OR XLVI P1 #167: Report of Captain John R. Cooper, 8th NYHA, commanding Btty 15, March 25, 1865

No. 167. Report of Captain John R. Cooper, Eighth New York Heavy Artillery, commanding Battery No. 15, of operations March 25.¹

HEADQUARTERS BATTERY NO. 15,
March 26, 1865.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report that about 4 o’clock yesterday morning I was startled with the first report of the artillery, and immediately had my men at their guns ready for action, and the detachment of the Fourteenth New York Heavy Artillery posted along the works with their muskets loaded, prepared for any emergency . In a few moments I discovered the flash of musketry proceeded from our rear line, at or near Fort Stedman, which led me to the conclusion that our pickets had been captured at that point. One of the Fourteenth Artillery men went from here to Forth Stedman, and immediately returned with the information that the fort was captured and the enemy swinging around in our rear. About this time the 8-inch columbiad, a rifled battery, and the five mortars to the left of the Baxter road, opened fire, the two latter on this battery and Fort Morton; also, the mortar battery on Cemetery Hill. I replied will all six of my mortars,

and Fort Morton with four mortars and on 4 1/2-inch gun, and in a short time the mortar battery and rifled battery were silenced. This battery expended fifty-eight shells. One of the enemy’s shells struck the rear of one of our bomb-proofs and went through and burst inside, killing Private Samuel Bowman, Company B, Eighth New York Artillery, and wounding Percy Scofield, Fourteenth New York Artillery, in the head, and William Wood, Company G, Eighth New York Artillery, in head, slightly, they all being in the bomb-proof at the time. I also received a slight wound on the head and shoulder from the same shell while standing outside the bomb-proof.

Respectfully, yours,

J. R. COOPER,
Captain, Eighth New York Artillery, Commanding Battery.

Lieutenant G. W. BOOTH,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

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