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Regtl. Staff Shiloh 2020
Asst. Regtl. QM Stones River / Franklin 2022
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- Dec 9, 2017
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- North Mississippi
The 1st Minnesota Battery served with distinction on Sunday, April 6th at the Battle of Shiloh, unfortunately they did not receive the praise they deserved. W.H.L. Wallace,their division commander, was mortally wounded and Captain Emil Munch, the battery commander was seriously wounded and did not write an Official Report about the unit's performance.
Years after the War the state of Minnesota issued Minnesota in the civil and Indian wars 1861-1865, published in 1890, contained the article listed below. I am posting this in 2 parts:
Regards
David
NARRATIVE OF THE FIRST BATTERY OF LIGHT ARTILLERY. BY LIEUTENANT HENRY S. HURTER.
We had not proceeded over three- quarters of a mile when the latter pulled out to the left of the road and commenced to get into battery. We formed on the right of the road, but before we had unlimbered, the rebels, whom we saw skulking through the woods, opened on us, and one man (Stinson) fell shot through the neck, while three others (Lammers, Davis and Blood) were wounded. The two first named subsequently died of their wounds, although it is the writer s opinion that either of the two, with proper care, would have recovered. Our captain soon perceived that the rebels had discovered two batteries firing on them with not a solitary infantry man to cover them, and determined on taking them in, gave the order to limber to the rear, and owing to his sound judgment shown in the manner in which we had formed into battery, we retired without leaving any of our guns, although the left piece of the centre section had become disabled, the trail breaking in two at the elevation screw. Capt. Munch’s horse received a bullet in his head and fell, and in attempting to remove his saddle the captain himself received a ball in his thigh, disabling him for further service on that field.
When our battery, retreating, passed our camp, the writer made a flying visit to it. While directing a couple of sick comrades, who were still in the tents unaware of the condition of things, what direction to take, the rebel bullets commenced to fly about, indicating that they were closing up pretty fast.
When I rejoined the battery it had just taken a new position on a small elevation with an open field to our left, and was awaiting the enemy. The writer’s gun, the remaining one of the centre section, under Lieut. Fisher, was soon placed in position within a few yards of an open field, on the other side of which a large log house and barricades built by the rebels were taken for our aim. We were firing percussion shells at them. The guns had become dirty, the water in the sponge bucket had been spilled and no other water could be obtained. The consequence was that one of the shells, the lining of which had been loosened in some way, stuck about half-way down the piece. We were in a dilemma what to do. Ramming was of no use, but even dangerous to our selves. We did not dare to fire it, for fear of exploding the piece and injuring some of the men surrounding us. Finally it was decided to go back to the landing, where we would find the gun with the broken trail, dismount the piece, and mount it on our carriage.
When we arrived on the edge of the hill forming the landing we found it covered with soldiers, who had taken refuge there from the rebel shot and bullets, who had given up all hope and turned a deaf ear to entreaties of officers, asking them, for God s sake, to rise and go out to assist their brethren, who, within a mile of them, tried to stem the onslaught of the victorious foe. This crowd was so panic-stricken, so discouraged and disheartened, that nothing but a miracle seemed to be able to revive them. The most blood-curdling stories of Southern cruelty, murder and vengeance passed around, and had the Tennessee River not formed such an effectual barrier to their retreat many of them would never have stopped until they reached their Northern homes.
Fortunately the steam boats lying at the landing had been ordered to move out into the stream, other wise no power on earth could have prevented those desperate fellows from crowding onto them, overloading and sinking them. It took us more than an hour to reach our broken gun, down at the foot of the landing, as we had to use all kinds of means to move the men out of our road. When at last we had a serviceable gun again, and wanted to return to our position with the rest of the battery, all trace of the same had been lost, and we were compelled to remain where we stood. It was about 5 o clock p. m. when, to our great joy, the other four guns made their appearance, but in what plight!
They had been with Gen. Prentiss and W. H. L. Wallace in that hotly contested fight at the so-called "hornets nest." It was the First Minnesota Battery, one section under Lieut. Pfaender, the other under Lieut. Peebles, which, together with a Missouri battery, stood there for hours, repelling charge after charge, and receiving, after all, but little praise for their action. Why? Gen. Wallace, the man who had supported our guns with his regiments, who had stood almost among them, watching the execution of their shots, laid down his life upon the altar of his country a few minutes after he had given Lieut. Pfaender orders to try and get his guns out, seeing that it would be useless to hold on longer.
Gen. Prentiss, who had scarcely any knowledge of the existence of such an organization as the First Minnesota Battery, whose division had been about the first surprised by the unexpected attack that morning, and who, after almost superhuman efforts, had at last to surrender to the victorious enemy, had no time to observe much of the doings of a few guns, and hence it is that no reports of the battle have ever mentioned the battery.
One thing is sure, and I defy anyone to deny the truth, that had the forces under the two above mentioned leaders not stood up so heroically and valiantly to their task, nothing would have prevented Beauregard and his hosts from the execution of his threat to drive us into the Tennessee. [At the request of the commission, Lieutenant Colonel William Pfaender, who as first lieutenant had command of the battery after Captain Munch was disabled, has made a statement of his recollections of the battle, which is here inserted:] l Early Sunday, April 6th, the camp was put in order, and the officers and men arranged their tents to be ready for inspection, little dreaming that the stray shots which were heard in front indicated more than the firing of the reliefs coming from picket duty. But soon the firing became more lively, and noting a sudden motion in the camp of the Fifth Ohio Battery, which was not very far off, its meaning was soon explained by an orderly dashing up and bringing the verbal order to move to the front immediately. In a very short time the battery was ready and quickly advanced in the direction which had been taken by the Fifth Ohio Battery, meeting numbers of men running to the rear; but the battery moved briskly on and shortly reached a position in a somewhat open timber patch where the Fifth Ohio Battery had formed, but without firing a shot, on our arrival had just commenced retreating.
Being hard pressed by the rebels, some of their pieces were left behind, and as we formed the rebels had already taken possession of them and were trying to turn them upon us; but before they could do so our firing commenced and drove them back. A heavy skirmish line of the enemy was at this moment within a hundred yards of the battery. In forming for action one, of the drivers of the first (right) section of the battery had been killed and several men wounded, but our rapid firing soon cleared our immediate front and checked the further advance of the enemy, as our formation happened to be in the shape of the convex of a light crescent, and our fire, therefore, covered a wider range than in regular formation. Up to the time of our coming into action no artillery firing had been heard, and it is a fact, which will not be disputed, that the First Minnesota Battery fired the first guns on that memorable day. The rebels finding that it was absolutely necessary to dislodge or capture the bat tery before they could advance, took shelter from our canister behind trees, and tried hard to pick off officers and gunners, and succeeded in wounding Captain Munch and several men, and killing and wounding a number of horses.
The battery having had no support whatever, and being left entirely alone, the captain, just before being wounded, gave the order to retreat, and while he was brought to the rear the movement was carried out in good order, beginning from the left; and as the last piece on the right turned to follow, the head driver, stunned by a glancing bullet, got in between two trees with his span, causing a- delay which nearly resulted in the capture of the gun, as a rebel column had turned to the right to flank the battery, and the detachment slipped out just in front of the head of their column without a man or a horse being hurt. About a mile back of the first position the battery again formed in charge of Lieutenant Pfaender, who had assumed command, but being still without any support, under the personal direction of General Prentiss, fell back a quarter of a mile further and behind the new line which had in the meantime been formed by General Hurlbut. " Shortly after the battery had commenced firing in the first position the trail of one of the six-pounders of the second section broke, and being rendered entirely un-serviceable, was ordered to the rear. The remaining piece of the second section was also rendered un-serviceable, one of the percussion balls getting stuck when rammed about half down; and when the battery arrived within Hurlbut s lines this piece was also ordered to Pittsburgh Landing, with instructions to mount one complete gun out of the two disabled ones, and to rejoin the battery if possible. At the same time the remaining four guns were again fully equipped, the vacancies filled and horses replaced from the second section, and in a short time the battery was ready for further service.
Part 1 To be continued
Years after the War the state of Minnesota issued Minnesota in the civil and Indian wars 1861-1865, published in 1890, contained the article listed below. I am posting this in 2 parts:
Regards
David
NARRATIVE OF THE FIRST BATTERY OF LIGHT ARTILLERY. BY LIEUTENANT HENRY S. HURTER.
BATTLE OF PITTSBURGH LANDING
The evening of April 4th, orders were received transferring us to Prentiss division, about two miles to the left. On Saturday we moved camp, and struck our tents in full sight of Prentiss headquarters and alongside the Fifth (Hickenlooper’s) Ohio Battery. Being bent on putting camp in as good shape as possible for Sunday inspection, we were out and at it bright and early. It must have been soon after five o clock in the morning when we heard the first firing in what we then supposed was the front, but little attention was paid to it, everyone sup posing that the pickets were firing off their guns on being relieved. About seven o clock we noticed a commotion at the headquarters; the general and his staff mounting and riding off in the direction whence the firing came. The Eighteenth Wisconsin, which arrived the day before, fresh from Madison, Wis., and were camped a little to the left and front of us, left their camp and marched in the same direction, while we had orders to be ready to move at a moment s warning. For about ten or fifteen minutes all was hurry and bustle in camp, then we stood ready waiting for the order. Without rations, without baggage of any kind, leaving our knapsacks packed in our tents, under charge of the quartermaster sergeant and the wagonmaster (who, by the way, had six baggage wagons under him), we finally left the camp under orders to proceed to the front, following the four guns of the Fifth Ohio.We had not proceeded over three- quarters of a mile when the latter pulled out to the left of the road and commenced to get into battery. We formed on the right of the road, but before we had unlimbered, the rebels, whom we saw skulking through the woods, opened on us, and one man (Stinson) fell shot through the neck, while three others (Lammers, Davis and Blood) were wounded. The two first named subsequently died of their wounds, although it is the writer s opinion that either of the two, with proper care, would have recovered. Our captain soon perceived that the rebels had discovered two batteries firing on them with not a solitary infantry man to cover them, and determined on taking them in, gave the order to limber to the rear, and owing to his sound judgment shown in the manner in which we had formed into battery, we retired without leaving any of our guns, although the left piece of the centre section had become disabled, the trail breaking in two at the elevation screw. Capt. Munch’s horse received a bullet in his head and fell, and in attempting to remove his saddle the captain himself received a ball in his thigh, disabling him for further service on that field.
When our battery, retreating, passed our camp, the writer made a flying visit to it. While directing a couple of sick comrades, who were still in the tents unaware of the condition of things, what direction to take, the rebel bullets commenced to fly about, indicating that they were closing up pretty fast.
When I rejoined the battery it had just taken a new position on a small elevation with an open field to our left, and was awaiting the enemy. The writer’s gun, the remaining one of the centre section, under Lieut. Fisher, was soon placed in position within a few yards of an open field, on the other side of which a large log house and barricades built by the rebels were taken for our aim. We were firing percussion shells at them. The guns had become dirty, the water in the sponge bucket had been spilled and no other water could be obtained. The consequence was that one of the shells, the lining of which had been loosened in some way, stuck about half-way down the piece. We were in a dilemma what to do. Ramming was of no use, but even dangerous to our selves. We did not dare to fire it, for fear of exploding the piece and injuring some of the men surrounding us. Finally it was decided to go back to the landing, where we would find the gun with the broken trail, dismount the piece, and mount it on our carriage.
When we arrived on the edge of the hill forming the landing we found it covered with soldiers, who had taken refuge there from the rebel shot and bullets, who had given up all hope and turned a deaf ear to entreaties of officers, asking them, for God s sake, to rise and go out to assist their brethren, who, within a mile of them, tried to stem the onslaught of the victorious foe. This crowd was so panic-stricken, so discouraged and disheartened, that nothing but a miracle seemed to be able to revive them. The most blood-curdling stories of Southern cruelty, murder and vengeance passed around, and had the Tennessee River not formed such an effectual barrier to their retreat many of them would never have stopped until they reached their Northern homes.
Fortunately the steam boats lying at the landing had been ordered to move out into the stream, other wise no power on earth could have prevented those desperate fellows from crowding onto them, overloading and sinking them. It took us more than an hour to reach our broken gun, down at the foot of the landing, as we had to use all kinds of means to move the men out of our road. When at last we had a serviceable gun again, and wanted to return to our position with the rest of the battery, all trace of the same had been lost, and we were compelled to remain where we stood. It was about 5 o clock p. m. when, to our great joy, the other four guns made their appearance, but in what plight!
They had been with Gen. Prentiss and W. H. L. Wallace in that hotly contested fight at the so-called "hornets nest." It was the First Minnesota Battery, one section under Lieut. Pfaender, the other under Lieut. Peebles, which, together with a Missouri battery, stood there for hours, repelling charge after charge, and receiving, after all, but little praise for their action. Why? Gen. Wallace, the man who had supported our guns with his regiments, who had stood almost among them, watching the execution of their shots, laid down his life upon the altar of his country a few minutes after he had given Lieut. Pfaender orders to try and get his guns out, seeing that it would be useless to hold on longer.
Gen. Prentiss, who had scarcely any knowledge of the existence of such an organization as the First Minnesota Battery, whose division had been about the first surprised by the unexpected attack that morning, and who, after almost superhuman efforts, had at last to surrender to the victorious enemy, had no time to observe much of the doings of a few guns, and hence it is that no reports of the battle have ever mentioned the battery.
One thing is sure, and I defy anyone to deny the truth, that had the forces under the two above mentioned leaders not stood up so heroically and valiantly to their task, nothing would have prevented Beauregard and his hosts from the execution of his threat to drive us into the Tennessee. [At the request of the commission, Lieutenant Colonel William Pfaender, who as first lieutenant had command of the battery after Captain Munch was disabled, has made a statement of his recollections of the battle, which is here inserted:] l Early Sunday, April 6th, the camp was put in order, and the officers and men arranged their tents to be ready for inspection, little dreaming that the stray shots which were heard in front indicated more than the firing of the reliefs coming from picket duty. But soon the firing became more lively, and noting a sudden motion in the camp of the Fifth Ohio Battery, which was not very far off, its meaning was soon explained by an orderly dashing up and bringing the verbal order to move to the front immediately. In a very short time the battery was ready and quickly advanced in the direction which had been taken by the Fifth Ohio Battery, meeting numbers of men running to the rear; but the battery moved briskly on and shortly reached a position in a somewhat open timber patch where the Fifth Ohio Battery had formed, but without firing a shot, on our arrival had just commenced retreating.
Being hard pressed by the rebels, some of their pieces were left behind, and as we formed the rebels had already taken possession of them and were trying to turn them upon us; but before they could do so our firing commenced and drove them back. A heavy skirmish line of the enemy was at this moment within a hundred yards of the battery. In forming for action one, of the drivers of the first (right) section of the battery had been killed and several men wounded, but our rapid firing soon cleared our immediate front and checked the further advance of the enemy, as our formation happened to be in the shape of the convex of a light crescent, and our fire, therefore, covered a wider range than in regular formation. Up to the time of our coming into action no artillery firing had been heard, and it is a fact, which will not be disputed, that the First Minnesota Battery fired the first guns on that memorable day. The rebels finding that it was absolutely necessary to dislodge or capture the bat tery before they could advance, took shelter from our canister behind trees, and tried hard to pick off officers and gunners, and succeeded in wounding Captain Munch and several men, and killing and wounding a number of horses.
The battery having had no support whatever, and being left entirely alone, the captain, just before being wounded, gave the order to retreat, and while he was brought to the rear the movement was carried out in good order, beginning from the left; and as the last piece on the right turned to follow, the head driver, stunned by a glancing bullet, got in between two trees with his span, causing a- delay which nearly resulted in the capture of the gun, as a rebel column had turned to the right to flank the battery, and the detachment slipped out just in front of the head of their column without a man or a horse being hurt. About a mile back of the first position the battery again formed in charge of Lieutenant Pfaender, who had assumed command, but being still without any support, under the personal direction of General Prentiss, fell back a quarter of a mile further and behind the new line which had in the meantime been formed by General Hurlbut. " Shortly after the battery had commenced firing in the first position the trail of one of the six-pounders of the second section broke, and being rendered entirely un-serviceable, was ordered to the rear. The remaining piece of the second section was also rendered un-serviceable, one of the percussion balls getting stuck when rammed about half down; and when the battery arrived within Hurlbut s lines this piece was also ordered to Pittsburgh Landing, with instructions to mount one complete gun out of the two disabled ones, and to rejoin the battery if possible. At the same time the remaining four guns were again fully equipped, the vacancies filled and horses replaced from the second section, and in a short time the battery was ready for further service.
Part 1 To be continued