The Awful Battery
Narrow Escape #24
Ironton Register 13 April 1887
Submitted by: Shirley Reed
“Well, Henderson Griffith, do you remember all about the army of the Potomac, the siege of Richmond, and all about the marching and counter-marching of 64 and 65 and the narrow escapes incident to those times?”
“Well, yes, I believe I have some faint recollection of these times and how the boys used to sit around the campfires, crack their jokes and tell of deeds of daring and hair-breadth escapes, interspersed with songs and dances and an occasional game of draw poker.”
“By the way, you remember the escape we had charging the masked battery on Hatcher’s Run to the left of Petersburg in the Spring of 65, about one month before the surrender.”
“Yes sir, I remember that occurrence and will remember it as long as life shall last, and every time that memory” panorama re– the event, I am seized with an almost indescribable nightmare.
“In the Spring of ’65, in the month of February, after a —-campaign of the Summer of ’64, we had been in camp perhaps a month or more, when one morning at about 3 o’clock, the long roll was sounded, and orderlies were heard running to and fro, giving orders to pack up and fall in, that the army had to be in readiness to march in one hour, and that hour was one of hurry and bustle came, and every man took his place in the line of march, which was by the left flank through almost impenetrable darkness, with a dumb silence, save the clank of arms and the heavy tread of marching columns.
“Just how far we had marched was only a matter of conjecture, but at length, we halted and were ordered to rest in place. Then again, just in the gray of daylight, the order came to fall in, which was instantly obeyed, and the column was faced to the front, and “forward march” came to the order, clear and distant through the silence of the pine woods.
“When objects began to be a little more distinct, we saw, or thought we saw, a line of works, of what character or strength we could give no idea; but on coming a little closer, sure enough, there was a line of works with embrasures and horrible murderous cannon presenting themselves in plain view.
“But strange to say, as yet, not a gun was fired, or a sign of an enemy, and the thought occurred to us that they were reserving their fire until, as we had read in history, they could see the whites of our eyes, and then began to come to the cautionary command of the officers, “Brave Boys,” “Keep cool boys,” and many others calculated to insure confidence and courage.
“Still nearer and nearer those fearful cannons, and as we surmised, they were backed by musketry and brawny arms until silence and suspense became almost unbearable, when, Oh horror! If those cannons were not pine logs sawed off and the ends painted black, you may chop me up for hogshead cheese. I have had several narrow escapes, but that was the funniest one.”
IRONTON’S NARROW ESCAPE
While on the ludicrous side of the war, we will here tell a little home guard experience as related by Leo Ebert. It was during the Morgan Raid, and Ironton was all astir, expecting the “bold rider” would “take the town” every minute. All approaches were guarded, and nights were spent watching for a raid.
The Commanding General, Dr. Cory, had ordered Capt. Alex Brawley’s artillery, one brass piece, to the forks of the road near Ensinger’s, and detailed Capt. Allen Brattin’s infantry took its position there and support the artillery. They went out in the shades of evening, took up the floor of the bridge to avert a sudden — and there watched for the coming of Morgan.
By day break, the boys got tired and Capt. Brattin’s company retired to town to get breakfast. Capt. Brawley remonstrated as that would be just he time for Morgan to make his dash on the town, but as the artillery was left without support, it had to retire from the bloody field too. When they came to town they were met by Capt. Cory who demanded of them, “why this retreat at the very critical moment; why give up the field and leave the town to the mercy of Morgan?” Capt. Brattin said the boys must have some breakfast. But Capt. Cory ordered them right back to their posts to watch that gate to the town and repel Morgan at all hazards. They went back, and the “narrow escape” of Ironton passed by, the narrowness of which may be understood when it is shown that Morgan’s raiders were at that moment pinging through Meigs county.
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