., having moved into a
position assigned Us by Gen. Palmer, We
shelled the enemy's rife pits beyond the
brick house. Eleyatins the range of our
rifle pieces, we awakened the Confederate
batteries in the distance, but their fire
was of short duration. In this interchange
of shots another of our men was wound
ed. After nightfall the battery went into
park in the open field behind the cedars.
CHANGING FRONT.
Early on the morning of the 31st there
was trouble in McCooks Corps, the right
wing. Being reentlessly pressed back,
McCook swung upon Thomas, creating
confusion in the center. At about s a. M,
when the infantry We're falling back from
the pine woods on our right, our guns were
swung around to pour an enfiIadlng fire into
the ranks of the infantry that were pur-
suing the broken line. The approach of
the enemy was parallel with our front, in
stead of perpendicular to it. When the
the battery, we opened with double-shot-
ted canister upon their first line and col
umn of reserves, but they continued to ad
vance notwithstanding the dreadful earn
age in their ranks. In an attempt to
change front. they charged the battery.
were repulsed and fell back beyond our
view. However, they soon reappeared, to
our left, but unable to withstand our ter
rible fire they again retired.
TO THE RELIEF OF ROUSSEAU AND HAZEN.
We then took position on an elevation
nearer the pike to assist in checking the
enemy's advance upon Gen. Rousseau.
Immediately after performing that service
we again changed front, by order of Gen.
Palmer, ard opened upon the brick house
to dislOdge the Confederates there, who
were serious menace to Hazen's Brigade
Having relieved Hazen, the battery was
moved to the front to engage the Confed-
crate infantry then advancing into the
cedars where Cruft's Brigade had been in
position. Desiring to husband our am
munition, we refused to reply to battery
that sought to engage us, believing that
we could do more effective service by ex-
pending our ammunition upon the advanc-
ing infantry. By noon our ammunition
was exhausted. and, by order of Maj.
Mendenhall, Chief of Artillery, we re-
tired.
At p. m. we moved to the front, by
order of Gen. Palmer, and from an ele-
vatiOn near the railroad effectually check
ed the enemy's advancing infantry. When
the sun went down we were ordered to
retire and refit.
At daybreak, Jan. /, 1863. Gen. Rose
Grams ordered us to a position on Gen.
Rousseau's front. With the exception of
firing spherical case at intervals to dis
perse annoying sharpShooters, we were
not actively engaged in celebrating New
Years Day.
THE REPULsE OF BRECKENRIDGE.
Early Oh the morning of the I'd the ac-
tlons of the ConfeGerates indicated a COM
ing storm. They opened their batteries
on our left, but we made no response.
They then began a furious cannonade
upon batteries and troops near the pike
and railroad. Parsons's Battery, and
others. replied and soon thereafter the
enemy's guns became silent.
About p. M, after Maj. Mendenhall
had assigned us to a position on an eleva-
ton near Gen. Negley's Division, two bat
teries opened upon us from the front,
while third fired the signal for Breckin-
ridges assault. We opened upon the Con
federate batteries with our four rined
pieces, using the howitzers in the short
range fire on the charging infantry. The
batteries near Parsons became silent all
too soon, and when we had exhausted the
ammunition for our rified guns we found
that some scoundrel had led off our cais-
sons, thus leaving us with only the how
itzers TO reply to the enemy's concen-
trated artillery fire. Fortunately Capt.
Swallows battery came up and took posi-
tiOn beside u.s. and the crest of the hill
was held until we were otherwise rein
forced. When, finally, we opened IS guns
upon the assaulting Ccnfederates they re-
tired, their casualties being terrible.
SUMMARY
In this last engagement one of our
howitzers was dismonnted by n shot from
the enemy, but we replaced it by one cap
tured by the 18th Ill.
From Nashville and until the repulse
Of Breckenridge, Batteries NJ and III had
been longer engaged, generally more close
ly, than perhaps any other artillery, near
ly all of our ammunition having been ex-
pended at short range Our total cxpen-
diture was 2,299 rounds. Our losses were
two men killed, IA wounded, six missing,
and 20 horses killed.
The writer belonged to Battery NJ, 4th
U. S. Art.
Appended are extracts from reports
that will abundantly confirm the writer's
statements regarding Parsons's Battery:
Gen. Palmer:
During the whole battle, / regarded
the battery of Lieut.. Parsons, assisted by
his Lieutenants, Gushing and Huntington,
as my right arm Ny orders