Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-01-27
BEGAN GETTYSBURG FIGHT
Passing of Commander of Opening
Gun" Battery.
SCENES BEFORE AND AFTER
Interesting Account of Transforms
ton of Rural Picture Into the
Carnage and Havoc
of War.

Colonel john ii. Calef. L. =. \, re-
tired. who died IN ST. Louis January T.
was a veteran Of the civil war, and was
in command of the battery which is
said to have fired the first shot at the
battle Of Gettysburg,
In 1884, an association Of its surviving
cavalrymen who had fought in the battle
Of Gettysburg. erected a monument 20
General John Buford. on the spot from
which the first gun was fired on the
Union side in that momentous struggle,
Colonel Calef had command OF the bat
terry. to which the honor Of the opening
gun" fell. in the January number Of the
Journal OF the Military Service Institu-
tion OF America for 1907, he relates his
experience on the occasion. Referring TO
Hooker's campaign at Mlddleburg, Aide
and Upperville. Colonel Calef writes;
In setting out on this campaign. sue
ceeded to the command Of my battery
Horse battery IL" second artillery. As
this was the First Gum battery OF Get
tysburg, 1t will be pardonable for me to
say 1t was the same whose guns had
played such a prominent part at Palo
Alto and Resaca. and contributed 50
greatly to the success OF the Mexican
war;
He continues: "On reaching the town
Of Gettysburg such was the joy of the
people that the city presented a gala ap-
pearance. The school children dressed
in white and carrying bouquets and
wreaths OF flowers. were assembled on
the corners. Of the streets, singing
,,,,rgo,Ic so,gy an,onz which racali
the Battle Cry OF Freedom and Cheer
Boys. Cheer II was touching sight
which occurred TO me the next day when
the dogs of war had been let loose and
shells were bursting over their innocent
heads ASH was passing at the head
OF my battery, a little miss came to the
middle Of the street and in very coy
and diffident manner. presented me with
an immense bouquet"
The First shot.
Colonel Calefs battery was situated on
the west Of HILL Just between Seminary
Ridge and Willoughby's Run. He de-
scribes the first shot fired:
After posting my battery reported
for further orders. With General Buford
and staff, near my position. was General
Reynolds. 1t was Buford's plan 10 cover
as large front as possible with my bat
terry (his only artillery. in order TO de-
ceiye the enemy as TO his strength. He
therefore instructed me to post two guns
on the right of the pike, two on the left,
and the two remaining stili further to
the left. II was at these aforementioned
guns that General Reynolds was killed a
few minutes later. l had scarcely posted
this last section to the left when Roder
opened on the right OF the pike, his left
piece being the opening gun, directed
against a column beyond willoughby's
Run.
THE other guns now opened. which
drew the artillery Of the enemy. and my
four guns on the right were soon hotly
engaged with battalions Of artillery num-
bering twenty-seven to thirty guns. See.
ing my battery so greatly outnumbered.
directed the firing TO be made slowly
and deliberately. and reported what was
In my front TO Buford. The battle was
now developing. and the demoniac
'whlr-r-r' of the rlfled shot, the ping
Of the bursting shell, and tho wicked zip
Of the bullet, as 1t hurtled by. filled the
air. While riding 10 the guns on the left
1 met Buford, accompanied by a bugler
only. calmly smoking pipe. lie re-
marked: Our men are in a pretty hot
pocket, but. my boys. we must hold this
position until the infantry comes up
Just as he finished talking a shell burst
SO near rs both that our horses reared
illustrating how Indifferent horses can
become to the noise Of battle. and the at
tachment Of the trooper for his beast,
recall that in the midst of all this firing
my drivers secured lot of oats and fed
them to their horses. who ate them with
as much relish and little concern as
though they were at picket rope-merely
lifting their heads II shell burst near.
some of them being killed while munchlng
grain. .
Appearance of the Field.
1T would be impossible to forget the
appearance Of that field. Crossing the
pike. the guns threaded their way through
the dead and dying and came into bat
terry on the crest, 1t was one Of those