No. 19. Siege of Petersburg Report of Lieut. Azro Drown, First Connecticut Heavy Artillery, commanding Battery No. 9, of operations March 25.1
SIEGE BATTERIES, Numbers 9,
Before Petersburg, Va., March 26, 1865.
LIEUTENANT: In compliance with order Numbers 11, I have the honor to make the following report:
As soon as the alarm was given by the pickets on the morning of the 25th instant. I immediately manned my pieces and opened fire on the enemy’s line of battle, which was formed directly in my front; this line soon being broken, I directed my fire upon Fort Stedman, Battery Numbers 10 and vicinity; and also upon the road leading from the rear of Fort Stedman and Battery 10, passing the rear of my battery, this road being occupied by the enemy in force to a point within 200 yards of my battery; Fort Stedman and Battery Numbers 10 also being occupied by the enemy, they landing turned their pieces upon my battery – one shot from Fort Stedman striking my magazine. I kept up a steady fire upon these points, with good effect, until the enemy commenced retreating, when I shelled their retreating columns, until the last of them disappeared behind their works. The enemy’s mortar and gun batteries on my front kept up a steady fire upon my battery during the action, but I made no reply to them. My works were somewhat damage by the enemy’s fire, but fortunately there were no casualties among my men.
I expended during the action 266 rounds of ammunition, all of which exploded well, as far as could be observed, with the exception of a few rounds which I fired with fuses not quite enough for the range – my long fuses all being expended.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. DROWN,
Second Lieutenant, First Connecticut Artillery, Commanding Battery.
Lieutenant W. S. MALONY,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Siege Batteries.
Source:
- The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 1 (Serial Number 95), page 184 ↩