The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-01-17
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell of
Whistling Bullets, Bright Bayonets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, ETC., Etc.

Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, ETC., Etc
John III. Caleff. Captain Second Ar
tillery, Horse Battery A. writes of Get
tysburg in the New York Herald:
The morning of the eventful LIST of
July came bright and hot. After
breakfast | had ordered my horse, and
was preparing to make hasty inspec-
ton of Gettysburg. there TO make some
purchases for our mess, when an or
derby from General Buford galloped up
with the information that the enemy
were advancing and orders to prepare
for action at once. l have yet to make
my contemplated visit to Gettysburg.
In. an incredibly short time our bivouac
was broken, and the baggage and Gals
sons sent to the rear. Colonel Gamble,
commanding the brigade, instructed me
to select my own position, which l did.
on a crest in advance of the one we
ing the intervening fences, the battery
moved forward to the position select
ed. 1t was good one for artillery,
with the exception that a railway cut
existed near the right flank. which fea-
ture exercised quite an influence dur
ing the progress of the battle.
After posting my battery. seeing Gen
eral Buford and staff OH the Cashtown
pike, near my position. l reported TO
him for further Instructions. With
hin, N ha Cn,nra1 pnvnnlHs
and staff, who. having been notified by
Buford early in the morning OF the
movements of the enemy, had FASTENED
forward in advance of the corps, and
was now comforting with Buford as to
the lay Of the land and other military
points of pressing interest
1t was a part Of General Bufori's
plan to cover as large front rs pos
sible with my battery CHS only artil-
lery), for the purpose of deceiving the
enemy as to his strength. He there
fore instructed me to post two guns on
the right of the pike, two on the left.
and the remaining two still further to
the left, where the Eighth New York
cavalry was covering the left flank. 1t
was just TO the right of the guns last
mentioned. in corner OF the woods,
that General Reynolds was killed few
minutes later.
1 had scarcely completed the posting
of this left section when Roder opened
on the right of the pike. his left piece
being the opening gun, directed against
column Of the enemy beyond VIII
loughby's Run, where our cavalry, dis
mounted, were stoutly resisting the adj
vance of Hills infantry The other
guns now opened. This called up the
artillery OF the enemy. and my four
guns on the right were soon hotly en-
gagged with Pegram's and AIcIntosh's
battalions of artillery. numbering from
twenty seven to thirty guns. Seeing,
the battery 80 greatly outnumbered,
directed the firing to be made slowly
and deliberately, and reported to Blu
ford, who was In my front The battle
was now developing and the iemoniac
whir-r-r of the rified shot, the ping
of the bursting shell. and the wicked
zip of the bullet, as 1t hurried by,
filed the air.
While riding to the guns on the left.
! met General Buford, accompanied by
bugler only, and calmly smoking his
pipe. He had just made an inspection
Of the field, and remarked: Our men
are in a pretty hot pocket. but, my
boy, we must hold this position until
the infantry comes up. Then you with
draw our guns in each section by piece.
fill up your timber chests from the
caissons. and await my orders
Just as he finished speaking she'll
burst so near to us that both CT our
horses reared with fright, but all es-
capped injury. BY this time the wonnd-
ed were being brought to the rear. and
temporary field hospitals were estab-
lished in tie vicinity of the seminary.
Here also were my caissons
As | joined the left guns again there
came out Of the Mcpherson woods in
our front a double line of battle in
gray, and not over one thousand yards
distant. Ii was Archer's brigade. and
their battle flags looked redder and
bioodier In the strong July sun than
had ever. seen them before At those
flags the firing was directed. and my
gunners succeeded in making excellent
shots. throwing the lines into some con-
fusion. In short time Meredith's bril-
gade of Wadsworth's division swept by
on ha nd r~na
arrived. Overlapping Archers front,
they rushed on, and. making partial
wheel to the right, caught Archer as
he was moving by flank to gain a
tongue of woods 1.-THE tactical object
OF that part of the field), and 4 part
Of the brigade. with it's commander.
were taken prisoners. Giving orders to
the left section to retire by piece and
Join the caissons, | rode over to the
other guns to superintend their with
drawal, as the troops of the First
Corps had relieved the cavalry line Of
battle, and Halls First Maine battery
had come up to take the place of mine
As was giving the order to Sergeant
Newman, commanding the center Sec
ton, shell burst under the horses of
one Of the pieces, killing or disabling
four out OF six; but by strenuous exer-
lions the brave old soldier managed
to get the piece off with the remaining
team.
In the meantime General Buford
had discovered that the enemy's In
| fantry Davis Mississippi brigade)
were Utilizing the unfinished railway
cut as a rifle pit. and sent for one Of
Roder's guns To enfilade 1t and drive
them out AS the piece was being I'M
limbered its chief, Corporal Robert
WatrOus, approaching the necessity
for instant action, secured double
round of canister. but as he was run
ming with Ii TO the gun he was shot
down. Private Slattery, the No 2, with
commendable presence of mind, snatch
ed the ammunition from the hands OF
n