An Intimate View of Battery E’s Demise
Stones River Stories T he story of rapid demise of Battery E, 1 st Ohio Light Artillery at the Battle of Stones River has been shared previously on this blog, but I recently discovered this previously unknown account penned by Corporal Oliver P. Clark that provides an intimate view of those fateful opening minutes of Stones River. Oliver Clark’s role with the battery was the No. 2 man as part of Detachment F, the sixth gun in the battery. Clark’s primary duties when the battery was in action included receiving the shell from the No. 5, then inserting it into the muzzle of the cannon. That said, he had an up close view of the action. Once the Confederate assault opened the battle, Clark raced to his piece which was loaded with a double shot of canister. “Dick Gillett says, ‘Let her go!’ and Detachment F was in it,” Clark remembered. “The old gun sent the canister; it struck the Rebel column seven lines deep. The canister cut down every man that was in range, cutting a hole in the col...