Right Side Up and Ready for Another Brush: With the 18th Ohio Battery After Chickamauga

     During the Battle of Chickamauga, the 18th Ohio Battery had been knocked around a bit during the several engagements from September 18-20th, but its gunners remained defiant and determined even after the Union defeat. Even though the battle was over, the gunners of the battery still contended with their Confederate opponents on a daily basis as one gunner describes in the following letter.

          From his perch on Stringer’s Ridge on the north side of the Tennessee River, he could see the Confederates directly across the river on Lookout Mountain. “It is now infested with Rebs whose signal flags can be distinctly seen from where I write,” one gunner noted.  “They planted two guns on the side of Lookout opposite Lieutenant Bierce’s section the other evening and let loose at us, but a few well-directed shots from one of our best gunners soon silenced them. Our sharpshooters and theirs peg away at each other across the river at all times day and time. Our men have the advantage of them as we can go back of the hill to get water, while they have to come down to the river in full view and not unfrequently does their thirst for water cost them their lives. Movements are afoot which will soon rid the mountain of the varmints.”

The 18th Ohio Battery, equipped with six 3” Ordnance Rifles, left the state of Ohio in October 1862 and spent most of its first year of the war in backwater assignments with the exception of participating in the fight at Thompson’s Station, Tennessee on March 5, 1863. As part of General Gordon Granger’s Reserve Corps, its participated in three days of combat at Chickamauga and helped to cover the retreat of the army to Chattanooga.

          The following account, penned by an unknown member of the battery, was written a week after the Battle of Chickamauga and describes the battery’s experiences during that campaign and immediately following. It was first published in the October 22, 1863 edition of the Gallipolis Journal published in Gallipolis, Ohio.

 

By the end of 1863, Captain Charles C. Aleshire had returned to Ohio seeking 50 new recruits for his 18th Ohio Battery. Truth be told, the battery had been short of men since the spring of 1863 with the deficit made up by detailed infantrymen from their brigade. "Young men of Gallia County who wish to join the most effective arm of the service cannot do better than join the 18th Battery," Aleshire stated, and the government offered a $402 bounty to men who had seen at least 9 months of prior service. 

Camp near Chattanooga, Tennessee

September 27, 1863

 

          The First Brigade, First Division of which the 18th Battery forms a part with other troops of General [Gordon] Granger’s Reserve Corps left Tullahoma about three weeks since to advance father into Dixie and help swell the number of Rosy’s Union fighters which were soon to move against the combined rebellious tribes of Bragg, Lee, Johnston, and Co. We struck the Cumberland Mountains at Cowan, Tennessee and then commenced a march over mountains, hills, and valleys to Bridgeport. The scenery along our route was grand and admiring.

          At Bridgeport, we crossed the broad and majestic Tennessee River on one of Uncle Sam’s pontoon bridges. This place is at present the terminus of the car running on the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad. The noble structure on which they once passed over the river was destroyed by Bragg in his hasty retreat from Tennessee.

          Our route from Bridgeport hence lay more through valleys than before and we encountered but little difficulty, except an almost suffocating dust until we reached Lookout Mountain which, after a severe trial of horse and mule flesh and some breakage of the wagons, we crossed. It has not rained in this country for six weeks. It is said that from the top of this mountain, nine states can be seen at a glance, the truth of which I cannot vouch for, as we were only halfway to the top.

The 18th Ohio Battery was equipped with six 3" Ordnance Rifles like the one depicted above during their three years service during the war. The wrought iron pieces could fire at shell more than 1,800 yards and were noted for their sturdiness and accuracy. 


          We passed three miles to the right of Chattanooga and camped at Rossville, Georgia where we remained quiet until one week ago last Friday afternoon [September 18, 1863] when our brigade was ordered to advance on a road leading east, we being on the extreme left of our army. We had advanced but a few miles when General Whittaker and staff, leading the brigade, were fired on by the enemy’s pickets. Skirmishers were immediately thrown out and one of our pieces moved to the front; the timber being very thick and the road narrow, only one piece could be of any avail.  A spirited fight ensued which lasted about an hour when dark closed the contest. The Rebs fell back a short distance during the night.

          On Saturday about noon, the Rebels attacked us with superior force and the fight raged with fury until dark. Our battery was engaged during the whole time. In the engagement we were several times furiously charged by the Rebels and twice compelled to give way a little, yet dark found our brigade holding its first position. In this fight, Lieutenant Casey Roseburg (leg, not dangerous), Privates Whittaker (dangerous), Roberts, Figgins, and Darst of the battery were wounded, the last three but slightly.

          On Sunday morning, we were reinforced by another brigade and prepared to give battle, but the enemy made no demonstrations up to 10 o’clock. All the morning could be heard a continuous and terrific roar of artillery about three miles to the right, which was conclusive evidence of the right and center of our army being hotly engaged as they had been fighting most of the time during Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

This well-equipped Federal artilleryman wears a Hardee hat with a brass crossed-cannons emblem denoting the artillery service. Artillerymen preferred the short shell jackets due to their ease of wear when riding and trimmed in red, they certainly presented a snappy appearance. 


          About 10 o’clock, our whole force on the left was moved briskly to the right with orders having come from General Thomas that his corps was being too hard pressed. We were soon on the scene of action and here the 18th Ohio Battery with Granger’s Reserve Corps became engaged in one of the hardest fought battles of the war. I will not attempt to describe the incidents and scenes of battle but leave them for others more capable. Those who say I exceeded in fury the memorable battle of Stones River.

          In the day’s fight, Lieutenant Chesnut (nose, not dangerous), Private A.J. Fillinger (breast, dangerous), James Wyley (slightly), and John Keith (slightly) of the battery were wounded. Whittaker and Fillinger were taken to the hospitals in Chattanooga and we have not heard from them since; the other wounded are doing well. We lost several horses in the engagement. I am unable to give our loss of killed and wounded in Sunday’s fight, but you have no doubt ere this seen a full report in the city papers.

          Generals Granger, Steedman, and Whittaker, our corps, division, and brigade commanders, all complimented Captain Charles C. Aleshire, Lieutenants Albert S. Bierce, Casey Roseburg, and James W. Chesnut, and the men of the 18th Ohio Battery for their bravery and coolness during the battle. Lieutenant Joseph McCafferty was not with us, being at the time sick in the hospital at Nashville. General Thomas told General Whittaker of our brigade that his battery saved him and his staff from capture.

          Our army fell back to Rossville on Sunday night and the Rebs attacked us again on Monday but withdrew after exchanging a few rounds. On Monday night we again fell back to Chattanooga where General Rosecrans intends we shall stand until we are ready to move on the Rebs again. Our brigade occupies at present a line on the north side of the Tennessee River while the main body of our army are in and around the town. Our battery is divided and occupies two positions below the town: one on a hill opposite Lookout Mountain [Stringer’s Ridge], the other in the valley two miles distant at a ferry landing [Brown’s Ferry].

          Lookout Mountain is three miles west of Chattanooga on the same side of the river which runs by its base. It was evacuated by our forces a few nights since as its occupation is not of much consequence to us. It is now infested with Rebs whose signal flags can be distinctly seen from where I write. They planted two guns on the side of Lookout opposite Lieutenant Bierce’s section the other evening and let loose at us, but a few well-directed shots from one of our best gunners soon silenced them. Our sharpshooters and theirs peg away at each other across the river at all times day and time. Our men have the advantage of them as we can go back of the hill to get water, while they have to come down to the river in full view and not unfrequently does their thirst for water cost them their lives. Movements are afoot which will soon rid the mountain of the varmints.

          Rebel papers and prisoners acknowledge that Bragg received large reinforcements from the east and south which was the reason he gave us battle, and that he will retreat no further south so the battle here is not ended. But with Rosecrans for our leader, we have no fears for the result. Let the loyal people of the North put every effort to fill our depleted ranks, cheer, and comfort our soldiers in the field, and victory will soon be ours and the laws of our glorious government be maintained.



          Today several of our boys with a detachment of infantry who are stationed two miles below where I write went over the river for the purpose of foraging. They had been over the day before and encountered no danger, so becoming bold, they ventured too far and were fired on by a party of Rebels. An infantry lieutenant and two of our boys escaped to tell the tale but the rest were taken prisoners. The names of the battery boys taken are William Summers of Gallipolis, Joseph Roush, Swan Alson, and Uriah Moch. The Lord only knows what their fate will be.

          We have seen real soldiering for two weeks past, having left our tents and knapsacks at Bridgeport, bringing only our blankets and the clothes on our backs. We sleep in the open air and receive only half rations, however, there are too many loose cattle and swine running at large for our boys to want for meat. But we are in good spirits, knowing that this state of affairs will not last always, and as soon as the Rebs are cleaned out from here and we are again regularly camped, we will have plenty to eat, drink, and wear as we have had heretofore.

          The battery boys are in good health and I believe there are none present but are able for duty. General Rosecrans was around among us yesterday and passed a few jokes with the boys. I saw several boys from Gallia belonging to the 18th, 33rd, and 36th Ohio regiments since they battle; they are right side up and ready for another brush.

 

A few weeks after this letter was written, the 18th Ohio Battery engaged some of the Confederate guns at Lookout Mountain as recalled by Whitelaw Reid. “The enemy placed a signal flag on the top of the mountain on October 9th,” Reid noted. “The perpendicular height of the mountain above the battery was 1,800 feet and while at this place, they battery did some fine artillery shooting. The artillerists feared that the guns would be dismounted or would burst as they necessarily had so great an elevation in order to reach the flag. The first shell fell a few yards short, but the second fell exactly at the feet of the signal officer, and the flag was seen to fall. The battery was under fire and engaged with the Rebel batteries for 56 days, and frequently during the nighttime the Rebels would open on it and the men would have to rouse from their slumbers ready for any emergency.”

         

Source:

Letter from unknown member of 18th Ohio Battery, Gallipolis Journal (Ohio), October 22, 1863, pg. 2

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