USA > Indiana > History of the 7th Independent Battery, Indiana Light Artillery > Part 3
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saying: "What are you shooting into our own men for?" not 1
knowing his mistake until five guns were pointed at him, with orders to surrender. Leaning on the opposite side of his horse he sang out, "Not much," and came dashing down by the Sev- enth, crying out, "Limber up and get out of here." The forces fell back across a ravine and into the woods and took a position by the side of the road, where a line was formed. The wagon train was in a valley near by, and would have to pass on this road. therefore it was very important that this point should be well guarded. As soon as it was seen that the right wing of the army was in great peril, the battery's Quartermaster Sergt.
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INDIANA LIGHT ARTILLERY.
D. Newton McKee, with the blacksmith Newton Bledson, re. paired with all haste to start the train. After everything had passed the battery fell in, and proceeded on to Rossville, where we camped for the night. The next morning we retired to Chattanooga, and at once began fortifying. September 23 found the forces strongly fortified, while the enemy occupied Mission Ridge and Lookout Mountain.
Report of CAPT. GEORGE R. SWALLOW, Seventh Indiana Battery, Sept., 1863.
About 12 o'clock, m., 18th inst, the battery received or. ders to march immediately with the division, to Lee & Gordon's mills, where they bivouacked for the night.
Saturday, 19th inst., one section was placed in position on a commanding knoll, and fired a few shells at a gun the enemy was placing in position on the east bank of the river. This section was detached. and remained with the third brigade the remainder of the day. The remaining four guns were ordered to the front with the second brigade. Took position several times on the right of the road leading from Lee & Gordon's mills to Chattanooga, but could do no firing. and seeing part of our line falling back I retired, and took position on the left of the road in a small field. Had been in position but a short time when our line fell back to and across the road. I then opened upon the enemy a rapid fire with canister, and kept it up until two regiments fell back through the battery in confus- ion and disorder. My canister being exhausted and the enemy in force in front and on the right, T. with some difficulty. with- drew the battery to the rear, and soon after bivouacked for the night.
Sunday, September 20. took position with two brigades of : our division. They soon advanced to the front, and the battery advanced to a position in an open field, where we remained a short time, and were ordered by Major Mendenhall to move to the left, and when upon a high ridge halted for further orders, taking a position on the ridge, a little retired. The enemy had now opened a heavy fire of musketry in our front. Our infans try soon fell back and we opened fire upon the enemy's advanc- ing storming column, composed of, I should. think, one brigade of infantry, one regiment of which were sharpshooters. Our . fire, although very rapid, failed to check them, and on they
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SENENTH INDEPENDENT BATTERY,
came, with bayonets fixed, on our front and right until they reached the guns, when we, with great difficulty, limbered up and retired in great haste and confusion, leaving Lieut, Fislar, one Sergeant, one man, and one gun complete in the enemy's · hands. We then took a position in the rear of the former one, collected our men and guns expecting another attack, but they failed to come. Some troops of Genl. Negley's division passed near me, and I was informed that a new line was being formed in the rear. Marched with Genl. Negley's division until near Rossville, when we joined our division. It is, however, my painful duty to note the death of Capt. A. J. Stevens, as an artillery officer. He had few equals and no superior. His only fault was in being too brave and fearless. By his own personal labor he saved two of his guns on both Saturday and Sunday, an that, too, when most batteries would have saved nothing. He fell trying to bring the third piece off by hand. Long will the artillery of the third division mourn the loss of this brave and efficient officer and true gentleman. I would make especial mention of Private Frank Wyman, fourteenth regiment, Ohio volunteers, as rendering valuable assistance to the Seventh Indiana battery. On the 20th inst., without his help, this battery would probably have lost two guns instead of one.
The battery went into action with 5 officers and 117 men. Lost, 1 officer, missing; 8 men, wounded, two of them missing and probably dead; one ten-pound Parrott gun.
All of which is most respectfully submitted.
G. R. SWALLOW. Captain commanding Seventh. Indiana Battery.
By an act of the Legislature of Indiana each command en- gaged on the battlefield of Chickamauga was to have a monu- · ment to mark the most dangerous point while in action in that battle. The commission appointed selected the position held on Saturday in the Brotherton field for the monument of the Seventh Indiana battery. This was a very warm and danger- ous point, but all members of the battery claim the position held on Sunday as the most dangerous, and was really the most disastrous. The design for the monument was furnished by a member of the battery, with the proper legend. This was changed for the benefit of some regiment of infantry. . . When
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INDIANA LIGHT ARTILLERY.
the battery withdrew from the Brotherton field there were no troops near except Confederates. A regimental monument sets to the right of the battery's position. There were no troops to the right of the battery. The battery was the ex- treme right of the line. In firing, first direct to the front, the right gun followed the Confederate skirmishers around until it was firing almost direct to the rear. The Confederates were noc more than 125 yards away. In withdrawing from this pos- ition, in the branch immediately in our rear, a horse to a gun was shot down. The gunners locsed him and got out the gun without the aid of any other troops. In all the maneuvers and actions in this battle the battery came out without the assist- ance of any other troops except the private spoken of by Capt. Swallow, in his report.
The night of the 23d, about 10 o'clock, the enemy concluded that the Union army was evacuating, and made an attack, but. retired after an hour's fighting. General Rosecrans rode along the line, and had a kind word for all. He stated that "we now had a battlefield of our own, and that we came here expecting to have a fight and expected to take Chattanooga, and that we realized both our expectations, and that we had done nobly, and that he had told Genl Hallock that he expected to fight every available man in the army of the south, but not in the army of the Potomac."
The army of the Cumberland is now settling down to camp life, but as they have an enemy around them it is not very pleasant. They are frequently called out at midnight.
October 3 ambulances that had been sent to Chickamauga, returned with wounded men who had been left in the hospitals on the battlefield, and report many of our dead unburied. On October 5, about 10 o'clock a. m , the enemy opened fire on our front. The enemy's signal station on Lookout Mountain over- looks the camp, and they signal the effect of each shot. About noon . they opened fire with renewed vigor, and for a time the shot and shell fell quite thick, but doing very little damage. October 12 finds the battery transferred to Baird's division, fourteenth A. C., and associated with the Nineteenth Indiana Bat- tery and Battery I, U.S. Artillery. Capt. Swallow. of the Seventh battery, is Division Chief of Artillery. Everything is quiet in our front, and pickets only three hundred yards apart and on
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SEVENTH INDEPENDENT BATTERY,
excellent terms. Bragg's army is undergoing a change and reorganization. It is reported that Polk's corps was ordered to make a charge on our works, but not wishing to lead his men into a slaughter pen, refused to obey. On the 17th the battery turned over to Battery G, First Missouri Artillery, a twelve pound gun, and drew one Parrott gun from Capt. Bradley. On the night of the 20th the battery moved into Fort Negley. Gen. Rosecrans was superceded by Genl. Thomas today. On the ... 21st all hands were busily engaged placing the guns in the fort.
Rations and forage are scarce. Men are short of food and horses are dying from starvation, the supplies for the army having been cut off since the occupation of Chattanooga. The night of October 29 heavy firing was heard in Lookout valley, where Genl. Hooker had gone with the twentieth corps. On November 3 the battery fired a. few rounds at the enemy, who were throwing up works in our front. This put a stop to the work. On the 4th, being short of men, a detail of thirty-three was made from the infantry. November 11 a letter was re- ceived from Lieut. J. C. Fislar, captured at Chickamauga, and who is a prisoner at Libby On the 13th the members of the battery witnessed the execution of two deserters belonging to Sheridan's division 'On Friday, November 20, while at work in the fort, orders were received to be ready for action at day- light. These orders were countermanded' during the night.
About 2 o'clock. p. m. Monday, Nov. 23; the entire army :i moved outside of the works, and at a given sigual all the ar- tillery opened fire. Taking advantage of the moment the in- fantry advanced and took several important positions. The harmony that had existed between the opposing pickets was at an end, and, lively skirmishing was the order of the hour. The . troops massed .in the front and remained on their arms during ! the night. Tuesday morning the news came that Genl. Sher. . man was crossing the river, and was cautiously advancing on our left. About noon heavy firing of musketry was heard from . Wauhatchie valley, and soon it became evident that Hooker :
was endeavoring to arrest Lookout from the enemy. A con- tinuous line soon came in full view, the enemy falling back, Hooker's men driving them from behind the rocks. Several times we would see a flag fall, as they came around the point of the mountain, and some one would sieze it and bear it to the
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INDIANA LIGHT ARTILLERY.
front. Lieut. O. H. Morgan took his section of two gurs and accompanied Harker's brigade to the foot of the mountain and opened fire upon the enemy, dislodging them from behind the rocks, greatly assisting Hooker in gaining the mountain. At dark the artillery ceased firing but the infantry kept up a fusi- lade until midnight. When daylight came Lookout was in Hooker's possession. At times during the fight the troops en- gaged were hidden from the view of those in the valley by a cloud hanging below them on the side of the mountain; hence the "fight above the clouds." The enemy having retreated to Mission Ridge, early Wednesday morning the battery was or- 1 dered to the center to shell the camps that the enemy were va- cating. Heavy fighting could be heard on the left, in front of Sherman. Early in the afternoon Sherman hurled his troops against the strong position of the enemy on Mission Ridge. Three times the enemy charged from their works, but were as many times beaten back. About 3 o'clock, at a signal from a battery on Orchard Knob, a general attack was made, with Sherman on the left, Hooker on the right and Thomas in the - center. Thomas, with the army of the Cumberland. was to ad- vance and take possession of the enemy's works at the foot of . Mission Ridge, and then halt for further orders, but on carry- j, ing the first line of works the men could not be stopped, but on up the ridge they went while fifty pieces of artillery were . . playing on them. The first point gained on the ridge was near Bragg's headquarters, where a battery was stationed, which ;" was captured and turned on the fleeing enemy, The result of this battle was the complete rout of the enemy, the capture of sixty pieces of artillery and an immense amount of small arms 1 and prisoners. The gun belonging to the battery lost at Chick- amauga was here recaptured.
December 25 finds the battery yet in Chattanooga, with just enough horses for twoguns, andshort of rations, the men amused themselves in different ways, one squad going to the top of Lookout Mountain.
On January 2 the following members of the battery veter- anized: George K. Huffman, William H. Hartley, Alex Abbott, William D. Burch, Landa T. Bryaut, William Cutsinger, John H. Crane, Samuel C. Colebaker, James Duncan, Hugh Daugb. ty, Robert Gailbraith, James Hord, George W. Hall, Joseph S.
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SEVENTH INDEPENDENT BATTERY,
Ketchem, Asa Leach, George F. Long, David C. Mann, James McKain, Levi D. Myers, John F. Martin, Thomas R. Palmer, "Thomas Parsons, Jackson Petro, Lewis Reubright, William A. Russell, William H. Spurgeon, Wad Salmond and James M. Thompson.
February 2 Lieut. Morgan returned, having been absent on leave for the last thirty days, and the-men are receiving full rations for the first time since the occupancy of Chattanooga. Among the changes made in the army the battery is placed in the Third division, Fourteenth A. C., Genl. Baird commanding. The Nineteenth and Seventh Indiana batteries and Battery I, Fourth U. S. Artillery are the batteries associated with this division, with Capt. Swallow, of the Seventh Indiana, as chief of artillery. The brigade with which the battery will operate is composed of the following regiments: Fourth, Tenth and Eighteenth : Kentucky; Tenth - and Seventy-fourth Indiana; Fourteenth and Thirty-eighth Ohio and the Ninety second Illi- nois. ... On February 4 Capt. Swallow obtained a leave of ab- : sence and started north to ramain thirty days.
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February 24 finds Lieut. Morgan on his way to Nashville .. on business for the battery. On March 12, Lieut. Morgan hav- ing returned and is having the battery's equipage overhauled and all not serviceable is to be condemned and destroyed. March 19, Capt. Swollow having returned and has been promot- ed to Major of the tenth cavalry and Lieut." Morgan has re- ceipted him for' the battery. ' The battery now numbers '161 officers and men.
Lieut. Fislar, captured at Chickamauga, is back from Libby, having escaped through the noted tunnel. Started to the front, camping for the night at Rossville. Three o'clock p. 'm , of the twentieth found the battery at Ringgold, Ga. April first Sergt. J. W. : Kitzmiller, captured at Chickamauga and es - : . caped from Danville, Va, reported today. After almost reaching the Union lines at Greenville, Tenn., he was recaptured and taken within a few miles of Danville. He again escaped and safely made the trip.'
Under order; issued Nov .: 21 thirty three members of the battery veteranized and have returned from a leave of absence. On April 8i the battery was inspected and was honored by a visit from Major Swallow, of the Tenth Indiana cavalry. On
1
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INDIANA LIGHT ARTILLERY.
the 4th, Lieut. Fislar, with the first section, relieved Lieut. Repp from picket. 'The Seventh was reviewed by Genl. Thomas commander of the army of the Cumberland, after which there was a salute fired in his honor.
.On May 5 orders were received to be in readiness at day- light to move to the front.' Saturday, May 6, at 2:30 o'clock a. m. reveille was sounded and everything was put in readiness. At 8 o'clock we received orders to, take place in the column. Genl. Sherman occupied a position in front of his headquarters, " and reviewed his army as it marched by. This was the begin- ning of the Atlanta campaign.
'The column moved on slowly until it reached Tunnel Hill, where it was brought to a halt by the enemy.
The battery, with the division, was held back until the 7th, when it was moved one mile to the front, which brought them in front of Buzzard Roost, where they lay until the 10th, when the whole army was put on the move. Dispatches an- nouncing Grant's victories on the Potomac have just been read to the troops and received with cheers. May 13 finds the army again on the move, taking their positions in front of the enemy. The third division, fourteenth A. C. and its batteries remained quiet until dark, when it advanced, going through Snake creek gap, moving up, as they supposed, on a line with the other forces, but at daylight found that they were some distance in ,advance, and but a short distance from the enemy's pickets. About 11 o'clock an advance was made and the battery moved forward with the line, when it was brought into action at close 1 range. At daybreak of May 15 they found that the enemy had been busy all night as well as ourselves, preparing for the day's Di work. The sharp shooters are having it pretty warm. The members of the battery have planted a gun behind a knoll so that they could work it without being 'exposed to the sharp- shooter's fire. Every time the gun was fired a shower of balls would be sent back at them. " About 10 o'clock, a move to the ." "right being contemplated, this gun was ordered from its posi- tion." In' falling back the men became exposed to the enemy's fire, and Sergt. G. K. Hoffman was wounded, and two horses were shot. The move to the right was made with the division. The men worked all night building a fort; and when daylight came found that the enemy had withdrawn, and our forces oc -
"
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SEVENTH INDEPENDENT BATTERY,
cupied Resacca. The enemy, in their retreat, burned the bridge over the Coosa river. May 17, at 1 o'clock a .. m , reveille was sounded, and at 3 o'clock a m. the battery was on the move. After a long and fatigueing .march we went into camp three miles south of Calhoun. On the 19th we moved on to Cassville, where we remained until the 23d, when the march was again taken up, At 9 o'clock a m. we crossed the river at a ford. After marching about ten miles we went into camp at Island creek, where there was an abundance of fresh water and forage, a fine country and beautiful homes, but all deserted.
On the 24th, at noon, the battery, with the third brigade, marched a few miles, was turned about and sent back into camp. The cause was said to be fear that the wagon train would be raided. The battery remained in camp until the morning of the 26, when the command received orders to move to che front. After a twelve miles march we went into camp in Burnt Hickory valley. As the battery was located in a nice shady spot the men were greatly dissatisfied when Genl. Baird ordered the Captain to change his camp to an open field, but on the 27th the officers changed to a pleasant spot in the woods, May 28, at noon, we moved to the front, and stopped three miles from Dallas, returning the next day to Burnt Hickory, and camped on the Marietta road twenty-one miles from that place. We remained in camp until June 1, when orders were received to move to the front Lieut Repp's section remained with Genl. Turchin. The command marched through a deso- late mountainous country, and found many families in destitute . circumstances, who were favored with donations of bacon and crackers, which were gratefully received. After marching ten miles the battery bivouacked in the rear of the division.
On June 2 there was a general movement of forces to the left. The battery took a position on a hill behind works that had been occupied by Johnson's divison. During the day the forces were drenched by a very hard storm. The Union lines were advanced and a new line of works was thrown up. Early in the morning of June 3 the battery moved out to the advance, . where the time was spent shelling the enemy's skirmishers, and the lines advanced still further without much serious loss. The : 4th was also put in shelling the enemy from houses, and re- pelling several attempted advances of the enemy. Gener-
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INDIANA LIGHT ARTILLERY.
als Sherman, Thomas and Palmer were at the battery several times during the day. At night the enemy kept up a rattling fire that several times looked serious, but it proved only feints to cover their retreat. After a tiresome delay on the 6th the battery finally got started and marched in rear of Dayis' divis- . ion. About dark, after marching fourteen miles "the powers that be" ascertained that they were on the wrong road. They had to go by by-ways, over hills, and through hollows until midnight, to get righted. They brought up near Acworth, where they rested three days, moving on the 10th with our div- ision in the advance. After passing Big Shanty skirmisbing commenced and two guns of the battery were placed on the line and shelled Pine Mt., but could receive no reponse. We could see quite a force at work on rifle pits. All the men were up most of the night throwing up works, part of the time dur- ing a hard rain The guns were in position on the morning of the 11th, but very little firing was done during the day. Genl. Thomas was near the battery's position all day. Late in the evening the Union lines were advanced. All day of the 12th it rained, and the army remained quiet. On June 14 the lines were advanced half a mile. At daylight of the 16th we left the old position and took a new one, and during the day fired a number of shells at the enemy. The men were at work all night erecting a fort, and as it was on the skirmish line great care had to be used about exposing ourselves. During the night the enemy evacunited a portion of their works. A heavy rain fell all day of the 18th. About noon the lines advanced and the enemy was found strongly entrenched. The battery started with the corps on the Marietta road, and brought up in front of Kenesaw mountain, where a number of shells were fired at the works on the side of the mountain. In the after- noon of the 23d we moved on the line where, while strengthening the works, A. D. Broady was severely wounded in the head, by a piece of shell, and John Gibbons and Milton Boyd slightly wounded by balls. The battery had been under very heavy firing. In action here a shot from the battery closed the muz. zle of a brass piece of the enemy, rendering it useless. Also a shot from the battery exploded a caisson of the enemy. This information was obtained from two Confederates who were manning the gun, and deserted at Marietta, June 28, The bat- tery has been in front of Kenesaw eight days-a long time to
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SEVENTH INDEPENDENT BATTERY,
be under fire. By order all the artillery on the line were to commence firing at 8 o'clock, a. m., when a general charge would be made. At the appointed time all the batteries com- menced firing, and when they stopped the infantry advanced From the works and charged along the entire line, but were re- pulsed with great loss. A truce was granted for the purpose of giving each side an opportunity to bury their dead.
On the 29th several shots were fired, as also every day until she night of July 1, when the battery was relieved by one of Genl. Osterhaus' batteries. The Seventh reported to its divis -- Top and marched until 2 o'clock a. m., and after two hours' rest was hurried out and took a position near a division on a hill, commanding the enemy's line On the morning of July 3 orders were received to prepare to move immediately. It was soon Brown that the enemy had flown. The fourteenth corps marched through Marietta, pushing the enemy very close. The battery camped two miles south of Marietta. July 4 the com- mand laid in camp. This was the first days' real rest they had for two weeks.
On July 5th the army was on the move. The division to which the battery was attached was in the advance, which oc- casiorally brought us into action. About noon, by order of Gent. Baird, two guns were placed on a high hill, overlooking Wining Station and commanding the country south of the Chat- tahoochee river. From here the cattery shelled the enemy's cavalry. They were pushed so hard that they left their pon- toons in the Union forces' possession. Before dark the battery withdrew and went into camp, where they remained four days. The night of the 9th works were thrown up, which the battery occupied.
Early the morning of the 16th Capt. Morgan and Lieut. Fislar left for Marietta for the purpose of exchanging three Parrott guns for three Rodman guns. The bands of each army axchanged patriotic airs, which were received with cheers from sach side. We remained in this position until the 18th, when about noon, the battery crossed the river and camped about three miles south. Here was a large cotton mill belonging to an Englishman who claimed protection under the English flag. (Probably he went to England after it.) The mill was burned,
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INDIANA LIGHT ARTILLERY. 35
and a great number of operators thrown out, who were sent north. The morning of the 19th, at 7 o'clock. the battery was ordered out, and after a march of two miles found the enemy in a strong position at Peach Tree creek. Lieut, Fislar put one gun in position and kept up quite a fire for some time. Capt. Morgan moved three guns forward, and the men threw up light works for protection against sharpshooters. Toward evening Genl. Davis crossed the creek and made a severe fight. The battery shelled in his advance. Lost here by wound, Private I. L. Ramp. On the 20th had quite a fight in advancing the lines. The morning of July 22 news passed along the line that the enemy was evacuating Atlanta. The whole army was on the move, each corps commander seemingly anxious to have the honor of being first to enter the city. They had gone but a short distance when the enemy was found in force, and heavy fighting began to our left. Here is where Genl. McPherson fell. After the fight the fourteenth corps, to which the battery belonged, moved to within two miles of the city. The battery was placed in position to the north of the city, and about one and one fourth miles from the enemy's heavy line. The night of the 22d was spent in throwing up works. We expected an attack on the 23d, but were not molested.
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