Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1905-12-23
Bouton's Battery,

Bouton's Battery.
At an artillery review in st. Louis
in February, 1862, Gen. Halleck stated
that he cons. dered Bouton's Battery
the finest battery he had ever seen in
any service either in Europe or Ameri-
ca. AT a review of troops at College
Hill, Miss, in December, 1862, Gen.
Sherman stated that. at the COM
mencement of the war he had felt
great concern regarding what we
should do for field artillery, as it had
always been considered in the old
regular army that the three years
service was necessary to make good
and efficient artillerymen, but in Eu-
rope five to seven years, but that Bou-
tons Battery though hardly yet
year in the service, he considered
equal in efficiency tn any battery in
any service.
Although Bouton's Battery was or
ganized in Chicago, il had men from
several of the Northwestern states,
quite a number from Ohio and from
the sawmills and lumber regions of
Wisconsin, and it is likely that
finer body of men from an athletic
and physical point OF view were never
embraced in an orga nization of the
same number.
Capt. Edward Bouton recruited this
battery largely at his own expense,
so that even when it was mustered
into the United States service it had
cost the state of Illinois but 1888
per man, at time when it was cost
ing the state an average of $154 per
capita to put soldiers in the field. The
battery consisting of an aggregate of
154 men, proceeded to ST. Louis in
January, 1862, where it procured six
fine new James rifles, caliber $50,
throwing projectiles weighing four
teen pounds.
At this time the government was
purchasing from 500 to 1900 horses
per day, at St. Louis, and was getting
splendid animals from Missouri, Kan
sas, Iowa, Illinois ana Indiana. Bou-
ton obtained permission from Capt
Parsons, the purchasing quartermas-
ter, to take his pick from these horses
as they were inspected and accepted
and he selected from three to ten
day, until he had procured 12S ami
mails. Four guns aud their caissons,
requiring eight teams of six horses
each, were supplied with bright bays,
and the remaining two guns and their
caissonS with jet black horses. These
teams were perfectly matched, and
any pair of them would be likely to
attract attention IL driven through
any city attached to a carriage. The
battery wagon, forge, ambulances
and baggage wagons were furnished
with equally fine animals.
From the first organization of the
battery, the officers, under Capt Bou-
tons direction, applied themselves
diligently to drilling the men, so that
when the battery was brought into ac-
tive service in the fed. the men had
acquired a great degree of perfection
in drill and discipline, and were we'll
prepared to attain the high reputation
for efficiency for which they became
noted. In over four years service.
this battery never failed to win favor
able mention on many a hard-fought
field, particularly distinguishing itself
at Shiloh, Nashville and Franklin
At the battle of Nashville Bouton's
Battery was attached to Hatch's
division of cavalry, which constituted
the extreme right of the Union
forces. In the night some 600 men
hoisted one of the guns up the almost
perpendicular face of high hill well
in the rear of the left of the rebel
army, and at daylight fired the signal
she for the commencement of the
atccck on the rebel position.
This battery participated in seven
teen great battles ard forty-six i'm
portant skirmishes thai were oficially
reported and probably a hundred
minor skirmishes that were never re-
ported. They were with the extreme
advance in the pursuit of Hoods
army, after Nashville, and in that pur-
suit went into action on an average
of Six times day for ten days.
Among which was very hard fight
at Duck river. lasting several hours.
There was a flood rise of fourteen
feet in this river and Hood had to
abandon nearly all OF his wagons and
artillery. and supposed he was clear
of the Union batteries as well. but
Bouton's Battery took their ammuni-
ton chests across the river on rats
hastily constructed. principally from
the beds of abandoned rebel army
wagons, swan their horses across.
and, splicing their prolongs, dragged
the guns through fourteen to eighteen
feet of water and in two hours were
pounding away at Hoods forces again.
This battery not only never lost a
gun. but with the exception of Shiloh.