History of the First Light Battery Connecticut Volunteers, 1861-1865. Personal records and reminiscences. The story of the battery from its organization to the present time (1901) (14739808506)

Identifier: historyoffirstli01beec (find matches)
Title: History of the First Light Battery Connecticut Volunteers, 1861-1865. Personal records and reminiscences. The story of the battery from its organization to the present time
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Beecher, Herbert W De Morgan, John, ed
Subjects: United States. Army. Connecticut Artillery Battery, 1st (1861-1865) United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Regimental histories
Publisher: New York, A. T. De La Mare Ptg. and Pub. Co., Ltd
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation



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ot, which passed about ten feet over the heads of the comradesworking the section guns, hitting and killing instantly the officers horsesthat had been hitched to the fence. The officers curiosity was gratified,but it cost them their horses, and made them hunt cover and walk thebalance of the way. The enemy had a perfect line range on the spot wherethe section was located, but fired a little too high. One of the shells burst-ing over Corp. Huntingtons gun, a piece struck it and chipped out a pieceof metal, leaving a scar on the gun about an eighth of an inch deep.The artillery duel lasting about half an hour, suddenly stopped, theenemy ceasing to fire. Corp, Huntington did not know whether hesilenced their guns, or they ran out of ammunition, or got tired and quit.After it was all over and the Corporal saw the horses lying by the fence,much as he regretted seeing anything hurt or property destroyed, could nothelp feeling pleased that the officers lost their horses and were compelled to
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FIRST LIGHT BATTERY, 1861—1865 433 walk back, for ordering such a foolish and uncalled for, senseless attack,wasting ammunition and endangering the section with the only tangibleresult, the loss of a few horses. The centre section was ordered into a ploughed field in front of thehospital, and not far from the battlefield of the previous day, to protect aportion of the line and feel the enemys works. The Connecticut Battery was in an untenable position, and incapable ofdoing much good. The enemy had the range accurately, and it seemedalmost miraculous that a man escaped. The rains had made the field soft, and every time the gun was fired itwould recoil and sink into the mud up to the axles, which made firingdifficult. The gun had to be lifted out of the mud by main strength aftereach shot, a detail of the 55th Pennsylvania being called to assist in extri-cating the guns. The infantry threw their blanket-rolls in a pile near agun, and Capt. Rockwell, who accompanied the centre section