Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Chapter XXII: Operations in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Mississippi, North Alabama, and Southwest Virginia. March 4-June 10, 1862.
Lieut. Col. Robert N. Scott, Ed.

On Sunday, April 6, by a forced march, General McCook's division, to which my battery was attached, reached Savannah, Tenn., at 8 o'clock p. m. We waited in a drenching rain until 3 o'clock on Monday morning, April 7, for a steamer to take us to Pittsburg Landing. The battery was embarked by daylight, and immediately after reaching Pittsburg Landing was disembarked and hurried into action. By Lieutenant Hoblitzell, General McCook's aide-de-camp, the battery was conducted to the ground occupied by General Nelson's division, which at that time was sorely pressed by the enemy. The battery fought until about 4 o'clock p. m., when the fire of the enemy was silenced. General Nelson then moved his division forward, and we encamped on the ground the enemy had occupied the night before. In the early part of the action the right section of my battery was assigned a position near the right of the division, and was of great service in silencing one of the enemy's, which was playing on the left and center of the division. After the firing on the left became very severe the section was moved, by permission of General Nelson, to the support of the remainder of the battery, and was of great assistance in repelling the advance of the enemy. This section was commanded by First Lieut. Francis L. Guenther, who behaved with that coolness and bravery which he displayed on a former occasion in Western Virginia, and I especially commend him to the favorable consideration of the highest authorities. Sergeants Davis, Egan, and Maubeck, and Corporals Ervin and Lynch, are especially commendable, though the conduct of all the men attached to the section gave much satisfaction to their chief.

Soon after the commencement of the action I advanced the left and center sections, commanded respectively by First Lieut. J. H. Smyser and Second Lieut. Israel Ludlow, along the line of skirmishers, where the fire was most galling. I was compelled to this to gain the crest of the ridge to fire upon the enemy's batteries, which were playing upon our skirmishers. After silencing their fire they seemed to be reenforced with fresh troops, and with vociferous cheers charged along the whole line. The infantry with us gave way before the storm of musket balls, canister shot, and shell, which was truly awful. Lieutenant Ludlow's section was immediately sent to the rear to protect [322] the retreat of Lieutenant Smyser's, which was well done. One of Lieutenant Ludlows caissons was left here, all the horses having been killed or wounded, but we recovered it later in the day. I served one of Lieutenant Smyser's pieces (the fifth, a Napoleon) and he the other. We fixed prolonges and fired retiring. The enemy charged us, but were staggered by our discharges of canister, whilst Lieutenants Guenther and Ludlow, on our left, poured spherical case shot into them. We checked their advance three times, retiring as they charged upon us. From the vigor of their fire, their cheering, and the impetuosity of their advance I judged they were re-enforced each time. For a time Lieutenant Smyser and Corporal Roberson served the fifth piece (a Napoleon) alone. Sergeant Metcalf, chief of the sixth piece, behaved with great gallantry and devotion. Though wounded in the head by a musket-ball he gallantly stood by his captain till wounded in the leg and compelled to crawl off. Corporal Brodie and Private John T. Carroll served at this piece until we silenced the enemy's fire. A sergeant of infantry, seeing us sorely pressed, brought up ammunition at my request. He served bat a few moments, when he was shot down. I do not know his name nor the regiment to which he belonged, and was not able to find his body after the battle. Private John Marshall, of Company E, Twenty-fourth Ohio Volunteers, having expended his cartridges, threw down his musket and served as a cannoneer during the remainder of the action. He was of great service.

After checking the advance of the enemy we shelled the woods where they were, and at 3.30 p. m. all was quiet in front of General Nelson's division, when he ordered a change to the position last occupied by the enemy. The Sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteers were then reserved as a support to my battery. The skirmishers thrown to our front discovered that the enemy had abandoned that position. Seeing General McCook sorely pressed and a battery in the woods about half a mile to our right playing upon his division, I opened fire upon the battery with two Napoleon guns. In an instant that battery and one to its rear, and nearer us, opened. Having but few cannoneers, I called upon Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson for a detail of men from his regiment to man the guns. The men soon came forward, and the Napoleons began to tell. Lieutenant Smyser's piece was disabled by a shot tearing off the center axlestrap, when the next recoil of the piece tore off the other two. Lieutenant Guenther, in the mean time, with his section had advanced with General Nelson's skirmishers, and he took these batteries in reverse. They were soon silenced, and I enfiladed the enemy's line with shells and spherical case-shot. My center section was posted so as to prevent our left flank being turned. Our fire must have told fearfully, for very soon General McCook's whole line rapidly advanced and drove the enemy before them, and the day was ours. After ascertaining that the enemy had retreated, Captain Fry, chief of staff, ordered me out on the road leading to Corinth, to camp for the night with General Nelson's division. We remained all night in the camp occupied by the enemy the previous night, and the next morning at daylight returned to the battle-ground.

I have already spoken of Lieutenant Guenther's gallant conduct, but I cannot close my report without doing justice to my other gallant officers. Asst. Surg. Dallas Bache, U. S. Army, who has been with my battery, and the chief medical officer of the artillery of the Second Division, was on the field of battle, attending the wounded, not only of the artillery, but of all arms, friends and foes. Words can hardly express my appreciation of his services and great devotion to duty. For [323] five long, weary months in camp, during the most trying weather, he has been unremitting in his devotion to the sick, and yesterday his conduct on the battle-field crowned it all. First Lieut. Jacob H. Smyser, Fifth Artillery, behaved with great gallantry, and fought his piece with desperation amid the hail of missiles of every description. With but one man left at his piece he brought it safely off. Second Lieut. Israel Ludlow, Fifth Artillery, behaved with great gallantry, and for so young a man acquitted himself with great credit. I commend him and Lieutenant Smyser to the favorable consideration of my superiors. Second Lieut. B. F. Rittenhouse, Fifth Artillery, had been left on the road to Savannah with our baggage train, and did not participate in the action. I regret his absence, inasmuch as it deprives me of the pleasure of adding his name to those of his gallant brother subalterns.

The Sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteers, when selected to support my battery, came forward with alacrity. They stood by me to the last, and when the fire of two of the enemy's batteries was concentrated upon us, the shot and shell falling around us, not a man moved. Their gallant commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson, proved himself a true soldier, and had the enemy charged us again, my Napoleons would have been protected by a support in which I have the utmost confidence.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant