Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-01-12
A E8AVE ACT.
How Philip 4. Es,rk Spiked = Brass
Cannon at Ch.-.,amauga.

Early on the morning Of the 20th
of September. 1853. ~. John Bcatty's
brigade, 90 which Tie One Hundred
and Fourth Illinois was attached.
was sent from our position on the
right near tire Widow Gicnn's house
20 the extreme lCft of our lines near
Kelley's house ana across the La
fayette road. wri. es Philip A. Hawk.
in the National Tribune. We reached
the position ass -ned. and moving
out. skirmishin- soon bean The
confederate lines kept al vauciug and
engaging our orc main and only line
of Bcatty's brigade. soon drove It
back. BRIDGES battery was engaged.
but was short OF men. and Capt.
Bridges asked Gen. Beatty for a de-
tail OF mon from the infantry to helm
work the guns st Bea;tys order Col
liapeman OF The One Hundred ard
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 60 one Of the brass
l2-pounder guns and carried ammuui-
ton TO the gun. The confcde.atcs
continued 10 advance. aud we kept
on firms. seven shots being given
after my arrival. blt when the last
two We're fired only the sergeant of
the sun and myself remained az the
sun. and these last times we loaded
her 90 within one foot OF the muzzle
and let so. 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 aud the confoderates were ad-
vancins obhqueiy across the open
field in our front their left nearer
our gun than their right. and COW
cred by a woods The sergeant then
said he could cut the one mhurt horse
loose and get out and had better.
also. But ! aid not. and hearing the
men az another gun ON my left calling
for canister I filled my arms fun and
ran go that gun. which was perhaps
300 feet distant This was a steel
gun. The sergeant. however. cursed
me and told me 20 take the ammuni
ton back. ] said that no one was
now at tho 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 brasc gun. u
flashed into my mind 60 spike the gun
on the way ] picked up a stone as
big as my two fists perhaps. aud
running TO the timber chest. grabbed
up file that ] had before seen there.
and just as I reached the gun 20
spike IL a confederate soldier stepped
out Of the woods or brush. not more
than 20 feet away raised his musSct
and fired. The thought came TO me. Z
can spike 90 ass quick as You can fire
] gave the fle one blow. and it was
done. that Instant the confederate
ball hit mo over the loft eye and I
insuucti,e'N tanned to the rear. or
found myself $50 faced was blind
ed or Gazed and blood flowed. but /
then ran. heard The confederate
say: "Oh. YOU - " did
not stop. bat ha3 attracted notice. and
very soon after was hit acaiu by a
bullet I'm the LEFT lcc above the knee.
flesh wound. which famed me. Al
most Immediately after ] was hit bv
"A piece OF shell In the rirht Leg be-
low the knee. These various wounds
did not cause me 90 stop. though very
lame. Meantime the confederates
had been So wen met on the left that
they soon halted or sought shelter I'm
the woods. The wounds received
there, or two OF them. still disable me
in my eye or head and in my leg.
AZ last reached the log hospital or
the hil but il was soon shelIed bv
confederate battery. and those who
could got out on order of the sur
geOn. l then got into a little valley
near by. and found there the Second
Ohio. The colonel called me mn
washed my face from his cauteon. and
tied his handkerchief about my head
and told me 90 wait for an ambu'a,c.
! did SO for awhile; then occurred q
great stampede Of non-combatao-s
and TO avoid being killed I cot be
hind tree. The Second Ohio naoves
out to battle The stamreie soon
passed. aud no one Tausing 10 take mo
mp. started for Rossyine Meantime
my regiment had been ordered away
and, as ] found, had gone To Ross
vile by Negley's order With ex
IRENE effort / reached Rossvfle that
night, and Chattanooga the next da,.
IN an ambulance from Rossviile.
was next ordered across the river and
10 go TO Stevenson. bat not Hkiue fbss
got over the Tennessee. reported 10
Capt Bridges. and in two DAYS more
being found unfit for duty. was son,
back TO the One Hundred and Fourtb
Illinois by Cant BRIDGES. I then re-
manned in camp for four weeks Wbcf
was again put on duty