USA > Illinois > Will County > Fifteen years ago; or, The patriotism of Will County, designed to preserve the names and memory of Will County soldiers, both officers and privates - both living and dead: to tell something of what they did, and of what they suffered, in the great struggle to preserve our nationality > Part 38
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56
The battery went (June 6th, 1863,) into its position in front of the rebel Fort Hill, on the Jackson and Vicksburg road, one sec- tion on either side, at the point known as the White House, and three or four hundred yards from the enemy's works. It was
/
414
HISTORY OF
protected with breastworks, from behind which, should they expose any part of their bodies, they were pretty sure to be hit by the rebel sharpshooters ..
On the 17th of June, the rebels having planted a new piece where it could not be brought into range through the embrasure of Lieut. Hill's gun, his piece was therefore thrown up on top and outside of the earthworks, where there was no protection from the enemy's sharpshooters, who kept up a continual fire from the top of Fort Hill from behind sand bags, the distance being about 200 yards. Lieut. Hill was ordered to this exposed position by Maj. Stalbrand, division chief of artillery, who it is but just to say ex- posed himself to the same danger. Lieut. Hill acted as gunner. Some good shots were made scattering the rebels' sand bags. They worked the piece here about an hour before any one was hit. Then George Maag had just said, " They hit me at Shiloh, I wonder if they will hit me in the same place again," when he was struck while sponging the gun, the ball passing through the lungs. One of the men said, " They have not hit you in the same place this time." Lieut. Hill assisted in helping him down into the ditch, and poor George died the next day. A few minutes after, while watching the pointing of his gun, Lieut. Hill was himself hit by a musket ball, which entered his head a half inch back of, and a. fourth inch below his right eye, passing out one half inch in front of his left ear. He was immediately taken to a hospital.
Lieut. Hill thus describes his sensations :
" I was unconscious about twenty minutes. When I began to recover my consciousness, I felt very weak and faint. I knew I had been hit by a bullet. I knew where I was and what had hap- pened. I thought I was dying, and asked myself, is my spirit still with my body. I expected in a few moments at most, I should be in the future world. My mind rapidly, but without confusion scanned my past life. How swiftly passed the review while I calmly waited for the future. This lasted but a few mo- ments."
When Lieut. Hill was brought to the hospital, the attending surgeons said that the man must die; could not possibly recover,
415
M'ALLISTER'S BATTERY.
and declined to do anything for him, as being of no use. A brother of his from Bolton's battery, came over to see him, and he was not satisfied to let the matter go so. He went to see General Logan about it, who sent over his own surgeon, who dressed the wounds, and his brother and a man from battery D was detailed to take care of him. He recovered (with the loss of an eye) to the great surprise, and perhaps the disgust of the surgeons.
Lieut. Hill had been a member of the battery when it used to play war in Plainfield, and when the war broke out was attend- ing a commercial college in the city of New York. Capt. McAl- lister sent him, in a playful manner, a summons to appear and take his place in the battery. Lieut. Hill obeyed the summons, and served in the three months organization, and afterwards in the three years' service, in which he entered the battery as quarter- master sergeant, and was promoted 2d lieutenant, and then 1st lieutenant. He was one of the best and most efficient officers and the bravest of soldiers. He was honorably discharged Sept. 19th, 1863. He afterwards held the rank of lieutenant in vet. reserve corps.
This left only Lieut. G. J. Wood and E. H. Cooper as officers of the battery. Capt. Sparstrom, of the 2d regiment of artillery, was detailed to command the battery. This created great dissatis- faction among the boys. They had no particular objection to Sparstrom, but they thought they had a right to the promotions in the battery, and that they had men competent to fill any of its positions. Lieut. Wood resigned at once, and his resignation was accepted, leaving Lieut. Cooper alone of the old roster. A peti- tion was now started and signed by every member of the battery to have Lieut. Cooper commissioned captain. . This was presented to Maj. Stalbrand, chief of artillery, for his endorsement. He re- fused to endorse, and destroyed it instead, saying that "Cooper would make as good a 1st lieutenant as there was in the service, but he was too young and inexperienced for a captain. Captain Sparstrom is an old and experienced Sweedish officer, and I will have him transferred to the command." Lieut. Cooper replied that he "did not set himself up for a Napoleon ; though circum- stances might make him one, and he commanded a battery at 19."
The lieutenant found that a little strategy would be needed in
416
HISTORY OF
order to get this promotion to which he was fairly entitled, and he got another petition, and secured the indorsement of W. T. Sherman, and Col. Taylor of the 1st artillery, after giving them a full statement of the case. The petition thus strongly' indorsed, was forwarded by a judicious friend to the governor, and he soon issued a commission to Lt. Cooper as captain. All of which was done inside of three weeks, and the old battery had a commander of its own choosing.
During the siege the boys used to amuse themselves by plug- ging up the pipe holes, through which the enemy used to fire on our men whenever exposed. Many a brave boy had fallen before their deadly aim from these loopholes. The boys got so perfect in their gunnery, that they seldom failed to plug up the holes as fast as they made their appearance. The rebs then tried the trick of raising their hats on a stick, and drawing the fire of our men, and then taking their chance to shoot our men. It took a prac- ticed eye to tell whether the hat held a stick or a head. So our boys, having soon learned the trick, would fire a blank from one gun, and when the hat appeared the second time, let fly a shot or shell from the other gun. All these, and many other devices and tricks, and counter tricks were played during the siege. While this was going on, the sappers and miners were burrowing un- der ground, like moles, preparing a mine to blow up Fort Hill, with the expectation that by this means they could force an en- trance into the city.
In the battery was a man by the name of Whistler. One day the rebels opened on our boys with a new kind of mortar, which sent over a peculiar long shaped shell, which in its flight made a noise which sounded just like calling the name Whistler. Whistler heard it, and thought he was called for sure, and came running into quarters, saying, " they are after me, they are after me ; don't you hear them calling Whistler, Whistler? I am a goner sure." The man was in dead earnest, but was soon convinced that it was not him in particular, but all of them that they were after. But the boys had many a laugh at Whistler's expense.
On the morning of June 22d (1863), Sergeant Dave Ocker, as brave a boy as any among the brave boys of battery D, came up to Captain Cooper, saying :
417
M'ALLISTER'S BATTERY.
" Captain, I wish to-morrow morning you would send this photograph, and these letters to my mother."
" Why so, why to-morrow morning, sergeant."
" Well, Captain, you know I am no coward, and have always stood up to the fight with the rest, and never flinched from duty."
" Yes, sergeant, I know all that, but what is this all about, and why are you so solemn-visaged to-day, you are usually the gayest of the gay ?"
" Captain, I have seen the sun rise for the last time on this earth. To-morrow morning at this time I shall be cold in death, and shall have cut my last fuse."
Cooper tried to reason him out of this hallucination, as it seemed to him, but in vain. Well, about 11 a. m., there was a terrible explosion heard, as it were the shock of an earthquake. Fort Hill had been blown up, and the infantry was rushing in that di- rection, hoping to force their way into the city. But as is well known, our forces did not succeed, but on the contrary found themselves in a very exposed condition, and lost heavily. The sap had not extended far enough and our troops were brought into a sort of cul-de-sac, from which there was no egress except through the sap, or over an exposed field. The earthwall separa- ting the two armies, was not more than ten or twelve feet in thick- ness. The enemy being on the higher ground, could extend their arms, and sticking the muzzle of their guns over, fire down upon our troops, doing us great damage. About 3 o'clock Gen. Logan came to Capt. Cooper's section, and asked for twelve volunteers, to go to the excavation made in Fort Hill, for the purpose of throwing hand grenades. Cooper called for volunteers, but none responded. He then asked who would follow him, and all re- sponded. Selecting twelve of the number, purposely leaving out. Ocker, remembering the conversation of the morning. But Ocker did not like this seeming slight, and bought off one of the men who had been selected, and took his place. When they, (passing through the sap) got to the place, they found that no hand gren- ades had been provided. But something must be done. The enemy's advantage was great, and our troops were suffering fear- fully at their hands. The idea struck Capt. Cooper that he might use common shell in place of the grenades. So he sent his
53
418
HISTORY OF
men back to the battery, with instructions to procure each two shrapnell shell, and some port fire, slow match, and a fuse gouge, all of which arrived in due form. The captain then directed Ser- geant Henderson, who was the largest and strongest man, to hold a shell in his hands, with his back to the earthworks, while he (the captain) would cut the fuse to five seconds, and circle round with the port fire, gradually coming nearer, and when the fuse caught, he was to throw it over the works into the enemy. The proposition did not strike the mind of the sergeant favorably. He did not like the idea of making a cannon of himself, and respect- fully declined this strange way of fighting. The captain said, " Well, you may be the gunner, and I will be the gun." So the captain took the shell and the serg't fired it, and over it went in time to explode in the ranks of the enemy. They kept up this novel mode of artillery fighting for some time, and became so expert they could cut the fuse at one and three-fourths seconds, and get rid of the shell before it exploded. Well, during the afternoon, Dave Ocker's premonition of death became verified. He was struck with a hand grenade from the enemy in the breast, and mortally wounded. Out of this squad of Captain Cooper and twelve men, only three returned sound to the battery at night. The rest were killed or wounded-Henderson, C. L. Pratt and Captain Cooper, only came out unscathed. I think among the instances of bravery exhibited in the siege and assaults at Vicksburg, none exceeded this.
The blowing up of Fort Hill was a failure, but so closely had Grant invested the place, and so sorely were the enemy being pushed, that escape was hopeless, and July 4th Pemberton sur- ยท rendered.
The capitulation took place just in front of the position of bat- tery D, from which every movement of the several generals and their staffs could be seen. It was a strange scene. The two prin- cipal figures had been lieutenants in the same regiment in Mexico. At Monterey and Buena Vista, they had fought on the same side with the stars and stripes. Now Pemberton has to surrender to his former comrade, a rebel's sword !
After the surrender, the battery was stationed at the bluffs of Chickasaw Bayou, near a large and beautiful spring. In the
-
419
M'ALLISTER'S BATTERY.
course of ten or twelve days, the men began to complain of a strange sickness, and one after another were sent to the hospital. This unaccountable sickness continued to lay up the men until all were more or less affected, and an investigation was ordered. The result was that a small keg of arsenic was found imbedded in the bottom of the spring, and the cause of the sickness was revealed. Out of 150 men, 100 at least had been temporarily disabled by this fiendish outrage. The battery was moved from this place to a point nearer the city, and fixed up quarters for the summer and fall. And here the battery remained until December, when it veteranized and recruited to its full quota, and re-organized at Camp Fry, Chicago, and returned to Vicksburg. Early in the spring of 1864 it was ordered to Cairo, to prepare for Sherman's Georgia campaign, and left Vicksburg April 5th, 1864, and then moved with McPherson's corps to Clifton on the Tennessee, and thence marched to Huntsville, and then to Kingston, Georgia, where it joined Sherman's army and again commenced active cam- paigning and fighting. Their first serious fight on this campaign was at Big Shanty, near Kenesaw mountain. And from the com- mencement of the operations before Kenesaw, until when, being flanked again, the enemy abandoned this position, the battery took its full share of work and fighting. In one of these engagements Capt. Cooper received a severe wound over the left eye, which put him out of the fight for a couple of weeks. He rejoined the bat- tery before the fight of Peach Tree Creek.
The battery was under a continuous fire during the advance on Atlanta, most of the time in front, or on the skirmish line. At the Chattahoochie River, the cavalry finding it difficult to hold the bank of the river, a call was made for a section of the battery to go to their assistance. Lieut. Cunningham was sent with two pieces, and masked his guns near the bank of the river. In the. morning the rebels came down to the river to take a bath, of which no doubt they stood in need. They were all unconscious of the presence of the guns, and fearlessly they disrobed, and plunged into the water in great numbers. Lieut. Cunningham very dis- courteously unmasked his guns, and gave them a few rounds of canister to their no small astonishment and disgust, and such a skedaddling out of a bath was never seen before. In their haste
420
HISTORY OF
many of them did not stop to gather up their clothes, but disap- peared over the bank with no other uniform than the one Adam wore in Paradise ; and as the lieutenant did not allow the rebs to come back after their clothes, there must have been a heavy re- quisition that morning on rebel quartermasters for clothing. The cavalry and picket line filed down the bank and took posses- sion of the rebel bath.
The battery did not participate in the Peach Tree Creek fight (of the 21st), but in that of the 22d it bore a conspicuous part. It must be borne in mind that this battery is still in the 3d brigade of Leggett's division of the 17th army corps, and the general his- tories will show the position and part played by the division. It was on this day that the army of the Tennessee lost its youthful and brave commander, one of the best men and also one of the best officers in the service. But our business is with battery D. leaving the general history of the battle to works of larger scope,
The battery was stationed near the extreme left wing of the army at what was known as " Bald Knob," its caissons and trans- portation being about half a mile in the rear. About one o'clock p. m., the force was attacked in the rear and left, and almost as completely surprised as at Shiloh. The 8th Mich. battery, a portion of the troops, and one or two other batteries went flying past bat- tery D, to the rear and right, leaving it almost alone in possession of the hill, supported by the 20th Ill., 17th Wis., 20th Ohio, and 12th Wis. The attack was so sudden and from an unexpected di- rection that it became necessary to change fronts, and use the Atlanta side of their hastily constructed works. The 20th Ill. was now on the extreme right, and fighting desperately against fearful odds, and were soon mostly killed or captured. On came the enemy, a whole division, under Gen. Quimby. The battery had just effected its change of front when it became hemmed in almost by the enemy. . They double shotted their guns, and held their fire until the enemy was within a hundred yards. Some men of the 17th Wis. had got close up to the breastworks in front of the battery, and no effort could make them get out of the way. The fire was delayed in the effort to get them to leave, until it could be held no longer without allowing the guns to be taken ; and Capt. Cooper, with great reluctance, but without any doubt as to
421
M'ALLISTER'S BATTERY.
his duty, gave the word to " fire." The destruction which fol- lowed the discharge, and the subsequent ones, was terrible. The first discharge killed and wounded some of the Wisconsin regi- ment, but it could not be helped without a worse calamity. This fire with that of the infantry brought the rebels to a stand still, and the battery and its supports seemed masters of the field. But just here they received a heavy fire from the rear and left. Adju- tant Walker was shot in the leg, and soon after Gen. Force was shot in the head, who looked up to Capt. Cooper and said : " Tell Col. Bryant that he is in command." But Col. Bryant was in another part of the field, and Capt. Cooper assumed temporary command. At this critical moment a subordinate officer pulled out a pocket handkerchief and tied it to a ramrod, and was in the act of raising it in token of surrender. Capt. Cooper struck it down with his sword, exclaiming-" Never ! as long as there is a man left," giving it also as his opinion that the volley they had .just received came from our own men ; and that if a flag could be displayed from a point of woods near, they would see it, and cease firing on them. ' Instantly Lieut. Bernier, of the 20th Ill., snatched the flag from the color-bearer of the 17th Wis., and mounting the short line of breastworks in the very face of the en- emy, ran two or three hundred yards with the flag, in the direc- tion suggested. Our forces saw it and ceased their fire. They had supposed that the force on the Knob had all been captured. A braver, more heroic act than this of Lieut. Bernier was never per- formed. He was exposed to the fire of both sides, but escaped as by a miracle.
The enemy rallied and made another charge, but were repulsed again by the spartan band. But the ammunition having now been exhausted, and the condition and location of the caissons being un- known, the battery and its supports fell back to the 2d line. The right section was in command of Lieut. Cunningham, and the left by Lieut. Pratt, and the caissons by Lieuts. Brockway and Pow- ers, whose judicious movements preserved them from capture, and they were found all safe awaiting orders. They had kept track of the guns by the sound, having come to know, as it were, their voices. The battery fought pretty much on its own hook through the day, going where it seemed to be most wanted, changing posi-
422
HISTORY OF, ETC.
tions twelve times, and being in as many pitched battles. If we were to say all that the facts warrant of the action of the men of the battery and of the officers, it would seem like fulsome praise.
During the seige of Atlanta, the battery was under fire every day. After the evacuation, it moved on as far as Jonesboro, par- ticipating in several fights, and went into camp in the vicinity of Jonesboro until Sherman took up his memorable march to the sea.
Capt. Cooper was put in command of the reserve park of artil- lery of the army of the Tennessee, and ordered to report to Gen. Steadman at Chattanooga, for transportation to Nashville to join Thomas' army. The battery was moved with the rest to Nash- ville, where it remained until after the two days' battle at that place, in which it participated. It was then ordered to Clarks- ville, Tenn., where it remained until the war was over; and was mustered out of the service at Chicago, July 28th, 1865.
Without recapitulating the battles in which it was engaged, we content ourselves with the statement that had it fought on three days more, it would have done one full year's severe fighting.
The reader is referred to the roster and muster roll for deaths, resignations, and promotions of the men from Will county.
REGIMENTAL HISTORIES.
CHAPTER XI.
BATTERY I, SECOND ARTILLERY-BARNETT'S BAT- TERY.
How and when organized-Goes to Cairo-Goes to Columbus-Island No. 10-Fort Pillow-Hamburg Landing-Corinth-Rienzi-Ordered to Cincinnati-Goes to Louisville-Battle of Perryville-Goes to Nashville- Winters at Nashville-Moves to Murfreesboro-Moves for Chattanooga- Scouting on the Way-Hunting Horses-Call on Mrs. Gen. Pillow-Lieu- tenant Plant faces a Battery-Sudden Death at Athens from the Bite of a Scorpion, or something worse-On to Chattanooga-In the Great Battle of 19th and 20th of September-Falls Back with the Army-Crosses the River -Mission Ridge-Goes to Knoxville-Returns-Veteranizes and Recruits- Returns to the Front-Joins the Atlanta Campaign-Fights its way to At- lanta-After the Surrender-To Florence, Ala., and Back Again-On to the Sea-Lt. Coe killed-Northward-Battle of Bentonville-A Chase for Wash- ington-Buries its Powder and Shells-Joins the Grand Parade-Goes Home and is Mustered Out.
HE organization of this battery was commenced at Joliet in Oct. 1861, under the name of the "Joliet Light Artillery," by Capt. Chas. W. Keith. About 100 men of the company and three commissioned officers, were residents of Will county. Capt. Keith with the men he had recruited went to Springfield, and his company was there consolidated with a battery partially raised at Peoria and Decatur by Henry B. Plant, Esq., then Supt. of a railroad, now a resident of Joliet, and member of the firm of Mason & Plant, and who became its 2d lieutenant, and subse- quently on the resignation of Capt. Keith, its 1st lieutenant.
The battery thus constituted was mustered into the U. S. ser- vice at Camp Butler, Springfield, and left for Cairo, February 7th, 1862, at which place, and at Fort Holt, on the opposite side of the Ohio, it remained about one month. While here, a detachment of the company went on the steamer Brown, with the mortar boats
424
HISTORY OF
in tow, to Fort Donaldson, but did not reach that point until the fort had surrendered. On the 8th of March the battery was or- dered to Columbus, (with Col. N. B. Buford), which point had been evacuated by the rebels. It remained at Columbus under Buford until the 15th, when it proceeded down the river to co-op- erate with Admiral Foote and Gen. Pope in the reduction of Island No. 10.
This was the only land battery at the north end of the island, and took its position on the Missouri shore within three-fourths of a mile of the powerful guns of the enemy. Opening on the enemy from this position they quickly drew the fire of the forts on the island, and were obliged to change their position, losing one man killed, Chas. Howard, of Joliet. This man was the only one killed by the fire of the enemy during the seige.
April 7th, Capt. Keith resigned, and Lieut. Barnett was made captain, and the battery was thenceforth popularly known as Bar- nett's Battery.
After the evacuation and surrender of Island No. 10, the bat- tery made a trip to Cairo, and back on a steamer in charge of a portion of the rebel prisoners taken at the island. It then accom - panied the expedition down the river to Fort Pillow, where it ar- rived April 14th.
The overflow of the river made operations impracticable at this point, and the battery then moved with the army under com- mand of Gen. Pope, via Cairo and Tennessee river, to take part in the seige of Corinth, arriving at Hamburg Landing the 24th. It took an active part in the seige of Corinth, and in the pursuit of the enemy on their retreat, having several smart engagements with them at Buckland, Farmington, &c., having two men wounded May 30th. The brigade to which they were attached, went into summer quarters at Rienzi, Miss., about 18 miles south of Corinth.
On the 6th of September the division to which it belonged, was ordered with all speed under command of Gen. Gran ger, to Cincinnati, Ohio, to repel the threatened attack of Bragg, who it was feared would outstrip Buell in the chase, and invade Ohio. They made all haste day and night, unloading their guns from cars and steamboats five times in 36 hours, being in constant re-
-
425
BARNETT'S BATTERY.
ceipt of telegrams to " hurry up." They arrived in the vicinity on the 12th, and on the 15th marched through the city of Cincin- nati on their way to the front at Covington. They were received by the citizens with an ovation, the whole city turning out to pay their respects to those they considered their deliverers.
.
On the 19th they proceeded by boat to Louisville, where they were assigned to Sheridan's division, and on the 1st of Oct. they moved out in pursuit of Bragg. Here they were active in pre- paring for the defense of Louisville. Oct. 7th, they went (after the severe skirmishing which preceded) into the action of Perry- ville on the 8th. Here with their two ten-pound parrots they opened upon a battery of the enemy that was making a furious attack upon one of our brigades, and soon silenced it. It was the obstinate resistance to the enemy made by the divisions of Sheri- dan and Mitchell on the right, which determined the fortunes of the day, and that night the enemy abandoned its attempt and with- drew. In this action the battery occupied an advanced position in the center, supported by the 26th Ill. on the right. They fired the opening gun of the battle and continued incessantly until dark, firing 614 rounds, and not changing their position, with a loss of only four men wounded, and four deafened. The armament of the battery consisted of two parot and two James six-pound rifles and two twelve-pound smooth bore Napoleons. The two last with the detailed men were sent to the rear, and the action was fought by the regular men of the battery, and the four other guns. They opened the battle under the personal direction of Gen. Sheridan. Near the close of the engagement the rebels took a battery from McCook's division and turned it upon his lines. Battery I changed the direction of their guns and silenced it, thus closing the battle. They were highly complimented by Sheridan.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.