The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-07-30

very much shattered by the battle of
the forenoon. AT last having reformed
his lines behind the low ridges in front,
he made his appearance in grand shape.
His line stretched from the railroad
grading across the Cashtown pike, and
thru the fields south of it halfway to
the Fairfield road, nearly mile in
I length. First, we could see the tips of
their color-staffs coming up over the
little ridge, then the points of their
bayonets. and then the Johnnies them
selves, coming on with a steady tramp,
tramp, and with loud yells. 1t was now
apparent that the old battery's turn
had come, and the embattled boys who
stood so grimly at their posts felt that
another page must be added to the
record of Buena Vista and Antietam.
The term boys is literally true. be-
cause of our gun detachment alone,
consisting of a Sergeant, two COrporals,
seven cannoneers and six drivers. only
four had hair on Their faces, while the
other II We're beardiess boys, whose
ages would not average 10 years, and
who at any other period of our his
tory would have been at school. The
same was more or less true of all the
other gun attachments. But if boys
in years they were, with one or two ex-
ceptions not necessary to name, veter-
ans in battle, and Drawer or steadier
for. glance along our line at that
moment would have been rare study
for an artist. AS the day was very hot
many OF the boys had their jackets OFF,
some with sleeves rolled up. and they
exchanged little Nsoiaas of cheer with
each other as the gray line came on.
In quick, sharp tones, like successive
reports of a repeating rifle, came Davi-
son's orders, Load-Canister-
There was a hustling of cannoneers. a
few -.:umps of the hammer heads, and
theS.. Ready! BY piece. AT will.
Fire.
I'm order that the situation of the
battery at this moment may be under
stood clearly brief survey OF the state
of the battle is necessary. We were
formed. as previously remarked. 'strad-
die of the Railroad Cut, the Old Man
with the three guns forming the right
half battery on the north side, and
Dawson with the three guns OF the left
half-on the south side. Stewards three
guns were somewhat in advance of
ours, forming slight echelon in half
battery. while our three guns were in
open order. bringing the left gun close
TO the Cashtown road. We were formed
in small field Just west of Mrs Thomp-
sons doOryard, and our guns raked the
road to the top OF the low crest form
ing the east bank of Willoughbys
2:30 or p. m. At all events Halls
and Reynolds's Batteries, which had
held the crest in our front all morn
ing, had retired either into the streets
of Gettysburg town or to the grove
near the Seminary, and all the infantry
OF the First Corps that had been fight
ing in our front had fallen back. ex-
cept the invincible remnants of the 9Th
Wis. and 18th Pa, which were at that
moment filing across the Railroad Cut
close to our rear to support us in our
final struggle.
Directly in our front-that is to say.
on both sides of the pike-the rebel
infantry, whose left Tapped the north
side of the pike quite up to the line of
the railroad grading, had been forced
to halt and lie down by the tornado Of
canister that we had given them from
the moment they came in sight over
the bank of the creek. But the regi-
ments in the field TO their right tsouth
side) of the pike kept on, and kept
swinging their right TANKS forward, as
IL to take US in reverse or cut us off
from the rest of our troops near the
Seminary. At this moment Dawson,
bleeding from two desperate wounds,
and so weak that one of the men had
30 hold him up on his feet Gone ankle
being totally shattered by a bullet).
ordered us to form the half battery
gun as pivot, SO as to bring the half
battery on a line with the Cashtown
pike, muZzles facing south, his object
being to rake the front of the rebel
line closing in on US from that side
OF the four men left at our gun when
this order was given two had bloody
heads. but they were still Standing by
and Orderly-Serg't Mitchell jumped
on our off wheel to help us. This is
tough work, boys he shouted, as he
wheeled the gun around, but we are
good for it, And Pat Wallace, Juggling
at the near wheel, shouted back, If we
amt. where'll you find them that tsp
well, this change of front gave us
n clean rake along the rebel line for
whole brigade length. but it exposed
our right flank to the raking voileys of
their infantry near the pike, who at
that moment began to get up again and
come on. Then for seven or eight min
utes ensued probably the most desper-
ate fight ever waged between artillery
ana infantry at close range. without a
particle of cover on either side. They
gave US volley after volley in front and
flank. and we gave them double canis-
ter as fast as we could load The 9Th
Wis. and 18th Pa. men crawled up over