Battery D First Rhode Island Light Artillery in the Civil War

by George C. Sumner

Lieut. Bonn was in command of the right section, and Lieut. Gray of the left. Lieut. Gray was still on detached duty, but came up while we were halted in the woods and took his section into the fight. We promptly commenced to distribute canister among the infantry in our front, and they soon took shelter under the bank of Red Bud Run. Just at this time Lieut. Gray's left piece was disabled by a shot, and he sent it to the rear, but retained the cannoneers to help on the other pieces. It was now decided that we could pull out.

The right section pulled out, and the right piece of the left section was about to limber up, when a shot from a twenty-pound Parrott that was across the Red Bud Run passed entirely through the swing horses. We had to stay, then, and Sergt. Tucker and his men needed no orders to commence firing again.

We soon expended all our canister, and had to use solid shot as our shell had given out some time before. The infantry that was under the bank to our right and front now commenced to give us some trouble, and we began to think that we had staid too long; but we would shy a shot along the bank and they would lay low; meantime we were hurrying to get our dead horses on the limber clear, but it was a slow job.

About this time an officer rode out of the woods in our rear and gave us the welcome news that a brigade of the Eighth Corps was close at hand; and in a minute or two we saw them coming on the double-quick. When they arrived we ceased firing and limbered up, and taking the harnesses from our dead horses, we soon joined the rest of the battery. When our lines advanced, we were ordered to move with them, and we had quite a good view of the final rout of Early's army. We went into camp for the night just outside of Winchester.

On the morning of the 20th we started early in pursuit of the enemy, and on arrival at Strasburg went into camp. Gen. Early was found in position just in our front at Fisher's Hill, strongly fortified. His position was almost impregnable from an attack in front, so Sheridan sent the Eighth Corps around his left to take the position by flanking it. It took until the afternoon of the 23d to get the Eighth Corps into position, as they had to make most of the movements through thick woods, and keep out of sight of the rebels' signal stations. On the afternoon of the 23d the Eighth Corps charged down on to Early's left flank and routed it. The movements in our front were to help carry out this project.

On the morning of the 23d our corps was advanced, and at three o'clock in the afternoon Grover's division drove in the skirmish line in our front and formed in line-of-battle. Some two hundred yards in our front was a ridge, and the rebel sharpshooters took up their position on this ridge, and made it very uncomfortable for us. The third brigade, second division, Nineteenth Corps, soon made a charge and captured this position, which was within three hundred yards of the enemy's fortifications.

Gens. Sheridan and Grover were at the right of our battery when the infantry carried the hill. Sheridan wanted a piece of artillery sent out there, and Gen. Grover came and asked Lieut. Chase if he could put a piece on that ridge. Lieut. Gray was sent to see if it was possible to do so. Dismounting just before the top of the ridge was reached, he left his horse in charge of an orderly and took to all fours to do the rest of the distance.

There was quite a depression on the top of the ridge, and just on the other edge was a slight rifle-pit that had been hastily thrown up by the enemy. Our skirmishers were occupying this, and it was quite necessary to keep well down, as the enemy's infantry and artillery were within short range, and were giving this particular spot very close attention.

Becoming convinced that if a piece could be put into this depression it would do good execution, Lieut. Gray gave the signal, and Sergt. Tucker with his piece started on the gallop and was soon there, the piece being halted before the top of the ridge was reached. The pickets kept up a sharp fire so as to have the smoke hide our movements, and we ran the piece by hand into the depression and filled both haversacks with ammunition and loaded. We had a sure mark, and when we sent that shell into the earthwork in our front, it made things jingle. The enemy was not slow in returning the compliment, and as they had eight or ten guns in our immediate front, we laid low, but just as soon as we thought they had fired everything, we repeated the experiment before they had loaded.