Ben Butterfield War Experience
Narrow Escapes # 7
Ironton Register 30 Dec.1886
Submitted by Shirley Reed
“You were in the artillery during the war, were you not?” asked the Register reporter of Ben Butterfield.
“Yes,” said Ben, “I was in Battery L of the 1st Ohio Artillery.”
“Well, then you must have a “Narrow Escape” for me. I want one from the artillery, sure,” said the reporter.
“I haven’t any of a very thrilling character,” said Mr. Ben Butterfield. ” I saw some things that I don’t care to see again, but nothing where I was personally involved. A scene at Cedar Creek on the 19th of October, 1864, was pretty rough. It was the day that Sheridan made his celebrated ride.
“The rebels attacked our army, which was lying along the north bank of Cedar Creek, before dawn, and, before we could get over our surprise, had us briskly retreating. Our battery was then in the Army of West Virginia, on the left side of the turnpike, at the foot of Massanutten mountain, from which the rebs made their first dash on our lines.
“Our whole line was driven back, and the battery went with it, but at several intervals getting into position, and often lighting out again with due haste. Our whole army was driven back and was pretty well demoralized. It was about noon when we got as far back as Middletown, possibly six or eight miles from our original position.
“There, Sheridan found us on his side from Winchester. Our lines were soon reformed and soon changed from retreat into an attack, and from that moment, we kept driving the rebs until we regained the old line at Cedar Creek.
“When we got there, our battery took position on the right of the road, a few hundred feet from where we were in the morning. A rebel battery was planted across the creek opposite us, and our purpose was to pay particular attention to it as it was doing our boys a great deal of damage. We were just about ready to reply to their fire when Capt. Commanding our battery, Gibbs gave the order, ‘by hand to the front,’ which meant that we were to seize the piece and push it farther ahead.
“Now, this was a little difficult, for the infantry had used piles of stone as protection against the enemy’s fire. But they had been knocked down and lay about in heaps, so getting our cannon any farther to the front was tough. Now we approach the scaly point, which involves two well-known persons of this county, John H. McGee and Esq. A. J. Jones, two brave men as ever fired a shot for their country.
“Well, when the order ‘by hand to the front was given, McGee, Jones, and I jumped to the gun carriage’s left wheel to work it forward. We were all at the precise places required by the tactics on such an order. McGee caught the front of the wheel and pulled, his right leg braced up near the wheel. Jones was at the side of the wheel and pushing, his left thrust forward and near McGee’s right leg. I was at the back of the wheel and pushing with all my might. At this moment came a shell from the enemy’s battery towards our piece.
“How it did tear and scream, and how sure it was aimed! That shell came right at us. It struck John McGee’s right leg and Jack Jones’s left leg and tore off the lower part of those limbs. As Jones fell or the shell knocked him about, he struck my foot. I was that near to him. At the same time, the shell exploded, sending the pieces in every direction. Jones fell on the spot where he was struck, but McGee hopped off on the leg he had left. My ‘narrow escape’ consisted in being the only one of the three, tugging at the same wheel, that didn’t lose a leg by that shot.
“The men who ought to tell this story are friends McGee and Jones, for they are the ones who got hit and could tell it better, but then it wasn’t altogether a narrow escape for them. I was the fellow who had the escape.
Another remarkable thing about that shot was that it not only took off a leg apiece of two gallant soldiers, but it was probably the last cannon fired in that celebrated Battle of Cedar Creek, where Sheridan made his famous ride. This is about what I recollect of this exceedingly bloody and interesting reminiscence.”
[The Reporter will add, for the benefit of the reader who may not know them, that Messr. McGee and Esquire A. J. Jones are two prominent citizens now living in this county, the former at Rock Camp and the latter at Willow Wood. They each sport a peg leg, one on the left and the other on the right. When one walks along the sidewalk, you can’t tell from the noise whether it is John or Jack unless you look up to see. At the Portsmouth reunion, they rode together and were observed by all observers. May they live long and be happy.]
Obituary of Benjamin Butterfield
Ironton Register 23 Nov. 1905 – Benjamin Butterfield, one of the pioneer residents of this city, died Sunday night at 11 o’clock after an illness of about two weeks, aged 76 years. Death was due to a complication of ailments together with the infirmities of age. He was a member of the Masonic Order of this city, having joined in 1858.
Mr. Butterfield was born and reared on a farm in the French Grant near Haverhill, where he received a common school education, after which he entered Delaware College, from which he graduated with honors. After graduating from college, he entered the steamboat business, which business he continued for several years, selling out his interests to the Bay Bros.
He was a veteran of the Civil War, having entered the three months service, on 22 April 1861, as 3rd Sergeant in Company C of the 18th Ohio Volunteers. He re-enlisted on Oct. 20th, 1861, as a sergeant to Capt. Frank Cliffs, of Company L of the First Regiment of the Light Artillery, served three years, having been mustered out of the service at Cedar Creek on 31 October 1864.
Mr. Butterfield served as wharf master, as agent for the Adams Express Co. and was actively connected with several other enterprises, having been engaged in the feed business, the hardware business, and later in the grocery business, having conducted a grocery business in one stand on the Second street for about 33 years. He was married on 12 Dec. 1867 to Miss Cornelia Richardson, who died in 1878. They had one child. He married again to Mrs. Margaret Hunter Smith in 1882.
He is survived by a wife, one daughter, Mrs. E. F. Tyler, and one stepdaughter, Mrs. John Sherman. Burial was at Woodland Cemetery.
0 Comments