USA > Wisconsin > History of the First Wisconsin Battery Light Artillery > Part 13
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We sent them 63 shells and solid shot, of which we had a few. Soon after the white flags went up we moved up close under the casemates and camped for the night, almost among mangled men from the fort. Away from the river was a sheet of water, and during the early night I sent many a straggler who had been sneaking the fight out into the water and dark- ness looking for his regiment, the shallowness only preventing him from drowning.
I think I heard Osterhaus exclaim while witnessing our work. "Mine Gott ; had Sigel such artillery as that, he would whip the world." I know that the next morning I heard Gen- eral Morgan remark to a general officer very impressively, "The way those men fought their guns yesterday was war.". It was war. I close with an extract from the report of Peter J. Oster- haus, Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers, commanding Sec- ond Division. Thirteenth Army Corps:
"This cannonade lasted fully two hours, during the whole of which time I was near Lieutenant Webster's section of artillery, my presence not being necessary at other places, and I consider it my duty to state that I never saw a better officer or better men serving artillery. Cool, deliberate, and intrepid, they sent their deadly shot against the enemy's stronghold, their commander controlling every round and its effect, the men quietly obeying his orders without the very superfluous huzzahing and yelling, which is incompatible with the dignity of the arm of artillery. I heartily congratulate Lieutenant Webster and his men on their great success. The reduction of the lower casemate and the silencing of three or four formid- able guns are their exclusive merit."
Upon entering the fort after its surrender one could the better see the effects of the fire from. the 1st Wisconsin Bat- terv. The shot and shell from the section on the bank of the river had literally destroyed the two casemates and dis- mounted the guns therein, had ruined the carriage of the large gun en barbette, broken a large piece from the muzzle thereof, broken the axle and dismounted a smaller gun at the left of the inner casemate and behind the parapet, and blow up a caisson and killed six horses attached thereto; while the two guns across the river so enfiladed the ditch behind the parapet that it killed and wounded a great number of the enemy.
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Admiral Porter claimed all the honor for having silenced the guns of the fort and for reducing the said stronghold, and caused the captured guns to be so labeled, whereas the fact was that not a rebel gun was dismounted or silenced by the gun- boats during the whole engagement, owing, in part, to the height of the fort above the water in the river, which was fully 25 feet, and partly to the fact that the boats were con- stantly moving and could not get the range readily, but prin- cipally because the right section of the 1st Wisconsin Battery got the start of them and silenced the guns before the navy knew there were any guns on the bank of the river below the fort, and so they thought they had "killed the bear."
Lieutenant Webster had been ordered to confine his fire to the two guns in the casemate, and leave the big guns for the gunboats; but after the said casemate guns had been silenced by him and the big gun aforesaid had put a shot into one of the gunboats, General Osterhaus sent word to the Lieutenant to silence that gun or it would sink the fleet. While the firing was going on one of the gunboats drifted into the bend of the river in direct line between the said big gun and the two guns on the bank of the river, but the right section kept sending the shells where they would do the most good, when one of them failed to take the rifle and with a terrible whirring noise "tumbled" between the smokestacks of said boat, passing over the decks but a few feet. The com- mander of the boat sent an orderly, whom he hailed on the shore, back to tell that little battery on shore to cease firing, as it would hit the fleet. Lieutenant Webster sent his compli- ments to the officer of the boat together with the information that he had received orders to silence that gun, and was going to do it if he had to sink the whole fleet in doing it. It was never known if the commander ever received the message or not, but it is certain that the boat moved out of the way.
The weather, which had been fair since starting upon this expedition, now turned cold. with frost and snow. which added further discomfort to the troops in the field. But everybody felt good over the victory. As soon as the fort was demol- ished, the stores removed and captured arms and prisoners put on board of transports for shipping North. the army re-em- barked and moved toward the Mississippi once more. The Battery, with the 42d Ohio Regiment, were put on board of the steamer Empress, one of the largest boats on the Southern rivers, and which was also General Morgan's headquarters. The guns were put upon the forward deck and covered with tarpaulins. As we approached the little town of Napoleon, at the mouth of the Arkansas. Tom, the colored servant of Lieutenant Webster, came rushing into the cabin of the boat. and, running toward the Lieutenant excitedly. exclaimed,
FRANCIS DOWNS.
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"Lieutenant, tarpaulin's all on fire," turned and as hurriedly left the cabin. This caused the Lieutenant to feel somewhat alarmed, as he supposed the 'paulins covering the guns were on fire, which, if the case, would endanger the lives of all on board of the boat in case of an explosion of the caissons and limber chests. He lost no time, therefore, in "going to the rescue" only to find that the fire was on shore and in a small house in town. The colored brother had confounded the name of the town with that of the canvas covers to the guns.
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CHAPTER XI. FROM YOUNG'S POINT TO BBUINSBURG.
"There's a voice on the wind, like a sprit's low cry; 'Tis the muster roll sounding. Ah, who shall reply For those who faces turn white to the sky.
With their eyes fixed so steadfast and dimly?"
G ENERAL Grant met the fleet at Napoleon and assumed command of the entire force operating against Vicks- burg. Steaming down the Mississippi to Young's Point, opposite the mouth of the Yazoo River, and a few miles above Vicksburg, the army debarked in the mud. The river was nearly bank full and still rising, only the levee and highest places being above water. Owing to so much recent exposure and having been so long on the boat with poor conveniences the men were, many of them, unfit for duty, which made it doubly hard for those who reported for duty. But all that were able to do so took hold with a will and we were soon again "wallowing" in the mud. We had lost our tents while "campaigning," they having been appropriated by some other troops, but by using the tarpaulins, of which we had two sets, we managed to shelter ourselves from the rain until new tents could be procured. The ground was so wet and soft that one would sink in it half shoe deep at every step, the levee being the only absolutely dry ground to be found anywhere in the vicinity. As the levee could accommodate but comparatively few of the troops, most of the tents had to be pitched in the field, where the ground was soft and decidedly damp. It was upon such ground that we were to make our beds, and as we had no hay, straw or anything as a substitute therefor to make beds out of we were certainly in no enviable condition. But, when were the boys of the 1st Wisconsin Battery every known to sleep in the mud? They had never vet done so and did not propose to do so at this time. Across the field, half a mile away, was a rail fence, and it was not long until there was less fence standing and more rails in camp than when we landed. These were laid upon the ground and covered with dry weeds, a dense growth of which were standing in the field close by, and this made very comfortable sleeping accommoda- tions. A narrow ridge of ground was found nearby which was utilized for picketing the horses upon, but do the best we could they were in the mud most of the time. Owing to the rain and the mud there was no exercise to be had for man or beast : all manner and form of drill being out of the question. Sickness prevailed until in some regiments more men answered the sick
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call than reported for duty. This was noticeably so of the new regiments that had come direct from the North to the present camp, being made up mostly of men from the farm and unused to camp life. The change was so great and their army expe- riences so brief, the water, provisions and general accommoda- tions so different from those they had been accustomed to, that they succumbed to the camp diseases much more readily than those that had seen service. This sickness was very often complicated with homesickness. which feature was one of the worst, the Surgeons found, to contend with. This was not con- fined to the boys by any means; in fact, those who were the worst affected were the elderly or middle aged. Bearded men, men of family, would brood over their sickness and privations of camp until they would cry like children and beg to go home to die. To add to the hopelessness of their cases no fur- loughs were granted for any purpose. Many a man died dur- ing the Winter of 1862 and 1863 from homesickness pure and simple. Did they any the less die for their country?
Captain Foster was Chief of Artillery for the division, but retained a supervision over the Battery. Lieutenant Kimball was appointed Division Ordnance Officer by General Oster- haus, but continued to mess with the Battery as before.
About the 1st of February General Morgan procured leave of absence, on account of impaired health, and went home. never again to return to the army. His leaving was a matter of regret to his old command, which had followed him from Louisville to Cumberland Gap. Greenupsburg, Cincinnati. Memphis, Chickasaw Bayou and Arkansas Post to Young's Point, as they had become much attached to him. He, too, had formed a strong attachment for the membership of that little army that had never failed him, which lasted to the end of his days on earth.
On the 22d of February the Battery was honored by being selected to fire the National salute.
Captain Foster, in addition to his other duties, was ap- pointed as a member of a commission to examine line officers as to their proficiency in tactics. The appointing of this com- mission created quite a stir in some commands, as there were many subordinate officers in the army at that time who were entirely ignorant concerning the drill of their commands. It did not worry the Battery in the least, for Captain Foster had not neglected that very essential adjunct to military discipline.
About the 25th of February General Osterhaus was re- quested to place a battery on the bank of the river below Vicks. burg for the purpose of intercepting the ram Queen of the West, which had recently been captured by the rebels and run up the Red River, should she attempt to ascend the river so far as to interfere with our transports which were below the
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city. Lieutenant Hackett was sent with his section, but the Queen did not show herself, so it was never demonstrated if the said guns could cope with the navy or not. It was while that section was on that duty, and while they were having a little target practice with a large cottonwood tree on the opposite side of the river for a target, that General A. J. Smith came along and thought to instruct Charley Harrington in the art of gunnery by showing him how to sight a gun. He put the elevation up as he was wont to do with the old smooth- bore guns in use in the Mexican war, and as our guns were rifles and long range guns he, of course, shot so far over the top of the timber that it was never known where the shot went to. Charley then reloaded and told the General that he would show him how to shoot, at the same time sighting the gun "for bear." The General said he would not reach the tree if he fired with such directing, and Charley wanted to bet him that he would hit the tree. The General would not bet on so sure a thing for himself and contented himself by insisting that he would never hit the tree at that elevation. The gun was fired and the tree was centered as nicely as it could have been by a target rifle at short range. The General mounted his horse and rode off, saying, "A chance shot, a chance shot; no d-d man can shoot like that."
About the 1st of March the 7th Michigan Battery (Lam- phere's) was left without a commissioned officer in charge, as the Captain was home on leave, the Senior Lieutenant was on duty at General Grant's headquarters as Ordnance Officer, one Lieutenant had resigned, another one had never been with the Battery and the fourth was then under arrest under charges of conduct unbecoming an officer. General Osterhaus, therefore, detailed Lieutenant Webster, of our Battery, to command the same until some of their own officers should report for duty.
It was while here camped in the mud that General McCler- nand, who usually rode through his command every morning to see how they were situated, issued a general order compli- menting the Battery by name for its discipline, the neatness of its quarters and the general condition of its camp. This order was read before the whole command, and as the 1st Wis- consin Battery was the only command that was thus men- tioned we naturally felt proud of the distinction thus given us, and resolved to maintain the same, which was done so long as we remained in the service.
The army rations did not include fresh vegetables or canned goods or fruits of any kind, and as foraging was absolutely out of the question, owing to high water and scarcity of popu- lation, the army suffered for anti-scorbutics. The result was that many men were afflicted with scurvy, some of whom never recovered entirely from its effects. The sutler and the steam-
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boat stewards had canned goods for sale, but as the soldiers had not been paid since we left Memphis they had nothing to purchsae with. In this emergency Captain Foster arranged with the steward of one of the boats to let the men have some canned goods as they should want, and he would see that the steward got his pay when the Battery should be paid. It was soon apparent, however, that the men were getting something besides canned fruit and vegetables. They were, in fact, get- ting whiskey, and as a consequence there was trouble in camp. The steward was requested not to let them have any, and promised not to do so, but it was still procured. Finally the Captain notified that personage that if any more liquor came into the Battery camp he would lay the matter before the Commanding General. This stopped its introduction indefi- nitely.
About the middle of March the water had become so high that the army was driven to the top of the levee in order to get out of the wet and mud. It was therefore decided to move the army to Milliken's Bend, some 25 miles up the river, where higher grounds were to be found.
Leaving Young's Point and our dead comrades, E. J. Harris, David McConnell, William Murphy, Henry E .. Meigs and J. W. Randless, buried in the levee, for the next crevasse to send their bodies down to the Gulf, our muddy camp and the dreary scene, where the very birds learned the notes of the dead march, we took boat and steamed up to Milliken's Bend, where we found higher ground, sunshine, and, what was better for the scurvy-stricken, tiny shoots of new grass springing up. By industrious picking a soldier could in a half hour gather as much as would lay in a tablespoon, and the mastication of it was better than a surgeon's chest full of remedies. Who of that scurvy-afflicted crowd can ever forget the efforts to hold that solution of vinegar and salt in the mouth, or the gather- ing of the Battery around that barrel of vinegar, at the Point,. when we drank it dry in a few hours? Little did we know that that scurvy would leave us toothless old men ere we had passed the half century mark, and make our knees ache whenever we should get wet.
Here we refitted and recruited and blossomed out in the genial sunshine, regaining our wonted elasticity and vim. Our own and Lamphere's Michigan Battery were assigned to the NinthDivision, Thirteenth Army Corps. Captain Foster was assigned Chief of Artillery; Lieutenant Webster, then com- manding Lamphere's Battery, was detailed as Ordnance Offi- cer, Thirteenth Corps, and Lieutenant Charles B. Kimball commanded the Battery.
There was no chance for battery manuver, but for the neces- sary foot drill and manual of the piece there was ample facili-
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ties. The drivers put in a great deal of their time in indi- vidual training of their horses, many of whom succeeded so well that they could make their horses lie down at the word of command, in harness or out. As a result of this exercise the health of the men improved until the per cent of sick in the Battery was much lower than in any other command of the army at that point. Owing to this proficiency in drill the Battery was frequently called upon for exhibition drill, par- ticularly when distinguished visitors were in camp, as was the case when Governor Yates, of Illinois; Mrs. Livermore, of Chicago; Mrs. Governor Harvey, of Wisconsin, and Mrs. Colt, of Milwaukee, were there. A boat load of sanitary stores for the army had just arrived from the North and the above per- sons had accompanied the same to see to the proper distribu- tion thereof and to look after the soldiers from those States. There was general rejoicing upon the receipt of these stores, for there had not been a potato, onion or cabbage or any other vegetable in camp for weeks, and "sowbelly" and hardtack were very monotonous. There were men who could never before use onions in any shape who would now take them howsomever served and call them good. As Spring advanced the weather improved until it was possible to get about above ground, and active operations were resumed looking toward the reduction of Vicksburg. It had been demonstrated that the canal which had been dug across the peninsula at Young's Point would not suffice for the purpose of passing the fleet through, principally because the water could not pass through in sufficient volume and with force enough to wash the channel large and deep enough to float the boats, and partly because the rebels had anticipated the building of the canal and had planted a heavy battery opposite its mouth on the opposite side of the river.
It was therefore decided to move the army across by land as soon as the condition of the roads would permit. Several gunboats and a number of transports had been run by the bat- teries at Vicksburg and were ready to transport the troops wherever needed whenever they should reach the river.
Captain Lamphere. of the 7th Michigan Battery, having re- turned and assumed command of the same, Lieutenant Web- ster was. on the 27th of March. relieved from duty therein and returned to the Battery and took his place at the head of the right section, but remained scarcely long enough to assume com- mand thereof. for on the following day he was detailed as Ordnance Officer. Thirteenth Army Corps.
He at once reported for duty and was no more with the Battery until the October following, taking Charley Harring- ton with him as Ordnance' Sergeant. His headquarters were established upon the steamboat Fred Lorenz, where the Bat-
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tery left him when it on the Sth of April moved to Carthage on its way to Perkin's Plantation, across the Peninsula. Lieu- tenant Kimball had returned to the Battery and was nomi- nally in command thereof, as Foster was still Division Chief of Artillery.
Here also we left all that was mortal of our comrades D. W. Clark and William Foster.
Striking southerly across country just above the level of the Mississippi backwater, plenty of opportunities occurred to test the talent of our Western boys in combatting natural difficulties. Bayous were bridged, or navigated, or turned. Levees were cut, and steamboats navigated tortuous bayous whose waters never before floated anything heavier than a bateau. Flatboats were made to assume the port and air of genuine gunboats by aid of a section from a gin-house smoke- stack for funnel and stovepipe for guns and bales of hay and cotton armor. The rush of the negroes and their cries of won- derment at the steamboat in the bayou were frequent. Names of stream and slough and bayou were changed to suit impres- sions. Vidal became Bayou-be-damned, etc.
At Perkin's Plantation we tarried a few days, waiting the gathering of distant detachments of the army with which Grant had been amusing the enemy by real or feigned expedi- tions throughout all that country on both sides of the river.
Here was a country fairly well supplied, and the fowls hopped the perch and flew into camp. Cows left the planta- tion and came to us to be milked; corn was pleniful, and our stock fattened. Thence on to New Carthage, where could be seen acres of men gambling, and the Lieutenant with his guard moving about confiscating cash and paraphernalia and arresting participants. But before he was 40 steps away the rattle of the dice box would again be heard, and chuck-a-luck, sweat- board, "bandoan," draw or loo would be in full blast. As Joseph, the Old Soldier, remarked, "Gentlemen, if you bet you are liable to lose, but if you don't bet you can't win. Nothing lost and nothing won, and still the game goes on."
Charley Harrington, who was Ordnance Sergeant with Lieutenant Webster, had come over to Perkin's Plantation to superintend the forwarding of ordnance stores and was quar- tered in a tent by himself. One evening a soldier had killed a half-grown goat, but before he could secure his game was arrested by the provost guard for shooting within limits. As he was being carried to the guard house the innocent cause of his arrest lay weltering in his own gore, and Charley asked the officer in charge of the guard if he should not remove the same. Upon being told that he might do so, Charles carried the carcas to his quarters, dressed the same and had a feast for himself and friends, Lieutenant Webster arriving that
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evening to help eat the kid. The man in the guard house was not forgotten, as Charley smuggled some to him.
It is but proper to make mention at this place of a circum- stance which exemplified the patriotism that animated Charley Harrington. It will be remembered that all that was known concerning him at the time he enlisted in the Battery was that he had been for some years engaged in the mercantile business in La Crosse and that he was an honest man with excellent habits, but was looked upon as being rather effemi- nate for a soldier, by many of the boys. Some of the mem- bers of the Battery went so far as to say that he only volun- teered that he might get a commission, and that he would never muster in the service as a private. But he did, and if there was a man in the Battery, from start to finish, who was more prompt in the performance of his duty or who performed it more satisfactorily to his officers it was never made manifest. During the siege of Vicksburg A. W. Bishop, then Lieutenant Colonel of the 1st Arkansas Regiment, corresponded with Lieutenant Webster concerning the organization of a new bat- tery of artillery in that State and furnishing officers therefor, which resulted in the recommending of Charley Harrington for a Lieutenant therein, and his appointment thereto. A fur- lough to permit him to go to that State to accept the commis- sion that awaited him was procured and he was ready to go. The boat was at the levee which was to take him, and he visited the Battery, which had returned to the city after its surrender, to bid the boys good-bye. As he returned from this visit he called upon Lieutenant Webster and asked if the authorities could do anything with him if he should refuse to go. When told that they could not, he threw down the papers, saying: "Take them; I won't leave the boys." And he did not go.
Just before the troops began their movement across the country one Colonel Montgomery, a large planter of that vicinity, and a professed Union man, obtained permission to market his cotton. He at once began getting it out to the river by way of the many bayous on flatboats. For this purpose he used the help of some half dozen negroes who had belonged to him, and who yet supposed they were his property. After the Colonel had gotten the most of it to the levee, ready for ship- ment, he left the force of negroes to get the balance out while he should go to Memphis to procure a transport to ship the same on. While the Colonel was gone the cotton was taken by the military authorities and used to sheathe boilers, pilot houses and hulls of the gunboats and transports that ran the Vicksburg batteries, and the negroes were assigned to Lieutenant Webster to work on the ordnance boat, thereby relieving that many sol- diers, who, in turn, were permitted to join their companies. When the Colonel, who was a regular "be gad, sah" Mississip-
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