"You were in the 6th Ohio--the old Guthrie Gray regiment, Mr. Bowen?"
"Yes; I was one of the high privates of that illustrious band."
"You are the very man for a 'Narrow Escape'--and I am ready to take you in. So, no preliminaries, but begin," commanded the reporter.
"Well, the most thrilling one to me, was in the second day's battle of Chickamauga,  Sunday Sept. 10th <?>, 1863. Our regiment was in position just east of the Rossville pike, near where we began the battle, the morning before, on the right of Baird's <?> division, in the edge of an open field. About 8 o'clock a. m., we were ordered to advance across this field to support Battery H, 4th Art., Lieut. Cushing commanding. Leaving our hastily constructed, temporary breastworks, made of fence rails and old logs, to be occupied by the 2nd Ky. Inf. (here Ed Owens was shot soon afterward) while the Battery M, 4th Art. Lieut. Russell commanding, had position just to the left of said breastworks, (Battery M was composed of four twelve lb. Napoleons and two 24 lb. howitzers), we advanced across the field, and were ordered to lie down just to the right of Cushing's Battery. Lieut. Cushing was ordered to throw a few shells down into the woods, to "feel for the enemy", who were supposed to be trying to flank us on our left, to cut us off from communication with Chattenooga by the Rossville pike. Battery H had thrown but few shells until the enemy replied, informing us that their "flag was still there." One of their shells, flying over us passed on back and exploded near Battery M, just as Col. Barnett, chief of Art. on Rosecrans staff, rode up. He, seeing the "puff" of Cushing's gun, at the same time mistook us for the enemy, and ordered Russell to open on us, which he did, after protesting that it was our Battery. But Barnett, like many other officers, knew better and repeated the order. Lieut. Russell being educated at West Point, that obedience was the first duty of a soldier, let loose his dogs of war, first with shell and then with grape and canister. He fired two or three rounds before it began to dawn on the mind of Cushing that Russell really intended to hurt us, and as soon as he fully comprehended the situation, he limbered to the left flank, out into the Rossville pike, and came around to Battery M where he vehemently pronounced a soldier's benediction on Lieut. Russell, who had "simply obeyed orders."
"But in the interim, did you ask where was the 6th O. V. I.? Well, we were hugging "old mother earth" as closely as possible, just spreading ourselves "as the manner of the flying squirrel is." I tell only my own experience as I took no pains to watch the other boys. Now, did you every lay under the fire of a Battery, showering grape and canister on you? If so, I cannot edify you. If not, you will have to draw largely upon your imagination to comprehend the fearful destruction they are capable of dealing out to anything animate that is within range and unprotected. A can of canister for 24 lb. howitzer is about the size of a long gallon tin bucket, and at three hundred yards range, seems like some Sampson slushing a common wooden bucket full of bullets into a brush pile or thicket. Of course, they held us down until Cushing relieved us, by ordering Russell to cease firing. We now took a long breath and swallowed our heart back to its normal position and rose to our feet, when lo, we beheld in our immediate front, about sixty yards away, a rebel line of battle, coming directly for us at a "trail arms." What shall we do to be saved? At this critical junction, every man was his won tactician and had no time to trade jack knives. As for me, I took in the whole situation at a glance and formed my plans, subject however to future developments. My first plan was to fire one deliberate shot and then surrender; but just as I drew up to draw a bead on the nearest skirmisher, a ball from the rear struck about six inches above my head, making the bark fly, whereupon I looked back, when I saw that our regiment was falling back, firing as they fell back and were then close to Battery M, which was getting ready to turn loose on the rebs, as soon as they might appear in view. Seeing I was sandwiched, I changed my plans and concluded to try and escape capture; so I struck out to my right flank to get out of range of the Battery, and was looking over my right shoulder to see when I would be out of range of the Battery; which as soon as passed, I cast my eyes to the front, when to my amazement, I was almost in the embrace of a battle line of the enemy, who had come through a gap in our line and had wheeled to the right and were coming for Battery M. I was within thirty yards of their line of battle, and fully expected them to call me to halt or shoot me, or that Battery M would open on them with canister and<?> of course, annihilate me. But the Battery being flanked, limbered to the rear, and so did I, with an accelerated speed born of the hope of liberty. And if anybody passed me in the next hundred yards, he must have been borne on the wings of the wind. The rebels didn't seem to care for me, for if they had and had signified their desire by a command to halt, I should have no doubt obeyed instanter <?>, otherwise I pressed toward the prize of my high calling, and I am today a monument of their amazing mercy. If the rebels had shot me through the heart at that time, the ball would have hit me just below the larynx. But I came to my own, and they received me as one who had escaped so as by fire."
SOURCE: Ironton Register, March 17, 1887