USA > Ohio > History of the Sixteenth battery of Ohio volunteer light artillery, U. S. A., from enlistment, August 20, 1861, to muster out, August 2, 1865 > Part 4
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SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY. 35
sleep, for we had not unhitched, and we started for a rapid move inland. As we passed through Bruinsburg several houses were on fire. But we were used to fires along the route of the army. The cotton gin was then like the coal- breakers in the time of a great strike --- many are burned ; among soldiers and miners there is a lawless element that de- lights in destruction.
1757987
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A Bradley Mitchell, two sons of Captain Mitchell, Pomroy Mitchell. The Old Magnolia Church as It Appeared in 1905. At this point commenced the battle of Port Gibson.
In residences where people stayed at home they were not molested; but when they had fled for fear and hatred, leav- ing everything they could not carry, generally some one came
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along and destroyed what he could not carry off. Fine pianos could be seen chopped to ruin with an axe.
We now struck east over the hills: it was very dark. but we hurried along all night with frequent halts. The object of this hurried night march was to surprise the enemy, and to be a dozen or twenty miles away from where we were sup- posed to be. We succeeded completely, and by our position compelled the hasty evacuation of Grand Gulf without our even getting near to it: by this move they saved the garrison but lost all the great guns that had defied our gunboats.
The morning of May ist found us marching toward
PORT GIBSON
through country that was a wonderful contrast to the flooded lands through which we had floundered from Milliken's Bend. It was high land, with ridges and hollows, forest and underbrush. A magnificent sight were the great magnolia trees, tall as an oak. with heavy, dark glossy-green foliage. just in full bloom, with flowers as large as saucers all over the trees. While we were admiring this beauty, though hurry- ing along, and when about five miles from Port Gibson, we heard cannonading, and we knew that a battle was in prog- ress. Up to this time we had not been in any actual battle. but we were sure that the baptism of fire was now near. Soon we began to see the troops engaged, and some of the wounded lying under the trees, a half mile or so in rear of the fight- ing line. We were new, between nine and ten o'clock, or- dlered forward into line, and took position in a field toward the right. We couldn't see the enemy hidden in the brush and woods, but we fired where we saw smoke of their firing and while we couldn't see the effect of our shot and shell. we are sure we helped toward the general result, the com- plete defeat of the enemy, with the death of their General
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SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
Tracy. About a mile in front of us, across the ravines filled with brush, there seemd to be a road coming from behind a magnolia grove; over this road men. seemingly officers and messengers with orders, galloped back and forth in plain
Battle field of Port Gibson, from Position of 16th Ohio Battery, May 1, 1863.
iv. Corporal Michel was ordered to fire on these, and it stopped all travel on that road. When the boys were down there in 1905, they met a man who at the time of the battle
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33 SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
had been a curious boy wanting to see all he could, and he had been in the edge of this magnolia grove looking on. One ball struck a tree near liim, and nearly cut it off, and he hastily retreated to a safer place. We couldn't see any enemy hidden. It was a very difficult field in which to maneuver troops, as there were so many ravines filled with - dense underbrush.
At one time General Hovey coming along was informed by General McGinnis that the enemy was trying to flank our right. A rebel battery with a large force of infantry, partly hidden by a wooded ravine. were plainly seen by them moving to our right .. In a few minutes the rebel battery opened on our lines with 12 and 24-pounder howitzers, the calibre known from the shells picked up on the field. To meet this move, a section of our battery and the 34th Indiana regiment were ordered toward the right and effectually checked it.
During the action one of the left-section guns of which Corporal Belmer was gunner was fired so rapidly as to heat the vent-field and blow out the vent, enlarging it to such an extent that it was difficult to keep in the friction primer for firing. After the battle this Fun, being useless, was buried near the battle-field. with a head-board marked "Sergt. Daniel Dawson." While at Vicksburg we tried to go after this gun and recover it. but were not allowed to go through the lines as it was not safe. When some of our boys visited the battle- field in May. 1905. they inquired of the very friendly and kindly natives, some of whom had fought us that day, if they knew anything of this gun ever being found: they said it had not. Our boys could not positively identify the spot. but the place where they thought it was buried they were told had been filled up three to Your feet, and they were not pre- pared to dig and search for it. After the battle we tempor- arily borrowed a gun from another battery, the carriage of
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SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
which had been disabled. But during the siege of Vicksburg this gun had to be returned, and a 12-pounder brass Na- poleon gun captured by our brigade at Champion's Hill was
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used in place of it until we could get a new gun. Our bat- tery fired 350 rounds in this battle.
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SIXTEENTHE BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
In this action our brigade captured a rebel battery, every horse and man of the first gun having been killed, and the guns were turned on the enemy. Our battery had none killed, or wounded. Five guns and 1,000 prisoners were captured from the enemy.
The following official reports of the operations in which the battery participated will give a more general survey of what had been done up to this time :
REPORT OF GENERAL A. P. HOVEY.
General A. P. Hovey, in his report of operations in his Division in April and May, states that he landed with the Twelfth Division at Milliken's Bend on the 14th of April, 1863. and marched over heavy roads from the Bend on the 16th. and arrived at Dawson's Farm. on the Roundabout Bayou, on the second day. On the 18th. marched to the mouth of Gilbert's Bayou, descending that bayou to the Mississippi River, in four days from that date my division, with the aid of Captain Patterson' Pioneers, built four bridges over 1,000 feet of water, and cut two miles of road through the woods, thus opening up a great military route through the overflowed lands from Milliken's Bend to the Mississippi River below Vicksburg. During this severe task meiny of my men worked for hours up to their necks in water.
On the 28th of April, we again embarked on the steamers for the purpose of aidin~ in the attack on Grand Gulf. and on the 20th witnessed the brilliant assault by the gunboats sjon that place.
On the 30th, we again disembarked at Bruinsburg Land- ing. Mississippi, below Grand Gult, and at 3 o'clock. p. m. took up our line of March to Port Gibson. The organizations of the Twelfth Division under iny command at that time
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SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
were the 24th Indiana Infantry, 46th Indiana Infantry, 1th Indiana Infantry. 29th Wisconsin Infantry, 34th Indiana In- fantry, the 16th Ohio Battery and 2nd Ohio Battery, com- posing the First Brigade, which was commanded by Brigadier General George F. McGinnis.
We continued our march through the night, and near 2 o'clock in the morning of May Ist, cannonading was heard in our front. which continued for several minutes. The column pressed forward, and at daylight reached Centre Creek, about three miles west of Port Gibson. At this point, at 5:30 o'clock a. m., my division was ordered to take posi- tion a few hundred yards in advance. upon the right of the road, on the crest of two hills nearly opposite the Shafer farm house. The First_ Brigade occupied the position in front. nearest the enemy's line and at right angles to the road. The lines of the brigade were formed under the fire from the enemy. :
During this contest, and when passing down our lines to the right. I met General MeGinnis, who informed me that the enemy were moving on our right, with the probable in- tention of flanking us. In a few minutes the rebels opened on our lines. I massed my batteries on the brow of the ridge. and concentrated their fire in the direction of the rebel lines and battery.
The fire from my batteries was well directed and con- tinted for over an hour. and drove the rebel battery and in- fantry from that part of the field. The honor of repulsing the enemy at this point unquestionably belongs to the bat- teries of the First Brigade. Twelfth Division, which have my sincere thanks for their efficient service during the day. Thus ended the Battle of Port Gibson, and we slept upon the Hold two miles in advance of the morning's contest.
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SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
Report of Brig. Gen. Geo. F. McGinnis on Port Gibson.
Brigadier General George F. McGinnis, commanding First Brigade. Twelfth Division, 13th Army Corps, in his report of operations of his brigade, consisting of the rith Indiana Infantry, 519 men; 24th Indiana Infantry, 546 men; 2ith In- diana Infantry, 607 men; 46th Indiana Infantry, 123 men; 29th Wisconsin Infantry, 533 men ; 2nd Ohio Battery, Ico men, and 16th Ohio Battery, III men, states :
"About 7 o'clock a. m., I received an order from Brigadier General A. P. Hovey, commanding our division, to form my brigade in line of battle. The order was immediately exe- cuted, and as soon as our line was formed. we advanced about three-fourths of a mile over a surface of country which un- der any other circumstances would have been pronounced impassable. High hills, in many places almost perpendicular. deep ravines, thickly covered with cane and vines. interfered very much with our advance.
The 34th Indiana Infantry, being in the advance, was or- dered by General Hovey to charge the Confederate battery. As a result of this gallant dash. in which the 34th, the irth. and the 46th Indiana participated. was the capture of two 12-pounder howitzers, three caissons, three wagons loaded with ammunition. three stand of colors, several horses and over 200 prisoners. Company K. of the urth Indiana In- fantry was detailed to man the captured guns, who turned them upon the enemy and delivered a few effective shots.
During this last engagement I received information that the rebels showed signs of an intention to attack and turn our right. I immediately directed Colonel Cameron, of the 34th Indiana Infantry, to occupy and hold the hill to the right, and sent to bis assistance one section of the 16th Ohio Battery. A concentrated fire from guns of our division con- tinued for over an hour, dislodging the enemy from their
SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY. 43
position and driving them from the field.
Two sections of the 2nd Ohio Battery and the whole of the 16th Ohio Battery, which had been left at Perkin's Plan- tation for lack of transportation. had arrived upon the battle- field about io o'clock a. m. They were immediately put to work. and did good service during the day. The expressions of admiration of the manner in which the two batteries were handled-the precision and rapidity with which they were fired-were frequent and well deserved. Officers and men are entitled to much praise for their good conduct."
The night after the Battle of Port Gibson we slept on the field: next morning marched through the town, and a half mile or so north of the town found the suspension bridge over the South Fork of the Bayou Pierre burned. The pioneers promptly made a raft bridge of timbers obtained from build- ings, stables, etc., torn down, so that on the 3rd the army pressed on. Men were also sent out to secure transportation wagons, in place of those left behind at Milliken's Bend, and soon wonderfully looking trains were brought together, made up of family carriages, farm wagons. carts, anything that would carry cartridges and provisions: the animals were similarly various-horses. mules and oxen being intermixed in some of the teams. The general officers also managed to secure horses to ride instead of tramping on foot alongside the common soldier.
The rebels now saw that there was no use holding Grand Gulf any longer, as we were behind them. on the open side of their fort, and their great guns useless. So they evacuated it. spiking and bursting their heavy guns and exploding three large magazines. The troops came out to meet and oppose us at Grindstone Ford, Willow Springs, and Hankinson's Ferry. But they made no stand at any of these places. only setting fire to the bridge over the North Fork of Bayou
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Pierre, at Grindstone Ford eight miles from Port Gibson. But our troops arrived in time to save and repair the bridge.
Pemberton was now puzzling to know what Grant was aiming at, and in every case he guessed wrong. First. he ex- pected we were aiming for Vicksburg from the south. But as we kept on in a northeast direction. he was sure our aim was to cut the Jackson Railroad, east of the Big Black, and then head for Vicksburg from the east. Consequently he be- gan at once to concentrate all his troops at Edwards Station, which is about six miles west of Champion's Hill. Here he expected a great battle. and if he defeated us his darling Vicksburg could be saved. Johnson, his superior, only re- cently arrived at Jackson, ordered him to abandon Vicksburg and come eastward to meet him. so that with their united force of 7o,oco or more they might crush us. Had this been done, they might have given us a harder battle than Cham- pion's. Hill proved to be, but unless they had completely routed us, Vicksburg would have been ours anyway. Our main ob- ject would have been secured. and the rest could have been done afterwards. Even Jeff Davis was fooled in Grant's plans, claiming that we could live away from the river and our supplies only a few days, and would have i ro to War- renton for our "hard tack." But we had learned largely to live off the country, and our "base" was where we happened to be.
All our troops were now moving in a northeast direction. as is well known now, first to attend to Jackson and dis- pose of Johnson and his armw. But as we were moving in this general direction, part of Pemberton's army came down from Edward's Station to
FOURTEEN MILE CREEK.
eight or nine miles away, where Hovey's Division had a skir- mish with them, May 12th. A regular battle could easily
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SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
have been brought on here, but this was not Grant's purpose. Our battery went into position in a field, knapsacks were thrown in a pile and we came near losing them, for when we left it was in such a hurry that we hadn't time to stop and pick them up, but Quartermaster Sergeant Ackerson recovered them so we got them next morning. The rebels were in the woods and brush across the creek. We fired into the woods where the enemy was supposed to be, and their skirmish line was driven back. We then turned square to the right or east. over a road that had been cut by the pioneers through the young timber and brush. Probably the bulk of the rebel army was glad that the battle of Edward's Station never came off. We fired 100 shots into the woods where the rebels were supposed to be, and never heard the "zip" of a rebel bullet even. There was a tremendous rain that night, with terrific thunder and lightning. We were in line of battle, with guns unlimbered. the cannoneers crouching about their pieces. vainly trying to protect themselves from the terrific storm. which beat down in pitiless fury upon the unprotected men and shivering horses. But morning came at last. with sun- shine and singing birds, and after our cheer of hardtack and coffee we marched on eastward. Rations were pretty scarce ; - usually two days' rations had to do a week or more. We found some sweet potatoes planted, the whole potato, not sprouts from it, as we do; these we eagerly dug up and cooked, but they were rather poor fare as the sprouts on them had grown to six to eight inches.
We passed through
R.IYMOND
May I4th, where McPherson's men had had a battle on the tth. Signs of the battle, broken gim carriages, etc., were scattered about, and they were still burying the dead. The rebel prisoners were still there, but we passed on, going
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northeast. and that night were only fifteen miles from Jack- son. and three and a half miles south of Clinton on the Jackson Railroad.
With an early start next morning and fine weather we reached
CLINTON
at 8 o'clock. The rebels were not far off. but b- this time they are getting into a habit of retreating as we advance, and the infantry are picking up many prisoners. At this point we learned that Jackson had been taken by McPherson and Sher- man on the 14th. An immense amount of war material which we could not use was destroyed. Johnson withdrew to save his army and as much material as he could carry off.
And now we were free to turn toward Vicksburg. Pember- ton might meet us on the way, with the 50.000 men he had under his command, but if we defeated him, of which we were very sure. he would retreat into Vicksburg: we were certain of that from all his conduct, and that was just where we wanted him. As sure as once he was in Vicksburg, the place was ours, no matter what men or time it might take. Had a man like Stonewall Jackson been in command the whole campaign would doubtless have been different.
Grant now determined to cut loose from all base and fight the campaign with what he had and the country could sup- ply. So all the troops were drawn together, and on May 15th started for Vicksburg. Hovey's Division was just south of Bolton Depot the night of the 13th. This is only a few miles from Champion's Hill. in fact. the nearest railroad sta- tion. We now began to feel that a battle, probably the great- est we had been in, was negy at land. At 5 o'clock a. m., of the tothe two men employed on the Jackson Railroad re- ported to Grant that Pemberton was near at hand, marching eastward, with So regiments of infantry and ten batteries.
SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY. 17
about 25,000 men. Early in the morning we made all possible preparations for the expected battle. The mess of one of the left section guns cooked up half a camp kettle full of chicken and tied it on the caisson. Sponge Fuckets were filled with water-though one of the gunners says he had a live chicken in his when they began firing. Our experience was that chicken is better to take into battle cooked than alive: we had our cooked chicken to eat, the live one got away.
It is not the purpose here to give a complete account of this sanguinary and decisive battle, but ouly so much of it as will give an idea of the share our battery took in it.
Pemberton's purpose in turning eastward was probably more to obey finally the order to join Johnson than eager- ness to give battle to Grant's army. If this was his purpose we stood squarely in the way, and he found himself compelled to fight. At Fourteen Mile Creek we had slipped away, as our time for battle had not come. But now we were ready and eager.
THE BATTLE OF CHAMPION'S HILL.
Early in the morning the darkies began to tell us, "John- nies up dar." They had planted a battery of four 12-pounder guns on the Hill, commanding the road for a mile or more. They expected us to come marching along carelessly in solid column, and they would mow us down. As we came to the Champion House, about half a mile from the Hill, we halted on the right side of the road and prepared for battle. A skirmish line was thrown out to feel their position. Logan's Division marched Past and filed to the right in an open field or valley while the enemy was in the woods facing them.
It was the custom of the battery to change about on the march, one day the right section in the lead. the next day the left. It was the fortune and honor of the left section to lead that day. After the skirmish line had developed the
45 SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
position of the enemy. our division was formed to advance. The infantry of our brigade went forward on both sides of the road. At the brow of the Hill there was a battery which was to be taken first of all. General McGiunis ordered one sec- tion of our battery to advance and prepare for action: the left section went forward. After advancing to the rise of the Hill we halted, while the rith Indiana and 20th Wisconsin were creeping up the Hill to capture the battery. They would drop when the battery fired. then make a rush forward in a stooping position, and drop again when the battery was about ready to fire.
Up to this time the men of the left section were idle, though rather nervous spectators of what was going on. The rebels could not depress their guns to our position, and they only cut the treetops over our heads with their shot and shell. While in this position we could not fire, as our own men were right in front of us. While thus waiting we had a splendid view of the rebels charging one of Logan's batteries. They came on with the customary well, apparently several lines deep. The way that battery mowed them down was terrific, for they were fring shell and canister at point blank range. At first the rebel yell became a little fainter, then stopped al- together, then the foremost line began to waver as so many dropped, then stopped, then turned in a confused mass to retreat, with Logan's men rushing after them. To those who witnessed this, it was a most exciting and terribly magnificent spectacle. Next day the trees in the vicinity of that charge were found battered and cut three or four feet from the ground, and the rebel dead piled un in heaps.
But while watching the repulse of the charge by Logan's men. We were also watching . our own brigade. They had now crept up to within 75 vards of the battery on the brow of the Hill. For the last rush they waited till all the guns of the
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SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
1
Position on Champion's Hill of Rebel Battery ,6th Miss.) Captured by MeGinnis' Brigade May 26, 1863 From a photograph of the old battlefield taken in 1905.)
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SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
battery were fired, then the order to charge was given, which they did with a will and rush. They were so near the guns and the move was apparently so tinexpected to the rebels that after a desperate conflict of five minutes in which bavonets and butts of muskets were freely used, this 6th Mississippi Bat- tery of four 12-pounder brass Napoleon gun was ours, and the rebels fleeing before our men.
At this point the left section of our battery. in charge of Lieut. Murdock, was ordered up to the top of the Hill, Capt. Mitchell asking as a special favor to be permitted to go with it to place the guns. The reason but two guns were taken up was that the road was very narrow, and cut down. with high banks on either side, and there was no room on the Hill to work a whole battery. We galloped un the Hill, cannoneers dismounted and all out of breath when we reached the top. Here Lieut. Murdock's horse was wounded, so that during the fight he was dismounted. A little distance beyond the summit of the Hill there was an open field to the left of the road, into which one of the guns, with Corporal Belmer as gunner, was pulled, while the other with Corporal Mitchell as gunner went forward about fifty yeards and found a good place just to the right of the road, near a loo cabin and smoke house. Capt. Mitchell and Lieut. Murdock were with this gun. The other gun in the field found the ground sloping down hill in front of them, and by using solid shot could fire over our own men and vet do execution upon the enemy. The gun by the cabin found our men in front of it in the way. The rebels were advancing. the bullets were coming fast. Then it was that the captain showed his brav- ery. He dashed down on his horse, right in the face of that leaden storin, and cried to our men: "Out of the way. boys, get out of the way and give the artillery a chance!" Our men rushed back and around the cabins, and as the Johnnies
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