The National tribune., 1906-10-18
A BRAVE ACT.
How Philip A. Hawk, Of Co. G, 10th
ILL.,, Spiked a Brass Cannon mt Chickn-
pnauNn.


Early on the morning of the goth
of September, 1863, Gen. John Beatty s
Brigade. to which the 104th ILL., 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. We reached the posi-
ton assigned. and, moving out. skir-
mishing soon began. The rebel lines
kept advancing, and engaging our one
main and only line of Beatty's Brigade,
soon DIR ove 1t back. Bridges Battery
was engaged, but was short OF men,
and Capt. Bridges asked Gen. Beatty
for a detail of men from the infantry
to help work his guns. At Beatty's Or
der Col. Hapeman, of the 104th H.,
called for volunteers, and myself and
others at once responded. We report
ed to the battery, and were assigned
t. the different guns. l went to one OF
the brass 12-pounder guns and carried
ammunition to the gun. The rebels
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 my
self 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 re-
move the gun, and the rebels We're ad-
vancing ObliqueIy across the open field
in our front, their left nearer our gun
than their right and covered by
woods. The Sergeant then ;nid he
would cut the one unhurt horse Dose
and get out, and I had better also.
But l did not AndIhearing the men at
another gun on my left calling for
canister / filed my arms full and ran
to that gun, which was perhaps 800 feet
distant. This was a steel gun. The
Sergeant, however, fcursad me-, and tod
me to take the ammunition back. /
said that no ONE was now at the gun.
He then told me to 90 to the rear; he
did not need me. But i did not feel
like going, and started back to the
brass gun. 1t flashed into my mind TO
spike the gun. ION the way / picked
UP a stone as big as my two fists, per-
haps, and running to the timber chest,
grabbed up a file that l had before
seen there, and just as 1 reached the
gun to spike it a rebel soldier stepped
out of the woods or brush, not more
than 20 feet away, raised his musket
and fired. The thought came to me,
l can spike it as quick as you can fire.
1 gave the file one blow and it was
DONE That instant the rebel ball hit
me over the left eye and / instinctively
turned to the rear, or found myself so
faced. / was blinded or dazed, and
blood flowed. but 1 then ran. l heard
the rebel 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 lamed me. AL
most Immediately after / was hit by
piece of shell in the right leg be-
low the knee. These various wounds
did not cause me to stop. though very
Ia,, firrn n hGpn
50 well met on the left that they soon
halted or sought shelter in the woods.
The wounds received there, or two of
them, still disable me in my eye or
head and in my leg. At last reached
the log hospital on the hill, but it was
soon shelled by a rebel battery, and
those who could got out On order of
the Surgeon. / then got into little
valley near by, and found there the I'd
Ohio. The Colonel called me up,
washed my face from his canteen and
tied his handkerchief about my head,
and told me to wait for an ambulance.
did so for a while; then occurred
great stampede of non-combatants, and
to avoid being killed 1 got behind a
tree. The I'd Ohio moved out to battle.
The stampede soon passed, and no one
pausing to take me up. / started for
PossvilIe. Meantime my regiment had
been ordered away, and. as l found,
had gone to Rossville by Negley's or
der With extreme effort ] reached
RossvilIe that night and Chattanooga
the next day in an ambulance from
Rossville. l was next ordered across
the river and to go to Stevenson, but
not liking this I got over the Tennes-
see, reported to Capt. Bridges, and in
two days more, being found unfit for
duty. was sent back to the 104th Ill.
by Capt Bridges. I then remained in
camp for some four weeks, when 1 was
again put on duty. The foregoing is
the true account of my experience on
the 2Oth.-Phil. A. Hawk.