USA > Indiana > History of the 7th Independent Battery, Indiana Light Artillery > Part 4
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On Sunday, the 24th, the heavy guns of the army dropped shell in the city at intervals of five minutes during the day. The battery amused itself with its Rodman guns in stopping de- tails of the enemy from working on their line. This firing was kept up from day to day until the 30th, when in the afternoon the enemy opened on the battery with a sixty-four pounder. the shell bursting, scattering fragments among the tents lige hail. During the day two of the battery horses were killed. On Sunday, 31st, several shots were fired at a regiment going through their Sunday inspection. August 1, at night, orders were given to fire ten rounds to each gun on the city. As this order was issued to every battery that could reach the city the bombardment was general and shell fell in the city from all parts of the line. There was a general move of the army to the right. The morning of August 4 the fourteenth corps moved three miles to the right, but the battery did not move from its position until about dark, and after going a short dis- tance were ordered into camp by Genl. Sherman, to await un - til morning and then report to the corps. As the roads were
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in a very bad condition and it was raining hard they were very glad to obey the General's order. The next morning the march was taken up. We had went about two miles when a detail commenced building a fort on a line with the reserve pickets. During the afternoon several of the enemy's pickets were cap - tured, and the battery had quite an artillery duel with the en- emy's batteries. On the 5th, when the picket lines were but a short distance apart, the third division of the fourteenth corps made a charge and captured the entire line. The battery was in action at this time and did good service in supporting the charge. From the 5th to the 10th the battery was firing occa- sionally at whatever showed up, or where they thought they could dislodge a sharpshooter. On the night. of the 10th the enemy put up a fort about eight hundred yards to our front. The battery fired a few shots to get the range, and when the gunners had it every shot was put in the embrasures, and the enemy was soon driven out of their works. Occasional firing was kept up until the 13th, when in the afternoon the enemy's skirmish line, at a given signal, threw down their arms and came into the Union lines in a body. The enemy's batteries opened upon them, but the Union force gave them protection and welcomed them in. The battery bad a position for their protection. During the night the battery was brought into ac - tion to prevent the enemy from advancing and planting their batteries nearer the Union lines.
The morning of the 18th orders were received to be ready to move at a moment's notice. Suspicious movements were re- ported in the enemy's camp. During the night troops were moving to our rear and right, and the 19th finds the brigade and battery in full charge of the whole division's front. The enemy, however, are not aware of our weakness, and have re- mained inactive. They were inactive until Sunday, 21. During the morning the enemy opened with a battery on the Union line and made it pretty warm in the neighborhood of the Seventh battery for a while. About noon everything became quiet, and the enemy, as well as ourselves, seemed to enjoy the cessation of hostilities. The two brigades of the division returned and took their place on the line, and nothing but occasional firing and brushes between the skirmishers transpiring until about 9 o'clock p. m. of the 26th, when the division commenced to re- tire, leaving a strong picket line which kept up a strong fusi-
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lade to conceal the withdrawal. The enemy evidently heard them, as they opened fire, which the battery returned with a few rounds, then quietly took its place in the column. The wagons belonging to the battery had been on a foraging expe- pedition and returned just in time to save the battery's property. which otherwise would have fallen into the hands of the enemy. After an all night's march the battery went into camp several miles to the right. On the 27th the battery moved out at 5 o'clock, without breakfast, and after a three mile march went into camp in front of corps headquarters. The morning of the 28th, at 3 o'clock reveille was sounded, and at 5 o'clock we moved to the right until we reached the Montgomery and At- lanta railroad, when the command bivouacked for the night. While in camp here the battery was called out to shell the en- emy's cavalry. Nothing occurred on the 29th and 30th except, on the latter day a short march. While at breakfast on the 31st orders were received to move out with Walker's brigade, to shell the enemy's wagon train, which was done in a handsome manner, completely demoralizing both the drivers and teams.
On September 1 the Third division, Fourteenth corps, moved to the right and struck the enemy near Jonesboro. Ga. After the first and second brigades had several times charged the enemy and were repulsed, the third brigade, charged the works and captured the Eighth and Nineteenth Arkansas regiments and Swett's battery. The battery was in position but did no firing. We camped that night on the battlefield. On the 2nd the battery moved into Jonesboro, and remained until the 6th, when they moved out as the enemy's skirmishers entered. The battery moved a short distance and went into camp. The forces started for Atlanta on the 7th, leaving Lieut. Fislar's section with the rear guard We stopped for the night at Rough & Ready. On the 8th the battery moved on to one mile of Atlanta, where it camped.
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REPORT OF CAPT. O. H. MORGAN, ON THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN.
HEADQUARTERS SEVENTH INDIANA BATTERY, - JONESBOROUGH, GA , September 6, 1864.
Major: I bave the honor to transmit you the following re- port of the operations of the Seventh Indiana Battery in this campaign:
At 8 o'clock on the morning of May 6, 1864, the battery moved out from Ringgold, Ga, with the Third Division, Four- teenth Army Corps, on the Dalton road, and early in the after- noon camped near Tunnel Hill, From the 7th to 12th nothing of note occurred except a few changes of camp. May 12, moved to the right, and passing through Snake Creek Gap, camped after a march of twenty miles. May 14, in obedience to your orders, four guns were placed on the line in front of the regular brigade, First Division, Fourteenth Army Corps. Two guns had an entilading fire on the enemy, to the left, and one section aided in silencing two guns in front. Lieutenant Pound and section was sent per order of Captain Estep, divis- ion chief of artillery, half a mile to the left, and took position on a commanding ridge, directing his fire mainly at a rebel battery in his front. During the night of the 14th the enemy was heard erecting works, but, expecting orders to change po- sition, no preparations were made for defense until just before daylight. No orders coming I moved Lieutenant Repp's section 400 yards to the left. and placed Lieutenant Fislar's section be . hind a little crest, and employed what little time we had before day in putting up a protection to shield the gunners. It was found almost impossible to work the guns on account of the nearness to the enemy's sharpshooters. but a random fire was kept up until we were relieved. Late in the forenoon Captain Estep ordered me to withdraw, which was done as speedily as possible. For seventy five yards Lieutenant Fislar's section was exposed to a flank fire of musketry. but the move was so unexpected that most of the men were under cover before the
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heaviest fire was opened. Sergeant Hoffman was severely wounded and two horses shot in this operation. Lieutenante Repp and Pound came out with their sections and the battery moved with the division several miles to the right, and one sec- tion relieved two guns of some Iowa battery, and fired several shots at the rebel works, but elicited no reply. On the 16ch. marched and crossed the Coosa river at Resaca at midnight and parked for the men to breakfast while the division was coming up; passed through Calhoun and camped for the night three miles south. On the 19th camped near Cassville, where we remained until the 23rd, when we took up the route of march, fording the Etowa at Island Ford, and after ten miles march, camped on Island Creek; two days passed without a move. Marched to Burnt Hickory valley on the 26th. At noon on the 28th moved four miles to the front, returning next day to Burut Hickory. June 1, reporting Lieutenant Repp's section to Gen. eral Turchin, who remained as train guard, marched ten miles to the front. June 3, advanced the battery to the line of Col- Este's brigade, and during this and the succeeding day kept up a desuletry fire on the rebel skirmishers, driving them from houses, and in conjunction with the Nineteenth Indiana battery repelled several attempted advances of the enemy. Marched on the 6th and camped near Acworth. Rested three days and moved on the 10th, and finding the enemy on Pine Mountain one section was put in position per order of General Baird. and during this and the succeeding day shelled the mountain. June 11, withdrew from this position and remained quiet until the 15th when we advanced several miles. and that night built works on our division line and put the battery in position. Early in the morning of the 16th General Palmer ordered the woods and valley in my front to be shelled, and on the after- noon of that day General Thomas sent orders to open a vigor - ous fir- on a nest of sharpshooters that prevented an advance, which was accordingly done; during the night of the 16th, threw up an advanced work, and the next day occupying it, as . sisted our troops to advance by dislodging their skirmishers. Late in the afternoon of the 18th I got two guns into position on the right of Battery 1, First Ohio Artillery, and opened fire ot a rebel fort 1,300 yards distant, which was feebly replied to. Moved forward on the 19th, and in the afternoon took position in front of Kenesaw mountain, by order of General Palmer.
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The side of the mountain occupied by sharpshooters was shelled, and late in the day I directed the fire on a battery off to our right. During the next two days fired occassional shots, and in the afternoon of the 23d moved into position on the line occupied by the Third Brigade, Third Division, Fourteenth Army corps, in front of Little Kenesaw Mountain. I immedi- ately commenced strengthening the works, and while so occu- pied was much annoyed by an enfilade fire from a rebel battery. Early in the forenoon of the next day the enemy's batteries on the mountain and along the line concentrated a terrific fire on the batteries in front of the Third Division, and for an hour the cannonading was very heavy. My bugler, Asa D. Broody, was here severely wounded in the head by a piece of shell, and Privates Gibbons and Boyd slightly hurt by bullets. Our div- ision was relieved on the night of the 25th by the Fifteenth Army corps, and on the morning of the 26th General McPherson di- rected me to open a heavy fire on the batteries in range previous to a charge his corps would make at 8 o'clock. His order was obeyed until the advance of his line made it unsafe to fire. Re- mained in this position, firing more or less every day, until I was relieved on the night of July 1, by one of General Oster - haus' batteries, when I reported back to my division, and was put in position at daylight by Captain Estep. Exchanged a number of shots during the day with the enemy. Marched on the 3d and camped two miles south of Marietta. July 5, moved again, and towards noon General Baird ordered my battery up the mountain overlooking Vining's Station, and here we shelled the rear guard of the enemy just crossing the Chattahoochee. Before dark withdrew and went into camp, where we remained four days. Built works on the night of the 9th, but, the enemy evacuating, moved into position commanding the fort. July 18 crossed the Chattahoochee and camped four miles south. Moved at 7 o'clock on the morning of the 19tb, and after two miles march found the enemy posted just across Peach Tree creek. In accordance with your order, took position on a ridge near the skirmish line, and kept up a fire until dark. Private Ramp was severely wounded by a musket ball. Marched July 22 and took position within two miles of Atlanta, where we remained twelve days. Hired at intervals during this per- jod, directing most of our shots at the city and the rebel works in front. August 4, moved three miles to the right, and, by
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. your order, took position in front of Genl. Baird's division, from which point we did not open until the 6th. Made several demonstrations at times, by order of General Baird. Sergeant Kitzmiller, Corporal McPheeters, and Privates Watson and Mann were wounded in this position on the 7th, two of them by shells and two by musketry. Remained here until the night of the 26th, when we withdrew under the fire of the rebel batter- ies, and marched several miles to the right. From the 27th to the evening of the 30th short marches were made, and nothing of interest occurred. On the morning of the 31st moved out to the line with Colonel Walker's brigade, Third Division, and threw a number of shells at a large rebel wagon train, which soon changed its course, and passed out of view. September 1 moved forward with General Baird's division, and, nearing the battle-field, was halted by Major Lowrie, assistant adjutant- general Third Division, and held ourselves in readiness to move until after dark, when we went into camp for the night, by or- der of Major Lowrie. September 2, moved into Jonesborough, where we are now located.
I take pleasure in according to the officers and men of my command much credit for their excellent conduct during this arduous and memorable campaign.
Effective force of Battery May 5, 1864 148 men.
Effective force of Battery Sept. 5, 1864. 110 men. Rounds of ammunition expended on campaign. 6,083.
Very respectfully, your obedient Servant,
O. H. MORGAN,
Captain, commanding Seventh Indiana Battery. MAJ. CHARLES HOUGHTALING,
Chief of Artillery. Fourteenth Army Corps.
On October 2d the Captain turned over two guns and six- teen horses to the fifth Wisconsin battery, which moved on the third with the corps, (Fourteenth), after Hood. The Captain received orders on the eighth from Genl. Bowman to draw two guns for temporary use, which was done, and in the afternoon they were placed in charge of Lieut. Masterson, who camped with his new section a few rods north of the city. Lieut. Repp section was placed a short distance to our left.
On October 18 by Genl. Slocum's order, the Captain drew
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six twenty pound Parrott guns and placed them in a fort on the inner line of the works. The Captain left on the twenty-ninth of October on a leave of twenty days, returning on November seventeenth and finding the battery ready to go to Chattanooga to prepare to go to Indianapolis, to be mustered out, having turned over everything to the Quartermaster and leaving the following recruits and veterans at Chattanooga, to be consoli- dated with those of the Eighth Indiana Battery under the. name of the Seventh reorganized:
Allen Alloway, Mark Arnold, Henderson Alexander, Alex Abbott, John Bonifacine, John W. Beatty. Freeman T. Beymer, William D. Burch, Sylvester Clark, Alfred Clark, William D. Cochrane, William H. Clark, Robert A. Craigg, George Cave, John H. Crane, William Cutsinger, Samuel C. Colebaker, Phineas DeFord, James Duncan, Hugh Daugherty, Andrew Ewing, Eph B. Fletcher, William A. Fletcher, Dennis Grissa- more, John Gibbons. John Geisler, Robert Gailbraith, J. Thos. Hunter, Alfred D. Hauger, Joseph B. Howard, Franklin Hol- wick, John Heinke. Philip Hulen, Abner Hulen, John Hopson, James Hord, George W. Hall, Adam Jones, William A. Johns, John S. Johns, Joseph S. Ketcham, William H. Landers, New- ton Luck, George W. Luck, Francis D. Littlejohn, Asa Leach, George F. Long, Joseph A. McCoskey, William H. McPheeters, William H. McCoskey, David C. Mann, Levi D. Myers, James McKain, John F. Martin, Joseph Pound, William Powers, Thos. Parsons, Jackson Petro, Robert Richardson, James Reed, Jas. J. Roberts, John W. Russell, William H. Ray, William A. Rus- sell, Lewis Reubright, William H. Sanders, Oliver R. Smith, Dawson Shull, John M Stark, Fred Schwam, James Slaughter, Soloman Schroyer, Thomas Simpson, Ward Salmond, William H. Spurgeon, William Trinkle, Darling Thomerson, Charles A. Thomerson, Peter Tuscan, Noah W. Tryon, Joseph M. Thomp- son, Samuel Vickers, Howard Vickers, David Watts, George W. Watson, Fleming Wingler, Lemuel Weeks, Charles H. Wat- son, Joseph H. Young, Jerome Young, David York, Daniel Zink.
On the twentieth of November those whose time would ex- pire on the seventh of December, started for the North. The men were given arms to defend themselves with, as the trains had frequently been attacked. Arriving at Indianapolis where
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they remainded several days and on the seventh day of Decem- ber 1864, the following officers and men were mustered out. Otho H. Morgan, Captian; George M. Repp. George C. Masterson, John C. Fislar. Columbus S. Pound, Lieutenants.
James E. Anderson, Fenton Butterfield, William Boyd, John E. Bowman, John W. Boyd, Asa D. Broady, Newton Bledsoe, Sterling Carter, Andrew M. Carmichael, Edmond H. Coles, William Coman, John Duff, Edwin S. Dills, Jacob Garris, Chris- pen S. Goen. William F. Gibbson, Jacob W. Harris, John Hel- ler, Greenbury Huff, Mahlon Johnson, Adam Johnson, John M. Kemp, John Kitzmiller, Edgar R. Murphy, D. Newton McKee, Cyrus Martin, Jacob McConnelly, Edward Mcintosh, Solomon McIntosh, Abner Mitchem, Nehemiah Mitchem, Tillman A. Moore, William S. Moore, Ithamer C. Owens, George Paul Benj. F. Roberts, Lewis J. Ramsey, Abram S. Reed, Jasper Reno, John Short, John E. Scott, Joseph E. Smallwood, Till- man C. Stewart, Henry Smallwood, Henry A. Steinbarger, William A. Taylor, Michal W. Wilson, Edgar T. White, David A. Welch, Miles B. Young.
List of losses from all causes: Captains, S. J. Harris, and George R. Swallow; Lieutenants F. W. Buckmar, John J. Hawes and Lewis B. Leonard; Enlisted men, Abner Cook, Henry W. Hackley, Jacob Funderburg, John P. Allen, Stephen S. Batt, George W. Bealman, Robert O. Bosley, John Bush, Joel H. Crum, Elihu Dixon, Thomas J. Fulk. Charles Hickling, Abner E Haines, Fred Helmohl, Isaac Ketchem, James H. McCroskey, Thomas McQuilki, Thomas R Palmer. Andrew Reubright. John Reynolds, Christ Ritline, James A. Risley, James Smallwood, William A. Thurston, Theadore Wiles, Par- ker Alexander. John D. Bruner, Francis J. Dean, Henry M. Engleman, Elisha Gibson, John M. Watson, Jacob Launis, Murdock McGregory, Charles Munwarren, Cornelius McCarty, Josiah L. Ramp. Eakin J. Roberts, James Reed, Edward Starr, Hiram Tryon, Daniel Zink, Charles Brash, George Dunlap, Isaac Funderburg. John Garr, George F. Lindley, George W. May, Charles May, Jesse Pound, Jason A. Rogers, Charles Williams, James Atkins, Henry Copeland, Hardin Woole, John Woole, R. Willbanks.
As we talk over the trials and troubles, the pleasures and hardships of a three years' military life, we must not forget
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those who fell in action. As General Thomas said, "Their graves mark the spot where they went down amid the roar of battle, dotting field and hillside, or lie beneath the spreading boughs of the trees along our road. They will, in future days, serve as finger boards to point to the traveler the marches of our victorious columns." -
The camp life of '61 and '62 at Green River, and the march to Bacon Creek and Elizabethtown, then the return, and on to Nashville, were a continuation of rains, and the roads were in a terrible condition. Also the marches from Nashville to Stone River, from Murfreesboro to Manchester, and from Chattanoo- ga to Atlanta were anything but comfortable. On the Atlanta campaign, which consumed one hundred and twenty-five days from the time the battery left Ringgold until it arrived at At- lanta, but very few days passed that it was not in action, and during that time there were nineteen days of rain, While on Pumpkin Vine creek and near New Hope there were several severe thunder storms that seemed would deluge the whole army. All these, and what is herein written, will te remem. bered by those who participated, and they will be the means of reviving the past. As you read it will bring to your mind in- stances of which you have forgotten.
We have here endeavored to give a true unexaggerated his- tory of the marches and trials of the Seventh battery. Taking all the hardships. as each one well knows, would be impossible to describe, and to undertake to give each individuals service, would be impossible, therefore it is given as a battery and hope that each member will be contented with the honor he has re. ceived as a member of that battery. The.battery has been honored by that best of all war Governors, O. P. Morton, by retaining its original number, as you remember that when the original members left Chattanooga, for muster out, the veterans and the recruits were consolidated. with those of the Eight In- diana Battery. under the title of the Seventh battery re- organized. On the fifth day of April, 1865, the remnant of the Fifth battery was transferred to this reorganized Seventh bat- tery and mustered out, July 20. 1865. as the Seventh battery.
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We now close this and hope that the seven years of labor
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in attaining what is here recorded, will be appreciated by our comrads.
Your most obediently,
O. H. MORGAN, E. R. MURPHY.
Committee appointed December 31, 1891.
NOTES.
The title, "Seventh Independent Battery, Indiana Light Artillery," is the nom de plume in which the battery started out. It was supposed there would be regimental organization, but the Government refused to recognize any such organization among the volunteer troops, so the battery dropped a portion of her title, and it was thereafter called the Seventh Battery, Indiana Light Artillery.
On page 10, Aug. 17, Decard should be Decherd. W. L. Smith should be W. S. Smith.
On page 13, in the battle of Dobbins' ford, the Thirty fifth Indiana Battery should read Thirty-fifth Indiana Regiment and Seventh Indiana Battery.
On page 19, Capt. Drewry should read Drury.
On page 23, line 20, the road should read Chattanooga and Lafayette pike.
On page 24 the Twenty-first Division should read Third Brigade, Third Division, Twenty-first Corps.
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