The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1908-01-09

/ VINO Was GAZING " HiAA "
der. The man was loading his
gun. He had to shoot or be struck
Nurgrove fell. mortally wounded
The hattie went on over us.
Ween it was all over he aud were
fol,nd by the yankees and taken to
Magnolia church, little way off.
We were placed on'the outside of
tile churchyard to die Norgrove
died Monday. three days after he
was wounded He and / were laid
on plauI;s one end or the fence, the
other down the hill There was a
lspace of twelve to eighteen inches
between us When dying he pulled
me off my plank, and fell on top
of me, crying, Come on Come
on?' His one thought till then
had been for me; felt he wanted to
take care of me worried because /
was neglected. On account of his
courage when shot, the Yankee of
fcers were very courteous to him
and often brought someone to show
the bravest man they had ever seen.
The man who shot Norgrove was
from Illinois. Doubtless he, too,
was a noble soldier, for his words
and acts, at the time and after
wards, so impressed me. 1t was
he that helped to take Norgrove
from where he fell to the old church
yard. Norgrove told the men to
take me first. They promised to
come back for me, which they did. "
So Gunner No. 8, who wouldn't
die, but still lives, I believe, in
Kentucky. War is cruel, and in
freqently it is mean but from the
earliest days, the red light that plays
above the battle field has shown
us the generous and the high. That
Light, Think, dwells upon Lieuten-
ant Norgrove!
While this detachment did its
duty upon the left, the remainder of
the battery fighting upon the right
stood to its guns under most with
ering fire. The men fought with
dogged pertinacity and devotion a.
gaiust overwhelming odds. A shell
exploded and killed Lieutenant Pet
ers, very gallant officer, the cool
est man 1 haveever seen under fire. F"
Lieutenant Doughatt fell NOR
tally wounded. Orderly-Sergeant
David Leipr was shot through the
head, and, rammer in hand, died be-
side his gun. Many were killed,
and many wounded. The ammu-
milton was exhausted. Above the
roar and rattle rose the scream of
the war horse. The horses were
shot, the gun carriages cut down,
and the two Napoleons lost. As
with Norgrove's men, so with John
ston's. They tried to drag the piec-
es off the field by hand Fresh
troops were hurled against them
and they went down. Late in the
day, Captain Johnston was disabled
and borne from the field. Second
Sergeant Francis B. Obenchain,
after made lieutenant for "valor
and skill" took command as rank
ling officer of the Botetourt artillery,
brought off the two six-pounders,
and covered the retreat to the
other side of Bayou Pierre. III the
battle of Port Gibson the total loss
of the Botetourt artillery, killed,
wouednd and captured, was forty
five officers and men, ffty-three
horses, and four guns. "The
bloody encounter in front of Port
Gibson" says General Pembert-
on's report, ''nobly illustrated
the valour and constancy of our
troops, and shed additional lustre
upon the Confederate arms. Con-
ffronted by overwhelming num-
lbers, the heroic Bowen and his gal
liant officers and men maintained
j the unequal contest many hours,
with a courage and obstinacy rare
lily equalled. And though they fail
ed to secure a victory, the world
will do them the justice to say they
deserved it. "
i At sunset the Confederates drew
off to the other side of Bayou
Pierre. Under the cover of the
night hasty breast-works thrown
up, and the troops, hungry and ex.
hausted, slept upon their arms