they came up and that they had dried them in the sunshine two whole days. These shells
were flying 30 or 40 feet too high to hit us, but at length, the keen watchful eye of Adjt.
Murphy caught them about in the right place, and he began to send them a fine lot of
shells that did burst! We afterwards heard that one of Murphy’s shells fell among the
men working around their guns, not far from the old livery stable in the upper end of
Ironton, and when it exploded, it killed and wounded 16 men! Bad Murphy,- you were
that shot! Then there was a rebel major standing at one corner of the livery stable with a
glass taking observation, and one of “Bad Murphy’s” passing shots cut both his legs off,
from which wounds, he soon died. I have now forgotten his name.
Now, it seems prudent that Adjt. Murphy have the exact range of the crest of the
arm of Shepherd’s Mt. that protrudes eastward,- the crest of which is about three quarters
of a mile from the fort. He directed Lieut. Fessler to train the southeast gun on the crest,
and he called to Capt. Powers in the south rifle pit to note where the trial shot struck, but
the Captain was in one of his peculiar, deep absent-minded studies, and before he woke
up, the shot was on its way. I saw it strike and replied, “About 12 feet under the tops of
the trees, sir!” Later in the day, the utility of this single practicing shot was surely felt, as
not many yards of where this shot struck, the rebel guns opened on the fort.
Since the war, I learned that Gen. Ewing was spoken to twice that day by a white
flag from Gen. Price,- but I did not then know it. I noticed that about 11:00 or 11:30
o’clock, there was a short slow-down in our constant fire of guns in the fort, but we saw
no white flag. Then also in the afternoon, Capt. Powers, afterwards told me that in
council of war held that night, Gen. Ewing told the officers present that he received no
official information that Price was actually present and in personal command until at
eleven o’clock that day. At twelve o’clock, or perhaps a little later, a call was made on
Company H for one Lieut. and 20 men to go under the command of Capt. Milks with 60
men of the 3rd M. S. M. They were ordered to the northwest slope of Shepherd’s Mt.
pretty well up on the mountain slope, to deploy as skirmishers. We saw them no more
until after dark that night. It has always been a puzzle to me why they were sent out there
and beyond the reach of the fort. Lieut. Settle told me that in almost no time they were
cut off from the fort! Now, we looked somewhat little,- Company H! There were seven
lost to us in the Patterson affair,- thirty-five the night before with Lieut. Tate, and now
twenty more with Lieut. Settle, beyond our reach on Shepherd’s Mt. It was not far from
one o’clock that we could see squads of the rebels prowling into the ravine in Shepherd’s
Mt. up near the crest of the mountain that looked down into the fort. Be it remembered
that this rugged steep ravine extends from near the crest of the mountain eastward to
Stout’s Creek where the old stockade mule corral stood which was two hundred yards or
over below the fort. The high arm of Shepherd’s Mt. , (the point of Adjt. Murphy’s
practicing shot) that extended eastward forms the south side of the ravine and a steep
rugged nose or point of Shepherd’s Mt. forms the north side of the ravine. This steep
ridge, nose or point was next to the fort and the base just south of Stout’s Creek was not
exceeding 150 yards from the fort, and perhaps much less. The crest or backbone of this
steep rugged ridge, nose or point was not exceeding 180 yards to the south of the fort,
and its side next to the fort had been cleared of the thick bushes; so a squirrel or rabbit
couldn’t have found a hiding place from view of the fort. Lieut. Sutton afterwards told
me that with the field glass, a group of rebel officers were discovered with their field
glasses, taking observations of the fort and its surroundings and the forces and guns. This
96
group of confederate officers he said, stood under a white flag somewhere near the crest
of Shepherd’s Mt., near the head of the ravine. I did not see the white flag, but well
remember that “our Dave” did. He soon had that part of the mountain too hot for a white
or even a black flag!
As we could see no part of the bottom of the ravine from the fort, except at the
head near the crest of the mountain, Gen. Ewing sent one man, on horseback of the 3rd
M. S. M., down in the flat towards the gap until he could see the bottom or steep, rugged
hollow of the ravine from bottom to top. We almost held our breath as we anxiously
watched him as he rode in a walk, looking up in the ravine. As he came opposite to the
old mule corral at the mouth of the ravine, he came to a sudden halt, and at once wheeled
his horse for the fort at full gallop, firing his revolver up the ravine, and shouting at the
top of his voice,- “Rebels! Rebels!” He discovered that the ravine was full of rebels!
Then instantly the whole nine guns gave that ravine their particular individual attention.
We could hear the shouts of Murphy and Fessler as they set every gun to work with
shells,- thirty-twos, twenty-four’s and three inch percussion shells. The ravine from top
to bottom seemed to be almost one solid blaze of fire of the fast dropping and bursting
shells. We then could see the rebels in small groups, dodging hither and thither among
the rocks and trees to escape that awful fusillade of bursting shells. As the fire on the
ravine slowed down, about forty men, or perhaps less, of the 14th Iowa were sent to the
crest of the steep, rugged nose or point, over against and to the south of the fort forming
so as to face the ravine yet south of them. They were all in plain view of us as they sat in
line on the hugh boulders that rested on two crest of the nose. They reminded me of a
flock of turkeys sunning themselves.
Then, about this time, a battery opened on us from somewheres, probably south of
the main prong of Stout’s Creek that flows eastward between Ironton and Arcadia, and
along the north base of the granite knoll-hill where old Fort Curtis stood, which we were
afterwards told, was Gen. Price’s headquarters. Their shots struck and imbedded
themselves in the steeper slope of the roll-hill, about 35 yards southeast of where Fort
Davidson stood, and near the foot of this steeper ground, about 25 yards east and facing
the southern part of our south rifle pit. We could distinctly hear the “zip” of the shots as
they struck and could see the dirt fly. Our Captain watched them striking and selecting a
favorable moment, ran out there with a spade and dug one of the shots out and brought it
in for inspection. It was an unexploded shell about four inches in diameter. He went up
near the ditch and tossed it over to Adjt. Murphy as he stood waiting to examine it.
These shots were about 12 feet too low and some ten or twelve yards too far east to hit
the fort. Then soon a shot struck so that it rebounded and then came rolling along on the
ground in our immediate front. It had hardly stopped before one of the boys ran out and
picked it up. It was also an unexploded shell. One of the old 14th Iowa boys who was
standing with Company M in the rifle pit, said “Ah, my boy, if you had seen as many of
those things rolling on the ground as I have, you’d let ‘em alone!”
At probably half past one o’clock, or perhaps a little later, we saw one of the 14th
Iowa boys quit his place in the skirmish line on the crest of the nose and come over to the
fort to report. He stood on the brink of the moat at the head of our rifle pit, as he reported
to Gen. Ewing in the fort. He said, “Colors are ascending the south side of Pilot Knob!”
The rebels colors were hidden from our view behind the mountain. This report at once
drew attention in the direction of our side of Pilot Knob, and very soon shells were flying
97
in that direction. Now, Comrade Jas. F. Johnson comes in to help us again. “Company
E, or the 40 men under Lieut. Tetley, were sent to Pilot Knob not very far southwest of
the iron furnace and up a little above the base of the mountain at the foot of a steep bushy
ravine, with Maj. Wilson and Capt. Dinger over to our right, extending from the furnace
north across the Farmington Road. I was not well and had slept none the night before
down on Stout’s Creek. I was seated at the root of a small black oak tree when all at once
a small limb fell on my shoulder, as a big thirty-two shell cut off the limb as it went
singing over our heads! Others followed in quick succession! We all at once sprang to
our feet and Tetley said, “What in the h—l are they shelling at us for?” He then stepped
out and fired two shots in the air as a signal to cease firing in that direction, but to no
purpose. We then saw a man cross the ravine about 40 yards above us, and just as Lieut.
Tetley ordered one of the boys to go up there to see what he was after, we saw a whole
mass of rebels rush across the ravine where this single man was seen. Then we saw the
whole mountain side above us was alive with them and we understood the shells! The
Lieut. at once ordered us to open fire on them which we did, by volley. I then said,
‘Lieut. we had better fall back or we will all be killed or captured!” He replied, ‘No,
d—m ‘em! Give them another volley, boys!’ Then at the instant we delivered the second
and last volley, I saw the Lieut. stagger as he began to sink backwards! He had received
an ugly wound in the upper arm or shoulder. (The rebels by this time were running lead
all over us) He said, “Boys, don’t let ‘em get me!” We at once began to retreat for the
fort, taking our wounded Lieutenant with us. As we ran, we saw that our only hope was
to make the north end of the north rifle pit by bearing to the right through the town of
Pilot Knob, as they were now closing down on old Fort Davidson from Shepherd’s Mt.
And Pilot Knob. And up the Valley from the gap. Our progress was rather slower than
we liked, as we were determined to get our brave wounded Lieutenant to our Field
Hospital. But by dodging from house to house, we at last succeeded in tumbling into the
north rifle pit among Company F of the 50th Mo. And Company A of the 47th Mo., under
command of Col. Fletcher. We got in without further loss in killed and wounded. This
onrushing line of rebels cut off Maj. Wilson and Capt. Dinger and their men from the
fort, and they were all captured.”
Comrade C. B. L. Rowland of Company A says,- “I had charge of the prisoners at
the guard house and we were ordered into the fort, at or soon after twelve o’clock, and
later in the day, I noticed that things got lively over there near the iron furnace. I saw the
enemy’s line then come rushing on the fort from Pilot Knob. Company E was making a
desperate effort to reach the north rifle pit, and then Gen. Ewing said to me,- “Sergeant,
take your men and check that line until Company E can get in.” We (25 men) dashed out
of the fort over the draw bridge and as we ran, we deployed so as to face the surging line
of onrushing rebels, and at once opened fire on them. Then as we saw Company E go
tumbling into the north rifle pit, we retired into the fort without the loss of a single man.”
At the instant the things were occurring just related by Comrades Johnson and
Rowland, we were too busy watching things that were coming from Shepherd’s Mt. to
look but little in any other direction. Scarcely had the 14th Iowa boy, who came over to
report, reached his position in the skirmish line on the crest of the nose (Point) south of
us, when a roaring volley was delivered from the ravine at the 14th Iowa boys in the
skirmish line over there south of us, and two of them tumbled off of the boulders toward
us from where they sat. Then with the coolness of old “Vets” which they certainly were,
98
they sat quietly and deliberately delivered a well directed volley into the onrushing rebels
as they came pouring out of the ravine to storm the fort. Then the 14th boys coolly
descended from their position on the boulders, and picked up their wounded comrades,
one a Lieutenant and the other a private. Their wounds were not so severe but that they
could walk by the support of two men to the man. It was wonderful indeed, to watch
them as they slowly and carefully picked their way down the steep, rocky side of the
point, keeping their wounded comrades always in front, and before they had reached the
bottom of the point, their place on the point began to swarm with onrushing rebels!’ On
reaching the bottom they came on the double quick, as the wounded boys could hop
pretty well with two men to support them. Then the grape and canister shot flew! About
the time the 14th boys struck the bottom, or perhaps a little before, or simultaneously, the
rebel gun opened on us from the crest of the arm of Shepherd’s Mt. I believe I could
have touched that first shot as it buzzed over our heads! The rebel guns were in range
with our rifle pit, and the first shot struck in the bottom on the rifle pit just above
Company, between Capt. Adairs’ feet, causing him to jump about two feet high and say
some ugly ‘cuss’ words! He then hastily ran with his men, Company F, for the sally port.
Then the 14th Iowa boys passed us, and I well remember seeing blood on the Lieutenant’s
thigh as he ran by us. Then Company G, next to the creek, began to use the sally port.
Then our Captain said,- “I’ll run in and see if I can get orders to go into the fort!” That
seemed peculiar military to me! As some two or three of Company A started to follow
Company G into the fort, I said, “Hold on boys, no orders to go in yet!” The rebel shots
were all this time buzzing over us and sounded like the noise made by rapidly drawing a
long rope through the fork of a sapling. I then said, “Crouch, boys! Crouch! Crouch
behind your blankets!” I had never seen this kind of a command in the “Army Tactics”
but it was handy and answered the purpose admirably just then, as we quickly obeyed it.
I then began to glance around and I saw the rebels coming swarming from the east and
southeast, but I was more closely watching that surging mass that swarmed all over the
point south of us where the Iowa boys were a few moments before. In much less time
than I have been penning it, the advance of the mass of rebels had reached the foot of the
point, but yet they came, pouring down the point. Our Captain had not yet returned, and I
saw that it was folly to remain longer there in the rifle pit, crouched behind our blankets,
as in two moments longer, the surging mass would be swarming all around us. I then
said, “Empty your guns into them, boys, and then we will go into the fort!” We then
delivered an oblique fire into the thickest mass yet rushing down the side of the point. I
then said,- “Into the fort, boys, quick! And go to work!” We then ran up in the rifle pit
and jumped down into the moat, and as the boys crowded for the sally port, Comrade
Henry Daniel and I stepped to the left in the moat and loaded our muskets and I said,-
“Henry, we’ll kill the first man that gets in the rifle pit!” As we had a clear view down
the rifle pit to the creek, we could see them crossing the creek and rushing up on either
side of the rifle pit, but not a man dare get in it. I then said,- “Nobody going to get in that
rifle pit, Henry, let us go into the fort.” As we entered the sally port, we found two of
Company H too tired (?) to climb the stairway, but with the help of that guard in there
with his sabre bayonet, we rested them very quickly. Up we ran, and as I reached the top,
I glanced around to see that every gun was now silent as so many hollow logs! Then as I
turned to the right to take my place near the big southeast thirty-two, I glanced over the
south parapet at that surging mass, not twenty yards from us, as they were rapidly closing
99
around the fort! There at our very thin line along the south parapet! My God! Can we
ever hold them? There was Capt. Milks with 80 men out, we knew not where then,-
about 40 men out with Capt. Dinger and Maj. Wilson, then prisoners, and about 125 now
idle artillerymen, for who could possibly live a moment to stand up exposed to load the
guns? The say, 25 others without guns, equal 270 men. Then 1063 less 270 equals only
793 men with guns in their hands. Then if we count out Lieut. Tate and his 35 men, we
have left only 758 men! But what had we to hold and whip, or die? The records show
that “when Price was being tried by a court of inquiry at Shreveport, in April 1865, for
the failure of his Missouri campaign, his chief of engineer corps, Capt. T. J. Mackey,
testified that the assault on Fort Davidson was made by 7500 men,- which statement was
never contradicted.” Now it is seen that we had not less that nine to one opposed to us.
There was our fearful task before us! The fort surrounded on the east, south, and
west for two thirds of the way around by a dense mass of infantry, their guns still hurling
shot and shell at the fort, and over yonder to the west and northwest, came Slayback and
Freeman with a dark cloud of cavalry to cut us down if we attempted to escape! As I
came in, I saw the stately form of Gen. Ewing, arms folded, mouth tightly closed and
slightly pale, but firm as a “stonewall”. He was walking erect from side to side, looking
here and there at the surging mass around us. Then here comes the wounded Lieutenant
of the brave old 14th Iowa, limping hither and thither, cheering the boys to do their best.
Capt. Campbell, Adjt. Murphy and other brave officers, I could see, were rushing from
side to side, using all of the powers that was in them to direct and cheer the noble boys
then down on their knees at the parapets, pouring lead into the surging mass of rebels! O,
but it was hot there! In an instant our smoke hung as a dense cloud about two feet above
the parapet, and the rebels smoke came down almost to their knees, hiding their bodies,
but we could see the great cluster of fast moving legs and feet as they seemed to shift to
the right and left and every other way. Lieut. Little afterwards told me that old Fort
Davidson, from his position on Shepherd’s Mt. looked like a mighty burning tar-kiln, as
our smoke slowly rose heavenward, there not being sufficient breeze to unfold “Old
Glory” that then hung limp on his high pole over our heads.
Yes, I took my place among the boys at the parapet, and at once began to deliver
my shots also, stepping back to reload, then advance up the steps, kneel and fire. As I
was thus engaged, Comrade George B. Hammock, (a faithful Company H boy) who was
rapidly reloading near me, pointed to his aged father standing by him, pockets filled with
cartridge and both hands busy handling and tearing cartridges and giving caps to his
brave boy and to all others in reach of him. I then availed myself of the already torn
cartridges that he offered me, and the gun caps so handy in his hand, as I could then fire
much faster. I saw one or two other old patriots thus engaged. They were too old to
handle guns, but they could and did “tear cartridges” for us! Then not far from that line,
old Comrade A. Jack Lloid came to me with a smile on his face, that I feel almost like
calling it “the sublime smile”. The sweat was running down his face, as tho’ he had been
splitting fence rails in the middle of August. He said,- “Orderly, feel o’ my gun!” to
accommodate him, I did so. I think it was as hot as boiling water could have heated it!
Some of the boys had put Comrade Jack down as a coward. Not is battle was he a
coward by any means! Andrew Jackson Lloid was a SOLDIER! Then right in the very
hottest of it, on the very hottest side in front of the south parapet, where the rebels were
thickest, I saw a sight that almost froze the blood still in my veins! As I glanced up from
100
reloading my hot musket, I saw Adjt. David Murphy spring on top of the south parapet, a
mark from toe to crown, hat in hand, cheering the busy boys to do their very best!!!! My
God! Will he come down this very instant pierced by a dozen balls? Look at him, as he
shakes his clenched fists in the face of that mass of rebels not twenty yards away! Nay,
sir! He spring lightly down and around an up again, and then down and away to another
point, cheering the boys as he went and yet not a scratch! Nor did they touch him during
the awful trying hour. The very air over our heads was one continuous “Sizz” of flying
lead! February, 1877, I was stopping at Mr. Dalton’s, an ex-confederate officer, who
then lived five miles south of Charleston, Mississippi County, Mo., on the Belmont Road,
and on learning that I was in Ft. Davidson that day, he said, “Now hold on! You tell me
who that was that mounted the parapet while we were there around the fort?” I said,
“Colonel David Murphy, now of St. Louis, Sir.” He then said, “I’ll assure you that there
were no less than 5000 shots fired at that man!” I completed the sentence by adding,-
“and never touched him!” He said his boys said,- “D—n him, can’t we kill him?” Then,
“There! We got him that time! No! There he is again!” Then they said, “Well, he’s just
a chunk of iron and our balls are flattening against him, for I know we are hitting him!”
As Adjt. Murphy passed on his rounds, Capt. Campbell came running toward me from
the fort gate, and as he came up he slapped me on the shoulder and shouted in my face,
“Sergeant, take twenty men and go to that gate! For God’s sake, don’t let them in!: You
will be rewarded!” I had my reward! I was fighting for my country and “Old Glory!”
To save my life, I could then find but four men who could brave that south parapet! I
then took them and on we ran, to find the gate already filled with barrels and boxes, as
the drawbridge was nearly down! One rope had been cut by a shot from their guns on
Shepherd’s Mt., so Comrade John L. Bennett, of Company G, 47th, who we found at his
post as gate guard, afterwards told us. Then if the rebels had made the rush, they could
have easily come into the fort,- but I suppose they were too intent on killing Murphy to
discover their advantage, One of Montgomery’s guns then stood out just beyond the
moat in front of the gate, and Comrade Bennett told me they had to shoot a horse there to
save the gun, which was hastily unlimbered where it then stood. Hardly had we gotten
down to business, outside of the barrels and boxes, when Lieut. Sutton and Frank Cole of
Company A came from the North rifle pit, along in the moat, and we reached down and
helped them into the fort. Slayback and Freeman were pressing them from the west and
northwest, and Gen. Ewing, fearing that they might not be able to withstand a charge if it
were made, had ordered the men out of the north rifle pit into the fort, so Capt. McMurtry
afterwards told me.
Scarcely had we reached the gate when I saw their smoke suddenly grow
remarkably thin! Yes! In the last words heard by the dying Wolfe, we could say “They
fly! They fly!” We could see them running in every direction from us for dear life!
What manner of men could very long withstand the withering fire that we poured into
their ranks at not twenty yards away? They ran tumbling behind stumps, and logs, into
Stout’s Creek behind the banks and low depressions,- anywhere to get out of range of our
deadly Yankee lead! I think there were no less than a thousand of them that hid behind
the steeper slope of the roll-hill about 35 or 40 yards southeast of the fort. Now the guns
along the north parapet began to wake up and soon Slayback and Freeman fell back out
of sight, as Murphy and Fessler began to hand out to them, shell, grape, and canister. The
big northeast thirty-two began to give her attention to the rebel guns yet firing from
101
Shepherd’s Mt., but unfortunately, the boys in their hurry, neglected to run her up on the
beams to receive the full benefit of the recoil, and being such elevated, she dismounted
on her short recoil and lay helplessly on the ground. I shuddered as I saw her laying;
there! Seeing no more “game” in sight at the gate we hastened back to the south parapet,
and as we passed, they were lowering the remaining rope at the drawbridge and as I
looked back, I saw them bringing in Montgomery’s gun and saw Gen. Ewing laughing as
he cheered the boys, as they drew the gun once more into safety. My neighbor, D. J.
Taylor, helped draw her in.
When we reached our old position at the south parapet, I saw Col. Fletcher sitting
close by the sally port. He had hurt his leg, coming in from the north rifle pit. Adjt.
Murphy was attending to Slayback’s interest, to the northwest and Lieut. Fessler was then
soon at the southeast thirty-two, aiming her at the yet smoking rebel guns on Shepherd’s
Mt. After carefully aiming her, he dismounted and stepped to the right and shaded his
eyes to see the effect of his shot. She fired, and soon as he saw the shot strike he
remounted the beams and re-adjusted his gun, then stepped away to take observation
again. Then as soon as his second shot struck, he said something like,- “Now, d—n you,
I guess you schtay put!” First shot a little too low,- throwing the stones over the men at
the reb gun;- second shot got his gun carriage wheel! Then silence from Shepherd’s Mt.
followed! (This was told me by Lather Glaves, one of the rebel gunner. Then Fessler
handed the guide sight to the gunner with instructions, and passed on to the other guns,
except in the southwest corner, where the rebel sharpshooters were picking off every man
who dared to show himself to load a gun over there. In passing over there, I heard Capt.
Montgomery say to his men,- “Boys, get up there to your gun!” The gunner replied,-
“Captain, it’s not use for the boys are shot down as fast as they get up!” I think he had
then only three or four men left at that gun. His (Montgomery) gun in the southeast
corner of the fort was among the first to reopen fire as the rebels gave away. It was
manned by only three men. That boy of 17 or 18 years old was priming, loading, aiming
and firing when I first saw him, after the storm. He would command himself “Fire!”
Then he would whoop and yell like an Indian and shout,- “More shell! Then “Ready!
Fire! Whoop!” I looked over the fort and such a scene as I then beheld! The joyful,
exultant men and officers were whooping and yelling, and surging from side to side,
hither and thither, hunting fresh “game” and firing at everything that dared to move! One
fellow down near the mule corral started to run to a more secure place,- but he only went
a few steps, when he fell forward on his face. Another fellow attempted to change
position over there on the side of Shepherd’s Mt., southwest of the fort,- but he soon fell
to rise no more.
Talk of identity of Company, Regiment or Battery in old Fort Davidson during
that dreadful storm,- Just as well talk of identity at a 4th of July barbeque at 3 P.M. We
were mixed up, Cavalry, Infantry, Artillery and Citizens, who were in the battle with us.
Yes, the boys went just wild until dark. I then gathered some 15 or 20 men of Company
H and some of Company A, 3rd M. S. M., with their Colt’s Revolving Rifles and we took
position along the south parapet and I told them to watch the rising smoke from the guns
of the concealed rebel sharpshooters that lay in Stout’s Creek close by, and hold at aim,
resting our guns on the parapet, and as the rebels smoke came up in sights, to fire. This
bit of rifle practice soon lessoned their fire down there. While, or about the time we were
thus engaged, Orderly Sergt. J. Bob Sullivan asked leave of Gen. Ewing to take 20 men
102
and rout the rebels there near the fort. Obtaining leave, he led his men down and out at
the sally port, then down the south rifle pit to near the creek at their position when the
storm broke on us, then we heard him shout,- “Charge” They sprang out of the east side
and charged the mass of rebels that lay behind the steeper bank slope at the foot of our
roll-hill, yelling as they went, but before they had advanced over ten steps, the very earth
in front of them fairly blazed. I think there must have been 500 to 1000 shots fired at
them! They hastily retreated to the rifle pit, leaving one poor boy who fell with a
wounded thigh. The poor fellow died out there among the rebel dead and wounded fore
dark. Then while we were busy in our rifle practice, they wheeled the big southeast gun
thirty-two to fire over our heads at something on Shepherd’s Mt. and the gunner said,-
“Clear the way there,- we’re going to fire.” We all ran out left, obliquely passing in front
of the gun, and I passed about 1 ½ feet out of range and a little forward of the muzzle of
the gun, I paused to look over my left shoulder to see if all of my men were out, I saw
one man get on his knees at aim, and I thought to stoop under the gun and dash in and get
him out and, - some two or three minutes afterwards I found myself 15 or 20 feet to the
left oblique rear in old Comrade A. Jack Lloid’s arms! I was badly hurt by that shock as I
was right in the concussion of that firing thirty-two gun. My ears never recovered from
that shock. We then went to the north parapet to have some fun shooting at Slayback’s
Cavalry, as they ran their horses eastward along the base of Cedar Mt. On their way to
possess the dump at the stone culvert. There were too far off for us, being deployed 50 or
60 yards apart. The Fessler shelled all of that gap at the stone culvert.
Being then at a little leisure, I thought I would look around a bit to see the effects
of our grand VICTORY! Here between the gate and the magazine, lay one poor fellow
cut almost in twain by a rebel cannon shot! The only man that I knew of who got hit by
cannon shot. His bowels had all gushed out! It was a horrible sight. Then there on the
south side of the fort, lay poor John Tesrow (or perhaps Thesrow) on his back, with a
“Minnie” hole in his forehead! Then beside him, lying on his face, was one of Capt.
Lonergan’s colored troops with a hole in the back of his head. He was killed near
Montgomery’s southwest gun as he was asking “Fo’ mo’ caps.” The boys near him said
he fought like a tiger. Then of the wounded, I saw one man on the north side shot in the
leg or thigh. He was cheering the boys, and cursing the rebels! Another man shot in and
close to the mouth and out at the back of neck, that I helped to move from the southeast
thirty-two. There in a hole of water by the gate, sat a poor young lad, shot or perhaps
burned about his hips. Some had already been taken out to our Field Hospital, at or near
the Handcock Hotel, some 75 or 80 yards to the northeast of the fort gate.
But how is it out yonder? Well, I thought perhaps father and brothers would like
that I should tell them just how the battle field looked, so I started at the gate and passed
around south and to the northwest looking over at the dead and wounded rebels, as they
lay, beginning at less than 20 paces from the moat, then outward from the fort. When I
got around, I felt safe in telling the folks at home (if I should ever get there) that at 25
paces from the moat, around to the south and on to the northwest,- about two-thirds
around the fort, I could have walked all the way on dead and wounded men! One of their
artillerymen, Carnahan, said he counted 500 dead men the next morning, there close
around the fort! Then scattered all along down Stout’s Creek, and on the side of
Shepherd’s Mt., and down in the flat below the fort, the dead and wounded lay on every
hand! Gen. Ewing put his losses at 89 killed, wounded and missing, so I learned. I
103
understand that the official report of the Confederate officers put their loss at 1468 men
in killed and wounded! As there were many dead bodies afterwards found scattered
everywhere, and for three or four years afterwards, not accounted for, their loss could not
have fallen short of 1500 killed and wounded on their side far exceeded the actual
number of men we had in arms, all told.
As the shades of night closed down over us, the firing entirely ceased, and all was
hush save the groans of the wounded and dying and the low hum of the men and officers
as they became united again as companies.
And so closed the “Great-Little Battle of Pilot Knob”.