Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1906-11-30
A BRAVE ACT.
How Philip A. Hawk Spiked Brass
Cannon at Chickamauga.

Early on the morning of the goth
of September, 1863, Gen. John Beatty's
brigade, to which tho One Hundred
and Fourth Illinois was attached,
was sent from our position on the
right near the Widow Glenn's house
to the extreme left of our lines near
Kelley's house and across the La
fayette road, writes Philip A. Hawk.
in the National Tribune. We reached
the position assigned, and, moving
out, skirmishing soon began. The
confederate lines kept advancing, and
engaging our one main and only line
of Beattys brigade, soon drove it
back. Bridges battery was engaged,
but was short of men, and Capt
Bridges asked Gen. Beatty for de-
tail of men from the infantry to help
work the guns. At Beatty's order Col.
Hapeman of the One Hundred and
Fourth Illinois, called for volunteers,
and myself and others at once re-
| sponded. We reported to the bat
terry and was assigned to the differ
ent guns. l went to one of the brass
| 12-pounder Euns and carried ammuni-
| llUll W lue gun, HS COlleueTdISS
continued to advance, and we kept
on firing, seven shots being given
after my arrival, but when the last
two were fired only the sergeant of
the gun and myself remained at the
| gun, and these last times we loaded
her to within one foot of the muzzle
and let go. One man at our gun
had been killed, two badly wounded,
the other men were gone. OF the
six horses five were down killed or
disabled. We could not remove the
gun and the confederates were ad-
vancing obliquely across the open
field in our front, their left nearer
our gun than their right, and COW
cred by woods. The sergeant then
said he could cut the one unhurt horse
loose and get out and 1 had better.
also. But | did not and hearing the
men at another gun on my left calling
for canister l filled my arms full and
ran TO that gun, which was perhaps
300 feet distant. This was a steel
gun. The sergeant, however, cursed
me and told me to take the ammuni-
tion back. | said that no one was
now at the. gun. He then told me
to go to the rear; he did not need me.
But ] did not feel like going and
started back to the brass gun. It
flashed into my mind to spike the gun.
On the way | picked up stone as
big as my two fists, perhaps, and
running to the timber chest grabbed
up file that | had before seen there,
| a.
spike it a confederate soldier stepped
out of the woods or brush, not more
than 20 feet away raised his musket
and fired. The thought came to me, 1
can spike it as quick as you can fire.
| gave the file one blow, and 1t was
done. That instant the confederate
ball hit me over the left eye and
instinctively turned to the rear, or
found myself so faced. l was blind
ed or dazed, and blood flowed, but 1
then ran. / heard the confederate
say: "Oh, you - - -. did
, not stop, but had attracted notice, and
/ very soon after was hit again by a
bullet in the left leg above the knee.
: flesh wound, which famed me. AL
> most Immediately after i was hit by
a piece of shell in the right leg be-
, low the knee These various wounds
8 did not cause me to stop, though very
8 lame. Meantime the confederates
: had been SO we'll met ON the left that
: they soon halted or sought shelter in
r the woods. The wounds received
!, there, or two of them, still disable me
5 in my eye or head and in my leg
e At last / reached the log hospital or
n the hill, but it was soon shelled by
d confederate battery, and those who
l. could got out on order of the sur
}. geon. | then got into a little valley
o near by, and found there the Second
e Ohio. The colonel called me up
e washed my face from his canteen, ant
tied his handkerchief about my head
and told me to wait for an ambulance
/, / did so for awhile; then occurred I
= great stampede of non-combatants
s and to avoid being killed, got be
It hind a tree. The Second Ohio moved
3. out to battle. The stampede sooi
IS passed, and no one pausing to take m,
n up, / started for Rossville. Meantim,
d my regiment had been ordered away
IS and, as l found. had gone to Ross
d vile by Negley's order With eS
,e treme effort l reached Rossville tha
70 night, and Chattanooga the next da,
s in an ambulance from Rossville.
l. was next ordered across the river an
t. to go to Stevenson, put not liking this
k got over the Tennessee, reported t
IN Capt Bridges. and in two days more
h being found unfit for duty, was sen
e, back to the One Hundred and Fonrt
IL Illinois by Capt. Bridges. l then r,
=: manned in camp for four weeks, whe
le was again put on duty
re
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