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Gc 973.74 In2mor
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02518 6526
Gc 973.74 In2mor Morgan, O. H. History of the 7th Independent Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012
http://archive.org/details/historyof7thinde00morg
HISTORY
OF THE
7th Independent Battery
INDIANA
LIGHT ARTILLERY
-BY0
O. H. MORGAN AND E. R. MURPHY
WAR OF THE REBELLION,
1861 TO 1865
PRESS OF THE DEMOCRAT,
1898.
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
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On September 7, 1861, Samuel J. Harris received authority. to organize a battery of light artillery, the result being the or- ganization of the Seventh Independent Battery, Indiana Light Artillery, as follows:
Captain, Samuel J. Harris; 1st. Lieutenant, Lewis B. Leonard;
2nd. Lieutenants, George R. Swallow, Otho H. Morgan, John J. Hawes, and Frank W. Buckmar;
1st. Sergeant, Mahlon Johnson;
Q. M. Sergeant, John C. Fislar;
Duty Sergeants, George M. Repp, Albert R. Piper, George K., Huffman and Edgar R. Murphy;
Corporals, Benjamin. F. Roberts, D .- Newton. McKee, Fen- ton Butterfield, Sterling Carter, Milton Boyd. Jacob W. Harris; Abner Cook, Columbus S. Pound;
Artificers, Lewis J. Ramsey, Jacob F. Rosenbarger, Wil. liam H. Hartley, and Michael W. Wilson;
Buglers, Andrew M. Carmichael, and John E. Bowman;
Privates, Alex Abbott, James E. Anderson, Newton Bled- soe, John W. Boyd, Robert O. Bosley, John. Bush, Charles Brash, Ed H. Cole, William Cutsinger, Joel H. Crum, Elibu Dixon, James Duncan, Edwin S. Dille, John P. Allen, Stephen S. Batt, George W. Bealman, William D. Burch. Landa T. Bryant, Asa D. Broady, John C. Cline, William Coman, John H. Crape, Samuel C. Colebaker, John Duff, George Dunlap, Hugh Daugherty, Thomas J. Fulk, Nathaniel Fish, Isaac Fun- derburg, Jacob Garris, John Garr, Crispen ,S. Goen, Robert Gailbraith, : William F., Gibson, William H. Hackley,, Martin Haggard, John W. Heller, Charles Hickling, James Hord, Mervin Hubbard, Greenburg Huff, Abner E. Haines, Fred Hel- mohl, George W. Hall, Adam Johnson, Joseph S. Ketcham, John , M. Kemp, Israel Ketchem, John W. Kitzmiller, Asa Leach, George F. Long, George L. Lindsey, George W. bay,
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'SEVENTH INDEPENDENT BATTERY,
Cyrus Martin, James H. McCoskey, David C. Mann, Jacob McConnelly, Edward McIntosh, Solomon McIntosh, James McKain, Charles May, Abner Mitchem, Nehemiah Mitchen, Tiliman A. Moore, Levi D. Myers, William S. Moore, Thomas McQuilkin, John F. Martin. George C. Masterson, Ithamer C. Owens. George Paul, Thomas R. Palmer. Thomas Parsons, Jackson Petro, Jesse Pound, Abram S. Reel, Andrew Reubright, Lewis Reubright, John Reynolds, Jasper Reno. Christ Ritline, William A. Russell, Jason A. Rogers, James A. Risley, Beacham Rhodes, John Short, John E. Scott, James Smallwood, Joseph E, Smallwood, George Slusser. Tillman C. Stewart, Henry Smallwood, Ward Salmond. William H. Spurgeon. Henry a Steinbarger, John Stultz, William A. Taylor, Joseph M. Thomp- son. William A. Thurston, George W: Vancleave, Edgar T. White. Charles Williams, Theadore Wiles, David A. Welch, Miles B. Young, which were mustered into the service by Col, Wood, on the second day of December, 1861. While organizing the men were rendezvoused at Camp Morton until Nov. 20, 1861, when they moved to Camp Frybarger, where they re- ceived their clothing, guns, horses, and everything to complete the organization, and left for the seat of war, stopping at Camp Joe Holt, at Jeffersonville, Indiana, for two days, receiving or- ders to proceed to Camp Gilbert, four miles east of Louisville, Kentucky.
On December 18, 1861, the organization was completed by the assignment of Lewis B. Leonard, George R. Swallow. Otho H. Morgan and John J. Hawes, all Lieutenants, to their respec- tive positions. Our camp at this time contained seven batter- ies, viz: Terrell's regular, twelve guns; Drury's Third Wis- consin, six guns; Stevens' Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania, six guns; Loomis' Michigan battery, six guns; two Ohio batteries of six guns each, and the Seventh Indiana, of six gurs. These bat- teries formed an artilley brigade, under command of Capt. Terrell. Every day when the weather would permit they were ordered out to gun, battery, or brigade drill.
On Sunday night, December -, 1861, orders were received to strike tents and take cars to Mumfordsville, reaching that point on Monday night at twelve o'clock. On Tuesday morn- ing the battery proceeded to Camp Wood, about three miles from Green river, with about 10,000 troops camped about us. Here forces are thrown across the river every day to protect
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INDIANA LIGHT ARTILLERY.
the workmen on the railroad bridge destroyed by Genl. Buckner. The battery has been assigned to Genl. Mitchell's division, but to no brigade.
Genl. Buckner is reported ten miles from us in the direct- ion of Bowling Green with a force of ten thousand confeder- ates. and from preparations going on, an attack is expected. We have orders, at the sound of firing in the direction of the river, to harness up and move to the front.
On Thursday, January 29, 1862, an engine and freight train, collided near our camp and was a complete wreck. By command of Genl. Terrell, a detail from each battery was made to clear the road; the men worked one day and night in a drenching rain, when they were relieved by a force of experts at that business. Three men were killed by this wreck and three badly wounded.
On Friday, January 13, the body of Genl. Zollicoffer and Capt. Payton killed in the engagement at Mill Springs, passed through our camp, enrout to the confederate lines. About noon the advance of Genl. Mitchell's division from Bacon Creek made its appearance and passed on towards the river. While camp_ ed here we had continual bad weather, but with all this we had to be out to drill, either brigade, battery or gun.
On February 13, we receceived orders and started in a drenching rain to go to West Point, at the mouth of Salt river, on the Ohio river and report to Genl Nelson, and there we were to take transports to go to the support of Genl. Grant, at Fort Donaldson. On our first night we reached Bacon Creek, arriv- ing late in the evening, all being tired and wet, went in camp without putting up teuts, depending upon the gun paulins for shelter. On Friday morning, the 14th, we found a severe snow storm had set in, and it was turning bitterly cold; we started on the march and found the roads almost impassable; we had to cut roads through the timber and lay down fences and pick our . way the best we could. The seventh and Terrell's battery were moving together, the five other batteries were following with Genl. McCook's division. After a march of thirteen miles we halted for the night and took possession of a church, which made very comfortable quarters. At sunrise on Saturday the 15th, we were off and had overtaken Genl. Nelson's division, which was resting by the road. He ordered us into camp and
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6 SEVENTH INDEPENDENT BATTERY,
just as we had pitched tents, orders came to return to our old camp at Green river.
February 16 found us back to Camp Wood, worn out and weary, receiving orders that night to be ready to move at eight o'clock the next morning and proceed by the pike to Bowling Green, Genl. Mitchell having found that place vacated.
On Monday, February 17, we struck tents, and after dark moved across the river on the railroad bridge, and went into camp, where we spent the night by a bright camp fire, without any shelter. We got along very well until very late in the night, when a hard rain set in and made sleep impossible. At 4 o'clock a. m., on the 18th, we were on the march. Seven batteries composed the column of artillery. We had a terrible march, on account of mud and rain. The horses would drop in their harness from sheer exhaustion. The roads had been plowed up, and at places filled with felled trees. We traveled until 3 o'clock. p m., but only made ten miles. We went into camp at a beautiful spot, with plenty of forage of every des- cription. The exposure of that terrible night at Bacon creek had disabled several members of the battery, and the hardships gore through since compelled us to leave some of them at this point. They were afterward removed to Bowling Green and placed in the hospital.
On Wednesday, February 27, the battery moved to the river opposite Bowling Green. The river being very high and we having to wait our turn to cross, we were delayed until after dark. The approach to the crossing was over a low, swampy bottom and a corduroy road, and the night was extremely dark. All these together made it quite difficult Going into camp near where we crossed we remained here three days.
On March 1 we started for Nashville, nothing of impor- tance transpiring on the march. Everything along the line seemed to be deserted except occasionally in passing a cabin the stars and stripes would be waved at. us. We lived off the best there was in the land, camping one night at Tyree Spring; 'and arriving at Edgefield, opposite Nashville, on March 2, late in the evening, where we again went into camp. All bridges across the Cumberland river have been destroyed, and the water very high, We have to wait an opportunity to cross. The gunboat Cairo is here, her guns bearing on the city.
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INDIANA LIGHT ARTILLERY. . 7
Nashville was hurriedly evacuated as evidenced by the army supplies. About $1,000,000 worth, left unharmed. The number of batteries here now are 25. On Friday, March 8, the command crossed the river on a transport and went in camp about one mile from the city, the battery was here assigned to Genl. Nelson's division.
Here, through exposure to cold, rain and neglect of proper medical attention, our battery is much reduced by sickness.
On Thursday, March 13, the battery with two brigades of Nelson's division, with Genl. Nelson and staff, set out to the hermitage, ten miles,beyond our picket line. The command was halted in front of Genl. Jackson's old home, the battery fired a salute over the grave of the hero of New Orleans, after which the command return to camp.
The battery was here assigned to the twenty second brig- ade, Col. Bruce commanding, it is composed of the first, second and twentieth Kentucky regiments and the seventh Indiana battery.
Wednesday, March 19, everything was in readiness, and at 6 o'clock a. m. were under way with our new division.
Thursday, March 20, found the command thirty-five miles from Nashville, awaiting the completion of a bridge. While at this point we were frequently called out, but in. every case these calls proved to be false alarms.
Having lost quite a number of men by sickness, a detail was made today (Friday, March 21.) from the infantry, to fill the required number in the battery. On Sunday, March 23, `Capt. S. J. Harris tendered his resignation as captain of the battery-an act which was much regretted by the company. Today the battery passed through Columbia, and camped upon the plantation of Confederate General Pillow. His residence was made headquarters.
A few miles south of the Pillow place the army passed the · home of Gen. Polk. In a march of fifteen miles we struck a rough, barren country, and here, among the poorer class, we found a strong Union sentiment. At the little village of Wayns- boro the northern soldier was welcomed, and when the band struck np "Columbia" the people broke into cheers. The lad- ies waved their handkerchiefs, and a large American flag was brought forth and spread to the breeze, which the boys all
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SEVENTH INDEPENDENT BATTERY,
cheered as they marched by. Five men followed us into camp and were mustered into the service and became members of the battery.
On Friday, March 28, the battery received orders to be ready to move at 8 o'clock the next morning, with five days' ra- tions. Moving on toward Pittsburg Landing the afternoon of . April 5 found the battery at Savannah, and camped near the river. The next morning the command was ordered to be ready to move, and laid in waiting to be transported across the river. For the lack of means for transporting troops across, the order was countermanded.
Monday noon the battery was loaded on a transport and ferried across the river, and by the time it was unloaded it was dark. The battery camped upon the battlefield for the night, and when the men were routed out in the morning they found the dead 'lying thick around them. The battery camped here until the advance on Corinth.
May 1 found the command yet at Pittsburg Landing, with the advance on the road to Corinth, five miles to the front. The Captain has orders to move up to the front in the morning. prepared with seven days' rations. During our stay here the battery was transferred to the twenty first division, Genl. T. L. Crittenden commanding.
Mry 16 finds us near Corinth. During the time between May 1 and 16, Capt. Harris having left, and Lieut. L. B. Leon. ard resigned, an officer from a Michigan battery had been put in command, to the great dissatisfaction of the officers and men. While laying in camp Genl. Nelson gave his command plenty of exercise by having them out at all times of the night fight- ing some imaginary foe.
Tuesday afternoon, May 20, a heavy attack was made by our right wing, Generals Pope and Buell advancing their whole force, crossing the swamp in their front, and driving the en- emy's pickets. The whole line was then advanced, and now and then the enemy would bring out a battery, but they were soon silenced. The whole line was advanced some every day.
Friday, May 23, finds Gov. O. P. Morton, the War Gover- nor of Indiana, with us, and Lieut. Swallow determined to get . rid of our Michigan Captain. . He presented the case. to . the Governor, who said he would dispose of the Michigan gentle-
INDIANA LIGHT ARTILLERY. 9
man, and immediately wrote the appointment of Lieut. George R. Swallow as Captain, and Lieut. Otho H. Morgan as Senior First Lieutenant. Here the battery was reduced to four guns, the Michigan Captain taking with him two guns. One section of the battery was on picket duty today, and as it rained hard they had everything but a pleasant time.
Monday, May 26, found us yet in line, and Tuesday a gen- · eral advance was made, the Confederate pickets retiring, con- testing stubbornly every foot of ground. Genl. Crittenden gave consent to open on where we judged the enemy were, and : we sent a shower of shell through the woods in the direction of Corinth, at a range of about one mile. Although the only way we could locate the enemy was by the noise of their drums, yet the skirmishers report that every shell exploded inside their lines. The enemy did a great deal of cheering and we could hear the cars running all night. It was expected we would hear the next morning of the enemy being reinforced, but about six o'clock a. m. a dense cloud of smoke and heavy explosions in the vicinity of Corinth announced that they were vacating.
Remaining about Corinth until the ninth of June, when we left a fine camp and all in excellent health, the command marched to East Port, where we remained until the 11th, when the march was made to Iuka, thence to Tuscumbia and on to Florence, which place was reached the night of the 16th of June. An artillery reserve has been formed, of which the bat- tery is a part, but we move the greater part of the time. with the twenty-first division. Our marches have been very severe owing to the extreme heat. We start early in the morning, resting in the heat of the day, and moving on in the cool of the evening. As soon as Genl. McCook crossed the river from Tus- cumbia we followed, remaining at Florence until the 26th, about sundown, when we moved along until two o'clock the next morning, when we laid by for about one hour, when we moved : on to within fourteen miles of Athens and went into camp. Monday morning, June 30, the command marched through Athens, and camped within three miles of the town. The three divisions and their batteries spent the fourth day of July 1862, here awaiting the repairing of the railroad between us and Nashville. Nelson's; Wood's, and Crittenden's divisions are here, while McCook's and Mitchell's are at Huntsville.
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SENENTH INDEPENDENT BATTERY,
On July 11 Lieut. Buckmar received orders detailing him to go north and recruit men for the battery.
July 26 found us at Huntsville, and on half rations. On the afternoon of the 28th one of Genl. Buell's staff held a review of the eight batteries.camped here.
August 17 found us at Decard Station, and Lieut. Morgan, who had been acting quarter master for the artillery brigade, was released and transferred back to the battery. The troops have built a fort which we occupied on August 25, from which we can command the buildings containing supplies. A general move of troops took place today; Sergt. C. S. Pounds returned from the north with fourteen recruits. ++
On the fifth day of September we found all forces and wagon trains gone, nothing left except the seventh battery and its support, under command of Genl. W. L Smith. Finally we had. orders to move, taking the road leading paralel to the railroad. burning bridges and destroying everything that would be of benefit. to the enemy, marching the first day to Tullahoma and camping there at night, moving next morning and taking a road to the east of the railroad, passing through a very rough and hilly country, often having to clear the road that we might pass. On this march we captured several horses and had a good time in general, arriving at Murfreesboro in the evening and camping there at night, proceeding next day to Nashville, arriving there on Sunday, September 7, . We were rear guard for Buell's army from Decard Station to Nashville.
Lieut. O. H. Morgan left Nashville on Monday evening, September 9, with his section and reported to Col. Woolford, who with his cavalry was guarding a train of supply wagons. Capt. Swallow followed with the remainder of the battery and two companies of the ninth Michigan regiment and left the pike to the right at Edgefield Junction, going probably three miles, for the purpose of guarding the road from any attack that might be attempted from that source. While out on this road the artillery had to do videt duty. Here we found a supply store for rebel;bush wackers, which was destroyed. Next morning . we retraced our steps and took the road toward Louisville, Ky. While ascending the hill at Tyree Spring some mounted men were seen, when all that were mounted in our command made a charge, the enemy disappearing, we moved on and passed the
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INDIANA LIGHT ARTILLERY.
house and come in position in an open field, our support of in- fantry deployed as skirmishes, we shelled the woods in our front, wounding several. This little fight lasted until dark, when we were greatly relieved by the appearance of Genl. Van Cleave and' command, the General sending out quite a heavy line. Early next morning it was discovered that our firing had . not been fruitless. that several wounded confederates were found in an old house, we havirg one man, Chas. Hickling, wounded. Capt. Swallow was here put under arrest for bringing on the engagement, but soon released. We camped here over night, and did not advance until late next day, when the march was resumed, passing through Franklin and Bowling Green, ar- riving at Cave City on the evening of Monday, September 16, remaining bere with a large army, while the Confederates were fighting our men at Mumfordsville. After Bragg's army had crossed the river we were allowed to advance, arriving at the river and finding it very low we had no difficulty in crossing. The battery, with a brigade of cavalry being in advance, we came up with the rear guard of Bragg's army at Vinegar Hill, near Elizabethtown. The cavalry made a charge and received a volley from a masked battery, and retired. One of the guns of the battery was brought in position when a confederate of- ficer made his appearance in the pike. The gun was sighted and fired, killing the horse and officer. The confederates re- tired, giving us no more trouble, and leaving the road clear for the army to the Ohio river. The army arrived and went into " camp at West Point, at the junction of Salt river and the Ohio river, on the twenty sixth day of September. After a pleasant night's rest the march was resumed, and September 28 tound the battery camped on Eighteenth street, in Louisville, Ky.
The march from Deckard to Louisville was one mixed with hardship and pleasure, the weather being hot and dry, and' water exceedingly scarce, and ratione short. Instead of hard -. tack flour was issued, and the difficulty of making bread on the march put the soldiers to their wits to invent some way to use it.
When the army left Nashville for Pittsburg Landing all the sick then in camp were either sent home or to a hospital. There were eight of these put aboard the steamer Atlantic. and sent to their homes, by order of Gen. Nelson. Also on the march those who were not able to move with the battery were
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SEVENTH INDEPENDENT BATTERY,
left at hospitals, and finally worked their way to Louisville.
On the 10th of July, 1862, the writer of this being one of the party sent home by Col. Nelson, being convalescent, re- ported to Capt. Fry, in command at Louisville, Ky., and was given seven men, John W. Heller, of the seventh battery, being one of the number. The squad was sent to Camp Gilbert, where the Thirteenth Indiana battery was in camp, and reported to the Captain, who kept us over night and furnished us with clothing. The next day I received orders to take my squad and go to frankfort and report to Col. Tempel. We arrived at Frankfort the evening of July 11, and were given a small piece of artillery that had to be primed and touched off with a hot iron, so you see we were finely fixed to protect Frankfort from being raided by John Morgan. We spent our time here very pleasantly, being fed by the citizens and treated with the kindest respect. We lived this way until the last week in Aug- ust, when Gen: Manson 'dame to Franktort with a new regiment, when I obtained transportation from him for the squad to Lou- isville. We proceeded then on to the front, stopping over night at Nashville, then on to Deckard. where we found the army in camp.
On the - day of September the battery, with the Twenty . first and Eighth Kentucky, the Fifty first Ohio and the Thirty- fifth Indiana regiments forming Col. Stanley Mathews' brigade of Van Cleve's division of the twenty first corps, Genl, T. L. Crittenden commanding, left Louisville via the Bardstown pike. The command had not gone far when they struck Bragg's out- posts, driving them in. From here we were continually fighting the rear guard of the retreating army. At Perryville on Oc- tober 8, Bragg made a stand Our division was allowed to re- main in seeing distance of that terrible battle, but not allowed to fire a gun. The division camped over night near the battle- . field. The next morning we followed the enemy through Per- ryville and on to Danville. After passing the last named place we discovered a wagon train crossing our road. The battery was placed in posit on and a few shots fired, and the cavalry was in line, ready for a charge, when all our hopes were blasted by an order from Genl. Buell. That wagon train, like Bragg's army, was permitted to slip our grasp and get out of Kentucky with its booty .. We advanced on through Stanford and Crab Orchard: When near the latter place we shelled the retreating
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INDIANA LIGHT ARTILLERY. 13
enemy, driving them from a bridge they were trying to destroy, when the Thirty-fifth Indiana regiment made a charge and saved the bridge. At this point some members of the battery captured two of the enemy. We passed on through Crab Or- chard, camping near by for the night. The next day the com - mand moved on through Mt. Vernon, London, and on to Som- erset, where we went into camp. The night here will not be forgotten by the officers or men, as it turned bitterly cold and & severe snow storm set in, and a high wind leveled every tent in the camp From Somerset our division marched to Columbia, arriving there on the morning of October 18. Here, on dress parade in the evening, order No. 1 was read, announcing the removal of Genl. Buell, and the appointment of Genl. Rosecrans to the command of the army of the Cumberland. No better news could have been conveyed to the army.
The evening of October 19 finds us camped at Glasgow, Ky., where we remained until Monday, Nov. 4, when we left for Gallatin, Tenn.
Wednesday, Nov. 6, the command is comfortably housed in Gallatin. The battery, with the Nineteenth Ohio regiment is to do garrison duty here. Our cannon look frowningly down four streets entering the town. John Morgan and his forces were within four miles of us this morning, and captured some wagons. The command remained here about two weeks, then moved to Nashville. While camped here the outposts were often attacked at night, when the battery would be called out and have to remain with the reserve pickets the remainder of the night.
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