Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-06-14
Michigan s Historic "Loomis"
Battery at Chickamauga
Guns Now on State Capitol Grounds Changed Hands
Awfd Struggle In Which Lieut.. Van Pelt
Was Killed

A few critics of this country have
assumed from the peaceable attitude
of President Wilson that Americans
will not fight, and they would not
be classed with real soldiers if they
did not take hand in the war. This
is very far from being an argument
that America ought to enter the
arena, being rather the story of one
in hundreds of incidents that show
how little those people know of the
American nature who think we are
merely a money-loving people, who
cannot "stand the gaff" in a real
crisis.
The incident is one which occurred
in the Civil War, and the chief actor
in it was Lieut.. George Van Pelt, of
the First Michigan Battery, famous
organization in the days of half a
century ago.
Cyrus o. Loomis was the original
commander of the First Michigan
Battery, which grew out of an or
ganization that had existed long be-
fore the war as the Coldwater Light
Artillery. Loomis made his six-gun
contingent famous, his handling of ii
at Perryville and Stone River plac-
ing him high among federal artillery
officers. The confederates talked of
LOOMS guns, we are told, as excuses
for defeat, and magnified forces
against which they fought by speak
ing of LOOMS Battery as a part of
the opposing array. AS war cor
respondent described them-"those
black, stern-looking, rified cannon,
each one of whom l had come to re-
gard with feeling of almost rever-
entail awe. had seen them fiinging
destruction into the ranks of the trail
tors, and never knew them once turn
ed against a legion of my country's
enemies that they did not scatter like
leaves before the blast. Even in the
opinion of the rebels themselves,
Loomis had made these guns irwin
chile"
Before Chickamauga, Loomis had
been promoted, and Lieut.. Van Pelt, a
member of the battery from the out
set, and also a Coldwater citizen, sue
ceeded to the command. At Chicka-
manga he and his guns were with
Scrfbner's brigade of Thomas corps,
and went into the great conflict the
first day, Sept 10, 1868. Before the
battle was much more than well start
ed Scribner was ordered to change
II VII w doSlSl III oil dpHdl thcty VIZ
torious movement on his left. The
maneuver was affected, and thus was
opened, one of those gaps in the union
line which played so decisive part
in the result Of this terrible battle.
For a while all went well, and it
seemed as if the federals had scored a
decisive triumph. Scribner and his
men pushed eagerly on, the battery
following behind them. Then there
came an awful piece of news-that
news which soldiers always dread to
hear. Their TANKS was turned, and
the enemy might at any moment be
in their rear.
Scribner was good soldier He
at once changed front again with part
of his brigade, and placed the battery
in a strong position, between the
Thirty-eighth Indiana and the Tenth
Wisconsin. both tried veteran regi-
ments. Hardly was this accomplished
when down the slope opposite this
new position poured the cheering coll
umns of Liddell's Mississippi men.
They perceived an opportunity t.
break the federal line, and were press
ing on with the utmost enthusiasm.
! Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan saw