Our battery marched at twelve P. M. to Fort Fisher, where the signal gun was to be fired at four A. M. and answered on our left by troops at Hatcher’s Run and on the right of our lines near Yellow House, which were signals for a general advance of our army on the works of the enemy. We received orders to join the First Brigade, First Division, of the Sixth Corps. This gallant corps had already won imperishable renown on many sanguinary fields under the lamented Sedgwick, and now, under Wright, its able corps commander, still maintained its well-earned reputation.
Our division commander, Gen. Frank Wheaton, a native of Rhode Island, was a brave and accomplished officer, respected and esteemed by every soldier of his command. The following sketch is taken from Bartlett’s Memoirs of Rhode Island Officers: “He is the son of Dr. Francis L. Wheaton [himself a surgeon in the war] and Amelia S. (Burrell) Wheaton. He was born in Providence, received his education in the public schools in his native city, and on graduating from the high school entered on a partial course of study in Brown University preparatory to his destined pursuit in life, that of civil engineering.
“In 1854, he went on a survey as chief of a party of reconnaissance to meet the Mexican commissioner, Senor Salazar.
“In June, 1855, two weeks after the survey had been completed, Mr. Wheaton received from President Pierce the appointment of first lieutenant of cavalry. On the first of March, 1861, he was promoted to a captaincy, and on the breaking out of the war was detailed with Captain Sitgreaves, Topographical Engineers, to muster into service the United States troops in Albany.
“In June, 1861, Captain Wheaton was appointed by Governor Sprague lieutenant-colonel of the Second Rhode Infantry. On the death of Colonel Slocum he was immediately promoted to the colonelcy of his regiment. In November, 1862, he was appointed a brigadier-general of volunteers. He commanded a brigade of the Sixth Corps, and was with it in its various campaigns and battles, until the battle of Winchester, Va., Sept. 19, 1864, when, by order of General Sheridan, he was assigned to the command of the First Division, Sixth Corps. One month later he was recommended for promotion for services rendered at the battle of Cedar Creek, Va., and was breveted major-general of volunteers. After the battle of the Wilderness he received the brevet of lieutenant-colonel in the regular army, and later on received the brevet of colonel for distinguished services at the battle of Cold Harbor.
“On the 2d of April, 1865, the rebel lines before Petersburg, Va., were successfully assaulted by the Sixth Corps, the First Division of which was commanded by General Wheaton. For his services on this occasion he received the brevet of brigadier-general in the United States army. But the crowning honor of his career was the brevet of major-general in the regular army, conferred upon him for the masterly manner in which he defeated and drove back the rebel General Early, at Fort Stevens, within the city of Washington, on the night of the 12th of July, 1864. He was the immediate commander, on this occasion, of the United States forces, consisting of twelve regiments. At the close of the war he was ordered to the frontier, and, as brevet major-general of volunteers, commanded a district including the territories of Nebraska, Dacotah, and Montana. In November, 1865, he was appointed lieutenant-colonel in the Thirty-ninth United States Infantry, and subsequently colonel Second United States Infantry, and is at the present time a brigadier-general in the United States army.”
We will now return to the position occupied by our battery near Fort Fisher on the morning of April 2d. General Grant had issued orders for an assault on the enemy’s lines by General Wright with the Sixth Corps, and General Parke with the Ninth Corps, while General Humphreys with the Second, and General Ord with the Army of the James were ordered to hold themselves in readiness to take any advantage that could be taken from weakening in their front.
At half past four o’clock in the forenoon, our battery moved forward with the division, and, after crossing the rifle-pits, the right section of the battery was ordered into action in front of Fort Fisher, between two chimneys, and were soon engaged with a rebel battery, compelling it to retire. Then we poured an enfilading fire on a rebel fort, silencing its guns. The section then moved to our left, to the assistance of our infantry, who were hotly engaged with the enemy. The section was subsequently ordered to return to Fort Fisher. Here we found Generals Grant, Meade, Wheaton, Parke, Getty, and Sheridan, intently observing the movements of our troops, and the result of the battle. Our whole battery then moved nearer to a rebel fort in our front, opened fire upon it, and finally succeeded in silencing the enemy’s guns.
During the day the battery occupied seven different positions, the last one being in the rear of the Whitworth House. The enemy placed a rifle battery in position on the left, and obtained an enfilading fire at one thousand seven hundred yards, being beyond the extreme range of our guns. The battery was subsequently ordered to withdraw from this position, and went into park in rear of the First Division headquarters for the night. In this day’s action, three men of our battery were killed: Privates Gerritt S. Hill (an attached man from the Fourteenth New York Heavy Artillery), Thomas Carter, and Charles Vaslett; wounded severely, Private Eben Tongue; wounded slightly, Sergt. Esek S. Owen, Corp. John P. Campbell, 2d, and Privates William H. Stone, Gideon W. Arnold, and George W. Freeborn. Private Charles Tweedale was made permanently deaf. Our Battery Guidon, Horace F. Floyd, had his horse killed by a shell. The horse fell on Comrade Floyd, injuring him severely. Ten horses were killed in this action.
General Wheaton, in his report to Major Whittlesey, says: