The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-12-28
GAINES'S MILL.
with the I'd U. $. Horse ARTILLERY

GAINEs's MILL.
with the I'd q. s. Horse Artillery.
Editor National Tribune: 1 have been
much interested in reading The Nation
al Tribune since subscribing for it. and.
like many of the boys, regret that
did not subscribe for il long ago.
The articles on the cavalry arm or
the service at the commencement OF the
civil war l found particularly interest,"
Ing and as 1 served I'm a battery Of horse
artillery and saw considerable active
service in conjunction with the cavalry.
I have made up my mind to butt in.
so will commence now by 'unlimbering
my pen" and once more. in memory.
take my place on the battle line.
June 81, 1862. found my battery post
ed on the left flank of our army down
near the north bank OF the Chicka-
hominy River, when the battle Of
Gainess Mill opened that bright June
morning 43 years ago. little higher
up the slope and to our right battery
supposed TO be c of the 1st Pa. Art.
covered by light line or screen OF in
fantry, who were worked overtime all
day moving from right to left flank and
back again in double time to guard
threatened points. The heaviest of thu
fighting early in the day was being car
and well in advance Of our battery line.
was posted a squadron of Rush's Lane
ers (6th Pa. Cav, / think). AS the day
wore on the firing in our immediate
front was constantly growing heavier
up to about p. m, when Stonewall
Jackson's Corps made its grand charge,
his right wing overlapping our left flank
down to the swamp, the result of tho
charge in our field of action being that
the battery on our right was captured
almost at once, the gun-trails reversed.
and put in action against our men il
retreat. Gen. Porter, in whose COM
mand we were serving, fearing that our
battery would also be lost, sent three
orders in quick succession for US to
withdraw from the fight; but our gall
liant commander, Maj. James M. Rob-
ertson, who had won his spurs in the
Mexican War, did not think that the
moment for retreat had come, and
Jackson's veterans with two-second
fuZes cutting them shorter as his line
advanced; then with percussion shells,
and in the heat of the charge we gave
them canister until it was all gone, and
then finished up by firing shells with
out fuses. These shells would explode
as they left the mouth Of the gun. We
kept this up until our ammunition
boxes were all emptied; then we ''lim-
bered to the rear" and went off the field
to the rear on the gallop. Our fire was
so hot and continuous that StonewalI
Jackson's veterans had to hug the earth
while 1T was going on, and before they
realized it We had limbered up AMI
were gone.
When Jackson's men opened fire on
our position that afternoon the sough-
ing and whizzing Of the muskct balls
that passed over our heads was SO loud
that when our three-inch rife cannons
were fired they sounded no louder than
q frecracker. I was through some
hard battles after that. but in none OF
them was the "song Of the mimic bull
LETT so prolonged and loud.
Now for some just and honest prais9
for Rush's Lancers Under the heavy
and continuous fire of the enemy's in
fantry working upon our left flank, the
Lancers were driven in, and in their
retreat were passing our battery In
small squads, when our First Lieuten-
ant. John H. Wilson. halted squad OF
them and appealed to their patriotism
to form behind our battery as a sup
porting column, and be it said to their
honor that they wheeled into line be-
hind our guns and continued to do so
under the direction of their own OFF,
GERS, until they numbered about 100
strong. They looked like centaurs
there, upright in the saddle, in spite
Of the fact that every two or three
minutes one of them would fall OF his
horse dead or wounded. They followed
us out of action, and when Jackson's
men moved forward they were met by
two fresh brigades of infantry that had
just crossed over from the south sido
Of the swamp. These brigades were
the Excelsior Brigade and the ever
present Irishmen, the Irish Brigade.
Their timely arrival no doubt saved the
day.
Much to the regret Of every enlisted
man in our battery, Lieut.. Wilson was
after this battle detached from the ar
tillery and sent for duty in the Corps
OF Engineers. He was brave, generous
and always looked out for the best in
terest of the men under his command.
We always knew when Wilson was in
command that there would be no mon
keying with our rations, clothing or
forage for our horses. He was, in fact,
a holy terror to some of our Quarter
masters, and this made him the idol OF
all our fighting men. He rose to the
head of the U. S. Army Engineers, and
is now, / think, on the retired list as q
Major-General. If this should meet
Gen. Wilson's eye he will remember the
writer as Eskildson the third. / was
only boy then. just past my 18th
year. My father and brother being in
the same company, were 1st and I'd
Robert E. Eskildson, M. D., First Ser
geant, Battery L, I'd U. s. Horse Art.
Omaha, Neb.