The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1906-12-25
A BRAVE ACT.
How Philip A. Hawk Spiked Brass
Cannon at Chickamauea.

Early on the morning OF the 2Oth
of September, 1863, Gen. John Beatty's
brigade, to which the 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, SIX "mishing soon began. The
confeder;,9 lines kept advancing, and
engaging our one main and only line
of Beattys brigade, soon drove 1t
back Bridges battery was engaged,
but was short of men, and Capt.
Bridges asked Gen. Beatty for a 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. | went to one of the brass
12-pounder guns and carried ammuni-
ton to the gun. The confederates
continued to advance, and we kept
on firing, seven shots being given
after my arrival, but when the last
two We're fired only the sergeant of
in cd at a
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-
yancing obliquely across the open
field in our front, their left nearer
our gun than their right and Gov
cred by woods. The sergeant then
said he could cut the one unhurt horse
loose and get out and | had better,
also. But | did not, and hearing the
men al another gun on my left calling
for canister | 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 ammun-
ton 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. 1t
flashed into my mind to spike the gun
On the way ! picked up a stone as
big as my two fists, perhaps, and
running to the timber chest, grabbed
up file that ! had before seen there,
and just as | reached the gun to
spike it 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, |
can spike it as quick as you can fire
gave the file one blow, and it was
done. That instant the confederate
ball hit me over the left eye and
instinctively turned to the rear, or
found myself so faced. was blind
ed or dazed, and blood flowed, but |
then ran. | heard the confederate
say: "Oh, you - -" / did
not stop, but had attracted notice, and
very soon after was hit again by
bullet in the left leg above the knee,
a flesh wound which famed me. AL
most Immediately after | was hit by
a piece of shell in the right leg be-
low the knee. These various wounds
did not cause me to stop, though very
lame. Meantime the confederates
had been so 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