ng in the
gun. The sergeant and his gunner, with a number of men, went out to
bring in the gun by hand. Two men lifted the trail and the sergeant
ordered, "All together!" The gun moved, but moved _in a circle_. The
fire was hot, and _all hands were on the same side_--the side farthest
from the enemy! After some persuasion the corporal and the sergeant
managed to induce a man or two to get on the other side, with them, and
they were moving along very comfortably when a shrapnel whacked the
sergeant on his breast, breaking his ribs and tearing away the muscle of
one arm. He fell into the arms of the corporal. Seeing that their only
hope of escaping from this fire was work, the cannoniers bent to the
wheels, and the gun rolled slowly to shelter.

It was at Spottsylvania Court House that the Federal infantry rushed
over the works, and, engaging in a hand-to-hand fight, drove out the
Confederate infantry. On one part of the line the artillerymen stood to
their posts, and when the Federal troops passing the works had massed
themselves inside, fired to the right and left, up and down the lines,
cutting roadways through the compact masses of men, and holding their
positions until the Confederate infantry reformed, drove out the enemy
and re-occupied the line. Several batteries were completely overrun, and
the cannoniers sought and found safety _in front of the works_, whence
the enemy had made their charge.

At another point on the lines, where there was no infantry support, the
enemy charged repeatedly and made every effort to carry the works, but
were handsomely repulsed by _artillery alone_. An examination of the
ground in front of the works after the fight, disclosed the fact that
all the dead and wounded were victims of artillery fire. The dead were
literally torn to pieces, and the wounded dreadfully mangled. Scarcely a
man was hurt on the Confederate side.

At Fort Harrison, a few miles below Richmond, in 1864, a ludicrous scene
resulted from the firing of a salute with shotted guns. Federal
artillery occupied the fort, and the lines immediately in front of it
were held by the "Department Battalion," composed of the clerks in the
various government offices in Richmond, who had been ordered out to meet
an emergency. Just before sundown the detail for picket duty was formed,
and about to march out to the picket line, the clerks presenting quite a
soldierly appearance. Suddenly bang! went a gun in the fort, and a shell
c