USA > Wisconsin > History of the First Wisconsin Battery Light Artillery > Part 14
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S. D. BLAKE.
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pian, returned and found both "niggers" and cotton gone, his wrath knew no bounds. As the former chattels were still on the boat, under charge of Webster, and were in sight, the Colo- nel at once made a demand for his "people," but, as they were now part of the military force operating against Vicksburg, the Lieutenant refused to let them go unless he should bring an order from General Sherman or General Steele. This he could not get. He then was very anxious to know where his cotton was. Lieutenant Webster told him he thought he knew where it was. The Colonel would be ever so much obliged if he would tell him. But when he was told that it was on the transports and gunboats below Vicksburg, and what it had been used for, his anger broke out in a new spot, and the officials berated soundly for using cotton when there was plenty of baled hay on the levee which was just as good and cost much less. Thus far he had managed to hold himself together, but he flew all in pieces when the Lieutenant told him that the hay had cost the Government something, but the cotton was free, and that the horses and mules of the army could eat the hay and could not the cotton, and left swearing a blue streak. It was learned afterward that he was getting out lots of cotton belonging to rebels, in his name, and that he was to divide the receipts with them. It might be interesting to know how much of a claim has been filed with the Government at Washington for this "loyal" man's cotton.
General McClernand had announced that those who lived through the fiery ordeal of the next 30 days would camp on the heights of Vicksburg, and the boys seemed imbued with the idea that those who failed to so live would need no cash, and thus got rid of it.
Captain Foster was left sick at Perkin's Plantation. Some of our boys were left on hospital boats at the Bend. D. W. Clark died on one of these boats and was buried there. Does it ever strike you, comrades, that when Jerome blows assembly in Paradise from what devious ways the old Battery will as- semble ? Battlefield, National Cemetery, fever swamp, fen, and the bed of the Mississippi.
Skirting Hurricane Island by devious ways, passing through Ash ille, under an all day's rain, just at dark we slid in be- tween the river and the backwater at Hard Times. That night, as we were just nestling down in our blankets, spread on the sodden earth, a flatboat of infantrymen "frogging" from the stranded boat towards our campfire were separated in the darkness and one of them let out a long drawn wh-o-o-pee! which brought Frank Green up on end with an exclamation of "Hosier, by dad!" They were the Sth Indiana, with whom we afterwards fought many a day. The new boots lately drawn from Crocker, or through his agency, got thoroughly
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soaked and the adhesive clay caused upper and sole to part company, and some of the cannoneers trudged with an entire boot on one foot and an upper alone on the other. Lieutenant Kimball's tall $14 boots were chafing his ankles, and he and Viets here consummated an exchange; the latter hauling off his left complete boot, securing Kimball's; then, securing the right boot, he skinned his solesless right upper off, slipped it into Kimball's hand and ran. Kimballl's face was a study as he con- templated that limp, muddy upper and listened to our smiles that could be heard by the rebel garrison at Grand Gulf. That night we heard the heavy cannonading of the 200 guns at Vicksburg, answered by our gunboats, and knew that more gunboats and transports were running the rebel batteries. As morning dawned the fleet began to reach us, and they were an interesting and a battered lot.
We here drew three days' cooked rations, ate one, and the next night, April 30, drew three more days' cooked rations, and no more were issued to us until May 13. At might we put the guns on a boat and the stock and equipments on a flatboat lashed to her port side and lay there all morning. During the night a splash was heard. but no outcry. At breakfast a little German, detailed, was missing, and discussion developed that the splash was caused by his falling off the boat. When this was patent, old man Dedrick exclaimed with much emotion, "Why, ain't that too bad ? He had over $80 in money."
April 29, preceded by five gunboats, we steamed down the river to attack Grand Gulf. The scheme was for the gunboats to silence the water batteries, when the infantry would land and run up the bluff and brush away the support. Preceded by the flag boat Benton, Admiral Porter in command, the boats steamed steadily and stolidly down under fire, delivered their port guns, cut a circle and returned, delivering their star- board batteries. For five and a half hours they kept up a steady pounding, sometimes backing up to depress the eleva- tion of their guns; but of little use; they were unable to silence the water batteries. and a battery on the bluff rained shot and shell down upon them. The Tuscumbia's hogchains were sev- ered and she dropped helpless below. Our transports would drop almost within the line of fire and then steam up, giving us reserved seats to witness as gallant and fine a naval and land fight as was ever witnessed.
That night we disembarked a short distance above and bivouacked. Here the navy buried 17 men in one grave. Thou during the darkness the gunboats and transports ran the bat- teries and next day we marched across and went aboard the Silver Wave, which lay with her guards nearly level with the banks. Lamphere's Battery had preceded us across on the same boat. In 13 minutes we went aboard, bag and bag-
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gage, while the Captain of the boat stood on the levee loudly expressing his admiration of our celerity. "Why," he said, "it took that other battery an hour and a half to get aboard, and then they left some baggage."
Landing at dark near Bruinsburg, we took up our march for the interior, swinging around towards the rear of Grand Gulf in the darkness, escorted by the 54th Indiana. Tents were left behind, and never again did the boys draw a tent.
Grant had feinted his right, under Sherman, towards Haine's Bluff, up the Yazoo, and struck out with his left, under Mc- Clernand, straight at the enemy. Here we were on the same side of the river with 5,000 or 6,000 men ahead of us and some 25,000 to follow us in time, 30,000 in all, swinging along hunt- ing trouble and Pemberton, who had 60,000 gun-bearing men under his command. Occasionally we would halt for a few minutes and the cannoneers would disappear in the darkness, soon returning with a choice assortment of fowls and other desirable plantation supplies. Along about 2 a. m. 'as the advance half of the 54th was descending into a cut, and the lead piece was entering it, some son of belial stuck a shotgun over the crest and let a charge of bird-shot into the infantry.
A whoop went out on the night air and the column came to a halt. It then developed that not a gun was loaded, and a hundred enterprising rebs could have scooped in the entire outfit. They loaded and threw out flankers, but the marauder was miles from there, probably.
CHAPTER XII.
THOMPSON'S HILL TO VICKSBURG.
"The rattling roll of the musketeers,
The ruffled drums and the rallying cheers,
And the rifles burn with a keen desire,
Like the crackling whips of the hemlock's fire;
And the singing shot, and the shrieking shell,
And the splintery fire of the shattered hell;
And the great white breath of the cannon's smoke,
Where the growling guns by batteries spoke."
T OWARDS daylight we began to hear the boom of the enemy's artillery, and at dawn the answering guns of Lamphere's Battery. We stepped out right brisk, whether we were hungry for rebel gunpowder or not. At sunrise Oster- haus met us in a dip between two hills, halted, and told us to get some coffee, quick. Down came a rail fence and fires were blaz- ing in a minute. In another an Aid rode down and urged dis- patch. In two Osterhaus tore down with, "Just as quick as pos- sible, boys," and back up the hill. Just as the coffee boiled up he galloped down with, "I can wait no longer, boys; come mit me." Filling our canteens with the boiling fluid and holding them out at respectful distance we hurried up the hill, Oster- haus telling Kimball and the advance squad what a superior place he had for us, expatiating on its advantages. We topped the hill, filed left around an orchard in which was a disabled gun and caissons of Lamphere's Battery, and some dead and many wounded. On the road we met an occasional soldier hurrying to the rear with a brisk and business step who in- variably hailed, "What battery, boys?" And in reply to our answer always cried, "Give 'ein hell, boys." On divers occa- sions thereafter we met similar business men and this colloquy invariably ensued. Why this fierce desire that we should mo- nopolize this hell business, and why their self-denial to par- ticipate is one of our problems of war. Around the trees we came into the open and before us was Lamphere with a gun, one coming back disabled and a battle line of skirmishers to right and left. Streaming back were men with stretchers car- rying wounded, and dotted among them were men supporting wounded comrades to the rear. A rebel battery of two guns in front of Lamphere was what seemed to be doing the mischief. As Osterhaus led us up in front of this battery some of us began to doubt his judgment as to what might be the desirable places of this earth. A lead driver suggested to Kimball that it would be a good scheme to drop the caissons out here under cover of a rise of ground, which he proceeded to do, also halt-
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ing the left section. The right went forward under Aylmer, and the center under Hackett ranged up on our left. Into bat- tery with a rush and smash went a shell from the right piece, laying out five horses hitched to the rebel gun limber. The 42d Ohio was to our right front, unslinging knapsacks pre- paratory to going in. At the crash of the gun they turned in their tracks, recognized the Battery, gave a cheer and went into the woods in their immediate front; to the left flank, front, of the rebel guns. Sometime thereafter a wounded Lieutenant coming to the rear stopped to give us an encouraging word, saying that while unslinging knapsacks preparatory to moving into the timber they dreaded the fire of those brass guns; that Lamphere didn't seem able to care for them. But at the smash of our first shell they turned to see the source of the heavier report and recognizing us went in satisfied that those guns would have no time for the infantry. The commander of these guns, who was also a Chief of Artillery, swung his pieces to a left oblique and began to sow the woods, wherein were our infantry, with canister. Fatal mistake, and our opportunity- and this same luck was nearly always with us. In seven or eight minutes we dismounted both guns, killed every horse, the Chief of Artillery. Lieutenant commanding the battery and several men. The battery was literally wiped out. It was not a fight. It was not in any sense a battle. It was a giant erushing a pigmy. It seemed literal murder to some of us, hard to shake off in the exultation of signal victory hours later. The fight was practically over for us until late afternoon.
In The National Tribune many years thereafter a contro- versy sprang up and was carried on for a year as to who took two guns at Thompson's Hill. For a long time it puzzled some of us and we began to doubt that we were in it at all. Finally it developed that it was other guns in controversy. We did our work too quick and too clean to allow of dispute, and the guns and the dead and dying lay there a few hundred yards to our front for hours unapproached by any. Having no more work to do. leaving our guns in battery, we fell back a few yards into the shade of a few plum trees.
Bowen was commanding the rebels and, knowing the ground, handled his troops with skill. As our column came up, regi- ments were distribuated towards the right and we lay idly in the shade watching the infantry to our right and left holding their own, seemingly without orders to advance. Few rebels were in sight, none in our innediate front. Voileys came out of the woods beyond and were answered from the nearer woods by our men. There was no stubborn fighting and a regiment, getting out of ammunition, lay in their places, singing "Rally Round the Flag. Boys." over and over again. About noon Grant rode up, sat on his horse and critically examined our
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front. None saw him come. He was simply there, as often thereafter happened, when we had our hands full. Of course, not knowing him, Cavanaugh interviewed him. Jim inter- viewed more general officers than any four other men in the Battery. He once got a chew from McPherson's tobacco box. Towards "hungry time" Logan came along and sent his regi- ments into line on our left as they came up. Governor Yates was with him, but soon remarked that he could see just as well a little further back. He gracefully retired. Kimball and the caisson drivers came up to visit us during the day, and the bullets kept passing over and among us, but no one was struck. Soon Logan had his men in line; none of his batteries were up, and just then hell broke loose. The bullets flew like bees, and 12-pounder Borman fuze caseshot issued from breaths of white smoke at the margin of the woods beyond the battery dismounted in the morning and came straight at our guns. They burst among us, ricochetted over us and burst in admir- able style-for the other fellows. We had to fire at their smoke, being unable to see their guns in the woods. E. B. Clark went down with a bad wound of the leg. A bullet from a caseshot went through Phil. Welch from breast to back and Jim McGill got his death from a bursting shell, all within a few minutes. Aylmer clung to his work with a peculiar vic- iousness, and the boys put up a style of fighting that won hearty applause from our supporting infantry. Amid the din Eph Hackett's voice rang out, "Fire slow, boys. Take it cool; damn 'em, if we can't whip 'em we can tire 'em out."
The long line of infantry broke cover and with a hearty Northern cheer, in marked contrast to the snappy rebel yell, went sweeping over the field. The rebel battery ceased firing and their line melted away. The first battle of the Vicksburg campaign-the most brilliant campaign ever fought on the American continent-was won.
Jim McGill died that night in the church nearby and was buried in the churchyard. His bones now lie in the Vicksburg National Cemetery among those of thousands of his comrades.
"Close his eyes; his work is done! What to him is friend or foeman, Rise of moon or set of sun, Hand of man or kiss of woman."
Clark was sent North and mustered out. and at this writing is in the Soldiers' Home at Los Angeles. Cal.
Phil Welch was left on the field until the last of the wounded were removed, as it was thought he could live but a few hours at farthest. He was then left until all other wounded were cared for, when he was assigned to a cot in the field hos-
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pital upon which to die. The Surgeons would not torture him by probing his wound. They administered some palliative treatment and waited for him to die; but Phil's time had not come to shuffle off his mortal coil. Some days after he was wounded, while the hospital Surgeon was examining a patient on a cot next to Phil, the latter, feeling he had been neglected, put forth a mighty effort, seized a slop pail and struck the Surgeon in the back with it, saying, "Now, d-n you, attend to me." He was rolled over and a rosin-covered ounce ball, which had entered his right breast, cut from under his left shoulder blade. Phil recovered, and rejoined the Battery some six months later, strangely quiet and subdued for him.
Of this battle Sergeant S. D. Blake writes as follows: "Those two guns spoken of were on our right and we had nothing to do with them. The right and center sections went in battery to the left and front of where Lamphere's Battery was then located, but one section of Lamphere's went in battery still in our front. When we opened fire there were two guns in our front (12-pounder Napoleons), one of which we struck with a shell just under the gun and broke it loose from the car- riage and it came down the hill toward us. The other limbered up and started up the ravine toward their rear, but a shell from one of our guns struck the fore axle in the hub, cut it off and killed six horses and two riders. I know this, as I went over the grounds afterwards and examined them. Also I saw the dead Lieutenant, the whole back part of whose head was shot off. I will never forget it. His face looked like a mask. At the time there were two things that we thought were guns in a grove about half a mile in their rear. They were exam- ined by General Osterhaus and other officers and pronounced logs on wheels, but the General gave Gunner MeKeith permis- sion to get the range on them, which he did. In the meantime Generals Grant, McPherson, Logan. McClernand and Oster- haus, with some members of their staffs, came near our guns, looking the thing over, and when a portion of Logan's division came in on our left the said log guns opened on. us. You should have seen those Generals 'git.' We answered imme- diately and soon disabled one of the guns, while they got away with the other, but not until Jim MeGill. Phil Welch and E. B. Clark were wounded. Welch was struck with a bullet from a caseshot. in the breast. which followed the ribs around to the spinal column. McGill was struck by a piece of shell which tore the flesh and museles from the back of the shoul- ders. from which wound he died. and Clark was wounded in the calf of the leg, which resulted in a fever sore.
"As we met Lamphere's Battery coming out at Thompson's Hill when we came up Captain Lamphere mounted one of his guns and proposed three cheers for the Ist Wisconsin Battery,
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and they were given with a vim, and, being taken up by the infantry, woke up the rebels to our sorrow.
"I have been looking over my diary and find that the center section went to the left first and the right came in soon after in command of First Sergeant Aylmer, who was riding a white horse and which made him so conspicuous that he drew the enemy's fire from their sharpshooters, whereupon Lieutenant Hackett ordered him to dismount and send his horse to the rear."
Of this battle Captain Lamphere reports that he fought his entire battery for an hour and a half before we came up, losing six men and eleven horses.
Lieutenant Kimball reports:
Headquarters 1st Wisconsin Battery,
Port Gibson, Miss., May 2, 1863.
Sir: I have the honor to report below the part taken in yesterday's engagement on Thompson's Hili by the 1st Wisconsin Battery, which is as follows, viz:
The battery, under command of Lieutenant Charles B. Kimball, after marching all night, received orders about 6 a. m. to move up rapidly to the front, and was placed in position in the following man- ner:
The right section of the battery, under charge of First Sergeant Edward P. Aylmer, was moved to the extreme left of the line, to relieve a section of Captain Lamphere's (7th Michigan) Battery, which had suffered severely from the fire of two brass pieces of the enemy, planted on an opposite hill, about one and one-fourth miles distant, which we dismounted shortly afterwards. This position it occupied all day, with slight changes to the right or left, as occasion required.
The center section, commanded by Lieutenant E. L. Hackett, moved up to a position on the left of the right section, and opened fire on some buildings immediately to the front, occupied by rebel forces, where it did fearful execution. It occupied the position all day, and late in the afternoon shared with the right section the satisfaction of silencing two guns which the enemy brought to bear upon us with great effect from an open field about a mile off. This was the closing scene of the engagement.
The left section, under command of Lieutenant Oscar F. Nutting, took position on the center of the line, but was ordered by General Grant to reserve their fire until further orders were received from himself, as our supply of ammunition was very limited. This posi- tion it held all day under a galling fire of musketry, which, as ordered, it was compelled to face in silence.
Each section was planted under a galling fire, which was kept up throughout the day. Both men and officers did their duty nobly, and although our numbers were small for 20-pounder guns, and the men greatly fatigued after marching all the previous night, not a complaint was heard, but each man sprang to his work with a right good will, forgetful of their weariness in their desire each to do his duty.
Casualties, four men wounded.
Hoping that our future engagements will be crowned with equal success, I have the honor to remain, Captain. your obedient servant. CHAS. B. KIMBALL,
First Lieutenant Commanding 1st Wisconsin Battery. Capt. J W. Thompson. A. A. A. G., Ninth Division, Thirteenth A. C.
EDWARD LUNN.
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A correspondent of the Cincinnati Commercial thus writes of us in the fight :
"The heaviest fighting of the day was done about two hours before sunset, on the left. The rebels planted a battery of field pieces on a range of hills very difficult of access to our infan- try, and commenced a vigorous onslaught upon General Oster- haus's division, compelling it to seek refuge in a ravine and behind the timber on either side. Osterhaus sent word that he was hardly pressed. The 1st Wisconsin Battery of four Parrott guns, under command of Captain Foster, was sent to his relief. Securing as favorable position as could be found, Foster opened upon the rebels and turned the scale against them in a few minutes."
This was our May-day party, and there wasn't any "If you're waking, call me early, mother" business about it. It was the oft-repeated tale of marching all night and taking a cold skirmish for breakfast, the skirmish warming into a battle for dinner, and chase or be chased all night for dessert.
We camped on the field that night, watering our horses in Port Gibson, and struck east in the early morning, two of our brigades leading off. Of course, Grand Gulf was left in a hurry by the rebels, leaving their heavy guns and some stores. The fleet took possession, and on each gun was painted "Taken by Admiral Porter, May 2, 1863, at Grand Gulf, Miss."
On the route an interval occurred between us and an infan- try regiment just where a road came in at a left oblique. Logan's advance cut us off, notwithstanding Kimball rode up and asked the officer to halt his column a few minutes and let us in. And there we halted in the hot sun until Logan's large division marched by. Scarcely had the rear passed when Logan himself galloped up from the front with an order from Grant for us to go with him. This was the first of our being lent. Sometimes the entire battery, and again a section or two, would be detached to serve with some other division. We soon began to feel like nobody's child; or, rather, everybody's mule. If there was a nasty piece of artillery work to do anywhere in that army they seemed to call on us to go to the front. Logan got his division out of the road and we marched by, passing a six-gun battery of 20-pounder Parrotts en route. They had run upon a 12-gun battery on the opposite side of Bayou Pierre, and Logan having seen our work the day before thought we were just the tool he wanted to his hand. The roads were heavy and the guns lugged. Logan, in his impatience, would get far ahead, look around. ride back and persuasively ask the drivers if they "couldn't just touch 'em up a bit." The lead driver was sulky over being cut out by his division, the long wait in the sun and the ungra- ciousness of the officer who cut us off, and wouldn't "touch
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'em up," and surlily remarked that we'd have been just where he wanted us but for the piggishness of said officer. Logan kept his pleasant suavity all through, and that lead driver is ashamed to this day when he thinks of Logan.
We went in on the right of DeGolyer's five guns-he had one disabled at the May-day party-and the skirmishers just then discovered that the twelve masked guns were Quakers, and the rebel support decamped.
We straggled along with Logan a day or two, when Oster- haus rode up with an order from Grant and cried: "You come mit me, my boys." We cheered, mounted and followed him over to where his division was camped. He seemed as pleased as though he'd found a lost treasure. When addressing any man he called him Foster. He led us up on to a knoll, saying, "Here you camps; there is water; I send you a load of corn;" pointed to a rail fence and said. "You must look around and get you some chickens and some pigs, and make yourselves comfortable." We did.
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